Been reflecting on my recent class teaching kathak. My students are from grade 3 to grade 5 and i end up teaching 8 classes of 40 minutes in a day covering close to 200 students in a day...
At times i question this approach to teaching, so little time and such an ancient art form has to be taught, an art form that is 2000 years old, with a very complexed foundation steeped in complicated rhythmic time cycles, different patterns of technique and complex facial expressions with highly demanding footwork.
Where and how do we really!!! meaning all the teachers of kathak in my junior school actually get to reach the depths of inculcating this art form kathak into their beings.
I always felt and with experience saw that when my students arrived in grade 5 they actually just started to pick up the time cycle on automatic and in more of a reflex action.
Their bodies i felt with befriending and constant repetitive movement opened the door to de-stressing and absorbing the flow bringing unconscious benefits to their minds and hearts.
The students always seem to be under stress and it showed in the way they moved their bodies and responded on questions about dance.
I had grown up in London and had returned to Pakistan a muslim country in 1983. Here dance was looked upon as un Islamic, dance was prohibited and considered a corrupt act for women.
Martial law had taken over form democracy in 1977 and the dictator had severly cracked down on the performing arts and performers too, especially women, fear had been instilled and any one who even ventured to challenge the status quo would either be jailed or punished publicly.
I reflected on my own responses to a society that feared dance in this manner and thought could this have impacted these young minds from their homes and their parents. After talking to many parents in Parent Teachers meetings, i came to realize that yes! many parents were still affected by that time and its impact so widespread that even today they held that fear and with all this constant disgrace for 10 years of the islamic military rule many people in our society had developed prejudices
Could this be the subconscious impact from the home environment and and the overall stress of collective thought patterns in our society.
I became curious and observed my surroundings the discussions, parents, home time and morning time of students.
Many young students in my grade 3 had parents that had not given them a full wholesome meal as breakfast, i felt that they were not nourished enough to deal with a whole day in school that had such heavy physical demands on the students body and mind where some of their days were full with sports dance and singing.
The other aspect i discovered was that our society lacked joy overall as people, we were not a joyous society because of the false teachings that were being instilled through religion.
Society was made to believe that God is not loving and if girls laugh or speak too loud they were considered bad or had bad reputations. The clergyman was successful in making us believe that being happy is a sin and to please God was to be serious, unhappy, and no joy.
This impacted the approach to dance that i had that dance was freedom of expression, dance was liberating such a contrast to what society had been conditioned to feel and believe.
I am beginning to understand more and more the deeper impact of this on students or people who learn dance in Pakistan.Things have changed considerably and since the dictatorship ended in 1988 i still at times see its impact on dance today.
I look at my role and the changes i have brought about being a woman, dancing without fear and the beauty i have depicted and spoken about on many forums, its importance and its liberating nature to the human being and in my own personal experience as well.
I see young woman inspired and pushing boundaries, i observe a change that is sometimes difficult to see but its there slowly making itself know.
The clergy man is still there but with lesser impact as more and more people step into living more with their own truths and aspire to challenge observe and change what does not work for them as individuals any more.
I continue to work and speak on as many platforms and teach in as many schools as possible to placing a brick of change, laying a foundation for the next generation to finally break through into their own unique selfs of expression of joy dance happiness and freedom.
At times i question this approach to teaching, so little time and such an ancient art form has to be taught, an art form that is 2000 years old, with a very complexed foundation steeped in complicated rhythmic time cycles, different patterns of technique and complex facial expressions with highly demanding footwork.
Where and how do we really!!! meaning all the teachers of kathak in my junior school actually get to reach the depths of inculcating this art form kathak into their beings.
I always felt and with experience saw that when my students arrived in grade 5 they actually just started to pick up the time cycle on automatic and in more of a reflex action.
Their bodies i felt with befriending and constant repetitive movement opened the door to de-stressing and absorbing the flow bringing unconscious benefits to their minds and hearts.
The students always seem to be under stress and it showed in the way they moved their bodies and responded on questions about dance.
I had grown up in London and had returned to Pakistan a muslim country in 1983. Here dance was looked upon as un Islamic, dance was prohibited and considered a corrupt act for women.
Martial law had taken over form democracy in 1977 and the dictator had severly cracked down on the performing arts and performers too, especially women, fear had been instilled and any one who even ventured to challenge the status quo would either be jailed or punished publicly.
I reflected on my own responses to a society that feared dance in this manner and thought could this have impacted these young minds from their homes and their parents. After talking to many parents in Parent Teachers meetings, i came to realize that yes! many parents were still affected by that time and its impact so widespread that even today they held that fear and with all this constant disgrace for 10 years of the islamic military rule many people in our society had developed prejudices
Could this be the subconscious impact from the home environment and and the overall stress of collective thought patterns in our society.
I became curious and observed my surroundings the discussions, parents, home time and morning time of students.
Many young students in my grade 3 had parents that had not given them a full wholesome meal as breakfast, i felt that they were not nourished enough to deal with a whole day in school that had such heavy physical demands on the students body and mind where some of their days were full with sports dance and singing.
The other aspect i discovered was that our society lacked joy overall as people, we were not a joyous society because of the false teachings that were being instilled through religion.
Society was made to believe that God is not loving and if girls laugh or speak too loud they were considered bad or had bad reputations. The clergyman was successful in making us believe that being happy is a sin and to please God was to be serious, unhappy, and no joy.
This impacted the approach to dance that i had that dance was freedom of expression, dance was liberating such a contrast to what society had been conditioned to feel and believe.
I am beginning to understand more and more the deeper impact of this on students or people who learn dance in Pakistan.Things have changed considerably and since the dictatorship ended in 1988 i still at times see its impact on dance today.
I look at my role and the changes i have brought about being a woman, dancing without fear and the beauty i have depicted and spoken about on many forums, its importance and its liberating nature to the human being and in my own personal experience as well.
I see young woman inspired and pushing boundaries, i observe a change that is sometimes difficult to see but its there slowly making itself know.
The clergy man is still there but with lesser impact as more and more people step into living more with their own truths and aspire to challenge observe and change what does not work for them as individuals any more.
I continue to work and speak on as many platforms and teach in as many schools as possible to placing a brick of change, laying a foundation for the next generation to finally break through into their own unique selfs of expression of joy dance happiness and freedom.
What an interesting read Nighat. Thank you for sharing this. We are do not always appreciate our freedom of expression here in Europe.
ReplyDeleteThank you Debbie its so enlightening to share information and experiences around the globe.
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