Mozartayana: Column by Janaki Patrik

The title of India's great epic RAMAYANA includes the Sanskrit suffix -ayana. Literally translated, "Ayana" (अयन) refers to time periods -- the passage of the sun through the zodiac. Therefore, loosely translated, Ramayana means "The travels of Ram [through] time."

Linguistically improvising on the Sanskrit root "Ayana", I created the title MOZARTAYANA - The Travels of Mozart. It premiered on 28 July 2012 at the City University of New York, Baruch College, Manhattan campus. The title refers to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's travels. During his tragically short lifetime (1756 to 1791), Mozart traveled extensively in Europe, concertizing, playing his own and others' compositions, improvising and composing masterpieces.

 

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Impressive dance recitals across Delhi - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

- WINSOME ODISSI AND KATHAK FEATURED IN BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN'S 17TH SANGEET SAMAROH

- SPIRITED KATHAK

- DOUBLE DELIGHT IN DOUBLE BILL CONCERT

- DELIGHTFUL MOHINIATTAM

- KAMADAHANAM KOODIYATTAM BY MARGI MADHU

- YOUNGSTERS PERFORM TO THE MAGICAL SHEEN OF NEW IDEAS

- SOMA CATCHES THE MAGIC OF A MOONLIT NIGHT

- OBEISANCE TO THE GURU

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Anita says...December 2025

The month of November has gone by and we are at the end of the year!

It's December and all of India is buzzing with so much dance, theatre, music, visual art, installation and outdoor events - this is really the time to be in this country. Not just Chennai, but every city is dressed up and throbbing with multiple events every single day.

For dancers, it feels like we need a 360 degree spiral of our head on a stick. Everywhere we turn there are performances and premieres. Festivals, conclaves, conferences - name them whatever you choose to but the energy is there - vibrant and hopeful. It is a wonderful time to be a young and ambitious dancer. So many opportunities and so many openings for collaborations and cross cultural understanding. It is totally up to the individual artiste to seize the moment.

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Interview - Suba Parmar: Dance class should be a celebration. not a punishment - Vijay Shankar

Bharatanatyam exponent and mentor, Guru Suba Parmar is the artistic director of Shubhanjali School of Performing Arts (founded in 1992) in New Jersey and has been associated with Bharatanatyam for the last five decades. With over three decades as a dance teacher, she is particularly credited for teaching students with memory disorder and Activity Disorder and Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD), hence feels that learning should be an enjoyable process and not a punishment that could be rigorous and painstaking.
What difference do you see between the Vazhuvoor and Pandanallur tradition of Bharatanatyam?

As a Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher, I have a deep connection with the Pandanallur style which I've had the privilege of learning from my gurus Indra Rajan and Pandanallur Srinivasa Pillai. This style's emphasis on precise technique, crisp footwork, breathtaking crisp jathis, nuanced expression, has been my foundation. (Some Pandanallur stalwarts include Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, Alarmel Valli, Sai Subbulakshmi, Rukmini Devi Arundale, Pandanallur Jayalakshmi, Rajeswari Sainath, Meenakshi Chitharanjan to name a few). I've also had the opportunity to work with Vazhuvoor teachers, and I'm struck by the unique beauty of their approach - the slow, graceful movements, lots of poses, the fluidity, and the realism in their abhinaya (Gurus Padma Subrahmanyam, Rajarathnam Pillai, Chitra Visweswaran, Shobana).... 

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Profile - Jai Govinda: Retirement, Book and Award

Mandala Arts and Culture, Vancouver, celebrated Jai Govinda's retirement at a gala event held on Nov 2, 2025. Aside from thanking two long time board members, P. Rathanaswami and V. Gunja, Mandala officially launched the book 'Simply Bharata Natyam' by Jai Govinda.

Amongst honoured guests such as Dr. Mandakranta Bose, Kamal Sharma and executive director of The Dance Centre, Mirna Zagar, Jai Govinda presented a copy of his book to the Consul General of India, Mr. Masauki Rungsung. The event was attended by past and present students of Mandala, as well as present and past board members, families and friends. 

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Book Review - When Light Dances- Lighting the Aesthetic World of Indian Classical Dance - Dr. Ragini Sanath

When Light Dances- Lighting the Aesthetic World of Indian Classical Dance by Dr. Rashmi Thaper is a remarkable contribution to the world of Indian classical dance. It brings attention to an area that is often overlooked - stage lighting. It explains how light can transform a performance from being just visual to truly magical.

The book begins by tracing the history of stage lighting during the temple period, especially in the temples of Karnataka and then explores how lighting evolved through various theatre art forms. It gives readers a sense of how illumination, once rooted in ritual and tradition, gradually became a creative force that shapes the visual and emotional mood of a performance. 

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Article - Unspoken Dialogues: The healing language of Kathak dance - Simran Poddar

This paper looks at Kathak as a living art form that continues to touch emotions and bring balance to people's lives. Over time, Kathak has grown from temple storytelling into a personal and spiritual expression that helps dancers connect with their inner world. True to the saying "Katha kahe so Kathak kahawe" - the one who tells a story is called a Kathak - this study reflects on how rhythm, gesture, and emotion (nritya and abhinaya) create moments of peace and awareness, even in a busy, modern lifestyle. Drawing from both traditional ideas and my own experiences of performing Kathak, the paper views this dance as an unspoken dialogue - one that heals, expresses, and connects the dancer's heart with the essence of Indian culture.

 

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