Straight Answers

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Kiran Subramanyam,</span>Classical dancer,On making Indian dance relevant to youth.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Why should today''s youth be interested in classical dance?</span><br /><br />For one, it''s part of our cultural heritage. If they can relate to it and appreciate its nuances, I see no reason why classical art forms cannot become popular among urban youth.All we dancers need to do is present dance in a fashionable, contemporary manner and simplify it. Skilful use of choreography, lights and modern themes will certainly help in making dance more accessible. There''s no reason why just one section of society should be considered connoisseurs of classical dance.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Are Bangalore''s collegians getting interested in classical dance?</span><br /><br />I have seen a tremendous change in the last five years. I have been invited to many city colleges to give lecture-demonstrations to students. They are like sponges and absorb all this information quite well. In fact colleges even hire professional dancers to choreograph dance sequences for festivals and cultural events. People have shorter attention spans. Therefore, we present short dance sequences not longer than 20 minutes each and there''s an interval as well. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Critics argue that women are portrayed in a regressive manner in Bharatanatyam. Do you agree?</span><br /><br />When it comes to love, romance and courtship, the behaviour of both men and women hasn''t really changed over the centuries, only the context has. So I don''t think women are portrayed in a negative manner at all.</div> </div>