The searchlight on art of critiquing in Amrit Yuva Kalotsav by SNA - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

The Late Subbudu (P.V. Subramaniam), a music and dance critic whose caustic pen scorched many an art reputation without compunctions, and who seemed to thrive on unpopularity, often quipped that more than art, criticism was in peril, in a world where journalistic space for critiquing was getting to be minimal, with artistes who had 'arrived' so to speak, not open to accepting less than flattering comments about their work. In India, where no formal degrees specify credentials for art critiquing, dance and music critics form a mixed group - some coming from learned backgrounds and others acquiring knowledge on the run. Along with writing skills, art critiquing needs to be driven by a passion for the art form, since the very modest remuneration critiquing fetches in our country, has meant its being pursued more as a labour of love, rather than as the main occupation of a person earning his living. Where, society in its total scheme of things places art and its assessment, will finally determine the level of proficiency in art critiquing.

Sangeet Natak Akademi's Amrit Yuva Kalotsav 2022-23, in collaboration with Kalakshetra Foundation, initiated its two day event at Chennai, with the searchlight on an Art Critiquing workshop for aspiring youngsters, held at Kalakshetra's Rukmini Arangam.

Dashabhuja Gotipua Odishi Nrutya Parishad from Odisha, is one of those groups whose Gotipua presentation has not become far too sophisticated -robbing it of all the rustic charm.

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Article - Feedback on SNA-A Mirror - Usha RK

Why is the Sangeet Natak Akademi in the news? The organization bombarded the cultural space with over 100 awards for three years 2019, 2020 and 2021. The most recently appointed Chairperson held two back to back meetings almost flouting the mandatory notice period before any meeting, and the second four day meeting was to finalize the awards for the three years. The former Chairman completed his term in early 2020 and in turn the GC and EB were dissolved. Some members were nominated by the MOC as recent as mid 2022.

The announcement of the three years pending awards created a chaos and lots of reactions some publicly and the gossip mills ran amok. Awardees never heard of or seen before at the national stage, non- existent categories included, un-nominated persons were awarded, adherence to qualification for the appropriate category and so on.

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RASA - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

RASA: Ravi, Aditi, Shama and Ananya. That's R.A.S.A. That was the highlight for the end of the year in namma Bengaluru, a city away from the power and pelf of other metros, arrogance or aplomb of seasonal culture activities of other cities. Bengaluru is a year-around cultural destination, with something going on every week and every month. And not just dance but books festival, music, theatre, fashion, food and aero shows as well. Add, a city where ten months in a year the temperature remains around 25C with little or no necessity for an AC and one lives in heaven. No winter, no summer, just rain. When one comes down from this heaven to earth, then one has to deal with bad roads and bad civic facilities. Since my blood group is B positive, I mostly am! So, I look for and find that my glass is mostly half full. 

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The festival sun rises again at Konark - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

After two torrid Covid years, followed by being rained out last year, the sun rose again for the Konark festival, attracting a handsome turnout. In a world driven by the sense of isolation on the one hand and dissension on the other, starting the festival with Malaysia's Datuk Ramli Ibrahim's Sutra Foundation presenting Jaya Ram in the Odissi style, for me as a dance writer, represented a symbolism demonstrating the healing power of culture as soft power. Here was India's famous epic, the Ramayana, (which, over time, has caught the creative imagination of artistes in several parts of South East Asia) in a production fashioned through an Indian/Malaysian bonding, comprising Guru Gajendra Kumar Panda's concept and original dance composition, presented by Sutra artistes of Malaysia, under the artistic direction of Ramli Ibrahim - both artistes sharing the background of having been trained in the Debaprasad Odissi school, under the late Guru.

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Obit/Tribute - Dr. Suresh Desai (2 Nov 1937 - 13 Dec 2022)- Ashish Mohan Khokar

A beady-eyed man was furtively buying books at Darpana at launch of Gujarat issue of attenDance, 2005. I was surprised anyone in Gujarat bought books! I had done a survey before and in this city of millionaires there were only two, read TWO bookshops. It shows the index of culture and reading habits too. Bangalore had 30; Delhi being publishing HQ, 55; Bombay 15 , Kolkata 70! Chennai about 30. I'm talking of 2005, pre-Internet penetration and coming of kindle etc. He bought each past copy of attenDance and the new one too. He looked over his shoulder that no one was watching and quietly paid the monies. I didn't know him then, else would've gifted him most.

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Gems shine at NADAM fest - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

When people ask me which are, say, the three best festivals of dance in India, or in each metro or region, I have a fair idea and in namma Bengaluru it used to be Kinkini, Nupura (Lalita Srinivasan) and Bangalore Habba but for last few years, it is the NADAM (Nartanam Academy of Dance and Music) festival, then others. A brainchild of Nandini Mehta and Murali Mohan Kalva, this do-gooder organization has been serving art and social causes. For 23 years, this festival has grown from strength to strength and added to the cultural landscape of Bengaluru.

 
I returned from an ICCR selection panel from Delhi just in time to attend the concluding day of this three-day festival. And am I glad for it, for the final day offered many fine talents in  Odissi,  Bharatanatyam and  Kathak.

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Interview - Raja Reddy: It is the duty of the Guru to create rasikas - Tapati Chowdhurie

What was the concept behind the presentation of your new choreography for the 26th Parampara festival?

"Universe that is God" was inspired by Dr. Pandu Ranga Rao's book of the same name. It is an exploration of one's connection with universal one, which is crucial to maintain the balance of life on earth. Meditating to realize the Supreme spirit will help us understand how all life is interconnected with each other and ultimately how all life is connected to the one Supreme being manifested as 'Venkateshwara'. By meditating on 'Venkateshwara' one can try to understand the ultimate goal of life, marching towards something eternal, everlasting and inexplicable and what better way to do this than through dance and music. From the Vedic periods, ritualistic practices have been centered around engaging and enlightening people on to the spiritual path. These ritualistic practices with highly stylized gestural movements were usually accompanied by dance and music as an offering, 'Nritya Nivedana' such that through dance one can enter a meditative state similar to ritualistic chanting which can bring about an electronic change in the physical and metaphysical status of an individual. 

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Life's dreams spun into weaver's thread - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

At the Habitat Centre, Ileana Citaristi, in a recital featuring her with students of her institution Art Vision founded in 1996 in the old city of Bhubaneswar, presented her own choreographies. Underlining the problems in arranging out-station programmes with no sponsorship, was the appallingly thin audience. Beyond providing auditorium space, Habitat was not directly involved with the event in any way, and with another programme of dance being held in the same building downstairs, the non-local group was at a distinct disadvantage.

Starting with an invocation to river Ganga based on Shankaracharya's Ganga Stotram strung to Rohan Dasgupta's music, dancers in squatting position as if in water, paid homage to the river adorning Shiva's head . Rushing with restless energy to meet the Ocean, like a nayika her beloved, are the Ganga's pearl like waves which wash away sins, earning salvation for the worshipper. For the devotee, being a turtle or a fish in its waters is a greater boon than being a wealthy king.

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Anita says...December 2022

Dance there upon the shore
What need have you to care
For wind or water's roar?
And tumble out your hair
That the salt drops have wet;
Being young you have not known
The fool's triumph, nor yet
Love lost as soon as won,
And he, the best warrior, dead
And all the sheaves to bind!
What need that you should dread
The monstrous crying of wind?

- A CHILD DANCING UPON THE SHORE
William Butler Yeats



In the last month of 2022, much has happened. And I share my thoughts.

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P3 - Panchavaktram, Purvajanmam, Prabhu - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

 

Rarely, if ever, there's one production that leaves one mesmerized for its complete artistry. Rarely, if ever, a group of 25 dance equally well on stage. Rarely, 5 Indian classical forms merge seamlessly and simply, like a bunch of blossoming flowers. Rarely, all other aspects of a huge dance drama work - music, costumes, colors, commentary, contexts and concepts - become one wholesome canvass of arts and aesthetics. R for rarely and R for Reva University on outskirts of Bangalore, just 10 year old. Its Performing Arts and Indic Studies Dept. has put up this all-students production Panchavaktram and thereby hangs a tale.

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Parampara Festival features changing face of inheritance in dance - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

A Pariwar Parampara, at least over two generations, the Reddy family of Raja, Radha and Kaushalya, have diligently passed on the Kuchipudi heritage to daughters Yamini and Bhavana, at a time when children taking to the parents' profession, particularly in dance, is not very common. The annual Parampara Festival conducted by the Reddys in the open-air auditorium, so thoughtfully constructed as part of their residence cum school in Delhi's Saket, has been featuring annually through this festival, the contemporary face of various dance forms, which trace their birth to a deep past.

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Sparkling Spanda synergy - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Choreographies of Leela Samson presented by her group Spanda, at the Kamani, Delhi, showed how group energy can be an experience of immersive joy in the dancers, while executing within the same space relationships both reciprocal and distancing. Within the group symmetry, Leela's choreography getting away from the frontal faced dancing looking at the audience, comprises movements having dancers facing different directions, the simultaneity of various types of actions forming part of a larger picture not spelling dissonance. An example was the curtain raider - an obeisance to the Sun, Bhaskaraya Namaha, based on verses taken from the Krishna Yajurveda Taittiriya Brahmana, with the Beejaksharas as the seven colours of the sun representing the seven horses of Surya's chariot. The sounds Ha and Ra, standing for Akash (the void of the sky in which the Sun rises and sets), and Agni (fire ball that the sun is) respectively, both constituents of the sun. Addressing Surya as the Mitran (friend and well-wisher) and destroyer of all evil, the dancer praying for the welfare of all, energizes her/his body, the instrument of movement, by offering salutations through the Surya Namaskar. There is stillness punctuated by sudden bursts of energy. As the sun rises, the world wakes up, with plant, bird and all living creatures coming to life. Each of these actions gets performed in unison, with dancers in varied actions facing different directions, all as part of one large frame - with Rajkumar Bharati's music in all morning ragas - Suryakanti, Ravichandrika and Surya....

It is after a gap of several years that one got to witness the Modern Dance creation of Kolkata's Sapphire Dance Creations headed by Sudarshan Chakravorty. The Company is celebrating its 30th year of existence - no mean feat, particularly for an institution pursuing 'creative dance', which does not have the kind of support that, what is known as 'classical' dance in India, enjoys.

Sapphire's evening of Interface began with the Subijaya awards in memory of Sudarshan's parents who perished in a plane accident, conferred on persons in the field of arts viz...Odissi dancer Sharon Lowen, Dadi Pudumjee the puppeteer and Kathak specialist Shovana Narayan....

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Young talent played its part too - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

While much of my writing surrounds high profile events held in the capital, one tends to forget the part played by young talent. Belatedly, to compensate for the lack of coverage given to their participation, I begin with mention of Nava Lavanyam, presented by International Academy of Mohiniyattam, wherein one was treated to how Mohiniattam dancer Jayaprabha Menon's approach to training her students with constant exposure to Theyyam, Kalaripayattu and Sopana Sangeetam, along with providing sufficient room for self-expression by the student, supported, when needed by teacher guidance, would seem to be paying dividends. The evening saw a presentation of self-choreographed, original items by most of the students, and what impressed was the apparent effort, varying ability in each performer notwithstanding, at internalizing the chosen theme, instead of a superficial treatment. The evening began with a Swathi Tirunal lyric Madhupavalitakhandam, sung in viruttam and set to ragam Hamsadhwani, dedicated to Ganapathy, presented by the entire group, and even while each dancer seemed involved, Jayaprabha's concept of group choreography, while adequate, is not exceptional.

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Josh and Joshi; Shruti and Smriti - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

Natya is an all encompassing art. It partakes of drama, of course, dance, music and literature. NSD or National School of Drama is the epicentre of post- independence theatre training and movement. The great Ebrahim Alkazi gave it leadership, when it delinked from the SNA in the mid 1970s. I recall those days and times, when at helm of SNA, my father had great friendship with Alkazi sahib and yet they had to fight for a cause! Pula (Deshpande) often stayed with us when he would come from Pune or Bombay those days to attend SNA meetings. There were a few hotels but he had bonds with our family from Baroda days of the 1960s. Even when NSD delinked from SNA, Alkazi sahib kept his friendship with Mohan ji. Those days, people kept the personal away from the professional. Mutual respect was there for work, not judgeMENTAL attitude!

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Profile - Kshetrimayum Ibetombi Devi (1936-2022)- Sinam Basu Singh

Kshetrimayum Ibetombi Devi (popularly known as dancer Ibetombi) passed away on October 20, 2022. Her contribution in the field of Manipuri dance is immense. Through her, Maibi Jagoi / Maibi dance of Lai Haraoba is known worldwide. She brought the traditional ritual Maibi dance for the first time on proscenium stage and it is successfully performed worldwide in the present day. This is her great contribution.

In conversation with her, Guruji told me that she was the first woman who performed ‘Khousaba’ of spear movement from Manipur martial art Thang Ta and Pung Cholom from Nata Sankirtan. It was my good fortune that I met Guruji in her late stage of life, since 2016 onwards.

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Remembering Rohini Bhate - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Coinciding with the year of India's Amrit Mahotsav, Nrityabharati Kathak Dance Academy established by Kathak legend Rohini Bhate (1924-2008) at Pune in the year 1947, also observed its seventy fifth year of existence. And what more fitting way of celebrating the occasion could there be than dedicating it to the founder Guru, by going down memory lane through a film Amrutmanthan, recapturing her enormous multi-dimensional work, coupled with performances of her compositions, by senior students of the Academy. The three -day Delhi projection, starting with a two-day event at the Habitat, signed off with a screening of the film at SNA's Meghdoot theatre.

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Anita says...November 2022

 There is value only in those things

that burst forth from inspiration,
Which springs from
the irrational depths of our being
I delight in the barbaric and spontaneous
Elan of inspiration
Effervescent spiritual states,
Essential lyricism and inner tension
- Romanian philosopher EMIL CIORAN

Fresh from the exhilaration of completing 8 shows of THE JUNGLE BOOK in Palo Alto and Houston, I returned with a menu list of injuries... In spite of some fabulous reviews for my role as KAA the serpent in THE JUNGLE BOOK, I felt like a wounded soldier returned from battle. Feet sore, forehead swollen with acetone infection, tired, overweight and listless. Add Vertigo to that list and you can picture me flat on my back for 10 days! I have spent most of October recovering and literally putting my feet up. Sprains, twists, hairline fractures all take time to heal and nothing helps more than REST.

I did manage to see several shows (yes, I hobbled to and fro carefully) - Bharatanatyam only - and realised how much I had missed listening to good Carnatic music and watching Bharatanatyam in the ambience of my Alma Mater- Kalakshetra. This month I will focus on the performances I watched in Chennai and the questions that arose from the varied experiences.

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Interview - Vaibhav Arekar: Training in abhinaya and theatre make my nritta expressive - Shveta Arora

The natya element is very strong, even in your nritta. It’s not only the abhinaya which is talking, it’s also the nritta. So how do you explain your perspective? From what perspective do you conceptualize your pieces?

I think there are two things in my training which have had that effect. One is my abhinaya training with Dr. Kanak Rele. She comes from the Kerala tradition of abhinaya. We were established dancers already practising Bharatanatyam, but she wanted the abhinaya training to come from the Kerala tradition. So if you see the sancharis, they have an elaboration which is different, even in the way we enact them. I also trained in theatre with a friend when I did quite extensive dance theatre works. I did spoken theatre with dance, and we created a movement then. I see the drama in the dance. I like it. Even when it’s musical, I see the dance and I also like to see how the nritta emotes.

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Article - The Covid Conundrum - Ranee Kumar

Of late, classical performing arts are posing a challenge to the practitioners. The up and coming, younger crop of artistes are at crossroads. Passion be in its place but patronage and publicity - one on a pedestal and the other for a price - the young dancer is always at the doorstep of some organisation or promoter, pleading for an opening to prove her/his talent. This was the standard scenario till 2020. After which the entire dance fraternity went into a tizzy as Covid reared its hideous head, dealing a sort of death blow to dance performances. As if in defiance, the 2020s saw n number of online dances from gardens to terrace tops, kitchen to dining rooms, riversides, and sand dunes - everybody started dancing in every possible space and not just that! The recording with all its flaws would be uploaded as private videos or on YouTube and posted. That wasn't all either. The number of 'likes' and comments was the trophy to self-satiation. Not to be left behind were senior dancers holding round-table conferences on whatever issue came under the purview of dance. Teachers/gurus lost out on income Zoomed in with classes, a la academic style with all the pitfalls in tow. The bottomline was actually anxiety crisis of being quarantined indoors especially in a career that spelt out visibility on stage as one's identity. All this sustained for a year. The year that followed, viz., 2021 doused the initial flurry of activity as death tolls mounted due to the Delta wave and online private posts dwindled by the day. A few sustained but this time around the viewers got Covid fatigue!

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Central to Indian aesthetic and philosophical traditions is sringar in all its facets - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

A feature of the post Covid performance scene has been in the region of recently published books on dance. Close on the heels of Kathak Lok is Shringara in Classical Dance, brought out by Shubi Publications, edited by dancer/scholar Sharon Lowen. Its release function at the IIC Chattopadhyaya Multipurpose Hall drew a packed auditorium, and considering the all too often scanty audiences for dance performances, this kind of warm reception for book release evenings seems a bonanza.  The start had two young dancers presenting Ashtapadis, suffused with the varying moods of love, in the Odissi style - the first “Pashyati  dishi  dishi  rahasi  bhavantam” wherein the sakhi, describing the state of Radha at home, languishing for her Lord, and clinging to him in her fantasy, requests Krishna to meet her forthwith.” The second Ashtapadi presented by young Vishnunath Mangaraj “Dheera  sameere  Yamuna  teere  vasati  vane  vana  mali”, has the sakhi pleading Krishna’scase, describing to Radha forlorn Krishna’s eager wait, expecting and hoping in every soft leaf or feather falling to the ground, the gentle footstep of Radha. “Forego your pride and go to him.”

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Celebrating Gandhi Jayanti through Gandhi Leela - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

How refreshing and fitting to mark Gandhi Jayanti with a performance of Gandhi Leela, chiming with the Ram Leela festivities, celebrating the victory of good over evil! Conceived and directed by script writer Suranya Aiyar, a unique feature of the presentation by Bhagyam Arts and Ideas at Jawahar Bhavan, New Delhi, lay in the all-inclusive nature of the theme uniting people of all ages, young and old, while providing participating opportunities for every genre of talent, from the purely recitative, to different forms of music and dance, to puppetry to pantomime and what have you. And above all, coincidentally or by design, here was a broad blueprint, which through accommodating all types of performances can usher in variety, while remaining anchored to the theme of spreading the message of the Mahatma to all levels of society.

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Anita says...October 2022

For the jungle is large
The boy he is small
For the village is large
The people, they are small
For the world is large
And we are small
LET US THINK
....AND BE STILL

- Closing lines from the stage production
THE JUNGLE BOOK-RUDYARD REVISED

Having spent the entire month of September in California, totally immersed in the process-driven creation of the ambitious story of THE JUNGLE BOOK, I thought that this edition would focus on the insights and experiences gained from the project. Mowgli, the story of the boy in the jungle, though filled with colonialist land mines, has captured the imagination of readers, film and theatre makers throughout the 20th century and into the present day.

I have worked with PANGEA WORLD THEATRE in Minneapolis 25 years ago and watched how a fledgling South Asian theatre company slowly worked its way into the mainstream flow of the live arts. Every thought and act by founder/partners Dipankar Mukherjee and Meena Natarajan, was done with a view of becoming a force for change for people of colour, even before those terms BIPOC and other acronyms became popular. Today PANGEA is an award winning American theatre treasure house.

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Anubandh– Scintillating blend of collaborative inputs with performative excellence - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

The HCL sponsored concert at Kamani auditorium, attracting Delhi’s art cognoscenti, featuring Malavika Sarukkai’s scintillating post-pandemic maiden offer Anubandh (meaning connectedness) could not have been better timed– coming as it did, after the harrowing period of forced isolation, with loneliness fracturing all relationships. And what better call to the transformative power of hope could there be, than one reclaiming man’s primordial relationship with the elements forming the world he lives in –viz the sun and the moon, Prithvi or earth providing the grounded security and living space, Apah or water sustaining life’s thirsts, Vayu wafting sweet nothings across space, fanning the fires of passion, Agni or fire destroying and igniting grief and Akash or space providing that release into vastness.

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Book Review - Muthulakshmi Reddy – A Trailblazer in Surgery and Women’s Rights - Srinivasaraghavan NC

I read the book ‘Muthulakshmi Reddy – A Trailblazer in Surgery and Women’s Rights’ by V.R. Devika and I have to say it was a highly engaging biography that was simple to read and process. Those of us who know Dr. Devika are aware of the hard work that she has put in for this book, the research for which began about four decades ago. Having attended many of her online talks, I was already quite well informed on Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy and this book provided a more extensive view of things I had pondered about while listening to Dr. Devika.

Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy was a multi-hued personality and I am sure her life and work were boundlessly difficult to document. But the book neatly arranges events in a breezy chronological fashion - starting from Muthulakshmi’s early life as the daughter of Chandrammal and Narayanasami Iyer, her struggles to obtain education, the conflict within herself to hold on to her identity as someone from a hereditary art family who did not want to continue the family tradition and so on - her life as a whole is quite inspiring and interesting. The story of how Narayanasami Iyer stood behind her entirely like a rock makes one think how progressive this particular gentleman must have been for his times.

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Profile - Dr.Kanak Rele: Multifaceted Maestro - V. Kaladharan

 

Mohiniyattam, the sole female dance heritage of Kerala, had for long been sandwiched between Kutiyattam, a highly evolved Sanskrit theatre tradition and Kathakali, the globally renowned classical dance-drama. Its history, till the dawn of the 20th century, was replete with illusions, myths, half-truths and highly individualistic interpretations. Since the resurrection of Mohiniyattam at the Kerala Kalamandalam in the 1930's by poet laureate Vallathol Narayana Menon, its unsavoury reputation started shrinking gradually. In course of time, aspirants from middle-class families boldly came forward to enrol themselves as students of Mohiniyattam at Kalamandalam much to the relief of Vallathol. By the early 1970's this exceptional lasya dance form drew the attention of dancers and scholars from outside Kerala and India. Dr. Kanak Rele who took up the preservation and promotion of Mohiniyattam as a noble mission was then a young dancer based in Mumbai and had already been trained in Kathakali under the renowned Panchali Karunakara Panikkar. She had had acquaintance with Mohiniyattam too.

Kanak Rele came over to Kerala Kalamandalam mainly as a researcher to explore the history and aesthetics of Mohiniyattam through observation and analysis of the sources available. She did document the contributions of the surviving stalwarts in the field who were mostly confined to their practical knowledge. Of those whom Kanak Rele documented, she found the stylistics of Kunjukutty Amma far more appealing than those of the rest. Armed with the documented materials, Kanak Rele delved deep into the craft and content of Mohiniyattam. At the theoretical level, she garnered support from Hasthalakshanadeepika, a manual on the hand-gesture language widely in vogue as an indigenous text in Kerala, Sage Bharata's Natyasastra and Balaramabharatam of King Karthika Thirunal. With all these, she came out with her concept of body kinetics which became instrumental in providing a scientific temper and academic rigour to the art of Mohiniyattam.

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Profile - A sprightly 84, Radha Sridhar's wards still dance to her tune - Jyothi Raghuram

Nectar In Stone remains one of the finest cultural documentaries made on Indian television till date. A Bharatanatyam school in Bengaluru, set up in 1969, has presented many memorable dance dramas in traditional format. Several dancers sprinkled around the globe and practicing this art, hail from this institute -- a cultural hub that celebrates Hindu festivals in traditional gaiety, an open house for hospitality, senior dancers enjoy a rare respect from its founder; all this in the leafy green environs of a house of a bygone era which breathes warmth and camaraderie.

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Profile - Regatta - Fifty golden years of Guru Girija Chandran - Ambili Ramnath

Regatta Natya Sangeetha Kendra sails its way into its 50th year of purposeful existence under the stewardship of Guru Girija Chandran.

'Regatta' which means a boat race, seems an unlikely name for a dance academy-but delve a little, and a beautiful connection becomes apparent. In the words of Girija Chandran, "The organisation was originally known as Regatta Cultural Society, registered under the Social Welfare Board - one that my father started with the aim of empowering women and making them self-sufficient. This was around the time that the Nehru Trophy boat race was in the limelight and a relative of ours suggested the name 'Regatta' as it implied movement forward - something that perfectly reflected the spirit of the organisation".

Initially dance was only one of the activities of the society, while training in book-binding, typewriting etc., gave wings to many women. Over the years the focus came to rest on dance, with Girija's keen interest. Soon Regatta came to be synonymous with the dance school whose students and presentations won the applause of many an audience.

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Kathak Lok: Dimensions of temple tradition and history in Kathakc - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

A lively evening at the Multipurpose Hall of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Enclave in India International Centre, marked the release of the book 'Kathak Lok' on the temple tradition and history of Kathak, authored by retired civil service officer cum Kathak teacher/performer and choreographer Dr. Shovana Narayan, and Geetika Kalha, an Indian Administrative Service Officer for over thirty years, with a background of history and extensive work on revival, documentation and dissemination of Indian art. On the discussion panel headed by the Moderator who was none other than Dr. N.N. Vohra, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, were distinguished persons like Ambassador Pavan Varma, well known art personality and retired bureaucrat Dr. Ashok Vajpeyi who has served as chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi, and Art historian, critic and former Vice- Chairman of Sarabhai Foundation, Ahmedabad, Dr. B.N. Goswami. With Dr. B.N. Gowami's comment, "A new dimension to the studies of Kathak", prominently printed on the cover of the book, not to speak of Art historian and Founding Director of the IGNCA, late Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan's observations, "Absolutely stupendous work: field work most impressive" dominating the back cover, the work starts off with a heavy vote of confidence - which, whether upheld or not, will be known in time after research scholars and others read and respond to this work.

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Prism - Sandesa Kavya - Seema KS

In Samskṛta language, sandeśa means 'message' and kāvya means 'poem' or 'poetry'. Sandeśa Kāvya deals with the sending of a message through the agency of a messenger. The idea of sending of a message, through a messenger, from one person to another was taken up as an independent theme for a poem first by Ghatakarpara and later on by Kālidāsa, Dhoyī, Udaya, Bhavabhūti and many other poets of note. There are about fifty five Sandeśa Kāvya-s (also known as Dūta Kāvya-s). Sandeśa Kāvya belongs to the category of Khanḍa Kāvya. (Kāvya consisting one section or Khaṇda is called a Khaṇda Kāvya. It is different from a series of stanzas, or what is called as a Samghata. Khaṇda can employ themes much more freely and it usually narrates a story; or it might sometimes provide a background to the narrative. The classic examples are: Kālidāsa's Méghadútam having about just over one hundred stanzas and Bilhaṇa's Chauri-surata-pañcāshikā (fifty stanzas concerning secret enjoyment of love act.)

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Anita says...September 2022

 Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

- Thomas Edison


As I settle into my independent accommodations in Sunnyvale, California, in preparation for my role as KAA, the serpent character in THE JUNGLE BOOK: RUDYARD REVISED, I am reminded of the early days more than 25 years ago of spending extended periods of time outside India on creative engagements. There is a kind of excitement in working in the theatre, when the director sits in a circle along with the cast and discusses the script. It is this visual / physical democracy, without a noticeable leader, that can become an important marker when the hierarchical business world seeks inspiration from the arts. It is also a good way for guru and dancers/musicians to begin lessons in the classical world.

I share the large apartment with a stand up comedienne Sonal Agarwal, a delightful desi girl born in the USA. The generation gap and the tone of daily conversations is such an eye opener. I feel fortunate to have my two children, especially my son, who has kept me up with the pace and jargon of how today's Millennials talk. There is no ending to the learning curve!

Working with a large cast, many very young children, along with actors of diverse ethnic backgrounds and performance experiences is also challenging. However, it is a relief to be a guest artiste, concentrating on creating and performing the role week after week - 4 shows a week - as THE JUNGLE BOOK: RUDYARD REVISED travels across Northern California. No headache or responsibilities of production, fund raising and managing egos!

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Dancing India@75! - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

So, dance matters? Yes, even in chess. Kavita Ramu is an ace talent of Tamilnadu. First, a fine dancer from the truly cultured belt that's Madurai (which part of TN is not cultured? Tanjore is, Chidambaram is, even far off Kanyakumari is; add Trichy) and then an ace IAS, currently the boss of Pudukkottai, as its Collector. A product of K. J. Sarasa, the main teaching star of the Vazhuvoor bani as initiated by the veritable Ramaiah Pillai, Sarasamma was the mainstay of his ghar-ana. She taught so many film stars too, like Kamal Hassan.

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Tribute to Kuchipudi exponent Ardhanareeswaram Venkat - Vijay Shanker

It was a shock to learn of the untimely demise of Hyderabad based Kuchipudi exponent Venkateswara Rao on 8th August 2022 after a prolonged illness. He was 58. He leaves behind his dancer wife Prasanti, son Rithwik and daughter Charmila. Both Rithwik and Charmila are dancers and poised to take the legacy forward.

Venkat hailed from Elluru in Andhra Pradesh and was one of the foremost disciples of veteran traditional mentor Korada Narasimha Rao, who also hailed from Elluru. Venkat was a brilliant dancer and teacher. In 1988, he established Nritya Darpana, his dance academy in Hyderabad, where he has trained several dance aspirants. Venkat was particularly known for the rendering of the Ardhanareeswara concept, which was his masterpiece act, hence he was popularly known as Ardhanareeswaram Venkat.

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Interview - Anita Ratnam on 30 years of Narthaki - Shveta Arora

Narthaki.com, the beloved e-magazine in the world of Indian classical dance, celebrates 30 years in 2022. Its founder, Anita R. Ratnam, was interviewed about it by actress and dancer Padmapriya at a session in Natya Vriksha’s World Dance Day celebrations in Delhi this year. In a film screened at the start of the session, Anita described how Narthaki came to be. In 1990, she was a TV producer of Indian content in New York, and was contacted by the American Broadcasting Company. They were doing a series of stories on India and needed the phone number of leading Bharatanatyam exponent Yamini Krishnamurthy. But no one in the Indian embassy had the number, so they approached Anita, who was running the Bombay Broadcasting Company there. Anita called her aunt in Delhi and procured the number within 24 hours, but it struck her that there was no cataloguing of classical dancers’ numbers.

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Interview - Princess Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi on Guru Gopinath - Tapati Chowdhurie

Guru Gopinath had taught Aswathi and Puyam, the daughters of Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi at Thiruvithamcore Palace in Adyar in Madras, at the behest of Amma Maharani of Travancore, Sethu Parvathi Bayi. Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi was her daughter. Yours truly had the good fortune of asking Princess Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, a noted writer, to tell me about her experiences in learning dance from Guru Gopinath. She said:

"My elder sister and I learnt for a brief period of time of just two months under Guru Gopinath while we were in Chennai with our whole family. Guruji was very enthusiastic and meticulous in teaching us, as our grandmother, Maharani Sethu Parvathi Bayi, was very particular in the way we were taught and kept a close watch on the words of the lyrics, or rather the sahitya. The songs were uneventful by and large.

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Article - Stepping out of the ordinary - Archana Kaul

True consciousness and spiritual growth have a connotation of giving more and expecting less. But I got more than I gave. The pleasure and fulfilment I got through my work, also provided me with a creative outlet. I had no idea how an opportunity to teach dance, incorporating basic techniques of Kathak to girls at an NGO would help these children grow confident and provide a gamut of rich experience to life. Interaction with these children made me step out of the ordinary and humdrum existence.

It was at the turn of the century, 26th of January 2000, that I visited and met the children of the NGO. At that time I did not even know the name of this NGO. I went along at a friend's suggestion, just for the heck of it. I didn't even know what I would be doing there, or if I was needed there. Most of my work experience had been in the field of teaching History to undergraduates in Delhi University, writing reviews on music and dance, and working as a researcher. I had worked in a small school in a Delhi village, as part of an educational experiment. After their disinterested response for studying their academic subjects, I decided to give some input of music and dance, as an icebreaker, having knowledge of Kathak.

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Dance in Delhi after the Pandemic - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

The first live stage performance this critic was experiencing after a two year pandemic lock was at the Habitat auditorium, featuring a Bharatanatyam recital by Sudhana Sankar, a long time student of Saroja Vaidyanathan, who however, with the Guru not in the best of health, has very recently come under the grooming of the successor and next in family line, Rama Vaidyanathan....

Nadasutra Arts and Resonance, a performing arts centre based out of New Delhi, presented yet another evening of dance, with rains playing spoilsport, at the Stein Auditorium under the title of Ananta (The Unconstrained). Akash Mallick (Artistic Director), Swarnali Kundu, a dancer who completed her M.A in Bharatanatyam from Rabindra Bharati University, and Kuchipudi dancer Amrita Singh who received training under late Dr. Sobha Naidu, work with the stated aim of 'taking Indian art to a larger audience in a comprehensive and yet contemporary presentation.'...

At Rabindra Bhavan's Meghdoot 3 auditorium, the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi held a special event as homage to late Kavalam Narayana Panikkar - 'A National Treasure' as he has been referred to....

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Anita says...August 2022

The future belongs to the young
We must not only trust them with responsibility
But must thrust it upon them
Whilst they are still young and full of energy, zest, hope
And even illusions
- JRD TATA, Industry Icon

It is the sheer force of young India that caught my eye last month. The papers are full of catchy images of dancers reshaping the idea of classical performances. Affluent 20 and 30 somethings who are spending extravagantly for that exclusive AHA moment (not on the Arts!) to notch one over their neighbours. Mixologists blending strange flavours like Basmati rice, cake and Tamarind with beer (?????) and the IN YOUR FACE images of Chess boards. Yes, Chess boards.

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Interview - An imaginary interview with Guru Gopinath - Part 13 - Tapati Chowdhurie

Master, what are the Kathakali veshams you performed after becoming a dancer?

At the request of Poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, I performed in the role of Duryodhana in Utthara Swayamvaram in full Kathakali vesham at the literary conference (Sahithya Parishad Sammelanam) in Kizhuthani. I performed in the birth centenary celebrations of Mathur Kunju Pillai Panicker aasan at Nedumudi Kottaram (palace). On the Chairman of Kerala Kalamandalam D.H. Nambudirippad's request, I performed in Kerala Kalamandalam. At the request of Abhedanandaswamy I performed in his ashram in Thiruvananthapuram. I have also performed at a program in the Kathakali club of Thiruvananthapuram and at the Karthika Thirunal theatre on the request of TR Sukumaran Nair. I did the role of the handsome Brahman (Sundara Brahmanan) of Rukmini Swayamvaram.

All in all, I have performed five times in Kathakali veshams. Though many a times I have been invited for a Kathakali show, I haven't accepted those requests.

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Transformative Transitions - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

Rarely it happens that a show or space leaves one transformed. Please understand for some of us, watching 300 shows a year, in different cities, for last 50 years is a huge palette to even be coming from or compare with. So when one says two shows stood out for their transformative quality then believe me, it is true.

First was an innocuous, small hall, very popular of late in a traditional neighbourhood of namma Bengaluru. Seva Sadan in Malleswaram (the first half Mal is what makes Malgudi Days of R.K.Narayan fame, the second half - gudi - coming from another very old and traditional area called Basavangudi) is actually part of a school / orphanage. Many shows take place here in the last ten years.

When Arundhati Patwardhan and Manasi Jog performed here, arranged by singer-dancer Padmini, an ace student of dance icon of Bharatanatyam in Maharashtra, guru Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar, then the hall was spellbound. Was it theatre, was it dance, was it a musical? It was natya in totality. And the two were in total sync, art wise.

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Profile - Kalpana: A Bharatanatyam dancer in Paris - Éliane Béranger

From an early age, Kalpana was influenced by the spirit of tradition, the western one. Both her parents were musicians, amateurs with a high level. Kalpana's birth name is Martine Métayer, and she was born in Paris. She duly learned flute for several years in a conservatoire. Her sister is a professional cello player.

When Martine discovered Bharatanatyam by taking part in Malavika's workshop (1977), she faced a totally new and unexpected form of art where dance, theatre, music and poetry merged and offered a full aesthetic and intimate experience. After some classes with Malavika and Shakuntala she felt she had found the path she would follow for life. Moreover, starting from this moment she could explore the subtlety and the tiny nuances between two ways of practicing the same style.

At first, she managed to afford on her own, a short stay with Guru Muthuswamy Pillai (1980). She gained confidence that Bharatanatyam was the place where she felt alive. Two years later she obtained a scholarship (ICCR India and Ministry of Foreign Affairs - France). She could finally stay for several years in India, during which she was lucky enough to learn singing with Kamakshi Kuppuswamy and abhinaya with Kalanidhi Narayanan.

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Interview - T Reddi Lakshmi: It was either money or contentment and I chose the latter - Vijay Shanker

New Delhi based Kuchipudi exponent T Reddi Lakshmi is one of the foremost disciples of renowned Kuchipudi exponents and mentors, Gurus Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao who have trained several students. Lakshmi holds the distinction of being among the most brilliant and has already performed in 17 countries. Lakshmi talks about her devotion to the dance form and her varied experiences as a performer and teacher.

Lakshmi will be performing in Mumbai for the Raindrops Festival for young dancers at Nalanda's Kanak Sabha in Juhu on Saturday July 23rd at 6.30pm.

What attracted you to dance?
Learning classical dance was my childhood dream. I was always attracted to classical dance and music naturally and my father T.S. Viswanadham made my dream come true by finding an institute to learn classical dance when I moved to Delhi for higher studies.

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Obit/Tribute - Tribute to G Ulaganathan - senior editor and journalist - Priyamvadha Murali

The revered critic G Ulaganathan's contribution to dance reviews and his critical observations of a dancer were always marked with constructive comments. His subtle and sensitive feedback always brought out a "thinking dancer" to harness his/her energies and strengths towards a possible improvisation in techniques in their upcoming performances.

His love for his hometown Thanjavur was evident with pictures and posts he shared on social media. Every time he visited Thanjavur, he would ensure he visited Melattur, the home of the Bhagavata Mela tradition and he would drop by to meet his dear friend Melattur S Natarajan. It was during one of those sessions over a cup of hot filter coffee on a rainy evening, he happened to see the children of the village coming from varied socio-economic backgrounds being groomed in Bharatanatyam by Guru S Natarajan. These were the disciples from Bhagavata Mela Vidyalaya, the brain child of this legendary guru who envisioned that every child coming from this culturally rich village should experience the divinity and bliss of the art form he practiced and taught them all for free.

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Article - Ashta Nayika and Disney heroines - Tejsree Bhangeeruthee Beharee

Who does not like a good Walt Disney story? 

Ashta Nayika is an important concept in Indian classical dance. Ashta means eight and Nayika means heroines, thus the eight heroines. In this article, heroine is referred to as a lady in love: her association with a man in an amorous way, whether it is in union or separation. When we talk about love and relationships, it is often accompanied by a feeling of joy, but there is also the aspect of pain. According to sage Bharata Muni, in his book Natya Shastra, there are 8 types of women in love.

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Book Review - Bharatanatyam Workbook 1 - Lavanyaa Surrender

SERIES: Listen. Read. Choreograph

TITLE: Bharatanatyam Workbook 1
LANGUAGE: English
AUTHOR: Dr. Pranitha J Kamat (kamat.pranitha@gmail.com)
YEAR: 2020
PAGES: 44
PUBLISHER: Vedathek Publishing House, Bangalore, India
ISBN: 978-81-9467-750-5

The 'Bharatanatyam Workbook 1' from the 'Listen. Read. Choreograph' series by Natya Chittra is an A5 sized book with black and white pages. The crisp foreword highlighting the importance and advantages of the concept in the book is written by Acharya V.P. Dhananjayan. The introductory sheets are short texts on the purpose, how to use, scope and limitations of the workbook. Before diving into the workbook, the author gives an illustration on how to use the book, a chart referring to transliteration of the terminologies used and also an adavu guide that briefly summarizes all the Bharatanatyam adavus.

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