Once again, Delhi International Arts Festival (27th Oct - 10th Nov 2012)
took Delhi by storm in its 6th edition with a grand gala opening at
Purana Quila on 27th October when under the title of Shared
Culture-The Sufi lineage, the Qawwal from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Uzbekistan performed together and the Whirling Dervish
dancers from Turkey with their whirlings created magic. The old ramparts
of the Purana Quila reverberated with the Qawwals’ lusty voices
creating an amazing atmosphere.
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Gati presented the second edition of IGNITE from 31st October to 4th
November 2012 in New Delhi. The festival aims to present dance in ways
that carry it beyond the conventional theatre space and re-position it
as an accessible and interactive art form.
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The Kuchipudi Dance Academy, New Delhi, under the initiative of
Vedabrata Rao, son of celebrated dancing couple Guru Jaya Rama Rao and
Vanashree Rama Rao, presented three young dancers from different styles
on one platform, followed by that amazing group of physically challenged
artists of Ability Unlimited of Guru Dr. Syed Sallauddin Pasha on 25th
October 2012, at the packed Kamani Audience in the presence of a young
crowd.
Vedabrata, 20, believes that the generation next must get involved with
the classical arts and young performers. In a series titled ‘Vriddhi -
rise extraordinaire,’ the Kuchipudi Dance Academy proposes to provide a
platform to young dancers and in another welcome concept, of
presentation of young musicians in a classical Carnatic and Hindustani
music concert.
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Dance is an expression of self and emotion. It involves physicality of
movement both bodily and facial. For centuries, dance has been a part of
various cultures – from primitive man to the modern urban individual.
Right from celebrating marriage, birth, to warding off evil and
pacifying the supernatural, dance has been a mode to fulfill
various desires and aspirations. Dance to a large extent has been
documented in anthropology though it has been a neglected area as far as
Sociology is concerned. Anthropologists have studied dance and society
of various cultures in the world.
Dance is a product of society and while interacting with it can trace
its roots to several centuries. The role and portrayal of dance has to
be seen and understood in the context of the various cultures they
belong to. Dance is believed to be therapeutic, functioning as a safety
valve. Right from dealing with the fear of the unknown, to creating a
special place as an art form, dance has played different roles and
served diverse purposes. The relation between dance and society would be
mutual: both drawing from each other. Society with its physical
element, diffusion, development of language and culture forms the basis
of dance. Dance on the other hand creates images, stories and spreads
messages of society. Society in turn internalises its lessons of content
and pleasure from dance.
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Kartik Fine Arts in association with Arangham Trust presents EPIC WOMEN,
a conclave of talks, presentations and performances focusing on iconic
women in myth, history, literature and life, from December 20 to 23,
2012 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Chennai. The speakers and performers
share their thoughts about their presentations.
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Mayuri Upadhya, Artistic Director of Bangalore based Indian contemporary
dance company Nritarutya, shares her experience of choreographing a
mega production for superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s 70th birthday
celebrations in Mumbai on October 10, 2012. A team of 80 dancers led by
Mayuri Upadhya, performed to the tunes of the legendary poem
“Madhushala” written by Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan and sung by Amitabh
Bachchan himself.
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The genesis of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK) can be traced to a
small sponsoring body Jhankar, set up in 1947. The Kendra formally came
into existence in 1952. Since then it has grown and become a premier
cultural institution of India, with an active focus on the preservation
of the country’s cultural heritage and the promotion of its performing
arts. The Kendra maintains a permanent dance-drama group whose objective
it is to enshrine and present, as aesthetically as possible, the best
of India’s religion, mythology and folklore.
The Ramlila (now titled as Ram), with over 2000 performances in India
and abroad, is one of its major achievements. Shobha Deepak Singh, the
dynamic director of the Kendra, has conceived, produced and directed the
present Ram dance-drama, which is a runaway success and enthralls
various sections of the society. From the children, young
students, parents and senior citizens, the crowds watch it unfolding
with interest, even when the 'katha vastu' is familiar to most of us. It
is a spectacular production and from the start to finish, it engages
one in each sequence, so well planned is its
presentation.
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