It is my life, my soul, my existence: Madhavi Mudgal on Odissi dance form

It is always a delight to perform for the NCPA audience because it's very special and the atmosphere is really, really special. It was the first time that I performed for Spectrum, although I've been associated with almost, half a century with the NCPA because, in the early or mid‘70s, I danced for the first time at the little theatre there and even when Tata Theatre opened, we were one of the first ones to dance there.

As a child, I had learned, Bharatanatyam and Kathak. Kathak I was doing for quite a while. Because at that time there was no Odissi really. So when I saw Odissi in my teens, I was absolutely, so taken up with the lyricism, the grace, and the beauty of the form that I decided to pursue Odissi.

I see a pretty bright future because so many students are learning and a lot of dancers are performing. It's much, much, much more than when I started about 50 years ago. And that's a very promising sign. Although, in this world of instant, sort of Instagram, et cetera, the quality may not be of that high standards everywhere, but there are a lot of very talented young dancers who are dancing.

Dancers pursue this art form because they love to dance. Financially it's really of not much consequence at all. I studied architecture as well. If I'd been an architect, probably I would have earned much more money, but money is never for an artist. The aim is always pursuing the art… what we call sadhana, that is what gives you satisfaction. And I think that's a great feeling. But it's not easy for a young dancer in today's world to really make a living off this dance form. Sadly so, because we don't have that much patronage. That's why it's always welcome that at least institutions like NCPA, have always supported the arts and they've always come forward.

I don't think the number of people who pursue it will make a difference. It is the society that has to come up and support the arts. Civil society has to wake up to the reality of the arts, the classical arts that we have in India. We are so lucky, so fortunate to have such traditional forms. When we say traditional forms, normally one understands museum pieces. That's not true at all. As I say, our classical forms are also our contemporary interpretations. So it's not like it's a structure that we get, but within that structure, we can make anything. Society has to wake up to see the importance of the arts in their lives, in their children's lives. Because people earn so much money today with young people earning in lakhs in the beginning that they're burnt out by the age of 13 because they've not pursued any interest. They have nothing to nourish their soul.

This dance form is my life, my soul, my existence. I live for it. And it has nourished me throughout my life, much more than any other activity. It's a passion.

I would say that the ‘80s-‘90s and the beginning of this millennium was really the golden period. I have performed in Europe, America, Brazil, Theatre de la Ville in France, in major festivals like in New York, Lincoln Centre, Kennedy Center, Washington, et cetera. These are the festivals which are organized by the local bodies. Indian dance was so very well received at that time. I think now, somehow, the film dance, Bollywood, is taking over as Indian dance. I guess it’s easier to perceive. The audiences that are used to going to theatre as an activity, like in France or in Germany or other places, absolutely love Indian classical dance. Despite not being so familiar with our culture, they would read about it and they would prepare themselves to receive the form. My Guruji, I've travelled with him. He has been a part of my team many times. He was an old artist, but such a fantastic person on stage that people forgot his age. People just saw Indian art, and they received it so well.

That's a question I'm always asked and I'm always stumped for that. It's so difficult to pinpoint one. There are many performances where something happens. Some magic happens. When I danced at Khajuraho for the first time, in the late ‘70s, or in Bhubaneswar, where all the gurus were present of Odissi. There are so many, or with NCPA, the first performance that I did at the little theatre.

If you see earlier films, they all had classical dance as a part of the dance. I have nothing against film music and film dance. I love it in a way. But, it cannot replace classical. Because of course for classical, you'll never have. In classical, the artist is always trying to create, through his art, a bridge between the audience… so, it's kind of a spiritual upliftment. It doesn't mean any religious connotation at all. But it's when you get so deeply involved that you forget everything else. That quality Indian classical music and dance has. Whether it's Indian classical or Western classical, the number that for pop music or popular music you have, that will never be, it will always be a select audience for this kind of thing. That's why it needs much more support.

I'm quite attracted to classical ballet because I find some similarities, although it's completely different because we go with the gravity, they go away from the gravity… they're always up in there. But, the comparison between the two forms is quite interesting.

Absolutely. Especially Indian dance is not just moving hands and just moving to rhythm. It gives you so much. You go so deep into it, it involves you so much, your faculties. When these young kids come to learn dance, after five, six, seven years, they're totally different personalities, because it's not just the grace, it's the mental development, the access to your mythology, the learning of so many things… you surrender in a way to your teacher, the discipline that it requires.