..trying to find out a universal language through dance so that we, all human being of the universe,  can meet at some point - Mamata Shankar 

The first overseas tour of Mamata Shankar Ballet Troupe of this millennium started from Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 16th June.  Dancer , choreographer, actress Mamata Shankar needs no introduction. Daughter of legendary dance icons Uday Shankar and Amala Shankar, niece of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, sister of musician, dancer Ananda Shankar - apart from all these identifications Mamata Shankar is a personality who is seeking through her dance a universal eternal fraternity where there is no place for geographical, social or any other kind of barrier. 
The ballet programs are directed and choreographed by Mamata Shankar and her husband Chandroday Ghosh. The troupe is going to perform in 10 cities in USA including the NABC (North American Bengali Conference) which is going to happen during July 7-9 at Atlantic City. Mr. Ghosh said that they had been preparing for this trip since October 1999. Most of the performers are teenagers. They have to synchronize everything starting from the passport, VISA and checking out if their school exam schedules do not clash with the trip. In her busy schedule  Mamata Shankar was kind enough to appear in an interview for Calcuttaweb.com.

Calcuttaweb: You continue to experiment with the dance style of Uday Shankar.
Mamata Shankar: My father used to say, "Do not repeat me. Try to do something new". I am  trying to follow his words. I am trying to convey thoughts in an easy way to the people through my dances so that a small kid from the audience will enjoy and at the same time one intellectual person will get the message. And after all, our job is not just to entertain. Entertainment is one side. But as a human being, a film director has a social duty to perform, similarly, as dancers, we have obligation to the society. I am trying to enlighten social awareness through my dances.
Calcuttaweb: You have performed in India and abroad. Do you see any difference in response from different audiences ?
Mamata Shankar: To be truthful the answer is a no. When I think about this, I really feel surprised. It happened sometimes that our audience is full of connoisseurs only and we received same kind of responses from programs in rural areas or in factories. Even from places like China, Japan, Mangolia , where people do not understand our language and we cannot have an introduction in the local language, there, too, we got same kind of response. But , every place got different way of responding. For example, people in Shantiniketan, applaud by saying 'sadhu , sadhu' Calcuttaweb: Do you have any plan for opening dance training center in abroad ? 
Mamata Shankar: Will be very happy if I can do that. The problem is time. By God's grace, we have around 1700 students in our dance school (Udayan) at Calcutta. We have three branches in the city and get requests from other places to open new centers. We got offers from abroad too. But the question is how to manage. For me doing so many things together is not easy. Also, I have my acting side in films and Television. And there is no point in committing something which I cannot pursue. I always believe in the fact that I should try do what I can do.

Calcuttaweb: Indian classical music has family traditions, for example, Alauddin Khan, Ali Akbar etc. Similarly , your family has a dance tradition - Udayshankar, Amalashankar, Anandashankar, yourself. How do you plan to maintain this heritage in next generations.
Mamata Shankar: We are trying. Myself and my husband, Chandroday Ghosh - we trying to maintain this through our dance school 'Udayan'. For instance, those who are going to perform here, some of them came to me at the age of 6 or 7. We have been practicing for so long. Now they have somewhat understood the concept.  Actually, when things start at that initial age the concept get implemented deep in the heart. Also, what I learned from my father and mother, is that, just being a dancer is not enough, one has to grow to become a good citizen. In our organization we try to teach those manners. We need to follow these because sometimes we represent the country. I always tell them , when you are on the stage you are an artist. But outside the stage you should be a good human being.  

Calcuttaweb: Even though you have acted in many movies , your dancing capability is not used to its full extent in your acting side 
Mamata Shankar: I always wanted to keep it that way. Acting in film is just acting and dance is different.

Calcuttaweb: Most of your acting career is concentrated to art films or television serials. You did not show much interest in commercial film industry.
Mamata Shankar: Yes it happened that way. But if I get a good role or story I am interested usually irrespective of the film being a regular commercial one.

Calcuttaweb: We see you in a scene in Ray movie 'Aguntuk' where you dance with Saontaal tribal folks. What is the impact of folk dance on you ?
Mamata Shankar: My father has worked a lot with folk dance. I myself learned classical dance too. But somehow I personally feel that folk dance is present deep in our heritage. It is in our blood. It is so close to the ground. The impact of folk dance on my dances is lot. And folk dance is such a thing - you listen to African drumming and our Saontaal drumming - so much similarity. Or check out drumming tunes in different places in Kerala, 'Chhaou' dances' drumming - all of these have some common tune, the same string attached. I believe that we , all the inhabitants of this planet, are members of one big family. There is one big roof on the top of ours which is the sky and one piece of land beneath our foot - the World. We all belong to same house. Folk dance can bind us together , bring us closer. Classical dance cannot do that always. There is too much 'mine and yours' kind of things there.

Calcuttaweb: Do you still act in movies ?
Mamata Shankar: Yes, recently I acted in  Rituparna Ghosh's "Utsab". The movie is yet to be released. My son Ratul also acted in the same movie. 

Calcuttaweb: And what about Television ?
Mamata Shankar: Yes, in TV too. It is really surprising when I think about this. See, I acted in films with directors like Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, but , this Bengali TV serial ' Janmabhumi ' brought me closer to so many viewers. TV can reach so many people !  

Calcuttaweb: One last question. This is year 2000. What is the future of the art of dance which you are practicing today, in 50 years from now, say, in 2050 . 
Mamata Shankar: Future ( pause ). I do not think none of us can say ( laughs). I like to think about the present. And in this age of media where everything is changing so fast, where a cultural change is happening at high speed, we are moving against all these. We are trying to keep up this fight to not only preserve our heritage but trying to find a universal language through our dances, so that, we,  all the people of the earth, can meet at some point. This is my dream. I also dream to see a world where no passport, visa is required to travel from one place to another, where we would be able to move from places to places like birds.