Yakshagana/Bharatanatyam Artiste-St Aloysius Lecturer Ms Disharag Shetty, a Multi-Talented Personality
Yakshagana/Bharatanatyam Artist-St Aloysius College {Autonomous}-Mangaluru Lecturer Ms Disharag Shetty, a Multi-Talented Personality
Mangaluru: She is a Yakshagana Artiste and a Bharatanatyam Dancer, and also a full-time lecturer at St Aloysius College {Autonomous}-Mangaluru-meet Multi-Talented Personality-Ms Disharag Shetty, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, St Aloysius College (Autonomous), who recently performed a Bharathanatyam Dance in a programme which was organized by Sri Devi Temple, Malaysia in association with Sri Vani Nruthya Kala Kendra, Ujire held at Kuala Lumpur ,Malaysia. Disharaj is a dance student of Smt Shantha Padvatnaya of Sri Vani Nruthya Kala Kendra Ujire. A principal of St Aloysius, Fr Dr Praveen Martis S.J. applauded her performance and said that it is a matter of pride that the college has a faculty like Ms Disharag.
Being a Bharatanatyam dancer and Yakshagana artiste, Disharag is very much interested in both these arts right from her childhood. Her parents have supported her, including her twin sister Dr. Deenamanju, also a Bharatanatyam dancer, for their interest in these fields. Both of them have performed Yakshagana programmes also in Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala every year especially during Lakshadeepotsava and the programme which was organized in honour of Coronation Ceremony of Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade. Besides this, Ms Shetty is to deliver religious lecture to the public, and also choreographs for the Yakshagana programmes too.
A fulfilling performance is one when the dancer can say “the audience saw what I saw”. Disharag wants to convey to audiences everywhere the idea that Bharatanatyam is not simply entertainment, but must also ultimately be spiritually uplifting, and come from the heart. She wants her relatives, friends and well-wishers to come and watch her future performances, and also shower blessings on her so that the shows go on well and successful- which will also encourage her to perform better.
Ms Disharag says that her husband Vineet Shetty has supported her a lot and also helped her to perform in Malaysia. Above all, Disharag has secured ‘Best Paper Presenter Award’ for her work on ‘Twins’. During her student life, she has given many stage programmes and received awards. Besides this, she has actively involved all the programmes organized by St Aloysius College. She is a proud daughter of Dinesh Shetty and Sarika Shetty
Originating from the court traditions of Southern India, the Bharatanatyam dance form balances elements of expression (bhava), melody (raga) and rhythm (tala) in an intense training regime that includes the study of yoga, Hindu mythology, history, drama and aesthetics. The main purpose of Bharatanatyam dance is for the performer to evoke rasa, or feeling, in the audience through the precise recital of steps, gestures and facial expressions to offer prayers or convey stories from the great Hindu epics – and Disharag following all those traditions always gives her best dance performance to awe the audience.
Bharatanatyam is a dance like no other in the world, requiring from its students a perfect blend of “spirituality, discipline, physical mastery, ritual and established form. All good dance is an expression of the soul and human emotion, thoughts and experience — but Bharatanatyam is, first and foremost, a prayer and offering to the gods. The ultimate goal is not the performance, but the closer connection between the dancer and the gods- and I bet Disharag has proved that she has all these qualities when she performs in front of her family members, relatives, friends and well-wishers.
Bharatanatyam, in its modern form, has moved from the temple to the stage, though it still retains its spiritual aspect. Today Bharatanatyam moves in ever-shifting global directions and has grown well beyond the historical debates surrounding its reinvention in the early twentieth century, even though traces of the anxieties over nation, body, sexuality, and performance still circulate in the practice of the form. This unit considers the importance of Bharatanatyam’s multiples pasts for its seemingly infinite futures. Disharag’s love to this professional dance world has already reached to greater heights in this traditional art.
It takes some time to come to terms with the fact that here is a seasoned exponent of `Bharatanatyam’ and ‘Yakshagana’ who is not just an acclaimed performing artiste but a profound thinker with an insight into the vast treasure of classical dance and Yakshagana art. There are many reasons Disharag’s name pops up in the list of talent to watch out for, not the least of which is this dancer’s single-minded devotion to her art. She credits her dance teachers, who were also her mentors, for motivating her to make the shift. In thanking her parents and gurus for supporting her both talents, Disharag commented that she feels privileged to have been given the opportunity to learn about her Indian cultural heritage through her study of Bharatanatyam dance, and Yakshagana art.
Disharag’s approach to both these arts is definite and different. She likes to absorb the dance, internalise the movements and make it as natural as breathing. Every detail then acquires a new dimension. Dance matures like wine with age. Each time you dance it attains a new colour and a discerning audience who are willing to invest time and effort to appreciate will be able to feel the presentation. Dance has to be dynamic, she says, where universal emotions are taken up and translated into art to suit the contemporary mind.
Multi-Talented Disharag Shetty believes that the purpose of the dancer as an artist, is to recreate on the stage, in front of an audience, the ultimate reality of art – a spiritual experience. The purpose of Indian classical dance is to show the audience this ‘other’ reality which is quite different to the reality of everyday life. This is the third and ultimate stage which a good dancer reaches: the dancer as an artist. A dancer begins as a student, becomes competent as a dancer, and only then, when she reaches the level of an artist, does she gain the ability to take the audience, and transport them, to a different reality. And for that matter, Disharag has accomplished all these talents through her magnificent performances, both as a “Bharatanatyam Dancer” and also as a “Yakshagana Artiste”.
Following are the excerpts from the exclusive interview with Ms Disharag Shetty:
Q: What made you to take up interest in Bharathanatyam and Yakshagana? When did you start learning Bharathanatyam and Yakshagana?
To be honest, me and my twin sister got introduced to Bharathanatyam just because our parents wanted us to learn it. I got into dance class, at the age of 6, when I hardly knew what dance meant. There was not much interest in the beginning, but gradually developed interest in Bharathanatyam, and here I am a full-fledged Bharatanatyam dancer.
And concerning Yakshagana, since my hometown is Dharmasthala, I often go to watch Yakshagana performances. This interested me and I also wondered the ease and enthusiasm with which the Yakshagana artists performed. And this interest of mine and that of my twin sister (Dr.Deenamanju Shetty, who is always my inspiration) made me take up this challenge of learning Yakshagana.
Q: Arts are said to mold a person’s mind and personality. How has Bharathanatyam and Yakshagana helped you?
I very much agree with the above statement. Both these art forms has helped me grow in varied ways. It has enhanced my sense of self esteem and self confidence. It has brought in many desirable changes in me.
Q: What is your favorite item of dance? And favorite item in Yakshagana
I have the liking for all the traditional forms of dance. However Bharathanatyam is my most favorite one. And with Yakshagana, I like Tenkutittu style the most.
Q: Which is your most memorable performance so far in both these arts?
In fact all my performances are memorable, for the reason that I always enjoy performing alongside my twin sister. However if I have to specify one or two, I must say, the one I performed recently at Malaysia, is my memorable dance ever.
And my most memorable Yakshagana performance is the one I had performed for the first time at Dharmasthala, on the occasion of Lakshadeepotsava.
Q: In what way has Bharathanatyam and Yakshagana changed your life: both for better and for worse.
Bharathanatyam and Yakshagana did change my life in many better ways. It has given me enough and more of opportunities and challenges. It has enabled me realize and also to make the best use of my potentials. Both these arts have never had any negative Impact on me.
Q: Are you considering in continuing the art of Bharathanatyam and Yakshagana as a career in future days and years to come? Or is it just an added talent?
I have made the choice to continue my career in the field of Psychology. However I would certainly not wish to give up Bharathanatyam and Yakshagana, I wish to continue it as my passion. And I am sure my passion can certainly go alongside my profession. Here in, I am glad to reveal the fact that the Principal of my college, Fr.Praveen Martis SJ, is indeed supportive and encouraging me in this regard.
Q: How did your Bharathanatyam show go in Malaysia? Where the audience enthralled with your performed.?
Me and my sister are contended about our Bharathanatyam performance at Malaysia. We received appreciation from the audience. And viewers enjoyed watching me and my twin perform together, giving us loud applauds. It seemed to have created feelings of joy in the minds of audience. In this context, I wish to express my gratitude to my beloved dance teacher Smt.Shantha Padvatyanaya.
Q: How do you see your role in the society as a dancer and a Yakshagana artist apart from being a full-time college lecturer?
Well I consider my role to be significant in inspiring the upcoming young generation. Today, there is a great need for the youngsters to learn traditional art forms. I wish to see youngsters prefer and perform Indian classical dances over Western forms of dance.
Q: Finally what is your message for anyone who wants to learn Bharathanatyam and the traditional art of Kudla- Yakshagana, and your words of wisdom for the youth in particular?
For the ones who wish to learn Bharathanatyam and Yakshagana, I must firstly congratulate you for your wise decision. It will certainly help you gain insight in your culture and traditions. Through means of Bharathanatyam and Yakshagana you can also convey messages and values to the society, and I believe, that’s the best way to go about to bring in a desirable change in our society.
Team Mangalorean wishes Ms Disharag Shetty all success in her endeavours and her performances in both the arts- ‘Bharatanatyam’ and ‘Yakshagana’.