A file shot of the Chhau Dance Centre in Seraikela

Jamshedpur, Nov. 5: It may not be very rewarding but tribals of adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district are learning Chhau to eke out a living and to preserve tradition.

The age-old dance form has started appealing to youths lately due to its popularity in reality shows and international stage performances.

Interested candidates enrol at the Chhau Dance Centre in Seraikela for free. Over the past few years, the centre has witnessed an increase in the number of students.

“The students, mostly tribals from nearby villages, have started learning the dance form. When we started in 2004, we had about 35 students on the rolls, which has increased to 80 now. They will learn the different forms of Chhau under the six-year course,” said Tapan Patnaik, the director of the dance centre.

The centre imparts courses in tribal musical instruments like shehnai and flute and there are classes for mask making, too, but officials have noticed that there are fewer takers for music when compared to dance.

Four students have enrolled for music and mask making classes but Chhau is obviously the popular pick among tribal students. “Students know that if they cannot be well-known dancers, they can at least make a career as a teacher. It will serve both the purpose of carrying on the tradition as well as making a career,” said an official.

“The dance form, the beat, the movement and the costumes have always enthralled me. I know there are very few well-known Chhau dancers but I am learning this dance to become a teacher so that I can teach the next generation. First I will try to find out if I can get a scholarship. Being a Chhau artiste can be difficult but teaching it definitely works,” said Aakash Mahto, a Chhau student in Seraikela.

The centre makes it a point to teach students in such a way that they can teach others. As part of the final-year course, students learn Chhau choreography and direction. This, officials believe, completes the learning process for the students.

“There are many students who move to New Delhi after receiving a scholarship from the Union ministry of culture. They earn a nominal stipend of about Rs 5,000 and master the art. Some settle in Calcutta to teach the dance form to students there. There are also many students who have performed at events sponsored by Indian Council for Cultural Relations,” said Patnaik.