"The film clearly indicates that Indian and Chinese education systems are better than American. In the highly competitive 21st century, India and China are providing better education to their children than the US," contends Robert A. Compton, a venture capitalist, who is executive producer of the documentary.

Titled "Two Million Minutes", the 187-minute documentary was screened in Bangalore recently, the first screening in India. The documentary has been screened over 50 times in the US, including at Harvard Law School, in the last one year and has received a mixed reaction.

The documentary features six high school students - two each from India, China and the US - talking about the kind of education systems available in their countries.

"Regardless of nationality, as soon as a student completes the eighth grade, they have approximately four years or two million minutes to prepare for college and ultimately a career. Thus, high school is a crucial period in shaping the life of a student," Compton told the media at the screening here.

The film examines through these students the kind of education they are getting in their respective countries and how it will further shape the economy of their country in the 21st century, he added.

In a first of its kind, DU will begin a certificate course on Appreciating Indian Culture in association with SPIC MACAY. "Such a course was long due. Indian students are not aware of their own culture and many have not explored their creative potential," said Vivek Suneja, Dean (Planning), DU.

The course involves twenty hours of lectures by heritage gurus including Ustad Asad AliKhan and Dadi Pudumjee. It has already received 175 entries and scrutinising of forms will be done on September 11.

The idea was to inspire young people, said Dr Kiran Seth of SPIC MACAY. "There are four aspects missing from a young person's life today subtlety, abstraction, inspiration and mystical content," Seth said. The course would try to imbibe students with these qualities, he said.

The Department of Performing Arts, School of Performing Arts of Pondicherry University, which offers a postgraduate Master's of Performing Arts, M. Phil. and Ph. D programmes in drama and theatre arts, is the only centre in the Union Territory to offer the stream. Other institutions offering specialised programmes in theatre arts are in Kerala and Hyderabad.

"We work in transforming the written literary text into a performing text. From words that convey the meaning, we create it into a visual meaning, thereby embarking on an in-depth study of the text," Head of the Department R. Raju said.
Curriculum

The Master's in Performing Arts focuses on three parts -- dramatical literature, technical aspects of theatre arts and dissertation. The course deals with various aspects of theatre arts including classical Indian theatre, theatre architecture - Oriental and Western, acting, theories of acting, traditional theatre (Therukkoothu), stage technique for lighting, costume, setting and make-up, film theories and history, theatre trends and styles, theatre technology, film acting, children's theatre, folk theatre, script writing, mime and choreography, play production (classical Indian theatre, western and contemporary), theatrical martial arts and music in theatre across four semesters.

On a recent Saturday, Bankesh Yadav, 19, and Vijay Verma, 21, walked side-by-side across the white marble floor of the performance room at R.K. Films and Media Academy in Karol Bagh. To their left hung pictures of the legendary Indian actresses Madhubala and Meena Kumari, and to their right stretched a row of mirrors.

When the two acting students reached the stage, five of their peers greeted them with three words: "Welcome to Hell!"
Thus began a scene in which the students, playing the deceased, tried to outsmart their instructor, who played Yamraj, the Hindu lord of death.

While "Hell" in this case referred to the setting of the unfolding script, the students could just as well have been describing the industry they want to enter: film and television acting. Former actors and industry experts say beginning actors must be able to stomach years of small, low-paying roles, not to mention the politics of an industry that typically values connections as much as -- if not more than -- actual talent.

Despite these obstacles, interest in acting -- fueled by new releases such as the summer hit Jaane Tu -- continues to grow among young people, said Swati Ghallot, senior counsellor at the Asian Academy of Film and Television in Noida. This has led to the recent opening of acting schools in and around Delhi, a city not typically associated with on-screen entertainment. These schools have at times struggled to place their students in industry jobs, thus casting doubt on whether Delhi-based training programs can launch successful careers.

There are between 15 and 20 acting schools in the NCR, roughly four of which emphasize practical instruction in film and television acting, said Deepak Bansal, an administrator at R.K. Films.

Most of these were founded within the past five years, said Naresh Sharma, director of the Rohini-based Centre for Research in Art of Film & Television, or CRAFT. Some, including R.K. Films and CRAFT, are less than two years old.

Giving these `chhote ustaads' a platform is encouraging, but churning them out assembly line may be risky, warn experts. Going by what these music class owners claim, even a kid with average singing or dancing skill can make it to talent shows, if they undergo an intensive package devised by them. The rigors of `riyaaz' (training) and `gurushishya' tradition can wait.

Dr Jitendra Nagpal, a citybased counsellor and psychiatrist, has a name for this trend. ``Glamour tutorials'', according to him, take the child away from age-appropriate learning and attitudinal development. ``Without going through due nurturing of talent and skills, children just fall into the dream trap of their parents,'' he says.

``Suddenly, families find their fortunes turning with huge prize money and media glare such shows usually draw,'' says Kundan Sharma, who gives guitar and sitar lessons to children in Saket and frowns upon such competitions.

Debu Bhattacharjee, another music teacher from C R Park, also disapproves of the trend. ``My students have to undergo the complete learning process before they can appear in any show or talent hunt.'' Several channels have approached him with the request of sending his students for auditions, he claims.

WHAT THEY ORDER

• Once enrolled for classes, no pickles
  
• Avoid ice-creams, specially during night
  
• No curd Avoid oily food
  
• Listen to Hindi film songs
  
• Good sleep must

There are seven classical dance styles in India Bharatnatyam, Mohiniattam, Odissi, Kuchhipuri, Manipuri, Kathak, and Kathakali each with its unique style, language and grammar.

Originating as an integral part of temple ceremonies and royal court life, each Indian classical dance form, in its own cultural perspective, underwent a transformation during Mughal rule and declined with the coming of the British. However, after Inde- pendence, India's rich dance heritage was revived by the likes of stalwarts such as Rukmini Devi Arundel, Padma Subramaniyam, Birju Maharaj, Kelucharan Mahapatra...

To be a professional classical dancer meant years of dedication and strict training. Every classical dancer of note carries on the guru shishya parampara, starting to train others in the same pattern in which he or she was taught.

A few traditions continue unevolved. A student, before starting the first class, shows gratitude in the form of gurudakshina. A betel leaf, betel nuts, flowers and fruits along with a dhoti or sari are offered to the guru. A ceremony called arangetram or rangapravesh is performed after a minimum of 10 years training. Aranga means raised stage and etram means climbing. It is the first stage performance that the student gives once the guru feels that he or she is capable and talented enough. The dancer is accompanied by a singer and musicians.

Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi: Offers courses in Kathak, Bharatnatyam and Orissi. E-mail: sbkk@ thekendra.com

Kathak Kendra, New Delhi: Trains students in Kathak Dance E-mail: delhi kathak @yahoo.com

Kalamandatam: Kerala Recognised by the state government, it offers courses Mohiniattam, Kathakali and Bharatnatyam Website: kalamandalam.com

Kalakshetra: Chennai Founded by Rukmini Devi Arundel, imparts a vigorous training in Bharatnatyam Website: kalakshotra.net

Lucknow Kathak Kendra: Lucknow Trains Students in Kathak

Rafa and Radha Reddy School of Dance: New Delhi Offers training in Kuchhipuri Website: rajaradhareddy.com

Nrityagram: Bangalore it is a specialised institute for learning Odissi Website: arityagram.org

Kathakali Sadanam: Kerala Trains students in Kathakali, the Dance Drama of Kerala Website: kathakalisadanam.com

Admission to the Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra Being every May Through auditions based on merit. Delhi University offers a course on classical music, but sadly has no course in classical dance. Among the regional institutes, the Kalakshetra School of Dance in Chennai, established by Rukmini Devi Arundel, is the best place to learn Bharatnatyam. The Kalamandalam School of Dance in Vallathol Nagar in Kerala trains students in Mohiniattam, Kathakali and Bharatnatyam. In northern India, the Lucknow Kathak Kendra in Lucknow, teaches its students the unique style of Pandit Birju Maharaj. Darpana, established by Mrinalini and Vikram Sarabhai in 1949 in Ahmed- abad is an eminent institute for the performing arts.

Dancing Facts

• A full-time career in dance can be financially sustainable
  
• A well-known professional charges about Rs. 1,000 per month for two private tuitions per week
  
• A private school charges Rs. 1,000 per student for a certain number of classes
  
• Dance fee in an institute can amount to Rs. 500 per month
  
• An established dancer charges about a lakh per performance

Formal degrees in music are offered right up to the doctorate level at most leading universities. Also, various local music schools impart musical training and some of them even prepare you for the requisite qualifying exams. Of course, if you can afford the luxury, there's nothing like private training under a good teacher. Many established performers run their own schools of music and even take on private students.

As far as classical music is concerned, the time-tested `gurushishya parampara' is irreplaceable. It is the guru who helps the student internalise all the formal rules and nuances of the raga so that they become flawlessly integrated into your performance. Each `gharana' (school) embodies the historic and cultural vitality of a region with its subtle, yet distinctive characteristics that simply cannot be taught in a classroom through a formal academic syllabus. You may be interested to know that most of the current crop of singers - be it playback, ghazal or pop are trained in classical music. If you think you have it in you, take a voice test at a music institute to determine whether you can sing like a superstar.

But enough explanations, let us cut to the facts.

The promotion and popularisation of Indian classical music overseas must go to names like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Ustad Zakir Hussain. And possibly because the West is more interested in the pursuit of the subject as an eventual career, a large number of foreign students are better acquainted with the basics of our classical music heritage than our students are. And many of them come to India to study at the feet of the masters.

The reason why Indian classical music has not `caught on' with Indian students probably lies in the dissemination of information. Students do not think they can make a career in traditional Indian music. So while it is okay for them to take music as a subject at the university level, few pursue it to its logical conclusion.

But, if you are talented, have a genuine interest in the subject, are dedicated and sincere, there is no reason why you cannot be a success.

Joining an institution and be ing trained is one of the first steps towards making a career in music. The basic requirement to take up a course in this field is 10+2. You should, of course, have a gen uine love for music, a musical sense which means a sense of time and rhythm, besides versatility, creative ability and also the confidence to perform on stage.

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