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Monday 16 September 2024
Nrityantar's Naman 2024 an interactive delight - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
Sunday 8 September 2024
Crowded week starts with monsoon moods - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
One recollects the time when late Manna Srinivasan, an arts activist, informally helping out IIC with ideas for its Programme Division, first mooted the idea of a Monsoon Festival as a seasonal event over two days of dance, built round presentations, in some way connected with the Monsoons. Today any idea of "Rimjhim Rimjhim Barase" ideas belong to the past - for now IIC's Monsoon Festival is like any other festival in terms of its content. This year's two-day event presented two Kathak dancers, each consummate in the art form in her own way.
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Sunday 1 September 2024
Anita says...Sep 2024
No one leaves here alive.
Eat delicious food
Walk in the sun
Jump into the sea
Speak the truth that you carry in your heart like a hidden treasure
Be silly. Be good. Be weird
There is no time for anything else
- British film actor Anthony Hopkins
Wise words. Very few of us have the courage to follow through on every one of his prompts but we can keep this mantra in our hearts as we breathe through our days and pursue our goals.
(Rupak De Chowdhuri / NurPhoto via AP)
As I write this editorial, many cities in India are still protesting and holding candlelight vigils as a response to the horrific attack on the medical trainee at RG KAR hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The soul-numbing rape-murder occurred in the middle of the night when the 31 year old was resting in the hospital's seminar hall. The incident has since turned political and updates and revelations are emerging every day.
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Tuesday 27 August 2024
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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Monday 26 August 2024
Article - Handing over a tradition - Renu Ramanath
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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Wednesday 21 August 2024
Natyarpana by Natyamurthy: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar
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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Monday 12 August 2024
Obit/Tribute - Yamini: The enigma - Leela Venkataraman
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Saturday 10 August 2024
Angikam bhuvanam... Aagnika Bhagyajainam!: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar
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
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Thursday 8 August 2024
Connection between poetics, music and abhinaya - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
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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Sunday 4 August 2024
Article - Drawing parallels between Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Bharatanatyam - Prakruthi Kolay
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
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Saturday 3 August 2024
PRIDE: Column by Janaki Patrik
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Thursday 1 August 2024
Anita says...August 2024
PATHS ARE MADE BY WALKING
- Franz Kafka, Czech authorThis is an important quote and a very important signifier for everyone.
So wherever you are, I hope you are well, in good health and taking the time to read my thoughts.
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Monday 29 July 2024
Interview - Divya Goswami on Nadant: Even if people understand 10 per cent, it's okay - Shveta Arora
Divya Goswami is a well-known Kathak soloist whom I have watched and admired for many years. She brings a rare intelligence and depth to Kathak and the breadth of her influences is obvious in her productions. Last year, I watched an excerpt from her production Nādānt, which she premiered in Bengaluru in March 2024 in its full length of 75-80 minutes.
The press note about Nādānt describes it thus: 'There is a force of existence, which cannot be contained by space or bound by time, yet it is the one that creates the many dimensions, patterns and emotions. This is the perpetual dance of existence, Nādānt, without a beginning or an end, and at the very centre is Lord Shiva. Nādānt is an exploration by Divya Goswami navigating through the leela of the manifest form of the cosmic dancer and the visual discourse on the true purpose of existence; until there is no more.'
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Matters that matter - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar
Guru Shishya Parampara matters. In this month that was, last week was guru purnima on 21st July, a day when we propitiate our gurus. What's left of the tradition really? Does the core kernel remain or its mere shadow? Shops that are run for profit; egos larger than talents and output less than desirable basic quality in art of dance?
Okay, if that sounds too harsh then let's dilute it a bit to say, 30 years old as gurus sound childish; arangetrams done in six months of learning is a joke! And teachers who don't know much, except items, are a blot on this exalted soul of Indian traditional art learning systems.
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Tuesday 23 July 2024
Swarna Saroja program proves an eye opener - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
Starting under the Dharovar section, was a Bharatanatyam program She the Divine, presented understandably (considering the occasion) by a student of Saroja Vaidyanathan, Anupama Thakurda settled in Atlanta, USA, where she runs the Deeksha School for Performing Arts. The evening proved how, despite the passage of time, the umbilical cord with Ganesa Natyalaya remained for many senior dancers who had been trained under Saroja Vaidyanathan. And here was an instance of a student, after twenty three years visiting the institution where she had started her Bharatanatyam journey. One knows that foreign tours of Rama Vaidyanathan (who inherits the teaching reins) with visits to Atlanta, have greatly helped in keeping the Natyalaya bonds alive.
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Prism - Natya Shastra: The ancient text bridging music, dance and drama - Vasini Shyama Charan Jha
This remarkable text isn't just a manual for creating performances. It delves deeply into the aesthetics, techniques, and spiritual significance of each art form, weaving them together into a cohesive whole.
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Tuesday 16 July 2024
Article - Pencils and Pirouettes - Shruti Patki
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Monday 15 July 2024
Week of exceptional programs - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
In a week of out-of-the-box presentations, the solo glory of the Bharatanatyam evening titled Taapita, singed every person in the audience, with the burning intensity of sringar, as evoked by dancer Pritam Das, on June 20 at the Stein auditorium, Delhi. This exceptionally endowed dancer, after initial training under Jayati Ghosh and Samrat Dutta, has for the last eight years been training under Rama Vaidyanathan of Ganesa Natyalaya. Gifted with a reed slim body which can move any which way at incredible speed, not to speak of an inbuilt feel for the fractional intervals of a tala or time cycle, Pritam tops all this with a deep sense of commitment to his career in Bharatanatyam....
A mixed theatre/dance background always adds a vital dimension to a dancer's work, and so it has been in the case of dancer Sudip Chakraborty - writer, storyteller and a TEDx speaker, whose seventeen year Kathak experience, coming on top of Bharatanatyam learning in the Kalakshetra mode, had its finishing point under Guru Jaikishen Maharaj, after years under Pranab Sanyal and Sandip Mallick. The youngster has also trained in pakhawaj under Pt Ravi Shankar Upadhayye. The dance knowhow has been enriched by theatrical experience flowing from working in local group theatres of Kolkata.....
It was very fitting that for an occasion remembering an independent minded woman like late Madhavi Gopalakrishnan, a work like 'And She Spoke' on the voices of women in a deep rooted patriarchal society, should be presented at the IIC, Delhi. One of the trustees, daughter Meera Khanna, in her introductory remarks hit the nail on the head with the statement of her as "a mother who taught us to never be dependent on her" while her sibling, dancer Rama Vaidyanathan, has on several occasions referred to her own mental stamina in facing up to career ruffles, as a result of the strength drawn from her mother.....
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Thursday 11 July 2024
Article - The connection is in the creativity, sustainable communities through Community based Arts - Serenity Wise
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Wednesday 10 July 2024
Live dance and taped music - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
BHARATANATYAM EYE COMMUNICATION IN NAYANA
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Tuesday 9 July 2024
Article - In Response to Gayatri Iyer's article in The Hindu about Indian classical dance and Queerness - In context of Dharmic Texts, Characters and Bharatanatyam - Ramaa Venugopalan
Why are Indian classical arts hesitant to depict queerness?
By Gayatri Iyer"It is no surprise that proscenium stages in Chennai are still hesitant to showcase this subject matter. When queer dancers themselves struggle for acceptance, how can we expect the subject of queerness in art to be unequivocally accepted? Perhaps, the answer lies in looking to the past, before our sensibilities were encumbered by Victorian ideals, to a society that produced the image of Ardhanarishvara - neither man, nor woman, but both simultaneously.''
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Monday 1 July 2024
Anita says...July 2024
"We are approaching a major turning point in world history... It is a juncture at which concepts suddenly become hazy, lose their precise contours, at which our familiar and commonly used words lose their meaning."
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian authorIt's the beginning of the month and I am sharing my thoughts and ideas of what has intrigued me or tugged at my mind screen these past 30 days.
The acclaimed words of the Russian author return to our minds as we see the end of a tumultuous Indian election, the looming uncertainty of the US elections, the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Russia, Israel, and Palestine - a divided population and a socio-political landscape where lies speak louder than truths. How do these macro events filter into the lives of dancers and musicians for better or worse? We cannot ignore the growing power of social media about which I shall comment on later in this edition.
With Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni making the Namaste an internationally accepted gesture which became viral at the G7 meeting, I will open this ANITA SAYS iteration with a Namaste to all of you. What I am sharing are not declarations, but ideas that I hope can stimulate more discussion, conversation, and hopefully, feedback.
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Saturday 29 June 2024
Tribute - A tribute to Kamala on her 90th birthday on 16th June 2024 - Gayathri Keshavan
Kamala and Bharatanatyam are inseparable words right from the year 1940, spanning the dance world for many decades. She was popular as Baby Kamala…later as Kumari Kamala, then famous as Kamala Lakshman….thereafter Smt. Kamala. During my childhood days and as I grew up to be a young dancer, my role model for admiration and inspiration was Kamala, the enchanting dancer.
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Sunday 23 June 2024
18 Days... - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar
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Friday 21 June 2024
Profile - Father Saju George's Kalahrdaya - Tapati Chowdhurie
Father George is a phenomenon - a self-made man who is both passionate about dance and about joining the Jesuit order. In his Ted Talks he said that he was excited to speak about his dance which is a vocation within a vocation. Life is worth living, he said, if you have a goal.
In his teens he happened to read the book titled 'Life is Worth Living' by American author, bishop Fulton John Sheen and it gripped him. It helped him to be focused and make his life worth living for himself and the world. Born into a Syrian Catholic family in a small village called Santhipuram in Kottayam District in Kerala, to a family of 10 children, he was interested in Indian classical dance from childhood.
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Thursday 20 June 2024
Showcasing Odissi and deliberating on its generational changes - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
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Saturday 15 June 2024
A delightful week of Kabir, Bharatanatyam and Swarna Saroja - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
It was IIC's Double Bill Concert, giving Delhi audiences a first exposure to Bharatanatyam by Ramya Suresh. The dancer epitomized, aside from the considerable talent, the advantages of a home background, wherein music and dance are a way of life....
As Ganesa Natyalaya, the largest institution for Bharatanatyam in the capital, observes its diamond Jubilee of just over fifty years of serving dance, amidst the poignant absence of its founder Saroja Vaidyanathan, presiding over the destiny of the institution for years. In a seamless natural handover of reins to the family members, the work of the institution has not suffered....
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Tuesday 11 June 2024
Home truths in Abhadra of societal snobbery - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
After experiencing dancer Vinay Tiwari's creation and listening to the warm response of the audience, my first unvoiced thought was that Saroja Vaidyanathan would have been supremely happy to see the rewards of her labour. As gold medalist from Bhatkhande University, with a Nritya Nipuna title from Nalanda Dance School, plus a graded Doordarshan artiste, Vinay Tiwari has more than proved his dance credentials. With a senior diploma in Folk Dance and Masters in Sociology and Bharatanatyam, he is at present, as dance teacher in Prometheas Noida School, engaged in teaching folk forms and also Bharatanatyam to new learners. After 3pm, he is engaged at the Natyalaya working and learning (now a student of Rama Vaidyanathan) et al.
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Sunday 9 June 2024
Article - Alice beyond the Victorian Era - Dyumna Chhabra
‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll is an exemplary work that reaches out to young children whose curiosity and imagination have led them down the rabbit holes of dreams.
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Friday 7 June 2024
Book Review - Unique book on Saivism - Vijay Shanker
'Ananda Siva Natanam: The blissful dance of Siva' by Dr Geeta Radhakrishna is a unique book on Saivism (the cult of Siva). Siva forms the trinity of Hindu mythology, along with Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu. The book is dedicated to Siva Shakti - the divine energy of Siva and Parvata Nandini, the daughter of the mountain king Himavan, divine mother of this world.
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Wednesday 5 June 2024
Prism - History of Evolution of Odissi Dance after Independence - Dr. Ileana Citaristi
ODIA THEATRE
The emergence of the Odia theatre scene in the early forties marked the end of the different forms of rasleelas or musical plays as forms of independent representations and they became part of the repertoire of theatre groups along with other plays based on modern or mythological subjects. Many of the artistes who were involved in the leelas shifted to the newly opened theatre groups so that a certain continuation in the tradition could be maintained and the more popular libretto of the leelas continued to be represented even if in a more secular environment. One of the earliest theatre groups which opened at Cuttack in 1918, was the Radha Krishna Theatre followed by others like Hajuri Theatre at Puri, New Theatre of Odisha at Baripada, Odisha Theatres at Cuttack, Bhagwati Theatres at Banapur on the Chilka Lake and the three Annapurna Theatres opened by the same proprietors-Somnath Das at Puri, Annapurna A, Cuttack, Annapurna B and Berhampur, Annapurna C.Please provide your name / email id along with your comment. Anonymous and derogatory comments will be removed.
Saturday 1 June 2024
Anita says...June 2024
So don't waste it by living someone else's life.
Don't be trapped by dogma-
Which is living with the results of other peoples thinking!
- Steve Jobs
Tech pioneer
In the end,
We'll all become stories
- Margaret Atwood
Writer
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Saturday 25 May 2024
Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra's three day Ballet Festival - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
This year's Ballet festival projected over three days comprised three productions, Parikrama, Karna and Meera, each as different from the others as chalk from cheese. If Parikrama dealt with an abstract theme, Karna brought out the tragic story of a Mahabharata hero who despite being invested with all the noble qualities, was destined to a life of unmitigated misfortune. His unjust end came while fighting, ironically, for Dharma. Meera on the other hand, was the tale of the saint poetess, who, born in a patriarchal society and chained to the stifling orthodoxy surrounding royalty, courageously fights her way to emancipation. And given the fact that the same cast had to present three very different productions immaculately, with not a cue missed, on three consecutive evenings, one can imagine the scale of rehearsals and attention to detail in the preparation!
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Thursday 23 May 2024
Article - The impact of songs in series like Heeramandi on Kathak artistes - Shruti Patki
Popular series like Heeramandi have a significant impact on Kathak artistes. While these shows spark interest in our beautiful dance form, they also create misconceptions and challenges. The sudden influx of beginners seeking quick lessons and the undervaluing of years of dedicated practice are just a few of the issues we face. Let's explore these challenges and gain a deeper appreciation for true dedication behind Kathak.
1. Influx of inquiries from inexperienced students
When a popular series like Heeramandi features a song with Kathak, it often leads to a sudden surge in inquiries from people wanting to learn Kathak specifically to perform that song. However, many of these prospective students have no prior experience or foundational knowledge in Kathak. This trend can be challenging for seasoned artistes as they have to manage expectations and explain the basics to those who might not understand the complexity and dedication required for this classical dance form.
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Article - Uday Shankar in Almora - Bharat Sharma
I will begin with a quote from a brochure brought out for a festival organized in 1984 in New Delhi by sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, commemorating 60 years of dance debut of Uday Shankar in London. The festival - Uday Utsav - brought together a full gamut of artists emanating from the legacy of Uday Shankar. Performances and workshops were organized in Siri Fort Auditorium and National School of Drama. In this brochure there was a significant summing up of Uday Shankar's legacy titled 'Almora- a creative peak', written by Professor Joan Erdman, an eminent Anthropologist from University of Chicago, who had by then done extensive research on life and art of Uday Shankar.
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Sunday 19 May 2024
Week of varied fare - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
The evening of Odissi dance at the Triveni was titled Sankalan. Conceived by Odissi dancer and teacher Anita Babu trained under late Gangadhar Pradhan at Orissa Dance Academy of Bhubaneswar, Sankalan presented the results of a four day workshop conducted by the present head of Orissa Dance Academy (who also happens to be the President of the Odisha SNA) namely Guru Aruna Mohanty, one of the senior-most of Guru Gangadhar's students....
It was a pitifully scanty gathering in the Stein auditorium, for the Bharatanatyam performance of Anju Chandran of the Chennai Kalakshetra alumni. But what heart warming applause after each item! It did not take long for the audience to understand that here was a dancer totally unaware of herself and utterly charming - the line perfect nritta, and restrained poise of the abhinaya, never attracting attention to the persona of the dance.....
In a fast changing world, passing on to the next generation of students the essence of an art form inherited as a legacy from past gurus, faces greater challenges - on how to keep the roots of the art alive, while adapting to a contemporary clientele of both students and audience. As usual the evening at Natya Tarangini's outdoor performance space with galleried seating, began with the wise words of Raja Reddy on prachisudha and bhinnaruchi and on keeping in mind while teaching the responsibilities in passing on the cardinal principles of the oldest living civilization, namely India....
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Friday 10 May 2024
Article - Why you must watch Madu - Dyumna Chhabra
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Wednesday 8 May 2024
Article - Reframing Swati Padams: A conversation with Dr. Neena Prasad - Shereen Saif
"Panimathi mukhi bale" and "Enthaho vallabha", two widely performed padams in Mohiniyattam, trace their origin to the early 19th century in Kerala, a time of great creative resurgence in poetry, music and dance. The former composed by Swati Thirunal, the erstwhile ruler of Travancore, and the latter, penned by his celebrated court poet Irayimman Thampi are two classic love ballads of that era, steeped in the ethos of the Vaishnava bhakti movement that had by then gained prominence all over India. Much like Sufi poetry, the lyrical content of these padams is intimate, sensual and carries the passionate longing for an absent beloved. Treated allegorically, the yearning of the heroine is interpreted as the soul's aching and desire for union with the divine.
However, even though the intention of the poetry is anchored in the devotional, the dancer's path to evoke rasa lies not in portraying chaste devotion. Rather, the opposite! Through the explicit and aesthetic portrayal of passion. In the hands of a mature performer, a love-soaked padam can inspire a divine, transcendental experience says Mohiniyattam dancer, researcher and choreographer Dr. Neena Prasad.
To explore this subject in depth, a 10-day intensive workshop was recently organized exclusively for dancers trained at Sougandhika Centre for Mohiniyattam in Thiruvananthapuram, a kalari she established 20 years ago for research and development of the art form. The workshop curriculum covered Mohiniyattam movement vocabulary, abhinaya techniques, appreciation of Swati Thirunal's poetry and music and her approach to choreographing a padam.
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Monday 6 May 2024
Pug ghungroo bandh in Pune - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar
For 20 years now, one has been going to that city. First, as the national director of America based Ngo in cultural education called the AFS. We helped start the Pune chapter and also steered it for three years. It was the most differently abled chapter in AFS network. Parents were demanding and kids were nicer! Well behaved, disciplined and kept to the course. That was 2004/5. A full 20 years ago. It was so nice to meet one such alumnus of AFS Yes program Valerie Apte, who was compering the Anuvedh festival on occasion of the World Dance Day celebrated with pomp and show by one of the biggest Kathak dance centres of Pune called Maneesha Nrityalaya.
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Saturday 4 May 2024
Epoch making 17th World Dance Day celebration by Natya Vriksha - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman
Much more than yet another festival of dance, Natya Vriksha's seventeenth consecutive celebration of World Dance Day at the IIC, imaginatively curated by Geeta Chandran and meticulously executed by its tireless crew, was a hard act to emulate. Crafted to meaningfully punctuate presentational gloss with sessions of intelligent reflection, the entire effort mirrored the impact of time on dance forms. Starting with Movement Technique in Sattriya, to a Celebration of Rukmini Devi Arundale as a Revivalist and Institution Builder based on V.R.Devika's latest book, with an illustrated talk/discussion by the author, to a Seminar on Legacy in Classical Dance moderated by Geeta Chandran, featuring a prominent panel comprising Guru/dancers from each dance tradition, to culminate each evening with performances featuring promising young talent and established dancers, the two day event did not have one dull moment.
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Wednesday 1 May 2024
Anita says...May 2024
"Dance disappears almost at the moment of its manifestation. It
is an extreme expression of the present, a perfect metaphor for life.
Dancers sculpt space in real time, working inside a form that is
constantly in a state of vanishing. We have no artifacts. I find it
strangely beautiful to be creating something that is made of us - made
of our breath and blood and bones and minds. Something that is made of
the space we occupy and made of the space between us. We embody both the
dance and its disappearance."
- Crystal Pite, Canadian dancer & choreographer
A very special Hello to May born dreamers and achievers! This is our month! Well... I am born in this month and so it is my favourite time of the year. May is also the birth month of so many, many creative people - singers, dancers, composers, painters - May is the month when Taurus - the stubborn, loyal, imaginative and sensorial pleasure loving bull collides with the cerebral, quick thinking, restless Gemini twins - what a combination... and for me - born on the CUSP of both months - it means there is a whole lot of stuff going on inside!
There is also lots to talk about in the world of dance and the current spectacle of India's national elections and the vociferous protests going on in US campuses. Both countries look like bristling performance art when viewed from the outside!
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Wednesday 24 April 2024
Article - Paying for a performance, A dancer's perspective - Divya Anand
Recently, I happened to see an Instagram video where Ms.Anita Ratnam was beseeching artistes to not pay and perform. It was, I suppose, in the context of the coveted Margazhi season. However, it got me thinking if we could respectfully explore the greys here. And don't get me wrong, I definitely empathize with her perspective about not compromising on the beauty and quality of the art form. I myself recently had to pay for a performance, it was a truly nominal amount and before I wanted to take myself on a guilt trip, I thought, why not use some more lenses on this topic!
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