Of Dance and Innovation

In a tete-a-tete with dance genius Astad Deboo.

They say that dance and theatre are all about expression. If there is one person in the Indian contemporary dance fraternity who's trenchant expressions can be read even by a person sitting in the last row of the auditorium, it has to be Astad Deboo.
 Astad, the recipient of prestigious Padma Shri in 2007 and  Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1995, is indeed the pioneer of contemporary dance forms in India. A lot has been written about him over time but ironically there is still a majority, which has no Idea about what contemporary dance is.
"Contemporary dance does not have fixed movements, one innovates and creates. I have had opportunities of spending time with other dancers overseas where we exchanged ideas and searched for new forms and dynamics. We focus on oppositional movement, alignment, raw emotion, and systematic breathing," articulated Astad.
"Once you start creating, then ideas flow, movements are decided depending upon the place and time. I have been working with different groups, bringing together different techniques of these disciplines to come up with something new," says Astad.
Speaking about how his career began, he asserted, "I started studying dance at the age of six. At that point there was no thought in my mind that I would someday become a professional dancer. I finished school and then I wanted to continue with dance, which like any other parent, my parents too found untenable. I went on to study economics and once saw an American dance company perform, that is when I saw a completely different style of body movements and approach to dance. The thought was planted and I had to go and explore -my journey began."
Astad has been more of a lone crusader pushing contemporary dance in India, and trying to bring recognition to the art form, which he has succeeded in doing over time.
Astad has performed at the Great Wall of China and has a considerable experience in working with deaf actors. "Presently I am working with the drummers and martial artists from Manipur. I also collaborate and work with other performing artists like puppeteers, to bring the best out of all, and have a mix of all trades," narrated Astad. He has also choreographed for films like Omkara and Meenakshi, apart from making significant contributions to the theatre as well.

 Advice to aspiring contemporary dancers:
 "I still haven't seen many young dancers who tend to take dance up as a career, unless it is targeted for working in Bollywood and entertainment industry. Again it is very difficult, not an easy path to follow so I  can't entirely blame them.  All I can say is that it is not a path of roses, if you are ready to encounter the hiccups -welcome."

 Challenges in introducing Contemporary dance in India:
"When I started, in late 70's, innovation in dance was practically non-existent. A person within the country wanting to go into a new direction of experimentation was not given any recognition. But now through sheer perseverance and the support of media, which has written a lot about my work, I have been able to sensitize ," recounts Astad.

--Danish Manzoor