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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