A work of art, when carefully contemplated, enters our mind, becomes part of ourselves, as happens with a gripping tale, and adds another life to our own.
- Sylvain Bellanger
Director, Capodimonte Museum, Naples
A familiar pattern seems to have emerged each July.
I find myself outside India, outside home ground and embraced by strange and exciting environs.
Greece, Spain, Africa, Chile.
And now Italy and Malta.
These annual summer travels are propelled by various factors.
Family reunions, theatre and dance conferences, recharging and recouping times.
This trip is a combination of many strands. I have been in preparation for a grueling tour of 3 countries and the advance work relies heavily upon my single shoulders. Without the usual diaspora MAAMA-MAAMI circuit to cushion the classical dance shows, my theatre and educational trips are not as well funded but oh so rewarding! With visas becoming more difficult to obtain for accompanying artistes and fees becoming squeezed by global right wing/anti-art lobbies, the present and future is mottled to put it gently!
I have never understood the wisdom of leaving India to dance again and again only for your own people who live outside. Yes, the wealthy diaspora - especially in the USA - also have demands for culture/entertainment (sometimes they confuse one with the other) but the new societies themselves exist beyond the ghetto clusters of most diaspora groups. And our immigrants refuse to remove their blinkers and realize that they actually DO NOT LIVE IN MYLAPORE ANY MORE! And Mylapore has changed more than San Jose!
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North east is not as "troubled" as it was two decades ago, so were many parts of the country at some point of history and even now. I do not justify Sattriya dancers being awarded, but I believe one should be well aware before using strong adjectives.
ReplyDeleteyes, I was there also many times also in natya kala , came with belgium tv 20 years ago ! my teacher malati srinivasab is still there jetty roels (belgium)
ReplyDeletejetty roels