Mothers by daughters - Amma Endru Azhaikaadha Uyir Illayae - Sweta Ravisankar

(The title in Tamil translates to “There is not a single soul that does not call out for its mother.”)

Amma Yaar - this is what I call her with love, anger, frustration and sadness. These words even flash on my cell phone when she is trying to reach me. Simple though it may seem, it always reminds me that she is my mother as well as my best friend. It brings me a lot of joy to give you a glimpse of the woman who inspires me to keep improving every minute of every day.

Read the article in the site

Interview - Lighting is like a character on stage: Victor Paulraj - Lalitha Venkat

Based in Chennai, Victor Paulraj started his career as assistant to veteran set and light designer Mithran Devanesan. In 1998, Victor started his company 'Studio 7' and is a much sought after sets and lighting designer for theatre and contemporary dance programs. He has been associated with prominent theatre groups in Chennai including MTC Productions, Madras Players, ThespianEn, Masquerade, ASAP, EVAM and has served as the technical lead liaison for international theatre and dance companies performing in Chennai (including those hosted by the Inko Centre, Max Mueller Bhavan, British Council, and Alliance Francaise). He is the technical director for all events and festivals conducted by Prakriti Foundation.

Victor is the technical director for Anita Ratnam’s dance productions and all programs and festivals conducted by Arangham Trust. He has also worked with dancers like Lata Pada and Hari Krishnan from Canada. Victor shares his thoughts with narthaki.com in an exclusive interview. 

Read the interview in the site

Lasya Kavya: A documentary film on Alarmel Valli - Dr. Sunil Kothari

Sankalp Meshram and Alarmel Valli have contributed in a seamless manner to a very luminous, heartwarming film on Alarmel Valli. It was screened during the World Dance Day celebrations organized by Geeta Chandran under the aegis of her institution Natyavrikhsa, on 28th April 2012 at the Main Auditorium of India International Centre, New Delhi, and both the film director and dancer were present for after talk.

The screening has left such an indelible impression that when I was writing about it, some sections of the film ran over and over again in my mind, making me again relish the highlights, the rasa sthanas - the points of aesthetic delight. If you have known the dancer from her very young age and have followed her performances for more than three decades, and if you are an admirer of her dance, so many images, for someone like me, are repeated with more nuanced relish. The camera has captured Valli’s myriad moods with great felicity. Nothing looks contrived or for effect. 

Read the article in the site

Astad Deboo Dance Foundation’s Interpreting Tagore - Dr. Sunil Kothari

On 30th April, hot on the heels of World Dance Day celebrations, the one and only Astad Deboo, along with dancers from Salaam Baalak Trust who he has been training for the past four years, presented Interpreting Tagore with select eight dancers. The programme at Kamani Hall was in aid of Salaam Baalak Trust. The house full performance is another feather in the cap of Astad who has been for the past 40 years performing contemporary dance winning laurels. And his concern for less privileged section and children has brought cheer to the disabled children and street children.

Of the four selected poem of Gurudev Tagore - Surrender, Your Grace, Walking Tall, Awakening - the one which indeed amazed the audience was Your Grace which cast a spell. So unusual and spectacular was it in its concept, imagination, colour and scale that one shall remember it for a long time. As a matter of fact, from all other numbers, Your Grace stole the show.

Read the article in the site

Ashavari Majumdar’s Surpanakha - an experiment in Kathak - Dr. Sunil Kothari

When I received a call from Kolkata from Kathak dancer Ashavari Majumdar requesting me to save the date 20th April 2012 for an evening at Habitat Centre, I could not place her. She sent me an e-invite in advance and it simply stated ‘Surpanakha- an experiment in Kathak.’ She followed it up with a few phone calls, knowing that dance calendar in Delhi gets full with simultaneous performances and critics may not turn up, and audiences also get divided.

I am glad I attended her performance. It was an interesting experiment. With projection of visuals, four live musicians - vocalist, sarangi player, a tabla player and a pakhavaj player - a team of light designer and projectionists for visuals. A screen on the stage was placed before a white backdrop. With the strains of melodious sarangi and playing of tabla, the mood was set. Ashavari entered dressed in a cut size silver blouse, revealing right shoulder and attired in a flared ghaghara (skirt) in off white colour, taking pirouettes like a whirlwind, covering the stage and after a while, stood near the mike. Collecting her breath, she introduced the topic. Taking full advantage of talking to the audience as Kathak dance form allows, she started telling the story of Surpanakha, who had her nose cut off by Lakshmana when she made advances to him after Rama sent her to him. With nose covered, taking a symbolic posture, Ashavari with projection on the screen creating environmental ambience, forest, stone walls, let loose a storm. The mood of Surpanakha was enhanced further by the flaring whirling ghaghara. With a commanding stage presence, she looked like a royal princess, sister of King Ravana.

Read the article in the site

World Dance Day celebrations - Dr. Sunil Kothari

Come April 29th and the Capital is agog with World Dance Day celebrations. Since past five years, I have been visiting Bangalore, attending Word Dance Day celebrations there. It was interesting for me this year to attend dance performances,  seminars and other events organized mainly by two prominent institutions, viz., Natya Vriksha of Bharatanatyam exponent Geeta Chandran and Sadhya dance company run by Mayurbhanj Chhau and contemporary dance exponent Santosh Nair.

Natya Vriksha had a two day dance celebration. On the 28th April at India International Centre’s main auditorium, they had screening of a documentary film on Alarmel Valli (see separate review), followed by after screening talk, tea and performances by New Delhi’s Kathakali dancer Kalamandalam Amaljith and Odissi by Ayona Bhaduri from Kolkata. At the same time in the evening, renowned photographer Avinash Pasricha’s audio visual on Purvanga Gayaki events at Benares and Kolkata organized by Vikram Kapoor, was held at World Wide next door. Therefore, I missed Amaljith’s Kathakali performance. But I could catch up with Ayona Bhaduri’s Odissi recital.

Read the article in the site

Poll - May 12

Which dance form is most useful as a foundation for Contemporary Indian dance?

Post your views