Kartik Fine Arts in association with Arangham Trust presents EPIC WOMEN,
a conclave of talks, presentations and performances focusing on iconic
women in myth, history, literature and life, from December 20 to 23,
2012 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Chennai. The speakers and performers
share their thoughts about their presentations.
Read the interview in the site
Mayuri Upadhya, Artistic Director of Bangalore based Indian contemporary
dance company Nritarutya, shares her experience of choreographing a
mega production for superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s 70th birthday
celebrations in Mumbai on October 10, 2012. A team of 80 dancers led by
Mayuri Upadhya, performed to the tunes of the legendary poem
“Madhushala” written by Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan and sung by Amitabh
Bachchan himself.
Read the interview in the site
The genesis of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK) can be traced to a
small sponsoring body Jhankar, set up in 1947. The Kendra formally came
into existence in 1952. Since then it has grown and become a premier
cultural institution of India, with an active focus on the preservation
of the country’s cultural heritage and the promotion of its performing
arts. The Kendra maintains a permanent dance-drama group whose objective
it is to enshrine and present, as aesthetically as possible, the best
of India’s religion, mythology and folklore.
The Ramlila (now titled as Ram), with over 2000 performances in India
and abroad, is one of its major achievements. Shobha Deepak Singh, the
dynamic director of the Kendra, has conceived, produced and directed the
present Ram dance-drama, which is a runaway success and enthralls
various sections of the society. From the children, young
students, parents and senior citizens, the crowds watch it unfolding
with interest, even when the 'katha vastu' is familiar to most of us. It
is a spectacular production and from the start to finish, it engages
one in each sequence, so well planned is its
presentation.
Read the review in the site
I was away in Guwahati attending the Book Fair organized by Publication
Board, Assam, but returned to honour my commitment and meet the faculty
members of the two year old college of performing arts with graduate
programs in dance, drama and music. The Chairman of SCOPA, Rajanikant
Marfatia, my host, was keen on my interacting with the students as well
as with other officers of the college for suggestions on developing the
course and the difficulties institutions face when they start courses in
performing arts. Rajanikant Marfatia is a dynamic person, past
President of The South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Surat,
Chairman of SCOPA and connected with Reliance Industries Ltd, a
visionary who did not leave any stone unturned to see that Surat had an
airport and connected with Delhi and Mumbai. When I arrived by early
morning flight at Surat and saw the svelte new airport, I was much
impressed. Leave alone the efforts for placing Surat on air route,
Rajanikant bhai’s interest in educational activities are very deep and I
realized that lack of money or financial assistance are not major
issues. The enlightened leaders and social workers in Surat have been
donating funds. And today Surat with its progress has acquired a
reputation with UNESCO as the major eighth city of India.
Read the article in the site
On the occasion of the143rd birth anniversary of Gandhiji, Geeta
Chandran presented her new choreographic work ‘Gandhi: Warp and Weft’ at
Chinmayananda Auditorium on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti. A full house
attended the performance and was in for an unusual presentation in
dance. Geeta used classical Bharatanatyam vocabulary, free dance
movements and also attempted abstract concepts imaginatively.
Dividing the presentation into six segments she began with Rama stuti
rendered melodiously with hastabhinaya and expressions appropriate to
the lyric and performed with subtle nuances. Depicting Rama as God whom
Hanuman, opening his heart showed he resides there, Rama who killed
Kumbhakarna, Ravana, had pattabhisheka when he returned to Ayodhya after
exile in forest and so on, she indicated Gandhiji’s religious and
spiritual synergy to his devotion to Lord Rama.
Then Geeta showed shringara, love suggesting Gandhiji and Kasturba’s
love play, later on Gandhiji’s decision to observe abstinence, and she
touched upon multiple faiths, Hindu prayers and Muslim namaz, with small
cameos, extending narration to several other issues.
Read the review in the site
London 2012 Olympics, a momentous occasion for me and an abiding memory
for life. After enjoying all previous Olympics vicariously in front of
the couch, I was thrilled to be selected to perform at the Olympic
opening and closing ceremonies in November last year. I had never
imagined I would participate in an Olympic ceremony when I moved to
London almost 7 years back from Mumbai. I had always wanted to learn a
musical instrument but couldn't follow through in my younger days and
what better opportunity than to play the "drums" in the Industrial
Revolution section "Pandemonium" under the direction of Danny Boyle at
the Olympics! To perceive that it was such an iconic event and watched
by millions gave me sufficient gusto to pursue the rehearsals with
absolute diligence.
We began as novices, beating the plastic-buckets-modified-drums with
varying rhythms and not once were the drumming teachers peeved at us.
Instead, at all times, they provided great leadership and patience to
galvanise this 1000 strong team of drummer volunteers from various
backgrounds. Amidst all my initial doubts and anxieties, I was
astonished that a project of this gargantuan nature could be so gently
managed at the same time preserving the fun aspect whilst training. My
biggest challenge was to manage my work schedule and family front but
the support from all quarters and the encouraging words to participate
in this ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity kept me going.
Read the article in the site
His career as a dancer and dance teacher was not an ordinary one. He was
the leader and path finder of second generation Odissi. As a student he
learnt the art forms from his elders, but as a creator he started
weaving his own dream. To set a stylistic rupture from the very
established streams of the great masters was not an easy task. He took
the challenge and started composing on his own. His masterpiece Konark
Kanti, Shiva Panchaka, many Ashtapadis from Geeta Govinda, Nava Rasa,
Ashtanayika... the list is quite long and refreshingly original. He
imbibed styles of three major gurus and created his own style of
expression. Emphasizing more on the finer elements of body he
restructured the movements, stepping and style of expressions. He was a
wonderful communicator and explicit chronicler of textual details in
group formation.
People know him as a brilliant choreographer, teacher and great
organizer. Personally, I have seen him performing on and off the stage
many a time. The memory of his mesmerizing performance as a Gotipua, at
the age of 55, is still fresh in my mind. That was an exclusive lucky
show for me and few of my friends. Prior to his untimely death, Guruji
was involved with a grand ambitious project to document all kinds of
folk dance forms of Odisha. He invited all senior Gotipua gurus to
participate in a documentation camp and luckily I got an invitation from
him to watch the camp. One by one, seniors like Birabar Sahu, Maguni
Das, Gobinda Pala and many others spoke and demonstrated the raw style
and techniques of Gotipuas. Finally came a frail looking, darker old
man. He was introduced to us as Guru Bhagirathi Mohapatra, a
contemporary of Gangadhar Pradhan.
Sakhi mu laje mali...mana karuthila
kimpa mu yamuna ku gali lo... that was the song. Describing the blissful
embarrassment of a Gopika at the bathing ghat and her erotic expressions
for Krishna were enacted in a typical desi manner and the body kinetic
of the man was superb. After Bhagirathi Mohapatra’s performance, I
requested Ganga sir to perform the same abhinaya and to show us the
transformation process from desi to margi. And Guruji transformed into a
young, love sick Gopika and what a performance that was!!
Read the profile in the site
When I learnt that Dance India from Milapfest in UK was becoming a part
of Dance India Asia Pacific, and I was to visit Singapore on my way to
Kuala Lumpur, I decided to stop over in Singapore for three nights
before going to attend Ramli Ibrahim’s Tarikan Dance Festival on 2nd
September onwards.
I am glad I decided to do so, as Guru Neila Satyalingam, the former
Kalakshetra alumnus and a pioneer Bharatanatyam dancer, director of
Apsaras Arts, who has trained a generation of dancers in Singapore, was a
partner of Milapfest for this unique collaboration and bringing top
dancers to give workshops and perform for young Singapore dancers. My
dynamic friend Aravinth Kumarasamy, a versatile musician, veena player,
music composer, nattuvangam artiste and classical dancer, closely
associated with Apsaras Arts, welcomed me and arranged for my talk on my
writing books on Indian classical dance, at Goodman Arts Centre on 1st
September 2012.
Read the review in the site
“In necessary things - unity; in doubtful things - liberty; in all things - charity.”
Nothing could describe more aptly the need of classical dance today, than Richard Baxter's words as quoted above.
Unity, tolerance, a healthy competition (if at all artists must compete)
and above all a collective vision seems to be the need of the hour of
the classical dancers/teachers/students.
Bitter rivalries between dancers and gurus which pass on through their
students are not new to the minuscule world of classical dance. Dance
scholars/researchers today do not see eye to eye with dancers;
colleagues in dance departments at universities and institutions do not
work in cooperation; and the students suffer the lack of role models in
the mediocre departments. Various universities do not cooperate to work
for a common vision; musicians and dancers no longer form a progressive
team; the divides are too many and too deep to bridge at times.
The pursuit of the classical arts demands a rigorous discipline from the
practitioners. Maybe, it also seeks from the practitioners, liberty in
thought and pursuit of liberty through discovery of self.
Read the article in the site
September 15 & 16, 2012 Chennai
Anita Ratnam presented AVANI...A HANDFUL OF DUST a dance theatre
presentation. The choreography, music and film design draw inspiration
from Tagore’s poetry and its inflections, focusing on its nuances and
subtleties. The First Handful – Dust, Second Handful – Words, Third
Handful – Flowers, Fourth Handful – Leaves and Fifth Handful – Gold,
uses a combination of contemporary and classical soundscapes, spoken
text. The choreography draws upon diverse vocabularies such as
Kathakali, Bharatanatyam, Butoh, meditative movement, rehearsed
improvisations and theatrical interventions.
At: Alliance Francaise, Chennai, 7.15pm
Reviews - www.arangham.com
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