Anitha Santhanam finds her groove

An artiste is constantly in search of a medium that best conveys her expressions. So, I went searching from one to the other and then yet another.

My shift from dance to theatre was quite by chance. At a conference at the Madurai Kamaraj University that I attended to present a paper on dance and education, I was spotted as talent for a solo theatre performance titled Vanaprastham. I told them I had no prior experience, but once I did the play, I simply had to shift to theatre.

The transition from one art form to another has been interesting and very, very liberating. I think the difference lay in the use of voice and text. Theatre has this raw energy, when compared to dance, which is more stylised in its form of expressing. This raw energy made the transition exciting; more so, because of the form of theatre that I have chosen. Physical theatre involves an extensive use of the body and thus, my training as a dancer has made the shift so much smoother.

I remember being faced with a similar period when I shifted from Bharatanatyam to Indian contemporary styles. Indian contemporary dance is vastly different from western styles. It connects with current issues, themes that are very appealing currently; and as an artist, you are constantly looking for a form to convey. I had largely sought my own truth with the contemporary form as I wanted to communicate contemporary themes. This is a phase that recurs with most dancers. It is a gradual finding of form, whether it is contemporary or martial arts. It expresses truth.

There have been challenges along the way, but I thank my dance for making the ride simpler. In the two solo roles I have played, first in Vanaprastham and later in An Arrangement Of Shoes, the word solo did not scare me.

As Bharatanatyam dancers, you are trained to perform alone from your first stage appearance at the arangetram you give at the age of 12. In dance, performing solo has never been a challenge and because I shifted from dance into theatre, it wasn’t quite challenging here either. As a solo artiste, you begin to realise you are not alone. The lights, sounds and even the audience are a part of your performance. You communicate with them. The challenge, however, arises with the fact that you need to be your own fuel. There are no co-stars; you are your own energy, especially when you play more than one role. It is challenging then to keep this energy alive.

Personally, at the moment, I have found my truth with theatre. I find greater freedom to experiment and express in this medium but this is not to say dance isn’t expressive. I feel I find my groove with physical theatre. It is liberating. This however is not a generalisation. Dance is just as liberating. What entices me in theatre is the use of voice. It is an excellent way to communicate.

Anitha Santhanam was last seen in An Arrangement of Shoes. She trained at  LISPA, London from 2007-2010 in physical theatre on the Charles Wallace grant for performing artistes.

— As told to Vishwadha Chander