Performance evaluation |
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Every dancer should understand that, especially at the present phase of the development of our civilization, a human judgement is usually faulty, partial, inadequate and distorted. In a private conversation one of the Doordarshan panel judges said, "The A-graded dancers do not deserve even a C, but what can I do if a cabinet minister or another VVIP calls and instructs me to award a certain grade to a certain dancer?"
Unlike all other organizations, we make the process of a dancer's performance assessment totally transparent, honest and clear. Most of the criteria pertain to the physical expression, although some describe the more subtle aspects. All the parameters are relative to the dancer's age. Some of these criteria overlap. As the primary objective of genuine Natya is not merely to entertain, amuse or excite the spectators, but make them happy and spiritually elevate them, it determines the priority order in which the parameters that we use are listed:
- Inward attention focus (this pertains mostly to bhavas):
inspiration (including from how high a source the dancer draws his inspiration)
involvement, understanding, sincerity - Outward attention focus (it determines how well a dancer communicates his state of mind to the audience):
tejas
eye control & power of look - Drishtir - Originality of interpretations, creativity (how different the dancer does the same item from how other dancers do it)
- Sense of Laya/Talam (how accurately the dancer times the movements to the the beat (in nrittas) and to the words of the song in abhinaya)
- Spontaneity of natya (how natural the dancer's expressions are)
- Coordination of movements, including equilibrium/ balance(both static, Sthirathvam, and dynamic, Bhramari)
- Continuity of movements (fluidity, including face and eyes)
- Overall complexity of choreography (nritta, nritya, natya). This parameter refers mostly to the overall variety of elements.
- Working range on the Lasya-Tandava scale
- Face expressiveness (considering the number of distinct expressions, including the transitional)
- Accentuation/ acceleration of movements (how ‘crisp’and "finished" they are)
- Accuracy (precision) of nritta (this parameter does not refer to the dancer's sense of talam, but refers to the completeness/correctness of the nrittas)
- Amplitude of movements & flexibility
- Range of speeds/tempos
- Ease of performance (agility & effortlessness) - Javaha, and the dancer's stamina
- Lip movements(if the dancer tries to mouth the words of the song, how well he does it)
The qualities of a professional dancer:
Natya Shastra states the qualifications required of a danseuse, narthaki, "Women who have beautiful limbs, are conversant with the sixty-four arts and crafts (kala), are clever, courteous in behaviour, free from female diseases, always bold, free from indolence, inured to hard work, capable of practising various arts and crafts, skilled in dancing and songs, who excel by their beauty, youthfulness, brilliance and other qualities all other women standing by, are known as female dancers (narthaki)"
A professional danseuse (patra), according to Abhinayadarpanam, has to be youthful, slender, beautiful, with large eyes, with well-rounded breasts, confident, witty, pleasing, well-aware of when to dance and when to stop (able to follow the flow of songs and music, and to dance in tact (thalam)), with splendid costumes, and of a happy disposition. The ten disqualifying criteria according to Abhinayadarpanam: white specks in the apple of the eye, scanty hair, too thick lips, pendant breasts, being either fat or too thin, either too tall or too short, hunch-backed, with a hoarse voice.
The danser must be beautiful, for according to Sangitaratnakara the true dance relates to a beautiful body, and any dance other than this is simply caricatures (VII.1246). The Natya Shastra reads, "The requisite qualities of an actor are intelligence, beauty, sense of Laya/Talam, appreciation of Rasas/Bhavas, proper age, eagerness to act, acquisition of knowledge of arts, their retention, vocal music, dances, elimination of stage fear, and enthusiasm".
