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dance: interview

Sudha Khanwani

At the age of 78, Sudha Khandwani - dancer, actor, filmmaker, teacher, researcher, curator and producer - has continually defied convention in both her professional and personal lives.

As artistic director of Kala Nidhi Fine Arts, which she founded in Toronto in 1991, she has become known internationally for her expertise in new directions in Indian dance. Now she is about to launch her 11th dance festival showcasing contemporary Indian choreography from three countries.

You come from a family of high achievers, which includes your younger sister, famed Bharatanatyam dancer Menaka Thakkar. I understand it was your father who gave you and your five siblings the freedom to find your own paths.

My father was a lawyer in Mumbai, but he was also a theosophist. Theosophists believe you should strive for perfection to bring yourself closer to your divine nature. For example, when my parents married, my father was 17 and my mother was 12. He insisted that they live apart until she finished her education.

What impact did his belief in theosophy have on you?

Theosophy gave him a passion for the arts. In 1940, even though it meant a long commute to his law office, he moved the family to the [Mumbai]suburb of Santacruz, because it was a community where many artists lived. Our home became a centre for music salons and poetry recitals. He saw in me a potential for dance and drama, so he put me into classes. This created a lot of friction with our relatives because girls from good families did not pursue the arts. My father was my best audience.

You also broke convention by marrying a Muslim. How did you meet your husband?

Abdullah Khandwani was a well-known photographer who had graduated from the college of art. I met him when he took the pictures for Menaka's graduation dance performance. At this point in my life, I wanted to broaden my knowledge about Indian dance and theatre beyond Mumbai, and he shared this interest. For over seven years, we continually travelled around the country researching and documenting the traditional arts of India. We married after we immigrated to Canada. The family didn't want the wedding to take place in Mumbai. We had two ceremonies, one Hindu and one Muslim. In Canada, we became known for the exhibits, multimedia shows, and films that came out of our research.

Why did you start producing Indian dance festivals?

Because I realized that audiences and critics alike thought of Indian dance only in its traditional and classical forms. I wanted to show the magnificent evolution of Indian dance into a broader spectrum.

The festival that opens on Wednesday night is called Contemporary Choreography in Indian Dance - Part II. What is its focus?

It's a continuation of the festival we first mounted in 2009. It carries on our interest in presenting choreography that is both fusion or completely new. The festival also includes a symposium to address issues related to contemporary Indian dance. For example, should the definition include dance of the diaspora as well as the homeland?

You have companies coming from Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton, but there are also three international companies who have never appeared in Toronto before. Can you talk about them?

There are two from India. Kadamb, based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is the company of Padma Bhushan Kumudini Lakhia, who is now 80 years old. She began as a classical Kathak dancer, but now uses traditional dance and thematic vocabulary in very innovative ways. New Delhi's Santosh Nair is a Chhau master. His company Sadhya performs works that incorporate both the martial art Chhau and the dance drama Kathakali. Srishti - Nina Rajarani Dance Creations is from London, England. The artistic director is a woman, but the company has only male dancers. Their energy is driven by the live music of her husband. Her two pieces are about football players and office workers.

Kala Nidhi's Spring Festival of Indian Dance - Contemporary Choreography in Indian Dance, Part II - runs at Harbourfront's Fleck Dance Theatre through Sunday (for details, see www.kalanidhifinearts.org).

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