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Deepa's commitment to dance

25 October 2003, 18:00 PM
LIFESTYLE
By Novera Deepita
25 October 2003, 18:00 PM
Deepa Khandokar
It was in 1971, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, when I fled to India with my family', Deepa Khandokar reminisces. 'I was about twelve years old. My brother Biplob Das, a writer and singer, had come along too. In India, some of the artistes like Fakir Alamgir, Rafiqul Alam, Mitali Mukharjee and others had formed a cultural group. We would go from camp to camp and inspire the freedom fighters through our cultural activities. It was during those days, when my brother Biplob wrote a script for a dance drama, which I performed in. That was my beginning as a dancer.'

Deepa's first formal guru was Ustad GA Mannan from whom she began taking dance lessons a year after independence. She also took lessons from Pijush Kiran Paul, Gowhar Jamil, Altamas Ahmed and Laila Hassan.

Deepa runs an organisation called Dibya Shangskritik Shangathan where she teaches folk and traditional dances to about a hundred students. 'I teach students in five batches and after a year the students are promoted after their performance is judged. They are given certificates when they are capable of performing on stage.'

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Asked why she teaches boys and girls separately, she replies, 'I noticed that the boys have a tendency to follow the movements of the girls. That way the boys can never learn to dance properly. Which is why the classes are taken separately.'

According to Deepa, her best performance was in the dance drama Rupban that was both composed and directed by her. Besides being a performer, Deepa has been directing dance since 1990. She is now working as the Senior Instructor of the Training Department of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The present status of dance as a form of art in our country seems disappointing and discouraging to her. So she has plans to establish the right methods of dancing among the younger generation.

Deepa says, 'Dancers of our country should follow maestros like Birju Maharaj of India and of other foreign countries. They should develop the stamina and physical fitness too.'

She decided to be a dancer as she feels that through this media she can express herself and feel pure ecstasy.

'Dancing is both my passion and profession. When I perform in the open space of the Shahid Minar, I feel proud and spontaneous in my performance. I have a commitment to dance. When I dance I feel the same way when I meditate or when I m saying my prayers.'

'If I were not a dancer I would have been an actress,' continues Deepa, 'I worked with Dhaka Theatre till 1983. After my marriage it was difficult to continue both art forms together so I quit acting and dedicated myself to dancing.'

Deepa regrets that there is no separate stage for the dancers. 'If we want to perform on stage, a large amount is required to rent the stage which is not often affordable. So, I think there should be more stages available for performance.'