Prism - Devi Diaries 2021: Part 2

 

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Obit/Tribute - Ace violinist Narayan Parthasarathy passes away - Vijay Shanker

Mumbai based ace violinist Narayan Parthasarathy, left for his heavenly abode, after a massive cardiac arrest on the morning of 17th October 2021. He was 53 and leaves behind his family of music lovers and musicians. For more than three decades, Narayan was a professional musician, rendering musical support for several music and dance performances in Mumbai and around the globe.

Narayan was the son of Lakshmi and Narayan Rao and was born on January 18, 1968 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. A Mumbai lad, he did his post graduation in Commerce, completed a diploma in Mass Communication and EXIM from St.Xaviers, Mumbai. Music has been an integral part of the family; his mother Lakshmi and elder brother Sridar are both accomplished and popular musicians. True to the tradition of the family, Narayan showed keen interest in music, so much that during his childhood, whenever the family went out to attend a function or a temple visit, one would always see Narayan sitting right in front of the Nadaswaram players, happily enjoying the music. Narayan's parents spotted his flair for music at a young age.

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Bengal's Milton - icon of rebellion - The Eastern Eye: Column by Dr.Utpal K Banerjee

Jugo Prabortak Madhukovi (The Epoch-Maker Poet Madhu) presented on September 29 was a dance drama by Jodhpur Park Saraswat Sanskriti Kendra and directed by Kabita Chatterjee and Shubhasis Dutta. Founded by the eminent Bharatanatyam dancer Anita Mallick in 1984, the Kendra has been producing many significant events over the last few decades, with current production on the Madhusudan Manch, named after the poet himself! Here is how the production was viewed by the Kendra: "In the arena of Bengali literature, Michael Madhusudan Dutt is considered as an unparalleled talent responsible for bringing on the Renaissance in literature written in Bengali language. Born in 1828, he was a poet, a dramaturge and a farce writer. Attracted by the Western culture, he converted from Hindu religion to Christianity during his youth and started producing his literary works in English language. In his early life, Dutt married and divorced an English lady Rebecca McTavish Thompson. Later, a French woman Emilia Henrietta Sofia became his second wife. During the second phase of life, the poet focussed on writing Bengali literature. His credentials for creating Sonnet in Bengali language and inventing Blank Verse, a rhyming pattern of poem, are well founded. His personal life was more dramatic and full of heart-rending sagas. The great poet and playwright died prematurely in 1873."

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Interview - An imaginary interview with Guru Gopinath - Part 3 - Tapati Chowdhurie

This is the third part of my imaginary interview of Guru Gopinath, the answers of which have been taken from his autobiography in Malayalam translated for me by Babita Nair, a Bharatanatyam aspirant. In the previous two parts of the series, I wrote about Guru Gopinath's meeting with American dancer Esther Luella Sherman/Ragini Devi, with whose initiative Kathakali was presented for the first time outside Kerala in Bombay, where he created an audience for Kathakali. I wrote about his intense self training to learn English to converse with Ragini Devi and read newspaper reviews and reports. I touched upon his hearing of the beautiful maiden Thangamani who was the first student of Mohiniattam under the first teacher on the subject in Kalamandalam. I also elaborated on his connect with the royal family of Travancore and his receiving the Veera Srinkhala award from the Maharaja.

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Prism - Devi Diaries 2021: Part 1

Inspired by the writings of Sri Aurobindo's 'The Mother,' Narthaki.com initiated DEVI DIARIES in 2020, inviting artistes to share their personal experiences and enhance it with a brief video presentation of their favorite Goddess. This is the second edition of Devi Diaries where dance talent was chosen through audition. DD 2 features premiere performances of talented artistes portraying Devis from different cultures of various regions in India, across styles, generations and languages.

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Interview - An imaginary interview with Guru Gopinath - Part 2 - Tapati Chowdhurie

 

Since you were not conversant with the English language what was the language of communication between you and Ragini Devi?

In my conversations with Ragini Devi, I used broken English, Sanskrit, Malayalam and Hindi, profusely using the two English words 'yes' and 'no'. And if that didn't help, I used hand gestures to communicate with her. Madhava Warrier and I were curious to know the content of the English newspaper reports about our performance in the Opera House on December 12th and hence we requested Ragini Devi to read these reports to us. She read it out. But we understood only a few words.

How did the audience react to your performances?

On Dec 13th, we repeated our Opera House programme. We had more audience on the13th than the previous day. The audience cheered and clapped enthusiastically after each and every scene. The newspapers next day praised our performance.

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Moving requiem to Kapila Vatsyayan - the only guru of her kind - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Sponsored and premiered by the Sangeet Natak Akademi as homage, on the death anniversary of the inimitable scholar late Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, was a virtual presentation, curated and presented by one who remained her lifelong student - namely Navina Jafa. A uniquely simple assembling of researched information, followed by an imaginatively designed collective tribute with scholars and artistes from different areas participating, Kathak Dance - New Perspectives of History Supervision and Hindol Darshan, were both reworked virtual packages of Navina's earlier live lec/dem presentations. Arguably the most persistent among myriads of aspirants functioning under Kapilaji's baton, Navina Jafa is perhaps the only one to have earned her doctorate, guided by one she refers to, as "India's first woman rishi" - widely acknowledged as an exacting and daunting teacher (though she herself refused to acknowledge that she was a guru with shishyas.).

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Unmute - It's been a year - Dr. Arshiya Sethi

This month, the Unmute series looks at the trajectory of a very important Sexual Harassment allegation that completed a year this month and looks at elements of law and protections available to the artistes.

The month of September marked a year since the sexual harassment allegations against the Dhrupad musicians - singers Umakant Gundecha and the late Ramakant Gundecha, and percussionist Akhilesh Gundecha. Renowned classical musicians, Ramakant and Umakant received the Padmashri in 2012 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2017. They ran a residential music Gurukul, just outside of Bhopal, called Dhrupad Sansthan, that had both Indian and foreign disciples living and learning there.

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Interview - Dancer with a Midas touch - Jyothi Raghuram

 

Teaching dance is a main source of livelihood even to those among the younger generation. More than a year and half into the pandemic, there is sense of optimism that all will be well shortly. Performing spaces are slowly opening up. Dance did not go into oblivion during those trying times. There was also an overkill.

The series looks at how dancers and teachers kept their morale and their art flying high, in different ways. The series begins with an interview of Sathyanarayana Raju, the Bengaluru based Bharatanatyam dancer.

His life as a dancer was a struggle. Yet he wondered how he could use his art for philanthropy. This was ambition in reverse mode! It took him nearly two decades to establish himself as a soloist of merit, but what a presence he made eventually! His abhinaya evoked deep emotional response in the audience, grace marked his masculine nritta, his creative forays made history as significant works of art.

One celebrated male dancer who has undoubtedly been propelled into stardom is Sathyanarayana Raju. One can imbibe substantially from a composite art such as dance. Sathya has grasped much, right from hisstunningdress sense to a traditionally decorated home splashed with greenery all around, to warmth and hospitality and a sense of gratefulness that has uplifted many a life.

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Anita says...October 2021

 The Goddess does not enter from the outside

SHE emerges from deep within
SHE is not held back by what has happened in the past
SHE is conceived in consciousness
- Sri Aurobindo


And so... we are on our way back
Like a winding spiral
To a new place that feels like
A beginning
All over again

Travel... Meeting a friend... a cautious embrace… muted laughter…
The energy is in the air...
The streets are clogged with revenge shopping.
Stores are welcoming clients after a crippling hiatus
Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays - are all being planned with greater vigour.
It's the festival season... but any excuse is enough to get out and breathe!

So...
What about us dancers???

The fortunate ones have already performed to live audiences, savouring the applause and the perspiration - free from the tiny gleam of that digital device and the claustrophobic mask.

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