Article - Keeping the fire - Shereen Saif

A seductress, a silly dancer, a teenager insane with grief, a terrified night watchman, an angry fisherwoman, a criminal getting rid of a rotting corpse...
While this may sound like the makings of a Netflix thriller, these characters were some of the many that lived through the actors-in-training at the most recent Navarasa Sadhana residency this October at Natanakairali. 5 artistes from Mumbai, Hosur, Delhi and Dubai immersed in Phase 4 of the programme under the watchful eyes of G. Venu, one of India's foremost abhinaya gurus and the mastermind behind Navarasa Sadhana.

For a fortnight, the abhinaya kalari came alive with the beat of the kutti mingled with a multitude of emotions. In the evenings, the motley crew descended into town to savour the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures. The mind and the five senses on overdrive through the day. 

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Matters of Dance - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

I took time to think what really needs telling. Not routine reviews that are almost passé now, when anyone can write their own blogs or FB reviews. We writers anyway rarely make a living; sometimes we make a fortune. Or history.

History in performing arts - that's India's true intangible heritage - comes from decades plus of shows like the one that had gone on for 75 years! Every year. Without fail. The Ramlila of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra. The seeds for the mega musical (that's what it is, actually) was first sown when India became independent.

Our epic tales, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana have gone on for ever. In Kathakali or Yakshagana or Kalakshetra productions or elsewhere. What makes SBKK's Ramlila special is its spiffiness and smartness of sets and substance. So many legendary gurus have contributed to it; so many music and dance greats been part of it. There's a whole book on the subject, brought out 25 years ago, on its 50th anniversary.

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Article - Time signatures: Rhythm in Indian music, dance and film - Prachi Hota

James Monaco, American film critic and author, argues that 1/24 of a unit, which is the lowest common denominator of film, exceeds the quickest rhythms at which Western music can be performed. In his book, How to Read a Film: Movies, Media and Multimedia, he says, "The most sophisticated rhythms in music, the Indian tals, approach the basic unit of film rhythm as an upper limit."

Like music (and dance), time is a central element of film. Unlike literature, where the reader controls time to a large extent by consuming it at their pace and theatre, where only crude time signatures can be used through the characters' speech, Indian music and by extension dance, revolve around time signatures in the form of rhythm cycles.

Here, of course, we are talking of the most literal presence of these time signatures in dance, music and film. Taal (or Tal, as Monaco spells it) in the case of Indian music and dance, and frame rate (which Monaco calls the lowest common denominator) in the case of film. Rhythm exists in layered forms in both these art forms, but even an examination of the most tangible form of rhythm in these arts shows us why the presence of dance and music in Indian cinema is not simply a cultural or stylistic choice by the filmmaking community. There is a syntactical relationship at the most granular level of form.

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Odissi-Kuchipudi double bill, Dviparna and Gandhi Leela - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

The Double Bill concerts at IIC, apart from providing a much needed performance platform have, in the choice of artistes, shown a sensibility in presenting deserving dancers and musicians, who in the scramble for performance space, have perhaps been less fortunate in getting opportunities than some of their colleagues....

Interestingly, two styles sharing the stage each evening, in a male/female, tandav/lasya, Yin/Yang contrast was also followed in this year's celebration of Lalitarpan, the festival started by Kathak veteran Shovana Narayan of Asavari, along with Dr.Jyotsna Suri and tabla wizard Shafaat Ahmed Khan.... 

For Bhagyam Arts and Ideas, Gandhi Jayanti heralded once again an opportunity for the celebration of the Mahatma's spirit through an ensemble of Indian arts. This exploration of the life and legacy of Gandhi through India's art forms, comprises a core group, that had organized the Gandhi Leela effort last year too, headed by director Suranya Aiyar...

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Article - The transformative power of Bharatanatyam,Empowering differently-abled and autistic children - Ramya Shankaran

Bharatanatyam, one of India's oldest classical dance forms, is a cultural treasure that goes beyond its visual splendor. It carries within it the potential to transform the lives of differently-abled and autistic children. In this article, we delve into the profound therapeutic effects of Bharatanatyam, illuminating how this art form nurtures physical, emotional, and cognitive growth in these exceptional individuals.

The dance of expression

Bharatanatyam, with its intricate hand gestures (mudras), graceful movements, and rhythmic footwork, becomes a gateway for differently-abled children to explore self-expression. For autistic children, who may struggle with conventional communication, this dance offers a unique channel to convey emotions, stories, and experiences. The sensory stimulation provided by the dance paves the way for improved sensory integration, assisting children in adapting to their surroundings. 

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Article - The journey to Carnegie Hall - Vyoma Bhanap

There are few times in a young dancer's career that stands out so vividly, so intensely, that you could argue they change your life. This was one of those moments.

I remember that first December day vividly. Our Guru Anupama Srivastava (or Anupama Aunty as we girls called her) brought her students and their parents together for a Zoom call. I was away in my dorm at college, mostly focused on my school work, but even from miles away the announcement surprised me - the InSyncKathak team had been invited to perform at the world renowned Carnegie Hall? And all the way in New York! It seemed surreal.

There were some issues though. Learning a brand new choreography, assembling a team large enough to fill the stage, and of course, the large costs of getting all the way across the country! To top it off, five of the girls (including me) were away at college until June and couldn't consistently join for in-person rehearsals. But after a period of discussion, it was decided that we had to take the opportunity- after all, we had an invitation to perform at one of the most prestigious venues in the country!

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Anita says...October 2023

 Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

-  James Baldwin

All great changes are preceded by chaos.
- Deepak Chopra


Each month, I have shared my thoughts and views on various events and issues that relate to the global world of Indian dance. This portal started as a phone directory and has grown to become so much more to a whole generation.

In spite of being a multi hyphenate artiste, I realise the enormous new energy that is surrounding us at every turn. As much as I would like to imagine that I can keep up with the rapid changes afoot in every phase of our artistic lives, it is clear that there IS a generation divide and I cannot morph or reinvent endlessly to keep pace with the blur of hyper activity. It is confusing, confounding but it is also a certainty.

What do young dancers want to hear, watch, listen and read? The foremost target is to dance - to perform - to share - to shine and to smile in the glow of the spotlight.
The opportunities seem to have exploded but is it a bubble? Is Social media giving us the ILLUSION of change like a shimmering Chimera while the ground reality is much the same?
Yet, we turn to our SM handles to verify one's identity and it IS the new calling card. Like it or not, we are now an ALGORITHM to a giant robot sitting somewhere in Silicon Valley.

Aaaaand..
There are several young Indian dancers in the USA who do not know who I am and who are not familiar with NARTHAKI! Smack on face! There goes my ego!

While I ponder on that, let me continue...

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