Amenities for Dance Programmes in Chennai Sabhas.

[PUNARVASU]

Date:02/01/2011 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2011/01/02/stor ... 000400.htm


The dancer's elusive quest for amenities

[vasanthakokilam]

R. Krishnaswami, president, Federation of City Sabhas should hire a PR person. He comes off so badly in that article. Keep a clean bathroom, put a good mirror in the dressing room..that should not be too difficult... then work on getting funds to lay a good wooden floor. What does any of this have to do with not getting an inch of space in the city?

[Pratyaksham Bala]

There are two aspects: One is maintaining in a reasonable condition whatever is available - bathroom, mirror, bulbs ... Second is providing additional facilities.

R. Krishnaswami could have acknowledged the fact that there is lack of proper maintenance. As for additional facilities, he could have at least appreciated the need.

Or, was it a case of bad reporting?

[vasanthakokilam]

I had that suspicion about bad reporting too since it seemed to be too one-sided. Your responses would have been just perfect.

[Nick H]

Federation of City Sabhas --- Good grief, is there such a thing? How would anybody know?

The Season, for a start, is an anarchic mess that does nothing to present itself to the world. If there is a Federation of City Sabhas, the last thing I'd want to do is to admit being its president!

When it comes to quality of stage and lighting, halls that are permanent have better facilities than improvised ones, says Mr. Krishnaswami, adding that when an artist selects a hall, they have to commit to the facilities available there. “If you want to dance, you have to adjust,” he says.

The musicians too, must adjust to the green room (sometimes known as the space behind the backdrop) and the toilets. If you want to play, you have to adjust.

The audience, too, must adjust to the same smelly toilets, the bad sound systems, the uncomfortable chairs, and so on. If we want to listen we have to adjust. Oh, and pay.

Maybe it was bad reporting. If not, then Mr R. Krishnaswami needs more than a PR person!

[ardhanariswar]

R. Krishnaswami, president, Federation of City Sabhas should hire a PR person. He comes off so badly in that article. Keep a clean bathroom, put a good mirror in the dressing room..that should not be too difficult... then work on getting funds to lay a good wooden floor. What does any of this have to do with not getting an inch of space in the city?

I know right? Space isn't the issue. Cleanliness is. Look at Japan.

I wish another sabha would come along, offer proper facilities and charge competitive prices that will force the other sabhas to clean up their act. Though I don't think this will accomplish a lot since they've formed their own sort of monopsony, so artists don't have very much power to change much. Especially with up and coming dancers who will accept anything for the chance to perform.

[Nick H]

monopsony? i thought that was the technique by which Sony made people buy their goods in their own, rather than other, cheaper, countries, by restricting the warranty

New word. Looked it up. Thanks

[vasanthakokilam]

Yes, new word indeed and some new gyan. Thanks ardhanariswar.