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SMT. SUCHETA CHAPEKAR
SMT. SUCHETA CHAPEKAR: Born
on 6th December 1948.
An artiste of rare individuality, acclaimed as one of the finest Bharata Natyam exponents.
Trained in Guru Shishya tradition by such stalwarts as Acharya Parvatikumar of Bombay and
Guru K.P.Kittappa of Tanjore.
ACADEMICS: Master of Fine Arts (Dance), Ph.D
("Sangitacharya") G.D.Art (Applied Art)
PERFORMANCE ATTRIBUTES: Known for the purity
of technique as well as innovation. Sucheta's performances are marked by grace and
perfection in pure dance restrain and subtlety in Abhinaya (expressional dance). Lucid
explanations and lilting musicality.
SPECIAL QUALITY: During the active career
span of the past thirty years, Sucheta has made a distinct mark and substantial
contribution as a dancer, teacher, researcher and choreographer which is listed below -
SUCHETA - THE DANCER: Consistently performing
since 1964 given innumerable solo performances all over India and abroad in Dance
festivals as well as under the agies of various well known organisations, the important
ones of which include Savai Gandharva Festival - Pune, Khajuraho Festival - Madhya
Pradesh, Ellora Festival - Aurangabad, Sharadotsava- Agra, Pongal Festival - Madras,
Kalidas Utsava - Nagpur, Dharanikotsava - Cochin etc. and National Centre for Performing
Arts, Nehru Centre - Bombay, Shanmukhananda and Bharatiya Music Sabha - Bombay, Sangeet
Natak Academy, India International Centre - New Delhi, Kala Academy - Goa, Music Academy,
Krishna Gana Sabha - Madras, Sangeet Research Academy - Calcutta, Prasiddha foundation
Bangalore, World Marathi Congress - Hyderabad, etc. She is a top-grade artiste of
Doordarshan (Indian Television) and has been featured in National and regional programme
on T.V.
SUCHETA - THE TEACHER: Has been teaching
through her own private classes since past twenty five years. She is the founder of the
'Kalavardhini Trust' a dance institution. A popular and accomplished teacher, she is also
a visiting professor at the faculty of Performing Arts, Pune University. Has trained a
number of talented young dancers, teachers and choreographers. Her disciples also include
professional dancers from abroad for whom she conducts intensive residential courses. She
and her accomplished disciples have formed Kalavardhini Dance Troupe. Sucheta's daughter -
disciple Ms. Arundhati - is the star dancer of Kalavardhini. She is the recipient of the
Central Govt.'s fellowship for advanced workers in dance and shows a lot of promise as a
dancer-choreographer and as a worthy torch bearer of Sucheta's tradition. Sucheta's other
prominent senior disciples include Smita Mahajan - Pune, Alka Lajmi - Thane, and Aparna
Matange - Miami, Florida.
SUCHETA - THE RESEARCH SCHOLAR: has made a
valuable contribution to Bharata Natyam repertoire through her research and presentation
of the hereto unknown Marathi compositions of the Tanjore Maratha rulers (17th to 19th
century). Her articles on this and other aspects of dance have been published in journals,
periodicals & books. She is also famous for her expertise in lecture-demonstrations.
Has conceived and presented a variety of programmes for television's nationwide classroom
shows to popularise classical dance among youth. Has done extensive work on the dance
sculptures of Medieval period in Maharashtra in relation to the Natyashastra tradition.
"Nritya-Ganga" is her unique creative style of performance in which she has been
able to achieve a perfect blend of Bharata Natyam - the south Indian dance system and
Hindustani music. This is the outcome of her analysis which has helped in bringing the lay
audiences all over closer to classical dance.
SUCHETA : THE CHOREOGRAPHER: Sucheta's
repertoire is vast. To the traditional compositions learned from her Gurus she has added a
number of pieces in all the languages and types. In her new creative style 'Nritya Ganga'
she has choreographed more than 65 compositions and is ever adding new to it. Since 1997
Sucheta has successfully ventured into contemporary choreography. A full fledged group
production "From Darkness to Dawn" conceived and directed by her is based on Pt.
Nehru's famous book "Discovery of India" and accentuates the ancient Indian
cultural values. Sucheta's choreography and performance of two of the Rabindranath
Tagore's poems presented as part of "Battery dance company, New York's production
'Songs of Tagore' has been praised for its beauty of grace and expression. Here's how
Indian press has noted Sucheta's achievements since 1970s.
THE PRESS SAYS ....
1. Among the few dedicated dancers of the new generation, Sucheta is the outstanding
exponent of Bharata Natyam. - Indian Express, Bombay 1972.
Sucheta's newest offering "Tyaga Prabandha", a beautiful anthology of Marathi,
Hindi and Sanskrit compositions of King Shahaji of Tanjore (14th century), was a
brilliantly conceived blend of Nritya and Abhinaya that revealed Sucheta at her best as
much as the fecund Vidwat of Guru Kittappa. - The Times of India, Bombay 1874.
2. On the contemporary dance scene, Sucheta is a name to reckon with. Abundantly gifted,
commanding a fine stage presence, thoroughly groomed in the technique and with a
reputation built on sheer talent and hard work Sucheta has arrived at a stage where the
artistic graph is scaling event new and great heights. - The Times of India, Bombay 1980.
3. Sucheta is a "prime ballerina" in her own right. She stands in line with the
very best in contemporary Bharata Natyam.
4. The one who moved me most was Sucheta. She is so soft, passionate and honest.
Susanne Link, about East West Dance Encounter. - Times Sunday Review, Delhi, 1984.
5. One could clearly see a major Bharat Natyam exponent in the excellent manner in which
Sucheta kept her movement and footwork well integrated with slow Kalapramana of the music.
- The Hindu,
Madras, 1984.
6. Sucheta is one of the handful of senior Bharata Natyam dancers who probe into the
material of dance itself. Her style is intense, soft yet precise. - Hindustan Times,
Delhi, 1985.
7. Ever since that date (her debut twenty years ago). Sucheta has not only preserved a
little figure and a lovely expressive countenance but also that spirit of eager enquiry
which keeps her evolving as a creative dancer. - Financial Express, Bombay 1987.
8. "Bharata Natyamat it's best"
Sucheta once again displayed her Mastery of Bharata Natyam. The dancer enthralled the
audience in her three hour long performance which included a repertoire of Sanskrit,
Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada and Malayalam compositions. The performance was marked by
fine co-ordination of movements, polished technique, impressive Abhinaya and lucid
explanations.
Hema Swaminathan, Indian Express, Pune 1996.
AWARS WON BY SUCHETA INCLUDE:
"Maharashtra Gaurav" State Govt.'s top award for excellence in the field of
dance.
"Nritya Vilas" - by Sur Singar Sansad, Mumbai.
'S.L.'Gadre' awars - Maharashtra Seva Sangh, Mulund, Mumbai.
'Mahila-Jeevan Gourav' award (Life time achievement award) by Stree Vimochan Trust -
Pune'.
SUCHETA'S NEW CREATION - "NRITYA GANGA" :
(A Synthesis of Bharat Natyam and Hindustani Classical Music)
Bharata Natyam has always been synonymous with Carnatic (South Indian) music and the
languages of south India. The inspiration for restructuring Bharata Natyam with Hindustani
Classical Music came from Sucheta's earlier research and presentation of the Carnatic
Music compositions of the 17th century Maraths rulers of Thanjavur. The study and
presentation of these old compositions in Marathi languages written for Bharata Natyam
made her aware of the fact that the synthesis of Bharata Natyam and Hindustani Classical
Music can be useful and relevant to the present times, when Bharata Natyam is emerging as
an all India style.
She started the study and practical experiments on this project since 1980. While
achieving this synthesis, she wanted to keep the purity and original values of the dance
form as well as music.She did not want it to be a translation or a transplant. She wanted
the soul Bharata Natyam to take roots in the system of Hindustani Classical Music so that
the offspring would have it's own identity and individuality while assimilating the
important and beautiful aspects of the Carnatic dance and the Hindustani music system. To
achieve this, the soul of Bharata Natyam needed to be redefined and a new format of
Hindustani music compositions evolved to present it in a proper manner.
She has conceived the recital format of NRITYA-GANGA parallel to the traditional Bharata
Natyam recital. It begins with NAMAN - an invocation followed by PRASTAR - a pure dance
composition in slow tempo. SARGAM emphasises various patterns of musical notes while
ABHINAYA constitutes elaborate treatment of interpretative as well as pure dance.
ASHTAMANGAL is a novel pure dance piece paying tribute to the guardians of eight
directions while traditional TARANA offers a jpoyous bouquet of pure dance patterns. Apart
from this the recital also includes some typical forms of Hindustani music like CHATRANG,
THUMRI, DADRA AND BHAJAN. The themes of the compositions are chosen in such a way that it
gives experience of the emotion of love through all it's facets of Vatsalya (motherly
love), Rati (sensuous love) and Bhakti (devotion) and creates tranquility of mind. The
musical instruments chosen for accompaniment are Pakhawaj, Sarangi and Basuri alongwith
the vocal music. Nritya-Ganga repertoire today includes over sixty five compositions of
various types and Sucheta is constantly adding more to them.
In the new nomenclature of Nritya-Ganga given to this dance form by Sucheta, the word
signifies the flow of tradition which is never stagnant. Ganga is the holy river revered
by all Indians which symbolises the North-South integration achieved through this recital.
The inaugural performances of Nritya-Ganga were performed by Smt. Sucheta in Bombay and
Pune in April 1985. Since then, she has staged over 100 performances, both in India and
abroad.
The knowledgebles feel that Nritya-Ganga has certainly added a new dimension to Bharat
Natyam and has made it more enjoyable for the lay as well as the discerning audiences,
without compromising on it's highly artistic values.
KNOWLEDGEABLES PAY TRIBUTE TO "NRITYA-GANGA" :
1. A marvelous display of initiative, vision and understanding, a blend of Bharatr Natyam
& Hindustani classical music without vitiating the authencity of either Parampara-s.
Mohan Nadkarni, Times of India, Bombay 1987.
2. Revitalising Bharata Natyam : The dancer and musicians were able to maintain a creative
equilibrium that made artistic integration on a national scale seem more than just a
clishe.
Arundhati Subramaniam, Times of India, Bombay 1989.
3. A faultless divine grace and inspiration, a first quality work, have allowed Sucheta to
assert her point of view and with the help of very good Hindustani musicians, she made her
dance more accessible to the audiences.
(Originally in French)
by Francois Auboux, Liberation, Paris 1989.
4. Sucheta's Bharata Natyam to Hindustani music has one very good quality. The dance and
music seems inseparable like a flower and its fragrance. Her movements do not waver
slightly from chaste, correct, complete Bharata Natyam, such a seamless splendour I have
seen in Sucheta Chapekar's dance. It is an alchemy beyond art and artifice. It is
something that springs from within.
V.A.K. Rangarao, Sruti Magazine, Madras 1991.
5. A most successful attempt to fuse Hindustani music with Bharata Natyam in recent times.
Sunil Kothari,
Times of India, Delhi 1992.
6. Creative endeavour clicks
Sucheta Chapekar in Nritya-Ganga has made the two diverse genres fuse without compromises
being made of either tradition, speaks for thoroughness of research which must have gone
into this endeavour. Her recital was a rewarding experience.
Leela Venkataraman, The Hindu, Delhi, 1992.
7. Sucheta is the torch bearer of the successfully executed experimental approach at
combining music (vocal and instrumental) of the North with the great dance style of south.
Her recital of Nritya-Ganga was fluent, flawless and full of verve. The ease with which
movements flowed out and synchronised with the musical notes was really exhilarating. She
danced the music, not danced with it.
Gowri Parimoo, Ahmedabad 1993.
8. "Simple but Superb" -
Nritya-Ganga presentation by Sucheta held the audience im rapt attention. Unlike other
dancers who build a lot of hype over minor "creations", Sucheta simply let her
dance speak for itself most effectively.
Ashish Khokar, First City Magazine, Calcutta, 1992
9. This unique experiment, Nritya-Ganga, has over the years, matured into a dance style
having its own individuality, was more than evident in Sucheta's delightful recital.
Shri Koulgud, Times of India, Pune
1995.
10. Sucheta's dance is a lot more than perfect body movements. It is a body language that
transcends techniques, entering the realm of the soul. This dancer from Pune has proved
that Bharata Natyam is just as graceful with Marathi lyrics or Hindustani music.
Dance critic, Indian Express, Cochin, 1995.
Sucheta keeps teaching, researching and dancing with renewed energy. The Times of India
reported her recent performance in Pune on 1st October 1999:
"A scintillating performance by Sucheta Chapekar and troupe won many a heart at the
H.K.Firodiya Awards function. A fitting start to the show Sucheta with her troupe invoked
the 'Panchatatva Vandana' paying rich tribute to the fire elements."
CONTACT
E-Mail: vaishalishende@hotmail.com
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