Kathak Kumbha! - Dance Matters: Column by Ashish Mohan Khokar

 .....Fast forward to today 2025. SNA has an active and hands-on chairperson Dr. Sandhya Purecha, who is both smart to games people play and artistically knowledgeable too. Being an academic, she brooks no nonsense and is no push-over either. Under her and Raju Das' guidance, the director of Kathak Kendra, Pranaame Bhagwati put up a mega Kathak festival from 21-26 March, in Delhi: 150 participating dancers; nearly 50 scholars; 18 sessions in all plus plus plus - that's a book fair, food fair and dance fair. A mela of Kathak, it was!

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Tribute - The Art and Legacy of Lakshmi Viswanathan: Dancing through time - Jeetendra Hirschfeld

Renowned as Nritya Kalanidhi, Lakshmi Viswanathan was a celebrated Bharatanatyam artiste, scholar, and writer. She was known for her mesmerising performances and innovative choreography for group productions. Alongside her illustrious dance career, she authored four highly acclaimed books and contributed extensively to journals, newspapers, and dance portals. Her erudite lectures, captivating demonstrations, and popular masterclasses made her a favourite among dance students worldwide. She also held the esteemed position of editor at the Kalakshetra Journal.

I knew Lakshmi for a long time, and over the decades, my relationship with her evolved - first as a rasika, and later as a collaborator and friend. She would often call me her sparring partner. We shared a deep interest in Bharatanatyam history, particularly Thanjavur, which has been the heart of South Indian music and dance for centuries. Lakshmi's familial ties to Thanjavur gave her a deep historical and personal connection, and our research frequently intersected with this rich heritage. 

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Interview - Sharmila Biswas on Manodarpan: Reflections of Life - Shveta Arora

I watched Guru Sharmila Biswas' thought-provoking 'Manodarpan: Reflections of Life' at Kamani in Delhi on 14 December and immediately wanted to talk to her about it. Sharmila Biswas is one of India's most renowned and much awarded senior Odissi exponents, responsible for some of the most lyrical, conceptually rich and intellectually stimulating Odissi productions I have watched over the years.

'Manodarpan' was no different, based on Natya Shastra shlokas and highlighting the various dramatic elements in performing arts in the context of bhava rasa. It presented how the Natya Shastra reveals the rasas that tell human stories of human experiences - anger, love, lamentation, power. The music direction was by Rajeswari Ganguly and it was performed by Sharmila Biswas, Krishnendu Saha, Koushik Das, Dipjoy Sarkar, Biswajit Mondal, Raaginni Hindocha and Saity Dey.

In this conversation, Sharmila Biswas narrated how, like many of the interesting productions toured in the last two years, this one too emerged from artistic endeavours initiated during the COVID-19 lockdown that were not intended to be for performance. She elaborated on the interpretation of rasas (eight, not nine), stagecraft and aharya, angik and vachik, and how learning and immersion are critical to the development of her productions.

Ashtarasa, not navarasa
Sharmila Biswas explained that the production used an early interpretation of the rasa in the Natya Shastra, in which shanta was not considered a rasa humans could produce.

It was actually ashtarasa, not navarasa, because the first rasa theory in the Natya Shastra talked about eight rasas, not considering shanta. They thought that shanta was total neutrality, so there was no rasa in it and it is not something that any human can show. So, it was ashtarasa. 

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Interview - Dr. Sandhya Purecha: I am very positive about the future - Dr. M. Surya Prasad

Bharatanatyam exponent, author, scholar, researcher, teacher and choreographer Dr. Sandhya Purecha is the founder-principal of Bharata College of Fine Arts and Culture, Mumbai, and the Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. Among her many awards and recognitions, she has been awarded Honorary Doctorate by the illustrious Karnataka State Gangubai University of Performing Arts, Mysore, for her exemplary and dynamic contributions to the dance field. She has also won the prestigious and well deserved 'Kalidas Samman' of the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Purecha shares her views in an exclusive interview for Narthaki.

I would like to celebrate these distinguished moments of your career through this interview. Please share your feelings.
I am deeply gratified to acknowledge the twin illustrious recognitions. I whole heartedly thank all for their inspiring wishes.

What is the specialty of your art form?
The specialty of my art is that it is rooted in the time tested Shastra and Sampradaya - forming the links between theory and practice of Indian dance.

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Kalakshetra Foundation's annual tribute to its founder - Taalam: column by Leela Venkataraman

Established in 1936, Kalakshetra, in the very space it made its home finally in Thiruvanmiyur, which its founder, with a handful of enthusiasts, built almost brick by brick, a yearly festival titled Remembering Rukmini Devi intrigues this critic. Why? For the simple reason that unencumbered by present day voices advocating change, this is one institution, where not a smidgen of compromise would be acceptable even today, in what has come down the years, passed down to students as Rukmini Athai's approach to Bharatanatyam. Every aspect of Kalakshetra still resonates with strong vibes of the founder's image. So where is the question of remembering her? Birthday Homage to Rukmini Devi, would be a more understandable title for the three-day event, marking her birthday.

The number of repeat performances over the years of her dance drama productions, particularly the half a dozen episodes built round the Valmiki Ramayana text, between the late 1950s to 1970, would be legion. 

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7th Barnali Festival - Ratikant Mohapatra Calling

The 7th edition of the two-day Barnali Festival, organized by Rudrakshya Foundation, concluded with grandeur at Utkal Rangamanch in Bhubaneswar, leaving an enduring impression on the audience. Celebrating the artistic vision of Guru Bichitrananda Swain and the excellence of his institution, the festival brought together a distinguished gathering, with eminent Odissi vocalist and musicologist Guru Ramahari Das and Rudrakshya Foundation president Ramprasad Akkisetti as honoured guests.

This year's festival was dedicated to the memory of Christopher Charles Benninger, a renowned architect and a devoted supporter of Rudrakshya Foundation, whose unwavering encouragement played a significant role in shaping the institution's journey.

The evening unfolded with three compelling dance presentations, each offering a unique artistic expression. Lipsa Satapathy captivated the audience with a solo performance, followed by a powerful duet by Samrat Dutta and Santanu Roy. The festival concluded with a dynamic group presentation by the talented repertory dancers of Rudrakshya Foundation. 

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We Sinful Women: Column by Janaki Patrik

I was initially inspired by the Urdu words of Pakistani feminist poets in 1993, when I read a few of their poems from the collection edited and translated by Rukhsana Ahmad and titled WE SINFUL WOMEN. Those poems had been included in the readings for Professor Gauri Viswanathan's Columbia University course, Nationalism and Modernity, in which I enrolled as part of my MA program in Indic languages and cultures.

Simultaneously, I met Naseem Khan, whose May 1976 Report to the Arts Council of Great Britain, titled "THE ARTS BRITAIN IGNORES, The Arts of Ethnic Minorities in Britain", had revealed the inherent racism and myopia of arts policy in this leading nation of the western world. Dropped like a bomb on complacency, Ms. Khan's report started a process of examination of Britain's debts to its former colonies - in this case to its citizens whose ancestral roots were in former colonies of the British Empire, and whose cultural lives in their transposed British homeland were not being supported. 

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Obit/Tribute - Himmat Shah (1933-2025) - Bharat Sharma

Another passing...

I am reminded of a half-hour dance solo I premiered in 1999, inspired by a sculpture by Himmat Shah of the hands at Shridharani Art Gallery in Mandi House in early 80s. The power of that image lingered in my impressionable mind for long. 

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Article - Enriching dance with depth and meaning - Ratna Bharati Acharya

Last year in August 2024, a 3-day seminar on Odissi dance was held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. During the seminar, Sharmila Biswas (Odissi dancer and choreographer) discussed various career paths in the field of dance, including roles like choreographer, teacher, and others. Then, on February 5th, I attended an event where the "South Asian Dance Intersections" journals were launched. The event featured discussions on different facets of art, with several prominent figures presenting papers, engaging in discussions, and participating in Q&A sessions. These experiences resonate deeply with me, which is why I make every effort to attend such events. However, it's disheartening that in India, there's still very little focus on such discussions around the arts.

What I'm about to write is inspired by personal experiences and observations of events around me, as well as my perspective on the broader landscape of classical dance.

1. Lack of guidance on diverse career paths in Dance: How often do teachers truly educate their students about the wide range of careers beyond being a performer in dance?

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Anita says...March 2025

Welcome to March - a time of changes, transitions and much more,

I started writing this month's thoughts on MAHASIVARATRI- February 26 - where the energies converge and the universe opens its hearts to sacred impulses. Across cultures where the lunar cycle is acknowledged, this day stirs a profound change and churning. Dormant feelings emerge, bonds are strengthened or weakened, new horizons are born for the brave to witness and our planet glimmers with hope and radiance. Of course, this does not occur without the dark side of experience also surging forth to the surface. It is IN the churning that the nectar can be found - Mahalakshmi, the glorious Goddess of Abundance rises AND the poison surges - that Lord Siva so bravely consumed for the universal good.

February was an unusual time for me. A return to a beloved ensemble performance, a talk in the Nilgiri mountains about Arts and Business, moderating talks at the exciting Goa Literature Festival, ongoing rehearsals, writing deadlines and a quick break to my favourite destination, Sri Lanka. 

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