Technology in Dance Education

Technology in Dance Education

Dr Rohini Dandavate Aug 25, 2011

Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra (Guruji) is well known for reviving the Odissi dance and refining it to its current sophisticated form. His gradual evolution from humble beginnings at the Annapurna Theater into becoming a world-class performer is often attributed to his creative genius, commitment and capacity for hard work. The less known fact about Guruji is his passion for using technology for aiding his imagination and for enabling observation, refinement and perfection of his own choreographies and for deepening the symbiotic relationship between his choreographies and music compositions of Pandit Bhubaneswar Mishra.

Often as we walked into class Guruji was seen amidst video cameras, tapes, a VCR, an audio player engrossed in editing music or videos. His precision in editing music tracks was flawless. I can to this day visualize the delight and joy on his face when gifted with new cameras or recorders. This enthusiasm for technology extended to stage lighting too. As a young student in Kala Vikash Kendra in late 60s, when stage lighting options were limited in Cuttack, I remember him introducing the silhouette effect on white background in the dance drama Meghdoot. Guruji s curious mind was always searching for new methods for enhancing his expressions through the medium of dance.

Gurujis creative impulse for new concepts and ideas drove him towards random experiences. He often sat late through the night watching science fiction movies while everybody at home slept. Awed by the special effects used in science fiction films, Guruji never stopped in trying to find out how innovative ideas and

effects could be applied in his work without impacting the authenticity of the form. He continuously searched for ideas to tell his story in dance through visually interesting ways. Time and again he would insist that his students record the music and video shoot the dance numbers for future reference and daily practice. He often joked about, how useful the videos would be to his students after him. Those words still resonate in my ears.

Using technology in dance has been prevalent for a long time, but the options were fewer during his time than today. In the past students spent long hours in the Gurus homes or the dance institutes for training and the only resource for reference was the temple sculptures and carvings, pata chitra paintings and a few books. State and National government, Films division and non-government agencies did extensive documentation in video and film, unfortunately only to be shelved in their archives with limited access to dance students. Not many students possessed video cameras, video or audio players. Memorizing through intense everyday practice and written notes were the main modes of learning dance.

Advancing technology is altering the way in which people learn new skills. The sophisticated computer and mobile technologies, the Internet and the social networks have opened new avenues of communicating, sharing and accessing information. Often students of Odissi dance are seen to be referencing material in Odissi dance from unreliable sources. Odissi dance has found place on the world stage and it is learned, taught and performed in the remotest corners of the world. Though the web has made information easily accessible, some of the reference material on Odissi dance that is available on the web lacks quality and is incorrect. In this context, it would be worth understanding how technology can be used in Odissi dance education to facilitate the process of learning by creating easy access to essential and authentic reference resources. With the passing

away of the main architects of the Odissi dance form, schools offering training in Odissi dance have mushroomed all over the world. Dancers who have very limited training and not many resources offer Odissi dance lessons resulting in increasing mediocrity in performance and ill informed students who are fed with inaccurate information. With an objective to maintain quality control, preserve, promote and propagate the precise form, it is imperative to produce appropriate computer based learning tools.

I am not a proponent of total dependence on technology for learning Odissi dance. I truly believe that it is important for students to understand that technology cannot replace the training provided by Gurus through face-to-face interactions and personal supervision. It is essential to understand the difference between dance learned from a Guru through face-to-face interaction and association in comparison to acquiring the same experience through digital resources. The ritual of Odissi dance, like other Indian classical dance forms, requires understanding a complex, precisely defined geometrical grammar, movements and forms. It cannot be comprehended without a Guru. Understanding of the emotion expressed, the Gurus idea or perspective in the choreography, coordination and articulations are crucial for elegant execution of the intricate geometry of the body. Indian tradition prescribes, The most profound forms of knowledge and artistic excellence are to be acquired only through direct or face-to-face relation and not through institution(pg 191, Chattopadhyaya). Dance is one of the important forms of gurugamya vidya (knowledge attained under Gurus guidance). The process of developing artistic excellence and knowledge is incomplete without a Guru because there will be a loss of quality in the process of communication or transmission (Chattopadhyaya). In the words of Vishnu Tattva Das, a leading Odissi dancer based out of California, dance training without a Guru is like reaching out to get a flower with out its fragrance. This metaphor aptly explains the significance of

understanding the Gurus process in dance training, which can be available only through personal explanation, attention and interaction. The basis of this paper is to identify areas wherein computer technology can be a tool to reinforce Odissi dance education and not become a replacement for the Guru.

As more and more students choose to learn and pursue dance as their profession the use of appropriate technology can expand outreach, assist in the process of learning, teaching and presenting dance. Dancers and institutions are already using computer technology and the Internet for instantaneous communication. Technological development has increased the speed of processing information and data compression thereby making it possible to exchange digitized information without degeneration in quality. In the words of Scott deLahunta, this digitized information may be sent via email anywhere to be independently reconstituted as a perfect copy at the other end. This digital age affords individuals in this century, the option to access information in their own space and time instantaneously without deterioration in the quality of the reproduced material. This capability empowers students to learn skills in different ways. Digital technology can be an effective tool for dance educators, dancers and administrators in the following areas:

Dance Teaching and Learning: Dance instructors can show digital dance recordings of works by different gurus and dancers in classrooms while teaching. DVDs and CDs on demonstrations of the vocabulary of Odissi can be provided to students for their practice sessions at home. Other educational institutions, parents, class fellows and members of the community, can view multi media presentations uploaded on the World Wide Web. Dance institutions have the option of using Applications and Software programs that aid in systematically developing a standard dance curriculum, goals, and a timeline and monitor each students learning objectives and progress. Using software programs can also

help in extending and connecting the classroom from dance schools to students home, where parents with proper technological infrastructure can be informed about the practical and theoretical lessons on dance and other tips on the practice of the dance form.

Dance Choreography: Software programs like Lifeforms are being used for creating, storing and editing movement. According to Merce Cunningham: "Lifeforms is not revolutionizing dance but expanding it, because you see movement in a way that was always there - but wasn't visible to the naked eye." Motion Capture technology which includes using computers, software and video can be used to record dance movement in 3 dimensions and it is possible to watch movement from different directions.

Dance documentation: Using digital technology can be better for recording and preserving dance related information, because reproduction of digital data does not affect the quality of the copy and it does not decay with time. Dance institutions can establish an online multimedia resource library with print material (books, dance journals, articles, and reviews that not available in the market) photographs, audio tracks and videos of past and ongoing works. This facility will propel dance research and inspire more students towards dance writing.

Dance presentation: Using technology as an aid to enhance expressive abilities beyond the usage of the body is another option. For example video imagery, multimedia presentations like power points with movies, stage lighting, and musical accompaniment with interactive devices on stage can provide easy coordination between performer and the other components. Video conferencing software can enable the dancer or the educator to invite audiences from around the world to view performances/lecture demonstration. Audiences can be invited

to the global net and chat room for discussion and interaction. Audience preferences can also be ascertained through questionnaires.

Dance Management: Technology can also facilitate in the management of dance institutions. Administrators of dance schools can use software programs (for organizational functions) available on the internet which fully integrate a system that pulls together schedules and rosters, revenue and receivables, instructors, locations, recitals, website, blog and twitter accounts, photo gallery, online enrollment etc. Online tools can be helpful in drafting strategic plans, marketing strategies, planning publicity and in audience development.

If used aptly, technology will scaffold the learning process positively. As digital technology continues to develop, it will be helpful for students of dance to be aware of the new tools. Bringing change might seem difficult but with the rapidly changing times it is important to look at the options that can augment ways in which we can continue to preserve and advance the tradition of Odissi dance in its pristine form.

Chattopadhyaya, D.P. (1996) Interdisciplinary Studies in: Science, Technology, Philosophy and Culture New Delhi Delahunta, Scott. (1996) New Media and Information Technologies and Dance Education, Rotterdam: http://art.net/~dtz/ Das, Vishnu T. Personal Communication, August 22, 2011

Rohini Doshi-Dandavate holds a doctoral degree in Cultural Policy and Arts Administration from the Ohio State University. As an artist in the Arts in Education Program of the Ohio Arts Council, she has conducted workshops and lecture demonstrations on Odissi dance in schools and colleges in Ohio since 1994. She has offered courses in Odissi dance, as a Visiting Faculty in Denison University in 2001 and continues to offer dance lessons. She received a graduate degree in Odissi dance from Kala Vikash Kendra, College of Indian Dance and

Music, Cuttack, India. Her gurus are Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Raghunath Dutta, Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena, and Dr Menaka Thakkar