Performing art
Stage-the best media for dancers
Introducing Belayet Hossain Khan
Novera Deepita
I played the king in the dance drama based on Tagore's poem Shamanya Khati,' recalls dancer Belayet Hossain Khan. 'Although the role was very small it was the most prominent one and my performance was well appreciated by the audience. Many actors like Bhashwar Bandyapadhaya and Ramya Tani appreciated my expressions. They said I performed not only as a dancer but also as an actor. This performance will forever remain in my memory and provide inspiration all my life'.Belayet Hossain Khan started to dance at the age of 18 in 1973 when he was doing his under graduation. He took training of folk dance under Gawhar Jamil, the founder of Jago Art Centre and one of the prominent dance gurus of our country. Then he learned Kathak under Abul Kashem. In 1979 he went to India to learn Bharat Nattyam, where he graduated and returned in 1982. His performances earned popularity in Madras, Hyderabad and Kashmir. Among these performances there was Shakuntala of Kalidasa directed by Pradip Kumar Barua and Ritu Shamahar directed by CV Chandrashekhar. According to him his best performance on stage was in 1988 at the Shilpakala Academy where he performed a solo recital of Bharat Nattyam at a classical music gathering. 'I never thought that one could get so much appreciation from a half hour performance.' Belayet considers the stage as the best media to perform dance. He says, ' The artistes are not focused properly in the electronic media due to absence of technical know- how. If a movement requires a long shot, the cameraman takes a close up and vice versa. In case of the stage, the audience can have much better view of the whole choreography.' Belayet regrets that no dancer in our country gets due recognition unless and until he or she performs other forms of art like acting or modeling. Not very hopeful about the future, he feels that without an enthusiastic audience it is not possible for the performers to do anything creative.' It has always been my desire to do something on my own without any help from the government.' Belayet had no plans to be a dancer. Like his sisters, who were interested in many performing arts, he also wanted to be an instrumentalist. He had no idea that boys could also become dancers. An advertisement in the newspaper drew his attention, which invited boys to learn to dance in the Jago Art Centre and that is how it all started. Besides being a performer, Belayet is a choreographer as well. He is a regular performer on BTV. He started as a student in the Jago Art Centre but now he is the principal of that institution. He also teaches expressions of Navaras in the drama classes of the drama department of Shilpakala Academy. He thinks that there are many commendable dancers in the country, but there are not enough stages for the dance. 'A stage of our own is what we badly need' he remarks.
| 
