Thank you 'dancer'

Posted by Anita Ratnam (59.144.29.154) on October 17, 2006 at 20:40:31:

In Reply to: cultivating artistic growth through constructive discourse posted by Lifelong learner on October 16, 2006 at 22:52:27:

Dear dancer:
What a lucid comment. There are many fixed notions about 'reviews' and 'responses'. Ramaa certainly did not mean to write either. Her first communique came as an e mail to us which I loved. We then requested her permission to feature her views.It was never supposed to feature in the REVIEW section. It was supposed to be in the ARTICLES from the very beginning. NARTHAKI erred in the initial placement. The writing was not about Bragha or anybody else. It was written with humour - a quality we lack as a people. She agrees that Bragha is wonderful, as I do, and it is obvious that the audience loved the entire performance. The state of writing about our classical arts is quite pathetic. Since we have failed to inculcate or cultivate a genuinely independent spirit of criticism in India, what normally passes off as a good reivew is bland praise of anyone and everyone! While you may not have extracted anything from reading Ramaa, I would like you to know that national newspapers in India have approached me already to carry her piece in the Sunday Magazine section.What we are afflicted with today is a malaise. Too much empty flattery and not enough vigour in the discussions. I stand by Ramaa as I do with all my writers. If she had not written what she did, how would we have 'met' you. How can we further constructive dialogue in our dance? Difficult, when you look at the hysteria that is surrounding the current dance production touring the USA from India. If any writer even breathes a single negative word about the work, we are being accused in the same tones as those who do not support Bush in Iraq!
dance is so subjective and means so much to so many. Vive la difference and thank you for writing!Maybe your voice can be 'heard' for what you really feel about many issues surrounding our dance through this site.