Journalism of Courage
Sucheta Chapekar was already a celebrated Bharatanatyam dancer in India by the time she made her first visit to Europe in 1979. She performed in London,Rotterdam and Paris among several other European cities. But it was France that stayed with her,even after she returned to Pune. A young Parisian,who wished to learn Bharatanatyam from her,tracked her down. She was a jewellery designer,and was very interested in Bharatanatyam. When she went back,she spread the word and many other French students came to me, says Chapekar.
This year,as Chapekar celebrates 50 years of a sparkling career in dance,and 25 years since the inception of her dance institute Kalavardhini,her French connection makes a return,this time to honour her. Five of my students from France have flown down for a Bharatanatyam performance in the city during the dance festival,Parikramaa. Armelle,Josiane,Jyotika,Pauline and Jessminda have been my disciples for years and have made Bharatanatyam their lives, she says.
Jessminda Veera Pillay,on the other hand,had her first taste of Bharatanatyam when she saw Chapekar perform in a workshop in France. As a young girl,she would go for ballet lessons but never considered herself a dancer. However,when I saw a Bharatanatyam performance for the first time,I fell in love with it. It just seemed so natural and graceful, she says. Pillay has been dancing for eight years now and performed her arangetram six months ago.
With a Scottish mother and an Indian father,Jyotika was familiar with Indian art and culture from an early age. She began learning Bharatanatyam when she was seven,but it was much later,when she spotted Chapekar performing,that she fell in love with the style. It was some 30 years ago that I saw her perform for the first time,and I was astounded. Her style,her grace and her musicality had captured me. I also discovered how much love she had for her students. Now I dance her style,and teach her style, says Jyotika. Chapekars other students are taking her dance tradition forward as well,such as Pauline Reibell,who is also a professional tango dancer,and Josiane Sarrazin. Both teach Bharatanatyam in their hometowns.
The five will come together for the first time while presenting Arghyam,a Bharatanatyam choreography,themed on Shiva and Parvati. Arghyam means giving back what you have learned and received. We are happy to have this opportunity to give back to our guru and to Indian audience, says Choquard.
Though Chapekars disciples hail from different regions in France and didnt know each other earlier,over the years,their common connection with Chapekar has made them friends. We have regular workshops in France,or they visit me. We practise together and we live together. But this is the first time that they will come together for a performance and I am really happy that they are here, says Chapekar.
