Khajuraho Festival of Dances - Dr. Sunil Kothari

Now in its 39th year, Khajuraho Festival of dances has added several features along with the festival. When one approached the festival venue located on the Western complex of Chandella temples, one entered into an area which covered several arts. Right from the delicious variety of food of Madhya Pradesh, one moved on to see the looms, weavers weaving amazing patterns on saris, block prints, then a potter, who carved out beautiful shapes of earthen wares. A store next to it had publications on art. From there on one entered the Art Mart, a welcome addition for tourists to buy paintings. Adjacent to it was an exhibition of paintings by artists from Madhya Pradesh, arranged in an eye catching manner.

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Article - Interfacing with India in Italy - an artistic oasis - Madhu Nataraj

There are phases in one’s life when the spirit seeks an oasis; a space where one can absorb, recharge and welcome a metaphoric stillness. I experienced this much needed phase in Italy at the Teatro Tascabile di Bergamo. This is how it happened.

Last year I was awarded the ‘Mohan Khokar award for excellence in Dance’ at the ‘Attendance’ awards. The Attendance awards were initiated in 2010 by Ashish and Elisabeth Khokar who along with an eminent panel of jurists, acknowledge the contribution and sustained efforts of dance practitioners, pioneers, choreographers, curators. Since last year, the jury has been honoring senior gurus too. Unlike most awards which honour an artiste with a citation and memento, a purse even, this award is refreshingly different. The Attendance committee offers residencies and presents awardees at prominent fora.

I was awarded a 2 week residency at Teatro Tascabile di Bergamo. Bergamo is a stunningly beautiful medieval town tucked away at the foothills of the Alps, about an hour’s drive from the vibrant and busy city of Milano. From the time I was received at the airport, until the time I returned, I was witness to the amazing warmth of my impeccable Italian hosts. 

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Nritya Parva in Baroda - Dr. Sunil Kothari

A three day festival of dance and seminar, along with an exhibition of Mohan Khokar Dance Collection curated by Ashish Khokar was organized by the Dept. of Dance, Faculty of Performing Arts, Maharaja Sayaji Rao University (MS University, Baroda) and Anjali Memorial Committee (AMC) from 9th till 11th February 2013.  The lec-dems in the morning were held at the Department of Dance and performances in the evening at Prof. CC Mehta Hall. On all three evenings there was a large turnout of audience.

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Article - The NRI dancer - Divya Devaguptapu

Everywhere I go I am called an NRI – Non-Resident Indian, a word coined to describe an Indian citizen who hasn’t resided in India for over six months. According to Wikipedia, the term "non-resident" refers only to the tax status of a person who, as per Section 6 of the Income Tax Act of 1961, has not resided in India for a specified period for the purposes of the Income Tax Act. That said, the term today is (ab)used to categorize Indians living outside of India in more often than not, a derogatory sense, especially for dancers. The NRI dancer is defined as one who isn’t a serious practitioner, who has enough money to flaunt around promoting herself in Chennai, who has to pay (even if she cannot afford) exorbitant “NRI rates” of the sabhas and musicians, who is (perhaps) not “Indian” enough to be practicing the age old Indian dance form and who can never equal the essentially “Indian dancer” in her knowledge, ability and seriousness. Quite a blanket statement!

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Article - Role and function of dance: Historical context (Part 4) - Dr. Anonna Guha

(Excerpt from the Phd thesis ‘Dance in the urban culture’ under the guidance of Dr. Sharit Bhowmik.)
The chapter will approach the present socio economic status of the classical dancers while understanding in depth the current folk dancers’ scenario in comparison with the past.

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Roses & Thorns - Terrorism on Kathak

Ms Ratnam, with due respect to your efforts, I wish to bring to light the severe attempts to divert from the main issue related to Kathak. The national centre of Kathak dance, Kathak Kendra, was forced to move into an area in North Delhi where when the women associated with the institute go to learn, teach or work, are stalked, eve teased and sexually harassed. I personally saw this with my own eyes while I traveled from the Metro to the campus. As a public concerned citizen where security of women is a question I wish not to further dwell on something as the dupatta issue but a serious question of attempts to marginalize the dance by forcing the relocation of the center.
This decision to shift was not needed since a land was bought in the name of the Kathak Kendra in South Delhi in 1994, a building was constructed and a bhumi puja was performed by Kathak gurus. When the decision to shift the Kendra to this unsuitable location was taken the gurus requested to stall the decision; and a cultural advocacy group Kalavati wrote to secretary culture Jawahar Sircar and the present chairman SNA, an email in April 2011. This was circulated to many of us alerting the concerned authorities that security and unhygienic conditions is not conducive for the National Center of Kathak Dance, Kathak Kendra. However the chairperson wrote to the advocacy group that the new location will be an ashram and was ideal for the dance and members of the advocacy group should visit it (which they had already done). 


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Interview - Nalanda celebrates forty glorious years - Vijay Shanker

One of the premier dance research centres in the country, Nalanda Dance Research Centre, celebrates forty years of its glorious existence with outstanding and pioneering work in the field of classical dance. The alumni association of the Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya had organised the ‘Smriti-Parva’ festival of dance wherein twenty two dancers performed on 24th January at Ravindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai as a mark of tribute to Nalanda and its founder director, renowned Mohiniattam and Kathakali exponent and dance educationist Dr. Kanak Rele. Dr. Uma Rele, the principal of Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya, is an exponent of Bharatanatyam and also the visiting faculty member for various educational institutes and Universities in India and abroad. She reveals the significance of dance education in India and growth of Nalanda that has produced professional dancers who hold prestigious positions as dancers and teachers.                       


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