Captivating folk and classical dance expressions of Call of the Beloved in KNMA's dance festival - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Even after he had burnt Kamadev to ashes with the fiery power of his third eye, Shiva, unable to totally eradicate desire, is compelled to revive his victim as the formless one - and Kama continues to incite passion and intoxication through his unseen presence in the sweetness of wine or on a moonlit night when the air of bountiful Spring beckons to lovers. At the Sunder Nursery, the four day KNMA festival of dance (Oct 15 to 18), aimed at fostering a deeper connection between arts and the community at large, wove the event round the theme of the 'Call of the Beloved' as conceived by festival curator dancer Leela Samson. In the expanse of the open air amphitheatre, the brilliantly illuminated stage setting bordering the rear, had a Picasso like abstract geometrical mosaic of a multi-layered, dynamic assemblage of oblong shaped wooden cutouts, arranged at varied fragmented angles, which, looking very modern, made one wonder if dance forms of traditional genres classical and folk, even in their contemporary manifestations, would clash with the theme of the layout, particularly in such a large performance space. But senior finished dancers, aided by lighting expertise, managed to keep the focus on the performance. The disadvantage came when, away from the center, notwithstanding the galleried seating, one was relegated to a side seat in the amphitheater with its semi-circular seating arrangement. With dancers focusing on interpretative numbers where abhinaya demanded a frontal view, some in the large audience, unable to find a vantage point, left in disappointment. 

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Article - Arts Management 101 by Sankriti Krishnan

When I tell people that I work in arts management, a pause usually follows. Sometimes that comes from curiosity and sometimes from people stumbling over the term "arts manager" itself.

"An arts manager? What exactly does an arts manager do?"

That surprised curiosity is not entirely unfounded. For many, the job title is still quite new to hear and the field of work behind it even more so.

Take a play or a theatre production you've seen. As the audience, we see the actors, the sets, the lights, the costumes and the story unfolding onstage. What we don't necessarily see is the work that made the production possible - securing a venue, bringing together the cast and crew, coordinating rehearsals, raising funds and securing sponsorships, managing budgets and contracts, working with creative and technical teams, promoting the production and bringing an audience into the room. Long before the curtain rises and even after it falls, there is an entire framework of people, planning and resources, working behind the scenes to support what happens onstage.

This is where arts management comes in. 

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Article - When Ghungroos rang at Disney World by Samyuktha Gopiraj

I have performed on many stages - school auditoriums, community centers, temple halls. But nothing prepares you for the moment you stand inside the Theater in the Wild at Disney's Animal Kingdom - a 1,500-seat venue that normally houses Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and beyond! and realize that the next seven minutes belong to you, your art, and your community. And nothing prepares you for the day before that, when you dance down Main Street, U.S.A. with Cinderella Castle behind you and thousands of strangers cheering you on.

Ghungroo Dance School Inc., a small studio from Santa Clarita, California, was one of 25 companies selected from over 600 applicants worldwide to perform at the Diwali Dance Fest 2026 at Walt Disney World Resort. Organized by Jashn Productions, the fourth annual festival brought together more than 500 dancers from four continents for a four-day celebration of South Asian dance and culture (October 22-25), with over 1,100 participants and guests. Ghungroo performed in both the Grand Parade and the International Dance Showcase. I was one of those dancers. This is what it felt like.

Three days, Three Parks

The festival unfolded across Walt Disney World - each day with its own character, each park offering a different stage.

 

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Book Review - From the Corner of Her Eye: The Many Histories of Bharatanatyam - Dr. Ragothaman Yennamalli

A week ago, I came to know that the Delhi-based dancer Justin McCarthy had penned a book on dance history titled From the Corner of Her Eye, published by Juggernaut. He is someone I have always considered a thinking dancer, one who puts a great deal of thought and energy into his choreography, technique, and the larger ethos of dance.

In 2008, I watched a performance by Lokesh Bharadwaj, choreographed by Justin McCarthy, in which Tyagaraja's kriti Endaro Mahanubhavulu was reimagined as a padavarnam and performed with remarkable finesse. The novelty, as one might assume, was not simply in using this particular composition as a padavarnam. Rather, it lay in the imaginative use of space, the structuring of korvais, and the integration of dance elements into a piece steeped in bhakti. So, I was pretty excited to know what's new being written in the book, and at the outset the book didn't disappoint me.

The premise of the book is that it has become increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction in the widely circulated, and often reductive, histories of sadir or chinna melam and the subsequent reinvention of the form as Bharatanatyam. Over the last decade or so, multiple voices have pushed a largely binary view of Bharatanatyam: Rukmini Devi Arundale versus Balasaraswati, Sringara versus Bhakti, a hoary past versus a reinvented dance form, and so on. For some reason, reducing a complex history to such binaries seems to have become the norm rather than the exception. This book has attempted to bring such discussions with the needed nuance. 

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Article - The resonance of nine: Cosmic geometry, subtle anatomy, and the cathartic architecture of Bharatanatyam by Dr. Lata Surendra

This paper investigates the profound metaphysical, mathematical, and physiological architecture of the number nine within Hindu traditions, mapping its manifestations across cosmic symbols, natural elements, and classical arts. By focusing specifically on the structural geometry of the classical dance form Bharatanatyam, this study illuminates how the human frame transforms into a living mandala. It correlates the intricate networks of seventy-two thousand nadis, or vital energy channels symbolized by the ceremonial offering of the betel leaf or tambula, with the numeric digital reduction to nine. Furthermore, the analysis explores how the compression of cosmic forces is mirrored ritualistically in the deployment of the betel nut or supari within the navagraha grid, and scripturally through the planetary, durga, and nagic slokas with systematic textual references. Finally, this work details how a conscious dancer strategically maneuvers these geometric templates, moving from the chaotic action-reaction outbursts of unawakened daily life into a disciplined aesthetic focus. Through the precise kinesthetic activation of the navarasas, or the nine fundamental expressions, the performer initiates a deep neurological catharsis that cleanses the neural pathways of both dancer and spectator. The final resolution into shanta rasa, or absolute peace, represents the ultimate spiritual baseline where all worldly passions are spent, and the macrocosm seamlessly merges with the universe within. 

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Article - Charukesi: The bittersweet ocean of love to pure Krishna consciousness, A perspective on music, movement, and the mind by Bana Shastri Ramanath

In search of meaning
Life is often likened to a journey of highs and lows, roses and thorns, and bittersweet moments. As we age, memories may fade, yet the sensations of pain and pleasure can remain, leaving fossil-like impressions within us. Perhaps this is why older faces sometimes carry fleeting, childlike smiles touched with melancholy, as emotions pass effortlessly and involuntarily across them like images appearing on a screen. Is the mind quietly revisiting a lifetime of triumphs, disappointments, joys, and sorrows? I often wondered about this while watching my parents, both of whom lived to nearly 100.

These reflections returned as I prepared for a dance performance. I searched for a song gentle enough for my injured knees, yet powerful enough to stir my consciousness and convey love, joy, melancholy, and warmth. I also wanted the music to evoke the painless healing I have occasionally experienced during and after my performances. When mind, body, and feelings move in harmony, merging as one with the music, I have experienced that the mind can become so absorbed in the process that pain seems to dissolve, for a time. Those experiences have inspired me to explore and share how music and dance can transform a lifetime of mixed memories into a more peaceful, expansive form of love through artistic expression, a moving meditation. 

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Bharatanatyam constructs built round philosophy of Jyotirlingam - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

The Bharatanatyam program at the Habitat, sadly attracting a very small gathering, presented two finished performers, Mithun Shyam and Nilava Sen. The presentation at Stein auditorium constituted four of the twelve Jyotirlingam sites. Aiding the dancers were a team of capable musicians topped by Sudesh Menon the vocalist, whose melodious singing, includes creativity - for each of the Jyotirlingams was presented through a varnam composition of his own creation, without mangling the format of this musical genre, while adhering to the thematic specifics of each of the holy places. Uma Ganeshan on the violin with Ratul Kumar on the mridangam provided good support. 

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