Dance competitions: good, bad and shameful

Amalika · Post by **Amalika** » 24 May 2008, 07:06

Many of us probably remember last year's Natyarangam's committee members acknowledged that their dance competition was a flop: the majority of the dancers who came to pick up the applications were told that.... the application forms were over, as there was just 20 in each category..

Natyarangam's committee members publicly announced "next year there will be no limit for the applications". It was a lie: this year, Friday Review announced, "The first 20 applicants in each category will be chosen by Natyarangam".

Will any dancers still want to apply for this shameful mini-competition?

chitrashankar · Post by **chitrashankar** » 27 May 2008, 06:18

If I remember well, last year the judge at their competition was a 19-year-old girl Aishwarya.
I will not be surprised if they have a 5-year-old judge this time!

How does it speak about the professionalism of Natyarangam?

srinandini · Post by **srinandini** » 12 Jun 2008, 10:57

i really dont get it!......... a 19 year old as a judge for natyarangam????????
why? does the natyarangam think that the old, knoledgable, experienced dance teachers and scholars are incompetent to be a part of the jury panel?

santosham · Post by **santosham** » 20 Jun 2008, 13:31

Knowing there are 100000 bharatanatya students in Chennai, Natyarangam's committee came out with a very original way to please a few of the gurus that they like. It is called mean politics. It is not so mean as other dance competitions, where the committee would just hand-pick 10-15 applicants that they like. :rolleyes: I mean, it is a top secret / taboo - how the Indian Fine Arts committee selects the contestants!

chitrashankar wrote:If I remember well, last year the judge at their competition was a 19-year-old girl Aishwarya.
I will not be surprised if they have a 5-year-old judge this time!

How does it speak about the professionalism of Natyarangam?

According to P.Nirmala who wrote on Narthaki, you were wrong:

Does Chitra refer to the TTD competition where Aishwarya Narayanaswamy was a co-judge, judging her own students?

chitrashankar · Post by **chitrashankar** » 23 Jun 2008, 20:38

Just read a lengthy review of this competition on Narthaki.com.
Very controversial review, I must say!

sudharani · Post by **sudharani** » 10 Jul 2008, 06:16

chitrashankar wrote:Just read a lengthy review of this competition on Narthaki.com. Very controversial review, I must say!

It is a very in-depth review! I enjoyed reading it very much!
Lets hope that the Music Connoisseurs Club's competition will be better!

anushag · Post by **anushag** » 26 Jun 2009, 09:13

Looks like after all this controversy and criticism the Natyarangam competition was cancelled this year. They have been conducting it since 2001.

lakshmi87 · Post by **lakshmi87** » 09 Jul 2009, 18:40

anushag wrote:Looks like after all this controversy and criticism the Natyarangam competition was cancelled this year. They have been conducting it since 2001.

You know why? I heard that one committee member of Natyarangam was planning to give the 1st prize to her daughter this year like she did in the Music Academy. Since 2005 she had been Executive commiitee member of the Music Academy (she is still listed on http://www.musicacademymadras.in/EC.php ) - so her daughter was the winner of Spirit of Youth in 2007.

I think it is high time the sabhas revise their code of ethics and conflict of interests.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 10 Jul 2009, 06:44

when natyarangam is turned into nepotism-rangam, it ends up this way

Kannagi · Post by **Kannagi** » 11 Jul 2009, 00:57

Mummy also got her daughter a slot in the prestigious Music Academy dance festival in January. From reading the Hindu review of the quality of that performance, it's pretty clear that it must be nice to have a Mummy with influence.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 11 Jul 2009, 08:35

I hope Srinivas, our 'Relished Rapports' scribe is following this thread...

remaniki · Post by **remaniki** » 30 Jul 2009, 14:09

Chitra Shankar wrote on 23.06.2008: "Just read a lengthy review of this competition on Narthaki.com.
Very controversial review, I must say!"

If the prize winners of Natyarangam had been some children other than Nikitha and Rohini, would these winning children not have felt the same way as the others did, once they knew they had not got prizes?
When there is a competition, the contestants should take the results in a sportive way and this is mainly the responsibility of the parents to make them understand that all is in the game. Rules of a competition always say that 'the judges' decision is final'. Why have so many people started a controversy particularly for Natyarangam 2008, I wonder. The best dance is performed by one who is generally a good dancer but who is in excellent form on the day of the competition which brings him/her success. Especially in the case of youngsters (change of mood etc.) this is possible. When I read the review, it gave me the idea that it was written by a parent of a non-winner. It sounded biased. Please do not encourage such prejudiced comments against little children who have won prizes. Even if the children are willing to accept the judges' decision, their parents are not. This is the sad part. Dance is to be enjoyed. When children perform, it is a treat to watch. Bringing in controversies in a children's competition is not fair. The judges were Ganga Thampi, Lavanya Ananth and Rupa Srikanth and none of them as we all know is 19 years old. I am writing all this NOT as Nikitha's mother,because she won the prize, but as a responsible parent, I want to convey the message that whatever be the competition, music or dance or anything else, let us develop the sportive spirit in our children and not create controversies which results in indifference in children when they meet at a contest venue.
Perhaps because of all these controversies, Natyarangam decided not to give a slot, as they generally do, for the winner last year. I am not fazed by it anyway. When they get the right opportunity, good dancers will always entertain rasikas. Let us enjoy their performances with unbiased happiness.
Rema.