Moham and performances for Independence Day - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Performing after a fair gap in the capital, Ragini Chandershekar's Bharatanatyam recital at the Deshmukh auditorium, under the banner of Kalangan, displayed the power and depth of dance proficiency stemming from family inheritance, and the ambience of music and dance she grew up in. As Jamuna Krishnan's daughter / student, honed right from childhood with training under the best of Gurus - K.J. Govindarajan, K.N. Dakshinamurty, Kalanidhi Narayanan and Usha Krishnamurty, Ragini has been performing for over forty years. Heading Kalangan ever since Jamuna Krishnan's absence, the dancer would seem to have single mindedly further enhanced her music / dance, knowhow and performance.....

Time and tide wait for no man and soon after the mortal remains of legend Yamini Krishnamurti being consigned to flames, dance lovers entering the portals of Ganesa Natyalaya for the Swarna Saroja evening for Padma Subrahmanyam's lecture on the Natya Sastra, was for this critic, a pointer to the reality of life that marches on with arrivals and departures....

Supported by Ministry of Culture and the Habitat, Odissi exponent Ranjana Gauhar's Utsav held its annual two-day, handsomely attended festival Sare Jaahan Se Achha, at the Stein auditorium of Habitat. Several dance related personalities encompassing dancers, art sponsors, art bureaucrats, music composers, dance writers, not excluding costume and jewellery designers et al were honoured before the dance presentation started, both days. While the performance calendar, for the first evening, featured dancers of Utsav only, the second evening, starting with a short presentation by the hosts, featured Bharatanatyam, Manipuri and Kathak in that order....

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Article - Handing over a tradition - Renu Ramanath

Once again, the flames were flickering. Once again, the miniscule, multihued 'thiraseela' (curtain) was being held up. Once again, the petite figurines in Kathakali costume were held up in hands. But this time, the hands were new. And young.

Pulling back an endangered art form from the abyss of oblivion is the task that takes a lifetime. But, ensuring that the resuscitated art form does not slip back onto the brink of that abyss again, is the responsibility of another lifetime, another generation. When 'Pavakathakali,' the glove puppet tradition indigenous to Kerala, is being handed over to the next generation of artistes, it is the beautiful continuation of that uninterrupted flow of artistic endeavour taking its course from one generation to another.

The resuscitation of Pavakathakali had happened about forty years ago, under the auspices of Natanakairali, the research and performing centre for traditional and folk art forms of Kerala that was founded by G. Venu, scholar, performer and trainer. Spurred on by none other than Kamaladevi Chattopaddhyay, the then Chairperson of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, and the prominent patron of India's handicrafts, handlooms and traditional and folk art forms, G. Venu had taken upon the responsibility of piecing together the almost-lost heritage of Kerala's glove puppetry tradition and breathing a new life into it. Supported with a meagre financial aid sourced through Kamaladevi, Venu had managed to create a troupe of Pavakathakali at Natanakairali with K.C. Ramakrishnan and K.V. Ramakrishnan, two youngsters from the village of Paruthippally in Palakkad district, which was the home of the art form in bygone days. Chamu Pandaram, the last of the Pavakathakali performer hailing from the Andi Pandaram community, the traditional community who were the guardians of the art form, had passed away a few years ago before that. Armed with a couple of puppets made by Thottassery Narayanan Namboothiri at Vijnana Kalavedhi, Aranmula, where the initial part of the revival project was conducted, and supported by his own training and knowledge of Kathakali, Venu managed to design a couple of Pavakathakali performances. 

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Natyarpana by Natyamurthy: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

While Yamini Krishnamurthy was forgotten soon enough (Delhi being Delhi or reality of life today in most metros), one function that stood out was by her mansik shishya, Abdul Khalid. He is an Eklavya of and in Kaliyuga. Ask him his thumb and he'd give his head for his guru. Possessed by dance like no one I've seen in recent years, he is a survivor. No money, no mentor no nothing in hand but dil ka dhani and dimag ka dabangg!

He dedicated his annual day Natyarpana to his mansik guru's memory and it was not tokenism as such things often become. It was genuine. The emotion, the energy, the eclectic audiences of babus, defence officers, business class, parents and all.

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Obit/Tribute - Yamini: The enigma - Leela Venkataraman

Words fail me even as I try hard to capture in writing, the magic of that meteor, streaking across the skies and illuminating the dance world - adding a different texture to Indian dance history. Even amidst changing socio/political contours with dance trying to steer a path between flagrant sensuality and punctilious religiosity, Yamini Krishnamurti burst on the scene - the sheer exuberance, joy, sparkle and effulgence of her dance making all arguments meaningless. The formal contours of Bharatanatyam, of Kuchipudi, of Odissi apart, what Yamini's magic gave to the dance was something that came from within her. It was Yamini's dance, which could not be replicated. The minute she stepped on the stage, that switch was turned on, and carried the audience along with its ecstasy. There will never be another Yamini! 

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Angikam bhuvanam... Aagnika Bhagyajainam!: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

Dr. Aagnika's Nritya Samarpane was a grand function at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore recently. The city's cognoscenti was in attendance and she with her guru were in top form.

What's top form? Three aspects ought to fall in place: Sangeet, sahitya, shastra. 3S. Add shishya! This one had beauty of form, clarity of delivery and depth of face to show fleeting emotions. One can see this talent enjoys dancing. Period. It comes through.

Kathak acharya Shalini Garg mounted her annual day in which she showcased students from age 5-50. All shapes and sizes. Most showed good tayari, much involvement and happy faces. Shalini Garg is an acolyte of guru Rajendra Gangani of the Jaipur gharana. 

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Obit/Tribute - Whispers of divinity: Yamini Krishnamurthy's dance odyssey - Navina Jafa

Yamini Krishnamurthy carved her place in the history of classical Indian dance from the 1950s to the 1970s, when India saw the emergence of the first generation of non-hereditary female performers take the centre of the stage. Her rigorous training in Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra, along with Kuchipudi and Odissi under eminent gurus, and her music training expanded her artistic horizon. Her performances were infused with electrifying energy, leaving an indelible impact on the dance world and the modern stage, transcending the chaotic environment that often forces performers to constantly negotiate content and aesthetics dictated by the audience.

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Connection between poetics, music and abhinaya - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

THREE-IN-ONE NEEDS MORE WORK

It was called Sangam - saga in Devotion with three dance traditions Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi sharing the Stein auditorium stage at the Habitat - the concerned dancers, in the order of traditions mentioned above, being Ritwika Ghosh who apart from four years at Rabindra Bharti University has trained under Jayanti Subramaniam, Seetharama Sharma and Kalanidhi Narayanan; Rina Jana trained under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and 'Sanjunani' (Sanjukta Panigrahi); and Bobby Chakraborty who studied under Madhuri Mazumdar and off and on has trained under Vanashree Rao. One wonders if such evenings, prompted largely by the dancer verses opportunities-for-performance being so stilted, plus a feel that something different from the usual can attract more attention, are worth the effort involved. Looking at the pitifully slender audience seated in the auditorium, though a few more joined in later after the inauguration by the chief guest Vanashree Rao, the long winding introductions for each dancer had no place and should have been avoided. Ultimately what is shown on the stage as performance, is what audience mind carries home. 

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Article - Drawing parallels between Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Bharatanatyam - Prakruthi Kolay

Classical dancers: Time to be Fearless!
Classical dancers, it's time for a reality check! When was the last time you performed for 3 ½ hours in a dance festival? Today, normally at Bharatanatyam dance festivals, each dancer gets a maximum of 1 ½ hours. This time slot usually includes the Pushpanjali, varnam, padam (or javali), and thillana, followed by Mangalam. Sometimes, performances are even shorter, reduced to an hour or just 45 minutes to fit more dancers into an evening's lineup - a strategy driven by money hungry organisers.

In contrast, consider Taylor Swift's performances. She gives a full-length concert equivalent to a Sampoorna Margam daily. She not only sings, plays the guitar and piano, but also changes costumes, interacts with hundreds of thousands of audiences, and writes her own songs. Classical dancers could benefit from adopting some of her rigorous routines to truly excel rather than settling for mediocrity. She's truly a MASTERMIND. 

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Obit/Tribute - Dance was her life: Yamini Krishnamurthy (1940-2024)- Ashish Mohan Khokar

Purna Tilakam was her real middle name. Her art symbolised it. Born to a totally non-dance family of Madanapalle, Andhra, she became a benchmark in and of Bharatanatyam. The form can be divided into two broad phases: before Yamini and after Yamini. Everyone before her faded when she came on professional stage and everyone after her tried to copy her eye make-up, her blouse fan and her mannerisms, pout, spout and all. She was the first prima donna, if India ever had one. 

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PRIDE: Column by Janaki Patrik

The passage of time has allowed PRIDE to overcome prejudice. We now openly celebrate dancers whose lives were cut short during the 1980-1990 AIDS epidemic. And likewise we celebrate the "inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility" for which so many have given their lives. This article is a tribute to their lives and their art; a memorial for their dancing and choreography, which could not reach full fruition; and a celebration of the promise found in more accepting attitudes and behavior, which are now being encouraged by corporate, government, social, legal and personal changes.

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Anita says...August 2024

 PATHS ARE MADE BY WALKING

- Franz Kafka, Czech author

This is an important quote and a very important signifier for everyone.

It's August - a time between the Indian seasons of summer, GRISHMA and the upcoming monsoons, VARSHA. This is also when many in South India take to health resorts and Ayurvedic centres to strengthen their immune systems. It is believed that this is a very important time when the rays of the sun weakens and our bodies become most susceptible to infections and illness.

So wherever you are, I hope you are well, in good health and taking the time to read my thoughts.

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