“We dance perfectly. In unison. Not missing a step or a beat. We talk and laugh at all the mistakes we made in our previous dances … We were only human. We lacked the grace. We lacked the brilliance. We lacked the magic to dance like God ...”
~ Mahesh Dattani, Dance like a Man
Mahesh Dattani’s play, Dance
like a Man (2006), revolves around a couple, Jairaj and Ratna, both
Bharatnatyam dancers who struggle to live up to their respective gender roles determined
by society: the man has a ‘feminine’ passion for dancing, while the ambitious ‘masculine’
woman discards her role of the nurturer. The title of the play primarily
focuses on the challenge faced by Jairaj – the male dancer – whose passion is condemned,
his gender-identity questioned and stigmatized.
Today is International
Men’s Day (2025) and this year’s theme is “Celebrating Men and Boys”. The
celebrations are meant to highlight gender discrimination of
men and promote positive role models for them. Both ‘Women’s Day’ and ‘Men’s Day’ are about achieving gender equality; but ‘Men’s
Day’ is not considered very important as most men are delusional about their rights
and privileges in a patriarchal society. At the same time, the anti-male
narrative in mainstream media reinforces the idea that “men-have-it-all” ignoring
the plight of those men who challenge traditional masculinity by breaking free of traditional roles, such
as, male dancers.
Dance has always been a
powerful art form for Indian men and women to showcase their artistic abilities.
However, Indian classical dance is considered a woman’s world fraught with a
curious reversal of gender discrimination against men. In Bengal, as in the
rest of India, male dancers often face social stigma, they are stereotyped
as effeminate which limits their roles and representations in dance
performances. This perception is a legacy of British colonial-era morality
which stigmatized male participation in dance. The British Victorian view of
male dancers was sharply divided: participation in social ballroom dancing
was considered an essential skill for a gentleman, reflecting good breeding and
character, while professional stage dancing, particularly ballet, was viewed
with suspicion, associated with effeminacy or a lack of rational thought. Dance
in India, like many aspects of society, is gendered, especially classical dance
– where grace is expected from women and men are expected to display strength
as enshrined in the Tandava (Dance of
Destruction) of Shiva Nataraja in Hinduism. Iconography of Nataraja is common
all over India, including the east, viz. Bengal, dating from the 10th
to 12th centuries. He is variously worshipped as Natambara, Natabhairava, Natarudra, Nattesvara, Narttesvara and so on. Shiva is also associated with several martial
folk dances of Bengal, like the Chhau
(Purulia), Gambhira (Malda), Gomira (Dinajpur), which are performed exclusively
by male dancers and remarkable for their vigorous ‘masculine’ Tandava style.
Lasya (Dance of Grace) is the
complementary dance form to Shiva’s Tandava
and it is attributed to Shiva’s consort, Goddess Parvati. While Tandava expresses fury and power, Lasya expresses beauty and grace. The legendary
Indian dancer, Uday Shankar, combined the vigorous Tandava and graceful Lasya styles
with western techniques to create a unique non-classical fusion style of modern
Indian dance. He faced significant professional and social stigma, primarily
because he was a man and had no formal training in dance. However, his dance
form was popular and earned him the title of “Father of Modern Indian Dance”. The
legacy of Uday Shankar was carried forward by his children – Ananda Shankar and
Mamata Shankar. Others followed their path and several male-centric dance
groups and associations were formed in Kolkata, such as the ‘Male Dancers
Association’ by Samir Jana in 2017, whose members performs roles traditionally meant
for women dancers, such as ‘Mahishasura
Mardini’ invoking Goddess Durga. Among other male dance groups are the Unique
Boys and Kolkata Royals Dance Academy.
Modern Indian society has somewhat
accepted the idea of the fluidity of gender identity and male dancers are showing
the way with innovative performances and unique artistic visions. The
transformative power of Indian classical dance has the ability to transcend
gender boundaries and foster empathy by helping men to understand the perspectives
of women. This can become a journey of self-discovery for men where art destroys
stereotypes and unites humanity.