There have been several times when someone has come up to me and asked how they can learn to do what I do.
A lot of my work takes place at the intersection of performance and education. And it has taken me close to 20 years of practice to develop an equal proficiency in the theoretical and practical structures of both performance and education. There is no institutional environment in India to get formal training in being a dance or theatre educator. And yet there is an increasing need for trained theatre and dance educators. Of course there are a lot of dance/theater teachers working in all sorts of settings across the country, and many of them are doing good work. But there are many who teach the way they have been taught, without really investigating pedagogical structures, assessment frameworks or teaching methodologies.
I have often wondered how I could pass on my training, experience and skills to others who are interested in developing their work rigouroulsy in the area of performance and education. I have considered starting a course/organization/centre but have always felt that I am not ready for the institutional demands of such a set up. So, the idea of a mentorship program was born.
As of August 2018, I am offering a10 month mentorship program, created to provide a structured but flexible opportunity for someone interested in professional development and growth in the areas of performance and education. Because I would take on only one or two mentees at a time, the program can be tailored to each mentee's specific needs. The structure of the program requires a commitment of 20 hours per month for the mentorship period. Five hours of the 20 are driven by the mentee where s/he can bring questions, concerns, and thoughts for discussion and further study. 15 hours of the 20 are directed by me, the mentor, where the mentee is given opportunities to engage with different aspects of my work.
I am very delighted to be launching this mentorship program with Shikha Chowhan as my first mentee! Shikha has trained in dance at Attakkalri Centre for Movement Arts and has teaching exprience form being a Teach For Inida Fellow. She is very interested in bringing her passion for both dance and education togethere in order to start a school in the future, where the larning will be greately supported by arts practices.
