Examine the role of Dance as a theme in Mahesh Dattani’s "Dance Like a Man"
"This world we live in is the dance of the creator.Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye.But the dance live on". By - Michael Jackson
"Those who were seen dancing were through to be insane by those who could not hear the music"
By-Fredrich Nietzsche
By- Martha Graham
Mahesh Dattani one of the Pioneers of modern Indian Theater,uses his 1989 play 'Dance like a Man' to deal with concern - social prejudice,gender issue, marriage and career, conflict between tradition and modernity, patriarchal, traditional social system, interpersonal relationship identity crisis and so on through one his principal passion,dance.It is a Chennai based play where dance is integral part of life and a favourite mode of aesthetic expression.Infact he wrote this play when he himself was learning Bhara-Natyam in his mid 20s and used this tool as a catalyst to enhance his platfrom.The play harks back to a time when dancing in India was considered a harlot's persuit, exposing a social hypocrisy as examplified by the custom of "De-vine prostitution". On another level,it explore-s the genaral inhibitions suffered by an Indian man (Jairaj) taking dance as a career especially a dance (Bharatnatyam) traditionally perform-ed by women.
This story "Dance like a Man" tells the story of three generations;their personal ambitions,sac-rifices, struggles, compromises and the way they try to cope up with the life;and mainly focuses on a dancing couple.The pathos of human predicament is explored in the subtlest way.The play depicts the clash between issues such as marriage,career,and the place of a woman in patriarchal society.It deals with the lives of the people who feel exhausted and frustrated on account of the hostile surroundi-ngs and unfavourable circumstances.The story is unfolded in past time and present time.The dance in the play doesn't come as but also brings with in it gender related issues as well- "There is no original of harmony gender a drag imitates,but gender is a kind of imitat-ion for which there is no original"- Judith Butler.
Dattani in this play put questions about the sexual contuct that a man is or the very consti-tuents of a man identity in terms of sexuality, as the head of the family and as an artist.The play deals with the self and the significance of the others,through the frameworks gender and gender- roles,the prostitute as a dancers and an artist; the man as a dancer;the Guru who sports long hair and has an effeminate walk are categorises that the older generation.
Dattani uses traditional Dance as a medium that creats conflict in the play within the minds of the other characters.As the play goes forward and action take place;Dance take the center stage and pushes the characters outside.Traditional Dance,in the play,is not only a form or a tool that enables the writer to tell his story but it creats it own psyche.
Dance is a very significant factor in this play that means different things to different characters. Jairaj and Ratna develop their career as dancers and from them Dance is not only a form of art but also their life and soul.It is not only their passion but also a tool that will help them to gain desired success.The stereotypes of gender roles are set against the idea of the artist in search of creativity within the restricti-ve structure of the world that he is forced to inhabit. Jairaj with his obsession for dance dismantles these stereotypes.Through this the writer portrays stereotypes associated with 'gender' issue that view solely women at the receiving end of the oppressive power structures of patriarchal society.The domain of the patriarch Amritlal,Jairaj's father is a depicted gender roles.
Dance for Amritlal is the profession of prostitute, improper for his daughter in law and absolutely unimaginable for his son.He forbids Ratna from visiting the old devdasi who teaches her the intrica-cies of Bharatnatyam;he cannot tolerate the sounds of the dancing bells that rings through their practice session;is astounded at the long haired guru with an effeminate walk and can not, most of all tolerate the idea of his son - a man becoming professional dancer.He makes a pact with Ratna.He asks Ratna to help him Jairaj grow up:"Help me make him adult.Help me to help him to grow up...Help me and I will not prevent you from dancing.I know if will take time but it must be done".Ratna agree and does accordingly.She is an ambitious lady who will not stop at anything to make her dream come true.In doing so she neglects her own son Shankar, who dies because of the overdose of opium given to him by her ayah.Ratna calls Jairaj a mediocre dancer and blames him for destroying her career by not accepting invitation to dance alone- "If you dance alone, your mediocrity would be exposed?...
Personally for Jairaj Dance is from or a means to express emotions and stands as the tool of defia-nce,revolt,negation of a particular way of life that was decided by his father,Amritlal.He starts dancing as a hobby or rather a fancy that his father thought would perish after a period of time but it does not happen that way.Jairaj continues his practice for Bharatnatyam.He becomes strong for his wife's support,who was also interested in traditional dancing.The reason behind Amritlal's opposition suggests that his mind was not ready to accept his son as a Bharat-nayam dancer.This is more clear by Amritlal's this state - "A woman in a man's world may be considered as progressive.But a man in a Woman's world is pathetic" and Amritlal believe dance is not for men.
Dance,for Ratna, serves as an undying passion that derives her character throughtout all the action of the drama.Behind her every action in drama,Dance was the main factor she involves herself in a relationship with Jairaj for herself interest.There was no love or attachment for Jairaj. She was over- confident about her talent and she does not hesitate to destroy Jairaj career as a dancer with her father in law,Amritlal.Tradi-tional Dance stands as thing that wi help her in earning fame and money along with respect in the world.
For Ratna Dance was a medium to gain popularity and status and for that she married Jairaj who would never stop her from dancing. Ratna's selfish inner desire was so powerful that she cold bloodly plays with the emotions of Jairaj by misguiding him constantly.In the guise of a true life companion she deceives her husband and tries to curb his potential as a dancer.In order to gain personal aims she sacrifices Jairaj's abilities.Ratna not only spoils Jairaj's life but tries to mould her daughter Lata's life also by making her a traditional dancer.Inspite of being s male member of the family Jairaj never tries to command his authority over Ratna, instead she, very deliberately plays with his emotions.When Jairaj retured to his father's house, Ratna disliked it and says- "You! You are nothing but a spinless boy who could not leave his father's house for more than forty eight hours".
Lata,her daughter,was used by her to fulfill her inner suppressed desire to earn fame and money nationwide and abroad.Ratna manipulates her daughter.For Lata her traditional dance was important but it never become a wild Passion at any point of time.The desire to take dance,as a hobby was very clear in her mind as she tells Vishwas- "When I was little girl,I used to stand near the door and watch mummy and daddy practice.It was magic for me.I knew then what I wanted to be".She takes dance as a pure form of art and does not link it to any gender.She wanted to pursue dance but her desire was not blended with any passion or force.For her, marrying Vishwas was also important and she wouldn't sacrifice her love for dance.Her balanced mind makes different than her parents.
In this drama,Dattani has successfully presented Dance(Bharatnatyam) as a theme. "Dance like a Man" is a play that doesn't present the character as pure white or black but it shows their different shades in all possibilities.The play poses fundamental questions and present the actor with the best of their talents.It demands the answer whether the world is progressive in real sense or we are still in search of that utopian era where no dance form is actually attached to any gender of the dancer but considered as a pure from of art.Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri writes- "Dance like a man is a play that deals with one of Dattani's pet concerns- gender- through one of his principal passion,dance".
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