Mozartayana: Column by Janaki Patrik

The title of India's great epic RAMAYANA includes the Sanskrit suffix -ayana. Literally translated, "Ayana" (अयन) refers to time periods -- the passage of the sun through the zodiac. Therefore, loosely translated, Ramayana means "The travels of Ram [through] time."

Linguistically improvising on the Sanskrit root "Ayana", I created the title MOZARTAYANA - The Travels of Mozart. It premiered on 28 July 2012 at the City University of New York, Baruch College, Manhattan campus. The title refers to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's travels. During his tragically short lifetime (1756 to 1791), Mozart traveled extensively in Europe, concertizing, playing his own and others' compositions, improvising and composing masterpieces.

 

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Impressive dance recitals across Delhi - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

- WINSOME ODISSI AND KATHAK FEATURED IN BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN'S 17TH SANGEET SAMAROH

- SPIRITED KATHAK

- DOUBLE DELIGHT IN DOUBLE BILL CONCERT

- DELIGHTFUL MOHINIATTAM

- KAMADAHANAM KOODIYATTAM BY MARGI MADHU

- YOUNGSTERS PERFORM TO THE MAGICAL SHEEN OF NEW IDEAS

- SOMA CATCHES THE MAGIC OF A MOONLIT NIGHT

- OBEISANCE TO THE GURU

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Anita says...December 2025

The month of November has gone by and we are at the end of the year!

It's December and all of India is buzzing with so much dance, theatre, music, visual art, installation and outdoor events - this is really the time to be in this country. Not just Chennai, but every city is dressed up and throbbing with multiple events every single day.

For dancers, it feels like we need a 360 degree spiral of our head on a stick. Everywhere we turn there are performances and premieres. Festivals, conclaves, conferences - name them whatever you choose to but the energy is there - vibrant and hopeful. It is a wonderful time to be a young and ambitious dancer. So many opportunities and so many openings for collaborations and cross cultural understanding. It is totally up to the individual artiste to seize the moment.

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Interview - Suba Parmar: Dance class should be a celebration. not a punishment - Vijay Shankar

Bharatanatyam exponent and mentor, Guru Suba Parmar is the artistic director of Shubhanjali School of Performing Arts (founded in 1992) in New Jersey and has been associated with Bharatanatyam for the last five decades. With over three decades as a dance teacher, she is particularly credited for teaching students with memory disorder and Activity Disorder and Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD), hence feels that learning should be an enjoyable process and not a punishment that could be rigorous and painstaking.
What difference do you see between the Vazhuvoor and Pandanallur tradition of Bharatanatyam?

As a Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher, I have a deep connection with the Pandanallur style which I've had the privilege of learning from my gurus Indra Rajan and Pandanallur Srinivasa Pillai. This style's emphasis on precise technique, crisp footwork, breathtaking crisp jathis, nuanced expression, has been my foundation. (Some Pandanallur stalwarts include Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, Alarmel Valli, Sai Subbulakshmi, Rukmini Devi Arundale, Pandanallur Jayalakshmi, Rajeswari Sainath, Meenakshi Chitharanjan to name a few). I've also had the opportunity to work with Vazhuvoor teachers, and I'm struck by the unique beauty of their approach - the slow, graceful movements, lots of poses, the fluidity, and the realism in their abhinaya (Gurus Padma Subrahmanyam, Rajarathnam Pillai, Chitra Visweswaran, Shobana).... 

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Profile - Jai Govinda: Retirement, Book and Award

Mandala Arts and Culture, Vancouver, celebrated Jai Govinda's retirement at a gala event held on Nov 2, 2025. Aside from thanking two long time board members, P. Rathanaswami and V. Gunja, Mandala officially launched the book 'Simply Bharata Natyam' by Jai Govinda.

Amongst honoured guests such as Dr. Mandakranta Bose, Kamal Sharma and executive director of The Dance Centre, Mirna Zagar, Jai Govinda presented a copy of his book to the Consul General of India, Mr. Masauki Rungsung. The event was attended by past and present students of Mandala, as well as present and past board members, families and friends. 

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Book Review - When Light Dances- Lighting the Aesthetic World of Indian Classical Dance - Dr. Ragini Sanath

When Light Dances- Lighting the Aesthetic World of Indian Classical Dance by Dr. Rashmi Thaper is a remarkable contribution to the world of Indian classical dance. It brings attention to an area that is often overlooked - stage lighting. It explains how light can transform a performance from being just visual to truly magical.

The book begins by tracing the history of stage lighting during the temple period, especially in the temples of Karnataka and then explores how lighting evolved through various theatre art forms. It gives readers a sense of how illumination, once rooted in ritual and tradition, gradually became a creative force that shapes the visual and emotional mood of a performance. 

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Article - Unspoken Dialogues: The healing language of Kathak dance - Simran Poddar

This paper looks at Kathak as a living art form that continues to touch emotions and bring balance to people's lives. Over time, Kathak has grown from temple storytelling into a personal and spiritual expression that helps dancers connect with their inner world. True to the saying "Katha kahe so Kathak kahawe" - the one who tells a story is called a Kathak - this study reflects on how rhythm, gesture, and emotion (nritya and abhinaya) create moments of peace and awareness, even in a busy, modern lifestyle. Drawing from both traditional ideas and my own experiences of performing Kathak, the paper views this dance as an unspoken dialogue - one that heals, expresses, and connects the dancer's heart with the essence of Indian culture.

 

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Exhilarating performances by Sutra, G Narendra and Anandita Narayanan - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Collaborators above all, need a generous sponsor for agreements to fructify and aside from the Malaysian authorities of Arts Against Aids and Sai Ananda Foundation Malaysia, one cannot but have admiration for bodies in India, like Kala Kalp Sanskrutik Sansthan led by Dr. Atasi Misra, whose generous invitation to host the Sutra / Tridhara collaboration, at Delhi with a show of Radha Radhe at the Kamani, has enabled the latest Delhi visit for the Sutra troupe...

But for the two-day festival at the Triveni auditorium, Delhi, curated and executed by Dr.Sahana Selvaganesh, a Bharatanatyam student of Roja Kannan, under the aegis of an NGO Nirvikalpa started by her and her friends, the Delhi audience would not have had the chance of being treated to a performance by the very senior, established, Kalakshetra trained Bharatanatyam dancer G. Narendra....

The evening at the Triveni auditorium was titled Anavarna (Exploring the layers) presenting dancer Anandita Narayanan, a disciple of Bharatanatyam Guru Geeta Chandran. Expecting another of the well trained students of this teacher, one was totally unprepared for the mature performance of one, who, as the saying goes, has arrived - namely has graduated from locating the dance within her, to the point when she is beginning to discover herself in the dance - the latter a long process which in many cases, never happens....

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Chennai churning - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

Chennai is an experience; Madras was an emotion!

Growing up in the 1970s of my motherland Madras in Mylapore-Luz then Mandaveli area of Madras, one felt one was on a holiday. Few cars on the road; endless shopping and temples abound. Add the charm of Foreshore Estate empty beach, smiling faces, courteous and curious, looking at us aliens from North India with smart clothes and even footwear! Yes, most locals wore no chapals as they had to take it off often since every other metre or two there was a little koil - a statue of Ganapati or Meenakshi or Kamakshi or Elakshi.

Fast forward to today: One can't even walk on the roads, leave alone cross it easily. Shopping is a serious business now and many temples too have become shops: pay extra, get priority darshan! Trust us Indians to evolve systems the rest of the world can't even think of. 

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Article - Can YouTube be your Guru? - Anannya Mahanta

"The internet can show you the dance - but can it teach you devotion?"

For me, dance has never been just an art form - it has been a way of being. Having devoted over more than two decades to the sacred discipline of Sattriya Dance, one of India's most revered classical traditions, my journey began when I was barely three. Under the guidance of my Guru, I learned that dance is not mere performance - it is prayer. Every movement becomes a hymn, every gesture a meditation and every rhythm a quiet act of surrender. The 'Guru-Shishya Parampara', that timeless lineage between teacher and disciple, forms the lifeblood of Indian classical arts. Yet today, as studios turn into screens and reverence yields to reach, I often find myself wondering: can YouTube truly be your Guru? 

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Prism - De-ritualisation and Re-contextualisation: The shifting performance ecology of Bharatanatyam in the 21st century - Dr. Amrita Sengupta Dutta

Bharatanatyam, originally woven into the ritual and devotional life of South Indian temple culture, has traversed a complex path of transformation over the last century. From its deep association with temple worship and the devadasi system to its redefinition during the colonial and nationalist eras, and its subsequent digital and global incarnations, Bharatanatyam continues to evolve amid changing social, political, and technological landscapes. This essay investigates two interconnected processes - de-ritualisation, referring to the dance's gradual detachment from its sacred roots, and re-contextualisation, which signifies its adaptation within modern cultural, ideological, and digital environments. Employing a narrative research framework, the study explores how globalisation, feminism, diasporic identity, and social media cultures have reshaped Bharatanatyam's performance ecology, creating an ongoing negotiation between tradition and innovation. 

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Anita says...November 2025

As I stared at the blank page of my Ipad, beginning to process my thoughts for this edition, I heard the rain pouring outside, lashing through the garden and creating a cacophony of sounds on my roof and terrace. October is monsoon for Tamilnadu and every event becomes a hit or miss, with one eye on the sky and the other on the pothole filled roads. This year, I was pensive. Dussera and Deepavali had passed by, firecrackers and celebrations were muted and every second person was bedridden with the newest mutation of the Corona virus. Nothing, however, was stopping dance and music events from unfolding across the city. Rehearsals and shows continued unabated with gusto and enthusiasm. For me, this is the time to drive to the ocean front and gaze at the stormy waves. Ever since the Tsunami of December 2004, the fragile nature of human life when pitted against the giant waters has never left my mind screen. The irony of the most powerful human being on earth appearing ant-sized and vulnerable against a single wave has never been lost on me. No matter how powerful, how famous, how influential - one wave, physical or metaphorical, can wash it all away. 

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Article - Dancing through distress: How classical dance becomes a language of healing - Bipasa Sen

There is a point in every dancer's journey, when the stage is no longer just a place to perform - it becomes a place of letting go, of silent healing. Indian classical dance has been, for a long time, more than just an art form - it has been a holy communication between body, mind, and feeling. In times of emotional distress, this communication becomes a deeply moving, non-verbal language of strength.

The body as an emotional landscape

Dancing is basically to live the body thoroughly - to allow it to say what you cannot put in words. In Indian classical arts like Bharatanatyam, the body is not considered different from the mind but rather its most fluent partner. Every movement, beat, and look conveys the depth of feeling that is both experienced and expressed. 

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Anant Mahapatra - A dialogue with the maestro Exploring the Soul of Theatre and Films - Ratikant Mohapatra calling

Art, when pursued with devotion, transcends the boundaries of time and place. On the morning of October 15, 2025, the Shruti Building of Sri Sri University became a living testament to this truth when it hosted an extraordinary event titled "A Dialogue with the Maestro: Exploring the Soul of Theatre and Films." Organized by the School of Languages and Social Sciences (SoLSS) under the Faculty of Arts, Communication and Indic Studies (FACIS), the session brought together the academic and artistic communities of the University to celebrate the timeless dialogue between stage, screen, and spirit.

The distinguished guest and speaker of the day was Anant Mahapatra, one of Odisha's and India's most respected theatre and film personalities. A nonagenarian whose life and work have spanned more than six decades, Mahapatra is revered as a visionary who not only chronicled but also shaped the evolution of Indian theatre. His presence at the University infused the atmosphere with rare gravitas and serenity, embodying both the wisdom of experience and the curiosity of perpetual learning. 

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80 and more! - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

1945: India wasn't even India but an assembly of kingdoms, some motely, some remotely controlled by the British. In this scenario, when struggle for freedom was at its peak, who would think of art, dance and higher learning? One family from Tanjore. Or Thanjavur, as called colloquially.

Sri Rajarajeswari Bharata Natya Kala Mandir gurus trudged a million bullock-cart miles those days to take their divine art far and wide. The history of the first families of Bharatanatyam dance is an unexplored area and much work needs to be done. These men and women and their children are to be respected as our national treasures because they gave their art freely, without often benefit or returns or rewards. In some countries like former USSR or Japan, classically trained artistes were higher pedestal than even royalty or rulers, film or TV stars! 

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Obit/Tribute - Dr. Padmini Chakraborty - Anusha Chakraborty

Dr. Padmini Chakraborty, the pioneer of Bharatanatyam dance in the North-eastern state of Tripura, passed away on 13th October 2025. Born in 1946, she initially started her dance training in Manipuri dance from Raj Kumar Surendrajit Singha and Chandrajit Singha. During her time in Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, she trained under legendary Bharatanatyam gurus Kattumannarkoil Muthukumaran Pillai and Ellappa Nattuvanar and learnt Kathakali from Guru Govindan Kutty. 

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Interview - A conversation with Dr. Neena Prasad - Sunanda Narayanan

You have trained with the best gurus and in depth in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, and Mohiniattam. When did you first start dancing and in which of these styles? What made you pursue training in these multiple art forms and how did you manage what must have surely been a very intensive learning process? How did you reconcile the sometimes contradictory demands on your body in the pursuit of these dance forms?

I started dancing at the age of three. My mother was waiting for the day when I could commence dance lessons since I was a meek child who did not show much interest in regular studies. She enrolled me in both Bharatanatyam and Kathakali classes in Thiruvananthapuram. I had my Kathakali arangetram at the age of 11, and it was unusual because it was a performance of Kuchela Vratham, where my brother played the role of Kuchela and I played Krishna! Subsequently, I assumed minor roles in many Kathakali plays and also witnessed long performances in 3-acts that would start in the evening and run late into the night. When I was in 10th grade, I was selected to be the lead actor in All India Radio's children's Kathakali group. Thiruvananthapuram has a strong affinity for Kathakali and even the children of the royal family used to train in it. In this manner, I continued with some minor training in Mohiniattam and a primary focus on Kathakali all through my school years and I won many local awards.

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Echo of Kumudini Lakhia & Remembering Zohra Segal - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Kumudini Lakhia, one of the most sensitive of Kathak luminaries whose creative output helped shape modern Kathak, is sadly no longer with us. But in the students trained by her with so much love and diligence at her institution Kadamb, one glimpses facets of her prodigious sense of aesthetics, which imparted to each aspect of the dance form, a quality of added lyricism. Titled The Dance of Celestial Ecstasy, the Kathak program at the Kamani, designed by Kumudini's long-time student Sanjukta Sinha and presented along with students groomed in her dance company, succeeded in evoking in the capacity gathering in the auditorium, a nostalgic feel of the special poetry of movement which was the hallmark of Kumudini Lakhia.....

The annual Zohra Segal Festival of the Arts, conducted by Pallavi Arts run by Zohra's daughter Kiran Segal, celebrated this year in conjunction with Ahad Anhad at the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature in Siri Fort Institutional Area, very successfully captured the feel of Zohra in all her liveliness and laughter. The program spread over three days, for this critic, underlined Zohra's most cherished quality - of being able to laugh at herself. With all her talents, in a life which had its full share of ups and downs, it was the sheer fun of life coupled with an enviable sense of humour, which never left her, and enabled her not only to triumph over life's less joyous moments, but to bring joy to people she had interactions with.

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Bhagyam Arts and Ideas recalls pages of Gandhi's Satyagraha and righteous struggle - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Come Gandhi Jayanti and it is time for Bhagyam Arts and Ideas led by founder Suranya Aiyar's script, concept, design, curating and direction, to pay homage to the Father of the Nation through the medium of various art expressions. This year's calendar comprised two presentations, built round his life episodes, highlighting his philosophy. The first titled Satya Agraha (on Sept 27) based on events in India, was largely portrayed through Indian art forms while the next In Righteous Struggle was fashioned round the moral fibre of Gandhiji's philosophy influencing leaders of enslaved peoples in foreign countries like America's Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela's fight against Apartheid. Apart from episodic encounters enacted by the core group of actors - Joy Sengupta, Rajesh Kumar, Suranya Aiyar and Sandeep Gautam, common to both presentations, the second program comprised music Hymns, Jazz Fusion, Blues, etc with the danced part contributed by Ballet and Jazz Dancers, including pantomime artists. 

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A theatre that speaks to our times: A bold story of power, betrayal, and truth - Ratikant Mohapatra calling

AJIT's mission has always been to bring theatre closer to the masses, not simply as entertainment but as a medium to communicate social messages in a realistic and relatable manner. Over the past two decades, AJIT has celebrated talent, nurtured creativity, and upheld Odisha's folk and literary traditions while also experimenting with modern theatrical idioms. The formation of AJIT itself is rooted in a unique tradition - the celebration of Ajit Das's birthday, which marked the beginning of the institution's journey. Today, after 21 successful years, AJIT continues to groom students into professionals and has carved a permanent place in Odisha's cultural landscape.

The play Last Train carries this legacy forward. It has been metamorphosed by Ajit Das and directed with great care and precision by the young and dynamic Deepak Ranjan Pati (Aman). Written by Dr. Bijoy Mishra, Last Train explores a theme that resonates deeply with contemporary society - the exploitation of disillusioned youth. The narrative follows a group of downtrodden young men who, caught in the hands of a manipulative leader, are transformed into looters and killers. The leader, Comrade Raghu Patra, driven by his own ambitions and investments, manipulates them with revolutionary rhetoric, invoking Lenin and other ideologues. To the outside world, he positions himself as a benefactor, distributing looted money to the marginalized and economically backward. But beneath the surface, he is a schemer, exploiting their vulnerability for his gain. 

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Profile - Shama Bhate: A flowing river of Kathak - Dr. Chitra Sharma

The Golden Era of an artiste

For Guru Shama Bhate, affectionately called Shama Tai, this moment in time is the Amrit Kaal of her artistic journey - a golden era that reflects the luminous history of Kathak in Maharashtra. Her work, born of relentless sadhana (discipline), is not only a celebration of tradition but also a reminder of Kathak's limitless capacity for reinvention.

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Interview - Yamini Kalluri: Choreography is second nature to me - G.V. Anna Rao

Yamini Kalluri is a young Kuchipudi student of Dr.Sobha Naidu pursuing her career in the U.S.

Your Guru Sobha Naidu was an iconic figure. Can you share some memories of her, her style of Kuchipudi and influence of her own guru, legend Chinna Satyam and your own takeaway from being her student.
Being her student of dancing, what truly influenced me was her mindset and presence.

More than the style, those learning from such a charismatic and original diva become copycats, but I had the rare blessing of living and breathing her aura closely - as her rehearsal director, main assistant teacher, music production assistant, and even as a singer accompanying her performances. What I absorbed was not just her artistry, but her values and the sheer obsession and devotion to dance that made her the queen of Kuchipudi. 

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Interview - Ud. Amjad Ali Khan & the Sarod Quintet - Manjari Sinha

The Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., recently hosted a reception in honour of the esteemed Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. Khan Saheb was in the U.S. capital for a very special concert titled "The Sarod Quintet - Three Generations, One Legacy," presented by the DC South Asian Arts Council Inc. in collaboration with the Embassy of India. The performance was held at the Terrace Theatre, Kennedy Center, on the 17th of September 2025, and brought together not only the maestro himself but also his sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, along with his 13-year-old twin grandsons, Zohaan and Abeer. Together, the five of them form the Sarod Quintet, a living embodiment of continuity and tradition, representing India's classical music heritage. 

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Anita says...October 2025

Here are my thoughts at the end of this year's Navaratri season. This is my favourite time in India. The daily GOLU visits to friends old and new. Houses decorated with colourful dolls and figurines from the epics - some handed down from mother to daughter over 50 and 60 years ago. The chatter of women's voices. The chickpea SUNDAL snack that is served everywhere. October 2nd is the end of the festival and DUSSERA - the 10th day - is celebrated as VIJAYA DASAMI in South India. It is not just the marker for Devi Durga's triumph over darkness, ignorance and sloth but also a new awakening of the mind and the body to fresh possibilities. This is the season for new beginnings, especially fresh learning. Account books are balanced, Goddess Lakshmi worshipped, Saraswati invoked and manufacturing pauses on the 9th day to honour the machines and devices that we use daily. Writers place books, painters their brushes, musicians their instruments and dancers their ankle bells. IPads and laptops, anything that is part of the profession, is placed in the sacred prayer space. On that day, we are supposed to pause and rest; for dancers, it is our body, the machine. That is the main instrument which creates the art of dance. 

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India dances! - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

As I traverse time and space, in different cities of India, I see a renewed energy: The old and the young want to dance. Old ones more so! They have much to share and realise the light is dimming - if not fading - and they must make the most of it. Young ones are raring to go. Almost, too much of a hurry. They want to achieve in 3 years what seniors did in 30. They are in a hurry with a serious worry. Parents are pushy. They want their wards to become stars overnight. It is indeed a time of quantity over quality. That's why my search is for that spark, that lil star shining far away in some small town, with no means to reach the big scene. I go to Mangalore or Murshidabad; Patiala or Pataliputra in search of that gem lying hidden, unseen. 

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Book Review - Dancing Like a Man: Astad Deboo and Contemporary Indian Dance - Dr. Kanika Batra

Astad Deboo: An Icon of Contemporary Indian Dance
By Ketu H. Katrak
Seagull, 2025

Twenty years ago, Mahesh Dattani's landmark play Dance Like a Man portrayed the personal and professional struggles of Jairam, a male dancer. While Jairam faces numerous challenges, his wife Ratna rises above the constraints of traditional respectability to achieve far greater success in the world of dance. The play is about rigid gender roles, stereotyping, and expectations of men as breadwinners within Indian patriarchal systems. While it is hard to make a career in any art form in India, dance is specifically labelled as a feminine pursuit. Like Jairam, many male dancers encounter charges of effeminacy, dismissal of their artistic practice as gainful employment, and accusations of attempting to convert dance - perceived as more of a hobby (and a disreputable one at that) - into a profession. 

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A fortnight of programs off the beaten track - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Malavika Sarukkai's latest work, Beeja-seed, marking the tenth anniversary of Kalavaahini Arts Trust, founded with its multi-dimensional vision of 'fostering excellence in classical dance as a critical heritage of India', is designed as a clarion call to humanity to wake up and guard their planet Earth - the only home man has. The presentation at Delhi's Kamani auditorium on September 10 evoked appreciation and criticism (from the dancer group in particular), in equal proportions.....

Termed as a 'mélange of Bharatanatyam, Contemporary dance, poetry, drama and humour, based on Lord Murugan and his two charming consorts, Devayani (Devanai) and Valli', Kalatra by Natya Ballet Centre staged at the Shri Ram Centre, Delhi, had the audience in giggles punctuated by peals of laughter....

The crowning event of the fortnight, judged by the most exacting standards of excellence, was Saparya by Dr. Sridhar Vasudevan, the most undervalued of artistes among classical dancers. Transcending mere entertainment, the performance Saparya as an offering on his birthday at the Stein auditorium, Delhi, was a weaving together of esoteric concepts in Hinduism prescribed in Shastra....

  

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Tribute - Remembering and reflecting on my first dance teacher and idol - Uma Palam Pulendran

When I came to know that Ms. Vijayambigai Indrakumar (Nee Ramasamy) had passed away recently, I was shocked and deeply saddened. The last time I spoke to her was sometime in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a few text exchanges. In the last couple of years, I tried to reach her several times, but to no avail. I wish I had reached out sooner. I felt a deep sense of grief and regret.

As the news sank in, memories steadily came flooding back - from my last conversation to my earliest memories of her and our special teacher-student relationship. She was my first Bharatanatyam teacher. More importantly, she was my first "idol of dance" - my diva dancer. I used to address her as "Vijayambigai Ms.". We addressed our teachers as either "Akka" (informal) or "Ms." (formal). They did not become our "aunties" as we know them today. Now, referring to her as "Vijayambigai Ms." feels too formal and odd! 

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Book Review - Rudraksha Power - Vijay Shanker

The latest book written by Rajendar Menen is Rudraksha Power, published by Notion Press from India, Singapore and Malaysia and marketed by Amazon, and is available on all the platforms. This is a unique and unusual book that enlightens the readers regarding the significance of the Rudraksha, the sacred bead which is considered the tears of Lord Shiva, the inception, the varied types of Rudraksha, its medicinal properties and how it is used for spiritual and mental growth, well-being of human life and existence. 

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Prism - Art as labor: Toward sustainable models for independent artists - Adhirai Karthik

I revisited these ideas again as I attended and participated in Matrusena's Interbeing - a 3-part performance with the beginning starting as a vibrant panel discussion featuring six interdisciplinary panelists where these artists discussed their disciplines and their shared struggles and strategies for survival in the art industry. However, they weren't just talking about ideas in theory - they were living the very realities my teacher had voiced: how artists must constantly fight to fund their work, sustain their practice, and support themselves simultaneously. As Deepa Mahadevan framed it, the true challenge is not just making the art, but maintaining "the project, the art form, and the artist."

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A ten day period of variety - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

MAGIC OF KALIDAS POETRY EXPLORED THROUGH BHARATANATYAM / ODISSI COMBINE

The evening at the Stein auditorium, Kalidas Edit, sponsored by Bhagyam Arts run by Suranya Iyer, Shreyasi Gopinath Dance Academy, Sangeet Vidya Niketan and Habitat Centre, featuring the Odissi/Bharatanatyam combine of Madhur Gupta and Shreyasi Gopinath, was a valiant attempt at catching the seamless poetic imagery of Kalidas's evocative muse, through the language of two dance forms.

DANCE TEACHERS PROVE THEIR WORTH

How changed is the classical dance climate! One could hardly imagine a Nattuvanar like Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai or a Kittappa Pillai, from the haloed perch of teaching, coming down to presenting themselves as performers! The day of giants has long past gone and now classical dance teaching has passed into younger hands, and it was an interesting evening at the Kamani, when faculty members of the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, took the stage presenting themselves as performers.

ADI ANANT - RARE EXPERIMENT IN KATHAK

Usha RK, with one of the most fertile minds for conceiving and assisting in creating productions, spurred by off-the-cuff themes, in her latest effort, involved Kathak dancers Sanjukta Sinha, Dheerendra Tiwari and Sanjeet Gangani, in what in this form of dance is an unusual concept. Adi Anant was on Shiva, who incorporates within his essence the Universe with the five elements. 

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Profile - Dr. Ajith Bhaskar's beautiful journey in dance - V.V. Ramani

The young boy tagged along as an escort for his sister to Bharatanatyam class. Little did he realize that the sounds of the Thattukazhi that reverberated there in the class, would transform his life, and that dance would become his life's calling one day. Dr Ajith Bhaskar's dedicated pursuit of dance has shaped his illustrious journey in the field. His contributions have been recognised, with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 being bestowed upon him from Sugam Culture and Heritage Foundation, the most premier music and dance organisation in Malaysia, recently. 

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Anita says...September 2025

It has been literally a few hours since I stepped off the stage with the 21st performance of NAACHIYAR NEXT, the fifth iteration of the stage production on the life of the teenage mystic poet ANDAL. The evening in Coimbatore was magical and the night for me was restless. Coimbatore is one of the favourite cities for me. Generational friendships, great food, timeless hospitality is a given when anyone visits. To see friends of 40, 50 years in the crowd - endless hugging, many teary eyed, loud laughter and chatter and posing for innumerable photographs. The feet are always tired after a show but the body hums with the vibrations and the applause. It is at moments like this that I remember what a gift it is to be a dancer. As I wipe off the makeup, remove my hair-do with the numerous pins, take a long hot shower, change into a comfortable cotton kaftan and put my feet in a bowl of warm water with rock salt and lemon, I think of my mother who fought so hard to give me (and my sister Pritha) the opportunity to dance when she was denied the chance by her strict father. I send a prayer of gratitude for her stubborn fortitude and to my father who endured years of censure from his elders for permitting his daughters to be on stage and the object of the male gaze. In their eyes, NOT to learn dance or music was like curtailing our chances to becoming the best versions of ourselves.

How strange and wonderful life has been for my sister and me. Me on stage and she, now a full fledged successful corporate, watching from the front row with such pride and joy - tears flowing from her face at the final moment of ANDAL's "becoming" a Goddess. 

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Prism - Dance education in schools - Bharat Sharma

During a major international dance seminar held in November 2024 in Delhi organized by Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA), in one session focused on Indian Dance in Diaspora, an Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) student from Bangladesh, on a plush scholarship for advanced learning of Bharatanatyam in India, informed the august gathering - teaching of Bharatanatyam and Kathak has been made compulsory in Bangladesh till 10th standard!

While several stalwarts gasped that why this was not done in India till now, I was a bit perplexed. Why this was happening in the ancestral land of the likes of Rabindranath Tagore, Ritwik Ghatak and Ustad Allauddin Khan? However, in the arena of cultural exchange, ICCR has been appointing teachers of Kathak in its various cultural centers all over the world since the 60s. I grew up with several dancers in Delhi, who had gone on lucrative assignments to spread the word of India's culture abroad in formative years of the Republic. Inversely, ICCR scholarships for students to study in India have been substantial and often become envy of local students who get far less. It has now become a good business for gurus and institutions to host ICCR students in classical dance, which reflects on the current state of Dance Education, cultural economy and institutional eco-system. 

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Utsav Educational and Cultural Society's Sare Jahan Se Achha devoted to memory of Guru Mayadhar Raut - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Dedicated to the memory of late Guru Mayadhar Raut, was the two-day festival Sare Jahan Se Achha (Aug 12 & 13) at the Habitat Auditorium, Delhi. This annual flagship event, curated by senior dancer Ranjana Gauhar and held under the auspices of her organization Utsav Educational and Cultural Society, was marking its twentieth consecutive year of celebration, with the Utsav Samman awardees for this year being Bharatanatyam exponent Geeta Chandran, Odissi dancer Geeta Mahalik and dance historian, author and critic Ashish Khokar. During the formal inauguration followed by pithy awardee statements of thanksgiving, Geeta Chandran pinpointing the significance of the event and Samman, mentioned the special merit of an award coming from a fellow artiste, competing in the same space for recognitions. She complimented Ranjana on successfully heralding twenty consecutive years of celebrating Sare Jahan Se Achha as no mean achievement and more creditable was managing to attract a decent audience.

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Profile - Dr Nandkishore Kapote is a rare Kathaka - Tapati Chowdhurie

In an informal tête-à-tête with Dr Nandkishore Kapote in Pune, I discovered that he is a rare breed of Kathaka. He is the Director of Dr D.Y. Patil Vidyapith School of Liberal Arts and a successful Kathaka, Kathak guru, guide, choreographer and orator. Nandkishore showed his inclination for the arts in general and dance in particular from early childhood. Without any formal training in dance, when he was but a child, the sound of ankle bells in Muhammad Rafi's rendition, Pag men ghungharu bandhke Mira nachere, Giradhar ki muraliya baje re's rhythmical beauty was irresistible to Nandkishore. He took to dance like a duck to water. 

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Prism - Form in flow: Curvilinear Aesthetics and Ontological Logics in Odissi - Dr. Rohini Dandavate

Growing up in Odisha and witnessing firsthand the legendary Gurus reconstruct the present-day form of Odissi, I carry vivid memories of their deep engagement with the region's temple traditions - particularly the intricate stone reliefs of the Konark Sun Temple and other sacred sites. As the accompanying visual references suggest, curvilinearity not only defined the region's built environment, but also shaped its artistic and performative traditions.

Curvilinearity in Odisha isn't just about style - it is a cultural sensibility, deeply embedded in the aesthetic, spiritual, and material consciousness of the Odia people. When traced through temple architecture, Patachitra painting, filigree ornamentation, and even the Odia script, what emerges is a profound visual and conceptual coherence, grounded in an ethos of flow, fluidity, and sensuous form.

This paper explores how curvilinear expression manifests across these domains and how it has profoundly influenced the signature grace and lyrical quality of the Odissi dance style. This curvilinear aesthetic finds one of its most enduring and foundational expressions in the sacred architecture of Odisha, where temples themselves become monumental embodiments of this visual philosophy. 

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Article - Finding my balance: A teen's journey through Bharatanatyam - Samyuktha Gopi Raj

As a 15-year-old growing up in a world of TikTok challenges, Instagram filters, and constant digital connectivity, I've found my center in an unexpected place - the art of Bharatanatyam. While my peers sweat it out at CrossFit or practice mindfulness through meditation apps, I've discovered that this classical Indian dance form offers a holistic approach to wellness that perfectly addresses our generation's needs. 

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Obit/Tribute - Dr. Subas Pani: Rare bureaucrat art lover of Orissa - Leela Venkataraman

Dr. Subas Pani will always be remembered as one of those rare scholarly bureaucrats, deeply concerned about preserving both history and growth of arts in his state of Odisha. My association with him, despite my long stay in Odisha with my husband serving the State as an IAS officer for over thirty years, was strangely enough, only after my husband's retirement in 1984 - at which time we were located in Delhi. My occasional visits to the State were thereafter, more as a dance writer invited to the State's many performing art events.

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Tradition in Transition - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Attracting a small, interested gathering was the evening of lecture/demonstration at Srinivasa Gandhi Nilayam in Chennai's Ambujammal Street, Alwarpet, by Bharatanatyam performer and teacher Sunanda Narayanan, settled in Boston. A long-time student of Guru Rhadha, Sunanda's teaching pertains to the Vazhuvoor Bani of Bharatanatyam. Her lucid lecture threw some light on the challenges of teaching an Indian dance tradition to students in the United States. 

Substantiating the lecture with demonstrations was student Divya Rajan, whose performance, with long-limbed grace and poise, was characterized by impeccable technique. 

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Sougandhika Centre's Lasya Lahari showcases new vitality of Mohiniattam - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

It was at Tagore Hall of Trivandrum, that Sougandhika Centre for Mohiniattam, established in 2003 by Mohiniattam veteran Dr. Neena Prasad, observed its Lasya Lahari 2025 on July 27, 2025. The programme featured, apart from established senior dancers of the institution, fifteen youngsters celebrating their Margapravesam (formal arangetram like stage initiation). The ambit of the performance in its variety showcased the expansive thrust flowing from a dancer, who combines performance with deep scholarship, with her dance studies including a Doctorate. The understanding of the why of movement, coupled with performance excellence, makes for a dancer whose creativity can open the art form to new vistas, without damaging its stylistic characteristics. And in Neena Prasad's case, the art journey has included artistic support from musician Changanasseri Madhavan Namboothiri, whose Carnatic music compositions, along with his vocal support, make for an excellent take-off point for all her work. This fruitful, unbroken artistic collaboration has had the full support of Neena's Guru, dancer and choreographer Kalamandalam Sugandhi. Contrary to Kavalam Narayana Panicker's prescription that music for Mohiniattam should pertain to the Sopanam tradition alone, Kalamandalam trained dancers, have always based their Mohiniattam on Carnatic music, which, with its long history, certainly provides a larger musical framework and base for dance work. 

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Tribute - Delving into the learning, life and legacy of Yamini Krishnamurti - Bibin Balan

The 3rd August marks the first death anniversary of the dancing diva Dr. Yamini Krishnamurti. A revered figure in the world of dance, she is recognised for her contributions to Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. In her memory, the Nritya Kaustubha Cultural Society - the institution founded by Yamini Krishnamurti - is organising a tribute ceremony at the India International Centre, Delhi. During the ceremony, the first Yamini Poornatilaka award will be conferred on her first student and renowned dancer Rama Vaidyanathan. A short revisit to learning, life, and legacy accompanied by her best-ever disciple's memories.

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Anita says...August 2025

Hello everyone and welcome to August.

The above quote, from a dance writer, can also be applied to Indian classical dance. Every year, we seniors knit our eyebrows in concern about falling standards, shorter time spans to train a student and the relentless pull of influencers and social media in shrinking imaginations. However, the inflow of new students in dance classrooms does not reduce. More and more parents seem to want their offspring to learn the classical arts.

This month, I will discuss a diva's crossing over from centre stage to front page. A chameleon like cross dresser enduring across 7 decades, the growing menace of fake news exacerbated by technology and the power of movement to heal the plight of Parkinson's victims - there is a lot to unpack so let's dive right in! 

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Music Academy's annual Mid Year Dance Festival presents variety of competing young talents

The Madras Music Academy's annual Mid Year Dance Festival (July 17-19) at the mini hall, facilitated by the endowment of the family of late M.N. Subramaniam, projected a select group of young talents - comprising one Mohiniattam exception, amidst a predominantly Bharatanatyam group - all meticulously trained with good grasp over dance technique and line.

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Tribute - Vempati - The architect of Kuchipudi's soul - Aruna Rekha Varanasy

This morning, as I sat on my balcony sipping filter coffee, the Mumbai monsoon whispered against the glass. I played my favourite Kuchipudi tracks - the same ones I've heard thousands of times over the past thirty-five years. And yet, not once have they lost their magic. Not once have the rhythms dulled, or the choreography faded into monotony.

Across the world, in Telugu homes where young dancers rehearse and gurus guide, his presence is still felt. In every ankle bell, every chari, every jathi, there echoes the imprint of Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam. His legacy isn't just remembered, it's lived. 

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Book Review - Natya Sastra in a Nutshell - Sreya Srinath

Nāṭya Śāstra in a Nutshell: A Hand Book on Nāṭya Śāstra

Author: Dr. P. Rama Devi

Pages: 230 / Edition: 2025

Price: Rs.1000

Nāṭya Śāstra in a Nutshell by Dr. P. Rama Devi is a concise guide to Bharata Muni's foundational treatise on Indian performing arts. In this volume, Dr. Rama Devi simplifies complex classical theories such as Rasa, Bhāva, the Chaturvidha Abhinayas, and many other intricate concepts into a lucid, easy-to-understand format that is especially useful and valuable for young music and dance students. The author has further enhanced clarity by providing illustrations for hastas, padas, dr̥ṣṭibhedas, sthānakas, etc., making it easier for exam going students to grasp these advanced topics with greater accuracy through well-presented visuals and explanations. Additionally, the inclusion of ślokas along with their translations makes the text more accessible and easier to comprehend.

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