Surekha Kadapa-Bosespeaks to well-known octogenarian dancer Neila Sathyalingam who has contributed to putting Indian classical dance on the world map
The soon-to-be octogenarian, Neila Sathyalingam, founder-member of the Apsara Arts Dance Company of Singapore, recalls dancing as soon as she began walking. And that was way back in late 1930s in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Officially, of course, she started training in Indian classical dances such as Bharatnatyam, Kathakali and Manipuri from the age of five. Laughingly, she recalls how her well-to-do family, more into academics than the arts, wasn’t really keen on her pursuing dance as a career. Her father was a well-established dentalsurgeon in Colombo and was keen for his daughter to follow in his footsteps.
“In a sense, times haven’t changed much even today. The opposition to taking up any art form as a career persists even today. And even in the 21st century women have to struggle to make their family understand their love for the arts,” observes Neila, who along with her late husband Sathyalingam Suntharlingam, had founded Apsara Arts way back in 1977. The performance art company today has become one of the leading arts schools of Singapore and is wellknown for nurturing a talented, committed, creative and highly professional group of performers.
Recently, while touring India with her troupe that staged the dancedrama titled ‘Alapadma’, one of her performers, employed as a teacher in India, couldn’t make it to rehearsals as she wasn’t able to get leave. “Like most homemakers around the world we, too, need to complete all our chores, tend to our children, take care of our other commitments and only then are we able to pursue our true passion. This is the sacrifice that women in all professions and in all parts of the world have to make,” remarks the danseuse.
Esta historia es de la edición January 2017 de Dignity Dialogue.
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Esta historia es de la edición January 2017 de Dignity Dialogue.
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