Anita says...December 2024

We do not have to

become heroes overnight.
Just a step at a time,
meeting each thing that comes up,
seeing it as not as dreadful
as it appears,
discovering that we have the strength
to stare it down
- Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady, USA



At the end of a tumultuous year, when we are staring into several conflicts and possible further escalations, we pause to take stock of our lives and our journey in the dance arts. This is the final edition of ANITA SAYS for the year 2024.

As we continue to wonder at the speed of passing time and the urgency and purpose of our lives, I would like to share my views and reactions to four performances I have watched in four cities over the 30 days of November. In New York City, Coimbatore and Chennai. Varied in content, purpose and intentions, these dance events have thrown up further questions about reinvention, re-purposing and revival. I will discuss each of these performances and add my personal take. These opinions are mine and mine alone and I hope that it is received in the spirit of someone who has been engaged in the performing arts scene for 6 decades.

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Bridging gap between theory and practice in multi-faceted Tripuranthara Festival - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Tripuranthara Arts Festival mounted at Music Academy Mini Hall, was a collaborative effort between Anthara Centre for Performing Arts run by Bharatanatyam dancer Sreelatha Vinod and Tripura Ace Trust headed by Sripriyaa Venkataraman, spearheading a focus on Arts, Culture and Education as a means for creating inclusive and inspirational space for a future generation of leadership. A three-day event, the festival presented a combination of acclaimed senior dancers and emerging talents. In pursuance of its overall educational objective in narrowing the gap between theory and practice, the festival also included papers on aspects relevant to dance read by young researchers.

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Dance on...: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

PUNE PADHARO!

Pune has finally a swanky new terminal to say Padharo! Pune today ranks as the HQ of Hindustani music, film and television training and new trends in dance. India's only yearbook on dance (attenDance) in its 25th anniversary issue focused only on artistes of Pune.

Gurus like Shama Bhate are changing Kathak without changing its form or structure. She has come up with many productions over the years to extend the language and create new works. Unnayan is a smashing, sophisticated and spiffy production with high values of discipline, diligence and depth......

LASYAPRABHA 2024

It started 20 minutes late - that's a no, no these days. Everyone's time is precious and valuable. And if the organizers are waiting for the main guest (now there are atleast 3-5! Please one please all: local level guest; state level, then regional, and national. Even international) to show up, it tests the patience of the audience....

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Prism - Resonating traditions: The power of Odissi in a global context - Dr. Rohini Dandavate

(This paper was presented virtually at the conference ODISSI ODYSSEY: Novel Research Perspectives on September 28, 2024.)

Introduction
In discussing my recent work, I aimed to share how it focuses on three key aspects: fostering cultural understanding through art, engaging diverse audiences, and balancing tradition with contemporary themes that resonate with specific contexts. My experience presenting Odissi dance to multicultural audiences over the past 35 years has profoundly shaped my approach.

During my graduate studies, I observed that engaging effectively with diverse audiences required selecting themes and narratives to which they could relate. This strategy not only served as a bridge for cultural connection but also guided my choice of presentation contexts. I embraced the idea of using contemporary issues as themes in my performances. By blending modern interpretations of traditional stories, I aimed to keep Odissi vibrant and encourage reflection from the audience. 

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Old n new winds!: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

In dance, like in wine, old is gold. Guru Anuradha Shridhar is one such gold in the field of Indian dance, who has kept the tradition intact, trained new generation well and maintained dignity and standards in the form. She's a chip off the old block, so to say. Anuradha's early life and dedication to Bharatanatyam are deeply rooted in her cultural heritage and familial background. Born into a family of musicians and Vedic scholars, with her father, the late H.S. Chandrashekhar Shastri being a revered mridangam vidwan and Vedic scholar, and her mother, Leela Shekhar, also a musician and homemaker, she was naturally immersed in the world of music and dance from a young age.

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Varied interpretations of Shakti Mahima in Nritya Samutsavam - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Nritya Samutsavam '24, curated by K.R. Manasvini, and jointly sponsored by Chennai's Charsur Fine Arts and Kala Sadhanalaya, built round the theme of Shakti Mahima, emphasized in more ways than one, the advantages of joint sponsorship, with the advantages of organizations combining resources for hosting events. At another level the event, by sponsoring dancers, both established and upcoming, each with a vocalist, not in the conventional dancer/accompanist mode, but in a coming together of talents fashioning a work with both singer and dancer contributing ideas, made for real collaboration. Here was a platform wherein, each production enriched by ideas from both sides, also entailed accommodation and adjustment, as much for the composer of music as for the movement choreographer.

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Ratikant Mohapatra Calling.... - Exploring the methodology of teaching dance and its implementation

Dance, as an expressive art form, has been an integral part of human culture for centuries. From ancient rituals to contemporary performances, dance has served as a medium for storytelling, spiritual expression, social interaction, and personal fulfilment. The teaching of dance, however, is a complex process that goes beyond mere choreography. It involves imparting knowledge of technique, fostering creativity, and nurturing the physical and emotional well-being of the student. The methodology of teaching dance has evolved over time, influenced by cultural shifts, advancements in pedagogy, and the growing recognition of dance as both an art form and an academic discipline (Hanna 5).....

Research Problem

Despite the rich history and diversity of dance education, there is still a lack of standardized methodology for teaching dance. Different teachers and institutions often adopt different approaches, leading to inconsistencies in the quality of dance education (Kassing 64). Furthermore, the implementation of dance teaching methodologies is often influenced by external factors such as cultural norms, economic conditions, and technological advancements (Carter and O'Shea 14). This study aims to explore the various methodologies of teaching dance and examine how they are implemented in different contexts.

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Interview - Geeta Chandran celebrates 50th anniversary of her arangetram - Shveta Arora

Soloist, choreographer, teacher, scholar, a shaper of arts policy and a leading light in Bharatanatyam, dancer Geeta Chandran performed a one-hour varnam, old-school, at the golden jubilee of her arangetram in Delhi on 25 October. 'A varnam is actually a one-hour piece, it's not something that is finished off in 20 minutes, like it is today. It is like a vilambit khayal - it needs that kind of delineation. Each line needs to be slowly delineated. I'm planning to do a varnam in the old style,' she said of her recital on marking exactly 50 years to her arangetram on 25 October 1974.

Geeta Ramakrishnan was only 12 when, on that day 50 years ago, she took the stage under the watchful eye of her first guru, Swarna Saraswati. On 24 October, her students performed 'Pravahati' showcasing the work and the philosophy she has imparted to them over the decades. The two-day programme took place at Kamani auditorium, Delhi.

It was learning with no stakes.
Geeta Chandran describes the teaching methodology, the attitude towards the arts and even the approach to a piece's choreography when she was a student, all radically different from today's structured, limited, time-bound learning.

The learning was never geared towards performance. None of my teachers came from a space where they only talked about performance. They talked about acquiring knowledge and going deeper into the learning process, because there were no workshops like there are today, no way to teach items. It was all long years with the teacher, imbibing an ethic for the work and a philosophy towards the arts. The learning was very different from what it is now, when it is all about what to do in the next programme and the next item. It was (then) always about increasing the base of knowledge.

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Anita says...November 2024

 The old healer to the soul

It's not your back that hurts, but the burden
It's not your eyes that hurt, but injustice
It's not your head that hurts, it's your thoughts
It's not the throat, but what you don't express or say with anger
Not the stomach hurts, but what the soul does not digest
It's not the liver that hurts, it's the anger
It's not your heart that hurts, but love
And it is love itself that contains the most powerful medicine
- Ada Luz Marquez, Spanish author

Hello, everyone! I know that wherever you are, the holiday spirit has seized you. New clothes, parties, celebrations for Diwali - the air is sparkling with joy and hope and optimism. And food! And I hope you are all doing what makes you feel fulfilled and grateful.

India's biggest festival of lights is celebrated globally by the diaspora and several years ago the US Postal Department issued a stamp in honour of Diwali. Recently, the state of Pennsylvania in the US has signed into law an official holiday for Diwali. Australia has recently declared October as Hindu Heritage Month. We in the South of India call this popular festival DEEPAVALI - but it's the same meaning. A festival of lights, bursting crackers and new clothes, meeting friends and family, gifting and feasting. A day when the smile muscle is overworked and our faces ache at the end of the celebrations.

While I was unable to be physically present due to a family commitment, here are the many reports from friends and dance colleagues that I received about the largest Indian dance gathering of this century.

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