A date with Tanusree Shankar

The ambience of the latest eatery at Mani Square has a hipand happy feel. The interiors are colourful and the outside view, quite spectacular. Inviting Tanusree Shankar, the celebrated choreographer and danseuse to Square 405 was a treat fit for queens! We had lunch that comprised mocktails accompanied by a tantalizing Nacho Platter, succulent Beer Batter Fried Prawns, Spaghetti with garlic bread, a mouthwatering Hariyali Kebab Platter and sinful Chocolate Mud Cake topped with Ice Cream!

Ananda Shankar Centre for Performing Arts has recently completed twenty-five years. It has been a long journey and this fact is still sinking in! Ananda, whom we all called Aan-da with great affection, always insisted that to be a good dancer it was absolutely essential to first be a good human being. You are only two hours on stage as a performer. But for the rest of the twenty-two hours you are with other people. So those twenty-two hours have to be such that people would want to come back to see you again and again.

THEREFORE, THE CRITERIA FOR A GOOD DANCER GOES BEYOND JUST BEING EXCELLENTLY TRAINED. YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE DISCIPLINED, EFFICIENT AND AS AN ARTISTE YOU HAVE TO HAVE INNATE HUMILITY. I AM STILL TRYING TO CARRY ON WITH ALL THAT AAN-DA USED TO TELL US

Today I can tell you that after twenty-five years of being with us, all my staff and teachers are capable of putting up a show all by themselves – from scratch to finish – they know it all. This is one fact that makes me very happy.

What has changed over the last twenty five years is the attitude towards the performing arts as a career. Earlier, dance used to be a hobby. Mostly for girls who came from middle class families. But for boys it was a big ʻnoʼ! ButAnanda said that as a child of a dancer – a male dancer at that – who had toured the world and been applauded and celebrated wherever he went, why should boys be left out from learning dance if they were serious about it? Aananda argued that if a boy could become an engineer or a doctor, why couldnʼt he also become a dancer? The profession had to be given the dignity that it deserved. It was an uphill struggle for us to make parents understandthe serious implications of taking up dance as a profession. The hard work and the aesthetics of dance could not be achieved overnight. One had to persevere to get to the top. We have never offered any shortcuts or short courses. Our students have to learn for at least twelve years to know what dance is all about. I always tell those who finally graduate from our Centre that it is now that you really begin to dance as a beginner! It is now that you learn to know dance!

We have taught you the alphabets; you have to now write the poetry of dance by yourself.

This long process of learning to be a dancer can have its moments of frustration. Todayʼs youngsters are in a hurry. They do not want to devote twelve long years to any craft. They are an impatient lot and I donʼt blame them. Because all around they see how easily name, fame and money are available. But I carry on with my conviction.

After Aan-da left, I was literally pushed against the wall. I think my struggler was tougher because I was so dependent on Aan-da.  Suddenly I was all alone and all the staff was looking at my face to carry on! I did not have the knowhow to run an organisation. But I had to learn. Today I am happy that a handful still believes in the struggle. Aan-da still lives on with us every single day.