   
A body by itself.
No move it makes arousing possession in another
The independence to be yourself,
Complete in yourself, is heaven.
- Shanta Gokhale, Arts writer and translator
ONE FOOT ON THE GROUND - a life told through the body (an autobiography)
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.
You may have noticed that I am writing less and less about actual
performances and focusing more on trends and issues surrounding the
dance world. It is because there is already so much that is poured forth
on the digital platforms and the automatic responses that these videos
generate are mostly cherry picking comments and praise and deleting any
murmur of negativity. My reflections on dance, music and theatre may not
be useful to many in today's world of instant gratification but this
monthly document serves as a record of my shifting thoughts and
perspectives on the global world of Indian dance. After all, this portal
will mark 25 years online and has become a vital reference tool for
citations and reviews on Indian dance.
Read on....
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Anita Says...by Dr. Anita R Ratnam
anitaratnam.com
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MEANWHILE ELSEWHERE, a DARPANA production celebrating 75th anniversary of DARPANA, on March 20, 2025 at Natarani, Ahmedabad
Photos: Vedant Anand
MEANWHILE ELSEWHERE celebrating 75th anniversary of DARPANA
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
Kuchipudi: Resurgence or Funeral?
- Amrita Lahiri
Rarely ever does this lesser-known, country-cousin of Bharatanatyam get
as much attention as now. Some critics are despairing that it is in the
ICU... pointing fingers...questioning...looking back and asking what went
wrong.
Mohiniyattam Missteps - A few observations
- Methil Devika
Of all papers that I have come across, a must-read is the thesis by
recent researcher Justine Alexia Lemos who has carefully detailed out
the positioning of the form of Mohiniyattam vis-à-vis the socio-cultural
context of the sambandham or 'alliances' rampant in Kerala in the 19th
century.
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BIRTHDAY WISHES
K Kalyanasundaram: March 1
Bhabananda Barbayan: March 1
Murali Mohan Kalvakalva: March 9
Niharika Mohanty: March 11
Sudharani Raghupathy: March 21
Vidhya Subramanian: March 24
Articulate Nagaraj: March 29
QUOTE
Dance has taught me the value of discipline and the importance of
focusing on the process, not just the outcome. It's about learning and
growing every day.
- Dr. Ileana Citaristi
('An Italian's Indian 'Odissi': Dr Ileana Citaristi's remarkable
journey' by Vennapusala Ramya, The New Indian Express, Feb 11, 2025)
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