Book Review - A useful book on Kathak - Vijay Shanker

 

I would like to draw your attention to the brilliant book on Kathak written by accomplished Kathak exponent from Assam, Marami Medhi and tabla maestro Debasish Talukdar, also from Assam. Titled 'Kathak Volume 1 - A Theoretical and Practical Guide,' this book is a useful guide to students of Prathama and Madhyama of Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidyapith, Praveshika, first year and second year of Prayag Sangeet Samiti along with 9th and 10th examination.

Published by Anshika Publication from Lucknow, the book price is only Rs.499 with an extensive coverage of the varied aspects of Kathak in 29 chapters, running into 180 pages with beautiful pictures as well. The varied chapters concern the syllabus of Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidyapith and Prayag Sangeet Samiti, different types of fine arts, Natyopatti and Nrityopatti Katha, Natan Bheda, eight types of classical dances, Gharanas of Kathak, the usage of various parts of the body and the varied looks, single and double hand gestures, merits and demerits of a Kathak (it should be qualities necessary for a dancer),varied Kathak terms or definitions, significance of ghungroo (dancing bells), different types of taals (rhythm), laya and laykari, different types of musical instruments and the importance of tabla, Sangeet Gayaki, different types of music, taal paddhati as founded by Pt VN Bhatkhande and Pt VD Paluskar, profiles of great mentors and exponents of Kathak, the national awards and the repertoire of a Kathak performance and much more.

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Profile - Bhavna Pani: Rise above all labels and just be - Nainika Mukherjee

Bhavna Pani is an accomplished Odissi dancer and a film and theatre actress based in Mumbai. She is the disciple of Guru Jhelum Paranjape. She started training in Odissi under Guru Ravindra Atibudhi at the Nalanda Dance Research Centre, Juhu. Alongside her training under the tutelage of Jhelum Paranjape, Bhavna attended multiple residency intensive workshops with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. Bhavna also trained in Kathak dance under Guru Neelima Azeem, a well-known disciple of Pt Birju Maharaj.

What is interesting to note is that Jhelum Paranjape is also a mathematics professor, thus attributing to the perfect and precise geometrical alignments and formations in her choreographies. As a dedicated disciple, Bhavna's recitals and performances always have and continue to reflect the same precision and meticulousness in her hand gestures and body language as her Guru's. Such a level of detailing is rare, yet delightful to see in today's dancers. 

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Interview - Tanya Saxena on her dance film 'Bindu' - Shveta Arora

Bharatanatyam dancer Tanya Saxena showcased her dance film 'Bindu' digitally in the Indo-American Arts Council's Erasing Borders Dance Festival in 2022. Bindu was inspired by a painting by legendary artist S.H. Raza. Tanya speaks about the process of conceptualizing the film, choreographing the piece and filming an Indian classical dance piece.

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Book Review - Odissi through the lens of Karana - Dr.Utpal K Banerjee

KARANAS IN ODISSI DANCE: HISTORY & EXPLORATIONS

By Arpita Venkatesh
Shubhi Publications, Gurugram, 2022
Price: Rs.1795
ISBN 978-93-94797-21-3

Hastapada Samayogah Nritasya Karanam Bhavet (a combined movement of hand and feet in dance is known as Karana). To the aesthete, it is a unit of dance: a basic stance of decorative hand gestures with a stance of body, legs or feet. Such figures were found in abundance especially on the South Indian temples sculpted on walls, such as the inner precinct of the second floor above the sanctum sanctorum of the Brihadiswara temple of Thanjavur with most magnificent figures of the dancing Shiva in Raja Raja Chola's time in the 10th century. Similar sculptures are found on the inside of the surrounding wall of the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram of dancing Apsaras. The Shiva temples at Kumbakonam hold another example of profuse Karana sculptures. 

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Obit/Tribute - Sougaijam Thanil Singh (1946-2023) - Sinam Basu Singh

Renowned guru of Manipuri Nata Sankirtana SOUGAIJAM THANIL SINGH passed away at his Singjamei Yumnam Leikai residence on early morning of March 31, 2023. His sudden demise is a great loss for the world of Manipur Nata Sankirtana. Guru Sougaijam Thanil Singh was born on 1st February 1946 at Kakching Wairi in Thoubal district of Manipur in the family of Nata Sankirtana tradition and was initiated into this art of Nata Sankirtana Pung by his father Kher Singh and later received higher training from many renowned Gurus of the then generation. He completed Diploma Course in Manipuri dance and Post Graduate Diploma in Nata Sankirtana Pung from Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal, where he has worked as Guru in Pung, Pradhan Guru and retired as Officiating Director in 2006.

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Article - Andal in my classroom- A pedagogical and performative learning of an educator - Samyukta Ninan

Andal came to me in a tiny sentence in a history chapter that I was engaging with my grade 12 students in school on the Bhakti movement. The section spoke about the role of women like Karaikal Ammaiyar from the Nayanar tradition and Andal, an Alvar saint whose songs were sung widely throughout the Tamil land. In possibly three sentences her contribution to Bhakti poetry was described, leaving the reader not at all curious about firstly Andal and secondly not shedding enough light on the bulk of poetry written by women Bhakti poets. So while school textbooks selectively give space to the 'voices' of women within the Bhakti tradition, I took it upon myself as an educator to really bring Andal into my classroom.

Engaging with Andal and her poetry while making it relevant to the current times for teenagers is not easy. It is important to note that very often our school textbooks leave the essence of a chapter for the educators to fulfil. Hence the pressures of syllabus completion and the rigours of the academic calendar, often ensures that educators are unable to do absolute justice to it. Similar thoughts ran through my mind, while looking at the vast corpus of Bhakti poetry written by women. However while I began to delve into Andal's verses of Tiruppavai and the Nacciyar Tirumoli, it became natural for my students to become an audience.

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Ramayana revisited - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

Pratidwandi Ramayana is part of Ekah-Aneka offerings by thinking Mohiniattam star-dancer Gopika Varma. Four characters from the Ramayana - Manthara, the hunchback "maid" of Kaikeyi; Bharata's mother Kaikeyi herself; Ravana's sister Shurpanakha and Ravana himself- all seemingly odd, evil, even nasty but all necessary too as part of the larger design of karma, dharma, kama, moksha, the leitmotif of any Indian epic tale. Add four senior dancers whose artistry brings out these negative characters and one has a wholesome production. Congratulations!

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Anita says...April 2023

We are moving too fast
We talk too fast, decide too quickly
Move too swiftly, hate too soon
Love hastily and rage too rapidly
We need a return to the pace of our breath
A pace where we can savour life.
- American pop icon Patti Smith

NARTHAKI begins year number 24! Let that sink in!
Yes! We complete 23 years online and begin our 24th year as the GO TO dance portal!

AND…There is that elephant in the room.  THE KALAKSHETRA STORY.
We will address it at the end of this piece.

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