Dancing for a good cause

CHENNAI: There are some performances which make one understand and appreciate a classical solo dance. Meet Sangeeta Isvaran, a Chennai-based dancer, capable of delivering such performances.A dancer, choreographer, research scholar and social worker, Sangeeta doesn’t conform to traditional notions of how an Indian dancer should live her life.  She also doesn’t believe in confining herself to the overly-used mythological  themes while choreographing her pieces. After a few commercial performances, she realised that dance could also be used to make underprivileged women stronger and understand the future better. “I was unfulfilled and was just passing along the dance vocabulary initially. But when I started to question the need for my dance, I felt that I should convey a message to the audience and not just do another performance. Since then, I’ve developed a fearlessness and that has made me a better dancer,” explains Sangeeta, who has been dancing since the age of five. Trained in Bharatanatyam and Abhinaya by Padmabhushan Kalanidhi Narayan, Sangeeta believes in the Rasa Theory – building a connection between the spectator and the dancer. “When you perform a dance, the spectators get absorbed in your dance. But that’s not enough. A performer should convey the message that makes the viewer analyse a lot of things in their lives,” says the 36-year-old, as she performs an impromptu number.Sangeeta, who believes in combining dance with theatre to bring about social reform, works for the development of specific techniques of the art that can be used in education, empowerment and economic development. “It is written in the Bhagvad Gita that you need to perform your duty and not sit and brood over the outcome,” she says.  Having worked with many NGOs, she has conducted workshops for sex workers, transgenders, street children, destitute women and rape victims across the world. “I become a storyteller when I’m among them. I use the local mythological characters to tell stories that help trigger their emotions and help them understand what their future is going to be.” Recalling her most memorable experience, Sangeeta says, “When I worked in a social organisation at Cambodia, things were different. Women were calm, poised and elegant. So, making them open up itself was a difficult task, but dance did the trick. I communicated through dance.”Sangeeta is more than just a strong voice in the society. There is also a fun and experimental side to the dancer.  She does belly dancing, African dance and Bollywood dancing. “The word belly dancing is demeaning. It is called Raksharqui and is a sensual dance form. I’m not an expert in it, but I use the elements from various dance forms and incorporate them into my performances.” Sangeeta’s performances continue as she prepares for an upcoming show, which is an ode to her guru Padmabhushan Kalanidhi Narayan. [email protected]