Bradford Arts Centre: Guru Pratap Pawar, Aniruddha Mukherjee, Devika Rao, Madhura Godbole and Kinga Malec
Nayak is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘hero’, ‘leader’ or ‘guide’
Balbir created the Nayak programme to rekindle his Guru-shishya (disciple) relationship. The Guru in question is Pratap Pawar, now 83, one of the world’s greatest living gurus of the classical north Indian dance tradition and a man whose international work in popularising the form saw him elevated to Padmashri (one of India’s highest civilian awards) by the country’s president in 2008.
Pratap Pawar is an innovator, who has spent years touring internationally and uncovering parallels between the dance and musical styles of different countries. He was the first to recognise the affinity between Kathak and Flamenco.
As Balbir’s relationship with his Guru evolved, his seriousness grew: “I found myself going deeper into Kathak – I became like a sponge, soaking in as much knowledge as possible.” Eventually, Balbir was accepted as a shishya to Guru Pawar.
The Guru-disciple relationship is life-long and for Balbir it has proved to be a watershed in his continuing creative development, and in the development of the company.
Nayak began as an online programme with his Guru Pawar during the pandemic. Balbir invited dancers with whom he was working to join the sessions, in which his Guru shared his wisdom and insights with the younger artists.
Nayak has since grown into a mix of online, hybrid, and in-person sessions.
Behind the scenes, Balbir plays a key role in shaping and supporting the work: he works closely with his Guru on the delivery and briefs, supports artists before and after sessions, coordinates with the tabla player to prepare material in advance and helps shape who presents solo work.
This ongoing support and the introduction of his Guru’s work to other artists associated with the company are centrally important to Balbir.
