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Dec 2, 2016
TILT PAUSE SHIFT: DANCE ECOLOGIES IN INDIA
edited by Anita E. Cherian, Associate Professor, School of
Culture and Creative Expressions, Ambedkar University Delhi.
Published by Tulika Books in association with Gati Dance
Forum
Tilt Pause Shift engages the knotty question of
dance in today's India. It is an investigation of movement,
and, in particular, of a 'marked' subset of that - 'dance'.
In its many peregrinations it seems to ask, what kind of
movement is dance? Most pointedly, it performs the question:
What is dance in India? And, relatedly, what is it to dance
in India?
In its design, the book offers the reader the opportunity to
manoeuvre between the analytic registers of the essays, and
the sensuous and performative choreographic portraits.
Interspersed between these are curated photo-spreads and
imagistic representations of the material traces of
performances-in-process. The latter, which take the form of
diary notes, sketches and photographs, enhance the reader's
encounter with performances by providing another
experiential layer. These residues of performance highlight
the significance of process, contingency and reflection to
choreographic composition. They are also, importantly,
archives of performance in miniature, which reference the
processes of the artist and her ensemble, and also perhaps,
intriguingly, await reactivation in performance or discourse
at some later date. In both the essays and the choreographic
portraits, the effort has been to show the diversity of
practices and methodologies that comprise the movement
ecosphere that we inhabit today.
The contributors to the book include Ranjana Dave, Navtej
Johar, Sundar Sarukkai, Brahma Prakash, Paromita Vohra,
Padmini Chettur, Abantee Dutta, Shabari Rao, Rajyashree
Ramamurthy, Justin McCarthy, Arushi Singh, Veena
Basavarajaiah, Rose Merin, Himalay K. Gohel, Parvathi
Ramanathan, Anita E. Cherian, Gabriele Wittmann and Esther
Sutter. The choreographic portraits have been edited by
Gabriele Wittmann and Esther Sutter.
The book has been published with support from Pro Helvetia-
Swiss Arts Council, Royal Norwegian Embassy,
Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan and Raza Foundation.
9.5 x 7.5 inches
248 pages
Hardback/colour illustrations
ISBN 978-93-82381-85-3
INR 1950 (Available at INR 950 before 31 December 2016)
To order copies of the book at Rs 950 (excluding postage),
please write to:
gati.parvathir@gmail.com / gatidance@gmail.com / or call +91
9971406113
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Oct 18, 2016
NARTANAM- Volume: XVI, No. 3
A special on Kutiyattam celebrating 50 years of the Sanskrit
theatre coming out of its traditional performing spaces, the
Kuthambalams, and the performance of the art thrown open to
castes other than the traditional performers, the Chakyars
and the Nangiyars.
CONTENTS, editorial, article stubs, and the review section
can be seen on nartanam.in
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Oct 7, 2016
Drishti Magazine, Issue 17, 2016 carries an array of
exclusive features and interviews, in-depth, researched
technical articles and information about past, current and
forthcoming events in different parts of India. Drishti aims
to serve as a source of inspiration to students of dance and
music by carrying in its pages the insights of erudite
scholars and the contribution of the legends of music and
dance.
Some of the articles featured in this issue:
-Pre-requisites of Rasabhinaya by Shatavadhani Dr R Ganesh,
-'Hero,' the classification of Nayakas by Dr. Pappu
Venugopala Rao
-Tribute to the legend Kalanidhi Narayan by Dr Sunil Kothari
-Guru Radha Sridhar looks back over a long and illustrious
life in dance, in interview.
-Beginning a new series by Arjun Bharadwaj - articles based
on the Natyasastra.
- Guru Lalitha Srinivasan expounds on the Mysore Bani in BN.
-'Dance as a Profession' - artists express themselves on
major issues related to art, especially dance, dancers share
their views on choosing dance as a profession…compiled by
Anuradha Vikranth.
-Among other regular features, Sneha Kappanna continues with
her 'Folk form of Karnataka'; in this issue she introduces
us to 'Nagari - The Talking Drums of Karnataka'.
-'Chronicles of our times' by Janani Murali, 'Aagamokta
Devalayagalalli Nritya' by Manorama BN, Round up compiled by
Shama Krishna etc.
Annual subscriptions for the print magazine are available
for a nominal amount.
To
subscribe
Contact drishtiartcentre@gmail.com for queries.
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August 25, 2016
On August 12, 2016, the book NRITTA YAATRA (Dhananjayande
kalayum jeevitavum), Malayalam translation of Tulsi
Badrinath's 'Master of Arts' (English) was released. M.A.
Baby (CPM Polit Bureau Member, former Education Minister,
Kerala Govt) released the book and K. Jayakumar (IAS), Vice
Chancellor of Malayalam University, received the first copy.
The Malayalam translation has been done by A. Prabhakaran.
Copies of this new Malayalam book edition are available @
Bharatakalanjali, Chennai.
Email your order to: bkalanjali@gmail.com
Price: In India - Rs.250 + Postage / Outside India - US $5 +
Air Mail charge
English version
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August 9, 2016
Kathakali Dance-Theatre, A Visual Narrative of Sacred
Indian Mime
Authored by KK Gopalakrishnan, a well-known
writer-photographer and a connoisseur specializing in Kerala
performing arts traditions.
The book chronicles Kathakali's various facets—the acting,
music and costumes, crucial contributions of the masters,
momentous incidences, evolution of styles, riveting
anecdotes and related socio-political issues affecting
Kerala. It is a treasure trove of information for
uninitiated readers, arts scholars, theatre buffs, potential
researchers and students keen about the art and its future.
This book places Kathakali in its historical, social and
caste context, delineating its 400-year-old journey with a
rich and varied collection of photographs. What makes the
book stand out are the anecdotes from conversations with the
masters of the art and the common legends that are part of
its social fabric. The accompanying lists, tables,
appendices and historical lineage maps are interesting and
valuable additions to the book.
Published by Niyogi Books
Pages: 296 / Photos: 391 / Price: Rs.3500
ISBN: 978-93-85285-01-1
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July 26, 2016
NARTANAM: A Quarterly Journal of Indian Dance Vol.XVI No.2
April-June 2016 / ISSN 2455-7250
This issue of NARTANAM carries the details of the week long
documentation of Kuchipudi Yakshaganam done in the Kuchipudi
village (Feb 23-29, 2016) by Nartanam in collaboration with
the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Kuchipudi Natyaramam,
government of Andhra Pradesh. It carries an extensive
feature on the Music of Sattriya under the series 'Music for
Dance'. A special feature is the white paper on the Sangeet
Natak Akademi.
To read the editorial, article stubs and the review section
one may click on the following link.
nartanam.in
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May 17, 2016
NRITYA-GATHA- Stories of Indian Dance
The 62-page hard-bound color book is a picture book on
Indian dance forms for children, the book is informative,
and at the same time narrative with attractive
illustrations.
Written by Parwati Dutta
Published by Mahagami Arts Research Foundation
Price: Rs.500
Contact Mahagami: (0240) -6421054 (ext 33); 91-9372093189 /
mahagami.outreach@gmail.com
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Apr 9, 2016
Vol.XVI No.1 January - March-2016 / ISSN 2455-7250
"The latest issue of Nartanam with about 200 pages of Black
and White and Colour pictures is a special issue with rare
photographs from the archives of Avinash Pasricha. This
issue ushers Nartanam into the 16th year of its publication.
Read the elaborate reviews of Leela Venkataraman on Chennai
season, and Kadamb and other reviews. To read the editorial
and the entire review section please visit nartanam.in
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Mar 31, 2016
CMTAI & ARTSPHERE (Pune) have produced India's very
first journal on Dance / Movement therapy - 'Healing through
Movement.' Read case studies, articles and research studies
authored by leading dance/movement therapists and allied
professionals.
Visit cmtaisite.wordpress.com
for the journal edited by Aarohi Doshi, Anubha and Karishma
Harlalka.
e-mail: artspehere.research@gmail.com
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Feb 14, 2016
Aatmalaya has brought out a handbook, THE LIBERATING DANCE -
NATYATANTRA, a useful guide on Philosophy and Symbolism in
dance authored by Dr. Padmaja Suresh. A small donation price
of Rs.120 has been fixed for this book which has succinctly
given an overview of subjects like Rasa, Darshana, Yantra,
Tantra and Natya.
Those interested in a copy of this book may please contact
Aatmalaya office in Bangalore at (080) - 23343393 or email
aatmalaya2002@gmail.com
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Jan 29, 2016
DRISHTI MAGAZINE returns with a fresh, full-colour edition.
Some of the articles featured in this issue:
An exclusive interview with Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam
"Padam and its connotations" by scholar / musicologist Dr.
Pappu Venugopala Rao
"Arts in times of Frenzy" by art historian Ashish Mohan
Khokar
"Abhinaya in Ashtapadi" by Dr. Sonal Mansingh
"Karnataka Yakshagana and Kuchipudi"- a brief study by Dr.
Veena Murthy Vijay
"Bangalore dance scene now and then" by Anuradha Vikranth
"The famed flautist - Shashank Subramanyam" by Meghana
Venkat
"Folk forms of Karnataka" by Sneha Kappanna
Contact drishtiartcentre@gmail.com for subscription queries.
drishtimag.com
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Jan 7, 2016
Nartanam - Vol XV No. 4 "Special Issue on
Dr Padma Subrahmanyam" (October - December 2015)
Nartanam celebrates completion of 15 years with this special
issue on Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam.
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Dec 28, 2015
Prof C.V. Chandrasekhar received the first copy of Bala Devi
Chandrashekar's Bharatanatyam DVD TRIPURA - DIVINE FEMININE
- a Margam, released by Mallika Ravi, CEO Lancor Group, at
Chennai on 26th December 2015.
Info: baladevichandrashekar@gmail.com
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Nov 8, 2015
The latest issue of NARTANAM Vol XV no. 3 brings a moment
from the past, the 1954 Inter-University Youth Festival,
which underlies all the values that one knows to be sterling
but which one seldom encounters within ourselves and all
around us—the spirit of discovery, wonderment, and competing
within the ambit of inquiry, sharing and unity. Also check
out the Delhi Diary by Leela Venkataraman and other reviews.
The articles chronicle the events of the first ever youth
seminar in post independent India and its landmark artistic
fallout, and beautifully bring out the finer sensibilities
of the times and the thrust behind the event.
Details
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Sep 14, 2015
Nartanam Vol XVI, No 2 - SPECIAL ISSUE ON DR. KAPILA
VATSYAYAN
A bumper issue of 275 pages consisting of rare interviews
and articles of Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan.
Details
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Aug 29, 2015
DANCE DRAMA, IN THEORY AND PRACTICE by Dr. S Ramaratnam,
currently Vice Chancellor of Jagadguru Kripalu University,
Odisha, is a documentation of nearly a hundred years of
growth and development of a precious art form that developed
in the South, more particularly in Tamil Nadu. The book
consists of 12 chapters: Introduction to dance, drama and
dance drama; Foundations of dance drama; dance dramas of
Kalakshetra, Dr.Sudharani Raghupathy, Dhananjayans,
Vyjayantimala, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, ChitraVisweswaran;
The contribution of senior and junior artistes to dance
drama; The 21st century representations of classical, folk
and other dance dramas.
Dr. Ramaratnam has been working in the field of Dramaturgy
for the past 40 years and has also been connected to the
dance field for over 25 years.
Published by Munshiram Manoharlal, 54, Rani Jhansi Road, New
Delhi 110055
Price: Rs. 3000 (info@mrmlonline.com)
Contact: drsramaratnam@gmail.com
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May 6, 2015
'An Indian Analysis of Aesthetics: The Dance, the Dancer and
the Spectator' by Madhavi Puranam is a scholarly book that
among others highlights the Sharira Viveka concepts, Chatura
Damodara's Sangeeta Darpanam (17th C) and modern theories of
meditation, which any sensible Indian dancer/dance
aficionado/dance scholar cannot afford to ignore reading...
Published by Abhinav Publications, E-37, Hauz Khas, Delhi
110016
232 Pages, Rs. 900 / ISBN: 81-7017-555-0
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April 8, 2015
Nartanam XV No 1 is a special issue on FOLK DANCES OF
ODISHA. This issue has 50 colour plates to showcase the
vibrant folk colours. Kedar Mishra and Arabinda Mahapatra,
team members of Nartanam from Odisha, have worked tirelessly
to make the issue a reality and are the guest and photo
editors, respectively, of this issue.
nartanam.in
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March 25, 2015
MY JOURNEY; A TALE OF TWO BIRTHS by Ileana Citaristi
The book tells about the two avatars of the eminent Odissi
dancer Ileana Citaristi. Growing up in the times of hippie
culture, among the flower children of the seventies,
Ileana's life is a fascinating story of a rebellious soul
which migrates across continents from the small town of
Bergamo in the mountainous ranges of north Italy to bustling
Cuttack on the east coast of India. In this autobiography,
Ileana recounts her journey going back in time to the
sixties, in her first avatar, doing it all; from a
rebellious teenager to acting in theatre, from researching
in Western psychoanalysis of Carl Gustav Jung to Tibetan
mandala, from hitch-hiking across a pre-Taliban Kabul to
entering India and learning Kathakali in Kerala, from being
high on LSD to turning vegetarian and finally metamorphosing
from a bohemian foreigner to a disciplined Indianized
shishya.
In the second avatar she takes a gigantic leap of faith,
when she embraces an alien land and language as her own and
surrenders everything at the feet of her Guru Kelucharan
Mohapatra to learn the ancient art form of Odissi and give
shape to the inner strivings of her soul.
Published by Manohar, New Delhi
Pages 280 / Price: Rs.950
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Jan 27, 2015
Nartanam Vol XIV no. 4 is an issue featuring the rare
documents of "Jayantika" and the oldest known Kutiyattam
photos and tributes to Maya Rao and Sitara Devi along with
other research articles and important reviews.
Details
nartanam.in
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Dec 31, 2014
New Jersey based Bharatanatyam dancer released her fifth
Bharatanatyam dance DVD VISHWAM - THE OMNIPRESENT on the
27th December 2014 at the TAG center in Alwarpet, Chennai.
Bala Devi Chandrashekar is the Artistic Director of Shree
Padma Nrityam Academy of Performing Arts, New Jersey. The
first copy was released by L Sabaretnam Chairman, Kartik
Fine Arts and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and received by N
Gopalaswami, Chairman Kalakshetra Foundation. The DVD is
available at: Kalakendra.com and shreepadmanrityam.org
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Oct 16, 2014
NARTANAM: Volume XIV No.3, July - Sept 2014
Special issue on dance criticism and photography
The issue features articles by Lakshmi Vishwanathan, Madhavi
Puranam, Dr. Sunil Kothari, Reginald Massey, Veejay Sai, R
Sreenivasan, Tulsi Badrinath, Shumita Mahajan, Janaki
Patrik, Leela Samson, Elisabeth Zimmer, Leslie R Berman.
Plus reviews, news and notes.
Info: nartanam.in/
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July 22, 2014
The 16th edition of Ashish Mohan Khokar's Attendance 2014
titled TELUGU TRADITIONS is put together by guest editor
Ananda Shankar Jayant. This edition is dedicated to the
composite and combined classical dance traditions of the
Telugu people. A host of articles, interviews, personal
memoirs, books, research articles, and write-ups reconstruct
the creative journey of the many extraordinary artistes and
encompasses the warp and weft of Telugu classical dance
traditions. The 220 page multi-colour book has been designed
by Pratima Sagar.
Price: Rs.1000
For further details: attendance-india.com
/ query.sk@gmail.com
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July 14, 2014
Nartanam Vol XIV No.2 is a special on the Jawaharlal
Nehru Manipur Dance Academy. The issue also carries tributes
to late gurus Kalakshetra Kunhiraman and guru Jagannath
Mahanta and late scholar Suresh Balabanta Ray, apart from a
feature on late Maharaj Ghulam Hussain Kathak of Pakistan.
Chavittunatakam, Prahlad Natak and reviews of the major
dance events are the other features.
nartanam.in
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June 30, 2014
MAYA RAO: A LIFETIME IN CHOREOGRAPHY by Dr. Maya Rao
This book is a valuable record of Indian classical dance and
Kathak in particular. Her path breaking achievements
suffused with personal reminiscences makes this memoir
extremely readable and a significant chapter in the cultural
history of India. For the first time, the Department of
Kannada and Culture and the Karnataka Sahithya Academy have
come out with a book on a dancer and her art.
Book the copy right now at stemdance@hotmail.com
Info: natyamaya.in
/ stemdancekampni.in
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June 21, 2014
VOYAGES OF BODY AND SOUL:
SELECTED FEMALE ICONS OF INDIA AND BEYOND includes scholarly
essays and performance/choreographic notes from a diverse
range of contributors on the themes of "Mad and Divine:
India's Female Saint-Poets" and "Epic Women of India and
Beyond." The contributors explore the tendency of
patriarchal societies to label exceptional saint-poets
yearning for the divine as "mad" because of their resistance
to normative and acceptable female behavior. Scholars and
performers journey across history, with discussions ranging
from the 8th century Tamil mystic poet Andal's divine
poetry, to the 16th century saint-poet Meerabai, to figures
across the Indian subcontinent, including Kashmir's
Lalleshwari and Maharashtra's Janabai, who, as a low caste
member, joined the sacred path partly to escape caste
oppression. The definition of "epic women" in this volume is
multi-faceted: from looking at commonly accepted epic
figures, such as the iconic Sita from The Ramayana, to
examining epic women in politics, to probing dark women with
passions of epic proportions, to legendary teachers of the
classical dance style of Bharatanatyam, to women with
monumental courage and creativity across historical
time-periods and geographical locations - Ancient Greece,
Ancient India, 20th century Mexico, and Myanmar. Voyages of
Body and Soul recognizes creative and courageous female
saint-poets, and outspoken women in ancient epics and in
contemporary times who follow their chosen paths with deep
devotion. Their lives and works are models for the human
community in the 21st century.
Editors: Ketu H. Katrak, Anita R. Ratnam
Published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Hardback
ISBN-13:978-1-4438-5644-7
ISBN-10:1-4438-5644-4
Date of Publication: April 2014
Price: £44.99
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June 17, 2014
RAMAYANA SAMKSEPAM
An Attaprakram (Acting Manual) for depicting the story of
Ramayana through mudras in Kutiyattam Theatre
By G. Venu (Preface by Dr. Shobita Punja)
The book, Ramayana Samkhsepam is a pioneering work of
notating the gestures and the body movement patterns of
Kutiyattam. It is an actor's manual for expressing the story
of Ramayana through Mudra -s in Kutiyattam theatre. The
notations have been developed by eminent
Kutiyattam exponent Gopal Venu, who is also the founder
director of Natanakairali, which is a Research, Training and
Performing Centre for Traditional Arts.
Ramayana Samksepam reveals the story of Ramayana through
hand gestures. The gestures are shown according to the
Attaprakaram (acting manual) written in Malayalam. As each
word is spoken or perceived in thought, the mind imbibes and
manifests its essence and the hand
gestures gain a unique liveliness. These hand gestures are
basically formulated from the gesticulations of the body
parts in daily life and routine rituals. That is why, over
and above the systematized framework, Ramayana Samksepam
continues to be an expression of storytelling that comes
from the heart.
For nearly three decades, Gopal Venu was the disciple and
inseparable companion of Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, the
patriarch of Kutiyattam, the performing art form that had
inherited the essence of Indian acting.
A complete video documentation to accompany the publication
is based on the teachings of Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar.
Research and Introduction by G. Venu / Performed by Kapila
Venu.
This documentation includes the abhinaya of the Navarasa by
Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar (This is a rare and informal
documentation of the maestro - recorded in 1986).
The total duration of the DVD - 3 hours 50 minutes Published
with the support from National Culture Fund, Ministry of
Culture, Government of India
pp.IX +324 / Colour plates: 83
Black and white photos: 106 / Line drawings: 460
Price: India (including the DVD of Ramayana Samksepam) Rs.
1000
For copies and further details write to:
Director
Natanakairali, Ammannur Chakyar Madhom, Irinjalakuda 680
121, Trichur, Kerala
E-mail: publicationsnatanakairali@gmail.com /
abhinayakairali@gmail.com
Ph: (0480) - 2825559 / Mobile: 09846452933
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Jun 16, 2014
FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN by Anjali
Mitter Duva is to be released on October 7, 2014. This debut
novel from Duva was inspired by a trip to her ancestral home
of Rajasthan, India, and studying Kathak, the traditional
dance of the region.
It is 1554 in the desert of Rajasthan, and a new Mughal
emperor is expanding his territory. On a rare night of rain,
a daughter Adhira is born to a family of Hindu temple
dancers. Fearing a bleak future, her father—against his wife
and sons' protests—puts his faith in tradition and in his
last child for each to save the other. He insists Adhira
"marry" the temple deity and give herself to a wealthy
patron. But after one terrible evening, she makes a bold
choice that carries her family's story and their dance to a
startling new beginning. Told from the perspective of this
dancer and filled with the sounds, sights and flavors of the
Indian desert, Faint Promise of Rain is the story of a
family and a girl caught between art, duty, and fear in a
changing world.
Anjali Mitter Duva is a freelance writer and project
manager, and the former Executive Director of Chhandika (the
Chhandam Institute of Kathak Dance, Inc.) Still involved in
the organization's administration, she also teaches Kathak
dance to some of its youngest students. Her professional
writing spans corporate, non-profit and academic
communications; educational and research-based web content;
and fundraising and development materials. Her fields of
expertise include urban development, international affairs,
history, geography, public health and arts and culture. She
has been a writing tutor and instructor at MIT.
Published by: She Writes Press
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 978-1938314971
Paperback: 332 pages
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Jun 6, 2014
Nartanam's latest issue (January-March, 2014) is a special
on SPIC MACAY. Another special feature of this issue is an
elaborate case study "American Triumvirate- Presenting
Indian Arts in America" by eminent scholar Janaki Patrik.
The editorial, the stubs of the articles and the entire
review section can be read on its website.
nartanam.in
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Feb 15, 2014
LOUD APPLAUSE is a dance oriented bi monthly magazine
published in Pune. It was launched by Kathak guru Maneesha
Sathe. This is an initiative by Kathak Pathshala, dance
school started by Neha Muthiyan. The first issue includes
articles from internationally acclaimed artists like
Shambhavi Dandekar who has written about Riyaz and
Kalasamanvay by Roshan Date puts light on dance in
sculpture. The upcoming issues will have articles from Guru
Maneesha Sathe, Parimal Phadke and much more....
The annual subscription is Rs.550. Contact for subscription:
kathakpathshala@gmail.com
Neha Muthiyan: 9823206291
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December 30, 2013
Bharatanatyam DVD titled UDDAVA GITA - Lord Krishna's last
message, with dance performance and choreography by Bala
Devi Chandrasekhar was released in Chennai. First copy
released by L. Sabaretnam, Chairman Kartik Fine Arts, was
received by Hon'ble Justice Chitra Venkataraman, Madras High
Court.
Uddhava, the pure hearted and Vishnu's devotee feared from
being separated from Lord Vishnu, but he was liberated from
such fear. The ardent devotion makes a person achieve
oneness which is the ultimate reality. The Gita sung by
Uddhava thus became the example for crossing the three
worlds.
 The Lord narrates the legend of
the ascetic Avadhuta and the story of the preceptors. The
chosen five preceptors are - a spider, pigeon courtesan,
maiden with a single bangle and a wasp.
DVD - Duration - 1hr and 40 min (youtube.com)
Compiled by Swami Shantanandapuri
Concept and Choreography - Bala Devi Chandrashekar
Script - Dr Pappu Venugopala Rao, Music - Rajkumar Bharathi
Rhythm - G Vijayaraghavan, Mridangam - G Vijayaraghavan
Vocal - G Srikanth, Keerthana; Nattuvangam - Balakrishnan
Violin - Embar Kannan, Veena - Bhavani Prasad, Tabla -
Ganapathi
Music Production and Sound Technology - Sai Shravanam,
Resound India
Price: Rs. 900 available at Kalakendra.com
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October 20, 2013
POETRY OF DANCE, a DVD by Lakshmi Vishwanathan released on
Oct 20 at Chennai.
A beautifully photographed short film on Bharatanatyam, the
film captures the essential features of this dance set in
picturesque locations in South India including temples,
homes and the scenery of tropical splendor. The film is like
a cultural travelogue. The film shows Bharatanatyam in all
its variety with chosen numbers from the traditional
repertoire. Scenes of basic training in a gurukul are
followed by demos in gesture and movement. Lakshmi unfolds
traditional numbers like Shiva tandava, a varnam, an ode to
Krishna (Krishna nee begane), a playful javali (nee matale)
and a vibrant thillana. She also demonstrates the navarasa.
Poetry of Dance has something for both the lay person and
the connoisseur. It is a visual delight while it explains
the core elements of the dance.
 
Principal musician: Charumathi Ramachandran, cinematography:
Ashok Kumar
Dancer & choreographer: Lakshmi Vishwanathan
Manufactured and marketed by: Swathi Soft Solutions, price:
Rs.500
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October 8, 2013
Nartanam Vol XIII, No. 3, July - September 2013
The latest issue of Nartanam is out. The issue
commemorates some of the stalwarts of dance who have left
this mortal world recently. On the cover is Mohanrao
Kallianpurkar, the legendary Kathak maestro; Nartanam offers
tributes to him in his birth centenary year. The issue
commences a new series - Music for Dance - with some
rare articles on Kuchipudi music from its archives. The
issue also features a new section - Young Scholars -
which provides a platform for young students of dance to
publish their essays, articles and theses. The editorial,
the stubs of the articles and the entire review section can
be read on its website and even downloaded from nartanam.in
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September 19, 2013
BIRJU MAHARAJ: THE MASTER THROUGH MY EYES by Saswati Sen,
his foremost student, sketches the legendary Kathak maestro
as an excellent dancer, vocalist, painter, musician,
teacher, a player of several musical instruments and is
above all, an unassuming, simple human being. The book is a
dedication to her guru by Saswati Sen, who has known Birju
Maharaj for over forty five years.
Publisher: Niyogi Books (June 19, 2013)
ISBN: 9789381523827
Pages: 217 / Illustrations: 126 color, 94 b & w
(hardcover)
Rs. 995
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September 11, 2013
Nartanam Vol-13-No.1 is a special issue on the
legendary Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar. The issue contains
articles by the best of scholars on the maestro and also
rare translations from his book Natyakalpadrumam. The life
and times and the works of the maestro have been dealt with
academic diligence.
Nartanam Vol-13-No.2 is a special issue on Sattriya
dealing with the origin in sattras, post independence
development of the form and its transition to the proscenium
stage and the concerns. The issue has articles by the
stalwart dancers, academicians and scholars of Sattriya and
also rare articles by Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan and Prof Maheswar
Neog.
The details of the contents can be checked out on nartanam.in
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September 5,
2013
This DVD is conceived and designed by Dr. P. Rama Devi,
and covers the Natya Shastra topics in a comprehensive
manner. The author has covered the 11 topics of Natya
Veda, origin of Natya, Purva Ranga along with few
supplementary topics which are essential for any dancer's
knowledge. Videos of chari, sthanaka, nritta hastas are
also included for the dancers to see, learn and practice.
The presentation is designed by using contrast color
combination with animation which runs with a click
according to the reader's choice.
For details contact Dr. P. Rama Devi: +91 9849373553 /
rama_pras2001@yahoo.co.in
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August 30, 2013
NRITYA GEETA ARPANAM Book & Audio CD
Tamizh & Sanskrit compositions transliterated in
English, Malayalam, Devanagari, Tamizh, along with
meanings in English was released on Aug 18, 2013 by guru
Adyar Lakshman and Bombay Jayashri. This compilation of
Bombay Krishnamurthy's select works in a book form and an
mp3 CD containing Pada Varnams, Tana Varnams, Thillana,
Jathiswaram, Sabdam, Keerthanams and melodious bhajans is
available in Chennai's SAPTASWARA Musicals Royapettah High
Road, Chennai. Price: Rs.300
Bombay Krishnamurthy is a musician with multi-faceted
skills as a music director, vocalist, flautist,
percussionist, classical pianist and a Vaaggeyakara with
having penned more than 100+ compositions of varied genre.
For info: mydearpsk@gmail.com / + 91 9323706560
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August 20, 2013
MY BODY, MY WISDOM - a book
on "Creative Dance Therapy" by Tripura Kashyap
(choreographer, movement therapist and dance educator) is
an easy-to-use guide to Creative Dance Therapy. Taking the
reader through the history, philosophy and practical
aspects of dance, or movement therapy, it attempts to
de-mystify the discipline and make it accessible to the
lay reader as well as the practitioner.
Can dance therapy be used for people of all ages and
abilities?
How can it be used best with special needs people?
Can Indian dance forms be adapted for therapy?
How should a therapy session be structured?
What kind of music and props can be used?
This book answers all these questions and much more. With
detailed descriptions of over a hundred movement
activities and games accompanied by illustrations, this
handbook is for all those who wish to break out of the
restrictions imposed by society on our bodies.
Now available as an E-book on the internet which you can
read and print!
If you wish to access it, mail:
danceandmovement63@gmail.com
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August 19, 2013
SATHWIKAM, a DVD of Kathakali performances by living
maestros was released on August 18 at Seetharam
Kalamandir, Tripunithura.
Sathwikam was a unique Kathakali show. The pacha
veshams were presented on one stage in a full-night
program at Tripunithura a few months back by ten top
artistes who presented short versions from ten major attakathas
or plays where the pacha vesham was prominent. The
artistes who portrayed the sathwika characters were
Kalamandalam Gopi, Sadanam Krishnankutty, Kottakkal
Chandrasekhara Warrier, Kalamandalam Krishnakumar,
Kalamandalam Balasubramanian, Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody,
Kalamandalam Sreekumar, Kottakkal Kesavan, FACT Mohan and
Kalamandalam Pradeep.
Kathakali musicians accompanying the artistes are
Pathiyoor Sankarankutty, Kottakkal Madhu, Kalanilayam
Rajeevan, Babu Namboodiri. An audio CD of the songs is
also included along with a DVD on the Purappad.
For details, contact: + 91 9895730082 or + 91 904802 7872
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August 14, 2013
WOMEN OF PRIDE: THE DEVADASI HERITAGE by Lakshmi
Vishwanathan
The book gives a bird's-eye view of the Devadasi
tradition, the life, history and culture of a very special
persona of Indian art history. Lakshmi Vishwanathan brings
to the subject a dancer's view point, with interesting
insights into the last of the Devadasis she encountered in
her research.
Published by Roli Books, New Delhi
Price: Rs. 295 / Pages: 216
ISBN-13: 978-8174366726
Available in Karnatic Music Book House, Chennai, book
stores in other cities and on line.
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August 6, 2013
TANTRA THE SCIENCE &
NATYA THE ART- THE TWO FACETED REALITY by
Dr. Padmaja Suresh
The occult and clairvoyant practices have unequivocally
attracted man from time immemorial. Having to maneuver out
of the vortex of the mundane, man seeks a plausible
panacea. This quest is not an outlandish palliative; it is
in the familiar domain of the beatific. The timeless
character of liturgy, scenically evoked through the medium
of art form suggests the glorification of the divine and
involuntarily kindles our conduits towards the primordial
silence. Inventive and intuitive personae and prophetic
auguries under the auspices of oracles become the
cornerstone of certain traditions, ratified by providence.
There is no better formula
than run the gamut as a practitioner. A Tantra Sāstra
paradigm (Nātya can also be called as one such paradigm)
exemplifies conception of the supreme personality of God,
the dual aspect when the God himself becomes the Universe
beyond Purusha and Prakriti - the complete, WHOLE, an
undivided 'one'. With the force of dancing comes the
discovery of THE 'I' and I re-unites with
'I'....Brahman.... I AM! What is that element, that
essence or that principle that connects ONE to the dance,
connects dance to LIFE, connects one with audiences,
crossing all barriers? Is it the body owning a spirit,
that is wanting to express something or is it the spirit
that has manifested in this form in order to express? An
artiste who is privy to the intricate and integral nuances
of the art form, can recapture the true experience of the
heart, after a recital. Nevertheless, it cannot exactly be
an equal feeling, as very often the artiste would land on
a writer's block, posed with an inexplicable experience.
The endeavour in this book, has been to establish a
co-relation between Nātya and Tantra.
Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications
Binding: Hard Cover
Price: Rs 800, Pages: 226
ISBN: 8170309417
For any further info, please contact orders
anil4013@yahoo.com / (011) - 23844930, 23847336
The book price can be discounted up to Rs.200 for
artistes.
It could be bought from Padmaja Suresh, Bangalore (Ph:
09448068993) or the publishers (Gupta of Indian Books
Center: 9953614555/3555).
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July 25, 2013
"VYANGYAVYAKHYA: THE
AESTHETICS OF DHWANI IN THEATRE"
Edited by KG Paulose
Kulashekara's performance text Vyangyavyakhya was an epoch
making text in the history of Indian theatre. This
innovation in performance practices marked a deviation in
Bharata's national tradition and laid down the foundation
for classical forms like Koodiyattam, Kathakali,
Mohiniattam and Krishnattam. After remaining in
manuscripts for all this time, Vyangyavyakhya is being
published for the first time. This volume describes in
detail Sanskrit theater until 10th century CE, performance
texts of Dhananjayadhvani and Samvaranadhvani and
developments in the post Kulasekhara era.
ISBN: 13:978-81-246-0699-5
Price: Rs.1250 / 42$
Contact DK Printworld: indology@dkprintworld.com
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April 28, 2013
RASAANUBHAVAM - A
BHARATANATYAM DVD produced by Giri Trading presents
specially choreographed pieces in a professional studio
recording by Dr. Janaki Rangarajan whose immaculate and
graceful movements and subtle yet communicative
expressions have won the admiration of laymen and
connoisseurs alike. The members of the talented orchestra
accompanying the performance are Jayashree Ramanathan
(nattuvangam), K Hariprasad (vocal), Vedakrishnaram
(mridangam), and Kandadevi S Vijayaraghavan (violin).
The items featured in the DVD are (1) Alarippu, (2)
Viruttam followed by Hari Narayana Kavuthuvam (composed by
Marimuthu Pillai in Ragam Nattai), (3) Jathiswaram
(composed by the Tanjore Quartet in Ragamalika), (4)
Swarajathi in Ragam Huseni (composed by Melattur
Venkatarama Shastri), (5) Ashtapadi in Ragam
Sindhubhairavi (composed by Jayadeva), (6) Padam (composed
by Periasamy Thooran in Ragam Behag), and (7) Thillana
(composed by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar in Ragam Paras).
For a video preview, visit youtu.be/SQ0H12EB65E
or search by name
The DVD and related audio CD are now available for sale on
Amazon.com and at Giri Trading.
For more information, visit janakirangarajan.com
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April 28, 2013
Smitalay's LEELAVATI
An Odissi dance ballet based
on Bhaskaracharya's 12th century mathematical treatise,
this famous text comprises of 261 shlokas. We chose 13 for
our ballet and wove our story around Bhaskaracharya, the
father and his daughter Leelavati. Our ballet opens with
Bhaskaracharya invoking Lord Ganesh. We then imagine a day
in the life of Leelavati, which begins at dawn, with a
walk through the forest. Inspired by nature, and the
sights they see, Bhaskaracharya crafts his problems which
the talented Leelavati attempts to solve. The shlokas uses
state problems in arithmetic, algebra and geometry; the
use of fractions and square roots; quadratic equations;
Pythagoras' Theorem and properties of triangles. The
ballet ends with a shloka in praise of Leelavati (the
daughter and the book).
Leelavati was premiered in 1999. Leelavati is conceived,
choreographed and directed by Jhelum Paranjape. This
ballet was performed by students of Smitalay and was
recorded live on the 8th of March 2004, Nehru Centre,
Mumbai.
Price: Rs.600
Available at:
Smitalay, Sane Guruji Arogya Mandir, 5/VI, Chunabhatti,
Off S V Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai 400054
Tel: (022) - 2661 6398 / 2661 5463 (we courier the dvds
for an additional courier amount; on request).
Info: jhelum@smitalay.com / smitalay.com
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April 28, 2013
SMITALAY ODISSI SERIES
Volume 1 - ODISSI BASICS as taught by Guru Jhelum
Paranjape
In this volume students will learn: Basic warm - up
exercises / Torso and eye exercises / Hasta Bheda /
Learning Chowk / Chowk stepping class / Learning Tribhangi
/ Tribhangi stepping class
Produced by Smitalay
Featuring: Dipali Tikam, Sanatan Chakravarty, Rupali Kadam
and Rohan Dahale (mardala)
Price: Rs.400
Available at:
- Smitalay, Sane Guruji Arogya Mandir, 5/VI, Chunabhatti,
Off S V Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai 400054
Tel: (022) - 2661 6398 / 2661 5463 (we courier the dvds
for an additional courier amount; on request).
- Giri Trading Agency P Ltd., Modi Niwas, Opp. PO Matunga,
Mumbai 400019
Tel: (022) - 2414 1344/ 2412 2316/ 2414 3140/ 2415 8107 / giri.in
Info: jhelum@smitalay.com / smitalay.com
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April 11, 2013
MASTER OF ARTS - A LIFE IN DANCE by Tulsi Badrinath
VP Dhananjayan was one of the first men to make a successful
career as a Bharatanatyam dancer. In the late sixties, when
he made this choice, Bharatanatyam - the classical dance
form that Rukmini Devi helped evolve from the dance of the
devadasis - was almost exclusively the domain of women.
Indeed, in making Bharatanatyam his profession, Dhananjayan
had to create a space for his dance where none existed. It
is only recently, in the relatively short span of the past
seventy years, and to a great extent because of the creative
efforts of versatile and innovative dancers like
Dhananjayan, that greater number of men have performed
Bharatanatyam as men; without needing to dress as women to
appear on stage.
As Dhananjayan's student for
nearly forty years now, and a trained dancer herself, the
author Tulsi Badrinath, chronicles the story of his
brilliant life in dance with the insight of one who
understands each nuance of it. Weaving her own life-long
passion for Bharatanatyam with his remarkable story, she
brings to light the difficulties faced by a male dancer in
establishing himself in what was thought to be a somewhat
unrespectable profession, and tells the compelling story of
his life, with empathy and understanding. Writing of his
years in Kalakshetra and his ultimate disillusionment with
it; of the love that blossomed between him and his wife
Shanta, and the incredible dance partnership they forged,
making them famous as The Dhananjayans; of his international
collaborations with Pandit Ravi Shankar; and of his ability,
as guru and teacher, to impart his passion for dance to his
disciples, she explores her own understanding of what the
dance, and her guru, have meant to her. Interspersing this
remarkable tale of guru and shishya, with the stories of
other male dancers in the realm of Bharatanatyam, she pays
tribute to their extraordinary commitment, their talent and
their courage.
Publisher: Hachette India, Price: Rs 599
ISBN 978-93-5009-584-3
Available at all retail and online bookstores from May 2013
onwards.
Info: bkalanjali@gmail.com
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March 13, 2013
Bharata Nrityasala, the
Bangalore-based Bharatanatyam school started by Late
Sundari Santhanam, unveils NEO DESI KARANAS on March 16,
2013 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Bangalore), a research
based book to serve as a guide for practicing dancers and
research students. The book serves as a record of Sundari
Santhanam's contribution to the field of dance. Sundari
Santhanam, one of the senior disciples of Dr. Padma
Subrahmanyam obtained a Central Government Fellowship to
pursue research in 'Desi karanas' and embarked on a
journey to discover and create a parallel set of movements
to elucidate the Desi style of Natya. This research
project took her to historical temples in Karnataka
including Balligave, Gadag, Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal
among others, wherein she studied the sculptures and
carvings on the walls and gopurams. By the end of her
research, Sundari was able to create and reconstruct 108
Desi Karanas with substantiating evidence of imagery
obtained from temple architecture and sculptures in
Karnataka spanning several centuries.
This painstaking effort culminated in 'Neo DesiKaranas'
and this illustrated book describes all the types of Desi
Karanas - a kind of framework for producing additional
variety to our existing dance forms. The book provides
proper definition for each Karana and is expected to
provide a framework similar to Marga. It captures every
detail about the 108 Desi Karanas - the origin, the
literature survey, fieldwork and an illustration of the
Karanas. Though Sundari Santhanam passed away in 2009, she
has left behind a treasure trove of research papers on
Desi Karanas and these have also been captured in this
book in great detail. Sundari Santhanam had the
opportunity to learn the Karanas and its application from
the doyen herself.
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January 24, 2013
THE NATTUVANAR'S ART by Emily
Mayne
The Nattuvanar's Art includes a musicological
analysis of the jatis in varnams as a compositional form,
explaining how they are traditionally structured and what
the rules are for composing them. Many nattuvanars from
various traditions were interviewed for this book and
everyone's rules were included. Among the notation of
examples are some of the jatis that Kandappa Pillai
composed for Balasaraswati. The book begins with the
history of the nattuvanar and the syllables, and a general
introduction to tala. The appendix to The Nattuvanar's Art
includes transliteration of compositions from the past
from Natanadi Vadya Ranjanam, a Tamil text; Sabdam alias
Tala Solkattu, a Tamil transliteration of Telugu texts;
and Bharatarnavam, a Sanskrit text.
Emily Mayne has a BA in dance from Antioch
University and an MA in dance from UCLA. In 1974 she began
the study of Bharatanatyam with T. Balasaraswati. She
underwent a thorough, traditional course of training under
Balasaraswati both in the US and in India. She gave her
debut concert in Chennai, India in 1980 and has since been
performing and teaching extensively. The research for this
book was partially funded by a Fulbright fellowship which
allowed her to spend a year in India studying nattuvangam,
interviewing musicians and dancers who were experts in
this art, and working with a team of Sanskrit scholars to
delve into the wealth of texts on music and dance from
throughout the past two millenniums.
- Paperback: 78 pages
- Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
(January 16, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1481030329
- ISBN-13: 978-1481030328
- Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
The book is available on Amazon. Below is the US link but
it is also available on Amazon UK and Amazon Europe. Local
booksellers in other countries, including online
booksellers, can get a wholesale rate from Amazon
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January 8, 2013
Karnataka Sangeet Nritya Academy has produced NRITYA MAYA,
a collection of some items which were part of
Bharatanatyam parampara of legendary guru, performer and
scholar Prof. U. S. Krishna Rao. Released as part of his
centenary celebration, this CD is initiated, compiled and
directed by Vyjayanthi Kashi, Chairperson, Karnataka
Sangeet Nritya Academy and is available at a discounted
rate of Rs. 300. Six items have been recorded on high
quality digital recording.
For more details and copies contact: 080-2221 5072
e-mail: karnatakasangeeta@gmail.com / danceindia@gmail.com
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December 26, 2012
Guru Kalanidhi Narayanan released a DVD entitled KALANIDHI
BANI OF ABHINAYA: A TEACHING GUIDE FOR CHOREOGRAPHERS,
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OF ABHINAYA at her residence in
Chennai on December 23, 2012. Produced by sisters
Chamundeeswari and Annapoorna Kuppuswamy, students of
Abhinaya Sudha, this is an entrepreneurial venture aimed
at dance students and teachers in the UK and elsewhere.
The DVD focuses on the four main aspects of the style.
Using a university student-led production team, and
harnessing the e-publishing phenomenon, seeks to explore
the possibilities of low cost production to produce high
quality and user friendly Bharatanatyam products.
Info: c.kuppuswamy@sheffield.ac.uk |
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December 3, 2012
SHALL WE KNOW: NATYA written by Dr. Lakshmi Ramaswamy is a
compilation of 25 articles written in the journal
Nadhabrahmam.
"These articles are in the nature of sharing my
understanding and experience of Natya. The articles are of
varied nature, but all connected with Natya. Some are
introduction to not- very-well-known grammar texts. Some are
explanation to certain concepts; some are answers to
questions like, 'is nritta devoid of bhava?' For most of
these articles, a comparison of Tamil and Sanskrit
traditions and texts have been made."
Author: Dr Lakshmi Ramaswamy has earned a special
place in Bharatanatyam as a talented performer, generous
teacher, creative choreographer and ardent researcher. With
a vibrant profile: 'A' grade artist of Doordarshan,
empanelled artist of ICCR and South Zone Cultural Centre,
recipient of the international Fulbright fellowship, several
awards and titles, she has performed in prestigious
festivals in India and many other countries. She has
presented papers in seminars that include the international
'Classical Tamil Conference', Urbaniana University, Rome.
She has also given lectures for refreshers course, lecture
demonstrations and conducted workshops in India and abroad.
Her doctoral thesis was on rare Tamil treatise, Koothanool.
Lakshmi is associated with Madras University, Alagappa
University, Annamalai University in various capacities.
Book release on Dec 5, 2012 at Dakshinamurthy auditorium,
Chennai
Price: Rs.250 (Release day offer: Rs.150)
The discount will continue for dance students on producing
an identity.
Contact Lakshmi Ramaswamy: + 91 94442 00258 /
lakshmirramaswamy@yahoo.com
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August 26, 2012
'BEYOND THE PROSCENIUM: REIMAGINING THE SPACE FOR
PERFORMANCE'
Edited by Anmol Vellani, India Foundation for the Arts
Beyond the Proscenium
investigates how performing artists have conceived of
space in performance, used existing theatre facilities
imaginatively or created alternative spaces for
performances.
Performing artists might experience the need to shake off
the influence of the proscenium stage for a variety of
reasons to connect with spectators in a more immediate
way; to bring the features of the space they inhabit into
the performance; to harness the energies of nature; to
retrieve the sense of community and democratise the space
for theatre; or to spurn the politics of which it is
perceived to be a marker. The reason might also be sheer
frustration with the insensitivity with which proscenium
arch theatres are governed. This book documents these and
other impulses that have taken performing artists 'beyond
the proscenium' and the insights into the act of
performance that they have acquired as a result.
This book was underwritten by a grant from the Navajbai
Ratan Tata Trust.
176 pp., Rs 300, US$ 20
e-mail: editor@indiaifa.org
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August 23, 2012
SELECTED POEMS: Subramania
Bharati, translated by Usha Rajagopalan
Honoured at a public function when he was a mere boy of
eleven with the title 'Bharati' (one blessed by Saraswati,
the Goddess of Learning), C Subramania Bharati (1882-1921)
is renowned as the herald of the renaissance of Tamil
literature. The simplicity and lyricism that marked his
poetry reflect a clear shift in sensibility and craft from
the classical tradition, which had adhered to strictures
of style, imagery and language for over 2000 years.
Ranging from the fiercely patriotic and the deeply
romantic, to the humbling intensity of devotion and the
sharp criticism of self and society, this selection brings
together poems that reflect the very essence of Bharati's
broad philosophy. Usha Rajagopalan's translations echo the
lyricism and transformative power that have lent Bharati's
poetry their distinctive, enduring quality.
- Special bilingual edition, with the original Tamil text
printed alongside the English translation
- Contains all the features of the UK Everyman Classics
editions, and is therefore useful as a study guide, for
translators and scholars, as well as the general reader
interested in poetry
- Lucid, detailed introduction to poet's life, philosophy
and poetry
- Comprehensive selection of poems that charts the wide
range of social and cultural themes and philosophy in
Bharati's poetry
Usha Rajagopalan writes fiction and poetry in
English and has won several awards, including three times
consecutively in the Commonwealth Short Story competition,
two All India Poetry prizes and 2nd place, Muse India
Translation Prize for poetry. She was the 2011 Charles
Wallace Fellow at the British Centre for Literary
Translation, University of East Anglia. She has been in
residence at Sangam House, Bangalore, Le Château de
Lavigny, Switzerland, and at the University of British
Columbia, Vancouver, BC. Her translation of Bharati's
Panchali Sabadham is forthcoming from Hachette in December
2012.
ISBN 13: 978-93-5009-253-8
Category: Poetry/Translation, Binding: Paperback. Imprint:
Everyman Classics
Format: B format, Page extent: 176 pp, Pub date: June
2012, Rights: World
Special Indian Price: Rs. 350, www.hachetteindia.com
Info: usha.rajagopalan@gmail.com
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April 24, 2012
PLACE FOR DANCE IN WHOLE-CHILD EDUCATION - A SCIENTIFIC
PERSPECTIVE by Harbans Nakra
The author describes a scientific basis for defining
"whole-child education" and the role that dance training
can play in achieving its objectives. A model of the Human
Brain-Behaviour System is described, based on the view
that the brain is an information processing system with an
input from the sense organs and an output that represents
behaviour. Between these two end points, seven processing
Functions are described: Perception, Analysis and
Evaluation, Intelligence, Decision making, The Emotional
Brain, Imagination and Action or Expression. The
description of these Functions includes two important
elements of the system: Cognition and Empathy. The author
suggests that any material included in the school
curriculum must be checked against its potential for
contributing to the development of these Functions, and
based on this criterion, concludes that dance training
merits serious consideration for such inclusion.
The book is being distributed free of cost, except for
postage & handling, which for U.S. addresses is at
present $5.
To acquire a copy please send a mailing address and a
cheque for $5 (payable to Kala Bharati) to
3410 Sherbrooke St East, Montreal, H1W 1C6, Canada
Info: info@kalabharati.ca
kalabharati.ca
/ natyaangan.ca
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March 13, 2012
Kalakshetra Foundation launched the book 'A TREATISE ON
MUDRAS - A LEXICON OF KATHAKALI AND NATYASHASTRA MUDRAS'
on March 10, 2012, written by the late P G Gopalakrishna
Iyer, during the 1940s as a part of the detailed thesis
that he submitted to the University of Rangoon. The book
was released by Kathakali scholar Dr. OM Anujan and the
first copy was received by Lakshmi Lal, the daughter of
the author, who was instrumental in getting it published
through Kalakshetra Foundation.
The text was written after a thorough study of the key
texts on dance, viz. the Natya Shastra,
Hasthalakshanadeepika, and the Abhinaya Darpana, as well
as careful viewings of Kathakali performances and
comparisons between the texts and the prevalent practice.
As a part of writing of the book, he also took hundreds of
photographs for which the legendary Thakazhi Kunchu Kurup
had posed. These, along with detailed footnotes,
descriptions and a comparative analysis of the
Hasthalakshanadeepika to the stage practice of the time
provide a fascinating insight into the art form to
scholars, performers and dance enthusiasts alike.
Iyer also documents the inconsistencies between the
gestures and the text in the concise footnotes. He
parallels the hand gestures of Abhinayadarpana and clearly
mentions the hand gestures that were adapted into
Kathakali. He has also added photos of the nine basic
emotions by Guru Kunchu Kurup who was famous for Sathvika
Abhinaya. Photos included in the compilation also depict
the make-up and costumes of that time.
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January 27, 2012
The Sruti Foundation has launched E-books for netizens
interested in Carnatic music and classical dance. The
e-books on great Carnatic musicians are 'Opus on
Ariyakudi', 'Flute Mali Special', Palghat Mani Iyer and
'M.L. Vasanthakumari'. 'The Transfiguration of a
Traditional Dance' traces the journey of Sadir to
Bharatanatyam. The titles are based on the Sruti special
issues which were sold-out years ago. The e-book on MLV is
also available on Kindle.
Back issues of Sruti Magazine are also available as online
downloads.
Access to these e-books and back issues will be made
available to online members who register at sruti.com.
For more details contact: sruti.magazine@gmail.com
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January 6, 2012
The book 'Odissi Nrutya aur
Bharatiya Sanskruti' by Odissi dancer Suprava Mishra in
Hindi is her second book in Hindi on Odissi Dance.
In the first part of the book, the chapters like Bharatiya
sangeet, dance and spirituality, temples of India and
dance, religion and dance, Indian theatre, aesthetics and
dance, the relation of different art form with dance,
guru-sishya tradition in Indian culture, the emerging of
modern dance from Indian classical dance, important folk
dances of India.
Second part is about the dance tradition in Odisha in Jain
Yuga and Baudha Yuga , The evolution to present day Odissi
from Kharavela Yuga, the evolution of modern dance from
ballet dance, Natraj in Odisha sculpture, Bandha Nrutya,
description of different traditional songs of Odisha, life
of Kabichandra Kalicharan- the father of Odissi dance,
different folk dances of Odisha, a brief review of 'Kishor
Chandrananda Champu' of Kabisurya Baladev Ratha, review of
Kalidas's 'Abhigyan Sakuntalam.'
Third part is about the practical aspect of Odissi dance.
Chapters are Ashtasmbhu, Nabarasa, Dasabatara, Geeta
Gobinda, Karanas, Angahar, Beli, Mahari, different parts
of Odissi dance like Mangalacharan, Batu, Pallavi,
Abhinaya and Mokshya are included with their notation. In
mangalacharan, Ganesh Stuti, Ganesh Tandav, Narayana
Stuti, Shivastaka, ShivaTandava, Panchatatwa Stuti,
Harihara Sabda, Mahakali Stuti etc are included. Notation
of different Pallavi like Kalavati, Kalyan, Vasant,
Mohana, Saveri, Hamsadhwani are included. Abhinaya in
Debanagari script with meaning in Hindi is included.
Colour photos of Mukteshwar temple, Konark temple and
photos of different rasas are included.
Published in 2012, pages 176, colour illustrations - 34,
B/W Illustrations - 28, Hard bound size - 22x30 cms.
Price: Rs. 1500
Contact: Suprava Mishra, 6 Raj Residency, Opp Shilaj Lake,
Shilaj, Ahmedabad 380058
Ph: 91 2717 293353, Mobile: 9427214800, e-mail:
supravamishra@gmail.com
|
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Dec 13, 2011
UNFINISHED GESTURES:
Devadasis, Memory, and Modernity in South India, by Davesh
Soneji
Unfinished Gestures presents the social and cultural
history of courtesans in South India who are generally
called devadasis, focusing on their encounters with
colonial modernity in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Following a hundred years of vociferous social reform,
including a 1947 law that criminalized their lifestyles,
the women in devadasi communities contend with severe
social stigma and economic and cultural
disenfranchisement. Adroitly combining ethnographic
fieldwork with historical research, Davesh Soneji provides
a comprehensive portrait of these marginalized women and
unsettles received ideas about relations among them, the
aesthetic roots of their performances, and the political
efficacy of social reform in their communities.
Ranging over courtly and private salon performances of
music and dance by devadasis in the nineteenth century,
the political mobilization of devadasi identity in the
twentieth century, and the post-reform lives of women in
these communities today, Unfinished Gestures charts the
historical fissures that lie beneath cultural modernity in
South India.
Cloth $72.00, ISBN: 9780226768090
Paper $24.00 ISBN: 9780226768106
Published by University of Chicago Press, 312 pages
Davesh Soneji is associate professor of South
Asian religions at McGill University, Montréal, Canada. He
is coeditor of Performing Pasts: Reinventing the Arts
in Modern South India and editor of Bharatanatyam: A Reader.
|
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October 23, 2011
THE DANCE ORISSI by Mohan
Khokar and Ashish Khokar
The classical dance form from Orissa is Orissi. Bit like
the word, it is simple, refreshing and poetic. Lyrical,
sensuous and fluid too. The history and heritage of Orissi
is vast, covering two centuries of rulers and
practitioners who added and enhanced the body-work of the
form found first in inscriptions and temple carvings,
including in tantric yogini cult.
This the first ever in-depth, authoritative and scholarly
account on the intricate and extensive heritage and
history of the form and of the rulers and kings who
embellished it and the pioneering gurus and dancers who
polished it to shine like a perfectly chiseled gem it is
today. The story of Orissi is the story of the performing
arts of Orissa for it is one form in which music, dance
and drama coalesce. Its connections with the temples and
the courts, the dancers and the gurus have been traced in
this historical document. The four pillars of the form,
Gurus Pankaj Charan Das, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Deba Prasad
Das and Mayadhar Raut, have been profiled at length
because to them we owe the revival and survival of Orissi
as we see it today. Principal exponents and stars and some
prominent students too feature in this book.
This book with over 700 illustrations spread over 400
pages, took ten years to complete and is the most
definitive account of the form. This is the last book the
pioneering scholar, dance-historian and collector Late
Prof. Mohan Khokar wrote and left unfinished. His son and
successor, Ashish Khokar has helped complete it.
2011, Pp. 339 Col. / Illus. 163 B/W Illus. 258 / Size:
30x22 cms
ISBN 81-7017-438-4 / Price: Rs. 3360
Published by: Abhinav Publications, New Delhi
Ph: (91-11) - 26566387, 26524658, 44128717
e-mail: abhinavpublications@airtelmail.in
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Sept 14, 2011
DRISHTI 15 - The highlight of
this issue is the updated Drishti Art Resources,
periodical directory of dancers, musicians, art-related
technicians, institutes of music and dance, and other
art-related establishments. The data in the directory has
been compiled with care but corrections and additions, if
any, are welcome. For increasing its usefulness, there are
plans to make it available online soon.
In the past few months, Creative Director, Anuradha
Vikranth met legends in the field of dance - Guru Kumudini
Lakhia, Yamini Krishnamurthy, and Dr Padma Subrahmanyam
and presents glimpses of her inspiring interactions with
them.
Tributes to Shrish Mohan and Dr Nataraja Ramakrishna, some
of the great personalities who passed away in the past few
months - the world of dance will sorely miss them.
Artists from Karnataka have received many awards, in
recent months.
India's best known dance historian Ashish Khokar, in his
inimitable style, continues his column 'Dance of
Yesteryears'. In 'Folk Forms of Karnataka', Sneha
Nandagopal features 'Chit Mela'; in 'Dancing: How it all
began', Leela Ramanathan talks in brief about all the
recognized classical dances of India. Other regular
features and interesting articles await your perusal.
From this issue, a new series, Drishti Drishya Gnyana is a
contest for you, where each issue will feature rare
photographs of one of our legendary artists. Guess the
name of the artist and win a prize.
Price: Rs.50
Info: drishtiartcentre@gmail.com / www.drishtimag.com
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Sept 3, 2011
Roshen Alkazi's Books on
Ancient & Medieval Indian Costume, two authoritative
books on the history of Indian costumes. Roshan Alkazi
(1926- 2007) has made a detailed study of Indian costumes
of the earliest times up to the Gupta period and this book
surveys the evolution of costume from 321BC to 815AD of
India's great civilizations - Costumes, headgear &
hairstyles, jewellery, textiles and dyes.
Ancient Indian Costume: 222 pages, ISBN:
978-1-890206-83-3, Price: Rs.3000
Medieval Indian Costume: 332 pages, ISBN:
978-1-890206-45-1, Price: Rs.4500
Two volume set: RS.7000, Published by Art Heritage, New
Delhi
To order: Theater & Television Associates, E 30
Greater Kailash 2, New Delhi 110048
Ph: +91 98101 66643, e-mail: nallana@rocketmail.com
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August 8, 2011
A culture book on the innovations in Indian arts and
culture across 60 years of Independent India titled
PATHFINDERS is published by Ace Publications &
Promotions. 'Pathfinders: A journey through art and
culture over the last sixty years of the Indian Republic'
is a 463 page hardbound treasure replete with beautiful
and rare archival images, essays on each segment, and
write-ups on the profiled artistes focusing on their
unique contribution to the field, and interviews with
select artistes. There are six segments in all - music,
visual arts, dance, literature, theatre and cinema - on
personalities who have left a lasting legacy, and two
interviews in each section apart from articles.
'Pathfinders' is the brainchild of Sashi Vyas, son of
renowned musician CR Vyas, who was struck by the lack of
archival documentation of the contribution of our cultural
icons in the renaissance of Indian culture post
independence.
Some of the greats profiled in the music section include
Aruyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer,
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Kahna, Kishori Amonkar, DK
Pattammal, TR Mahalingam, Amjad Ali Khan, Shivkumar
Sharma, MS Subbulakshmi, CR Vyas, Ali Akbar Khan, Bhimsen
Joshi, Zakir Hussain. The visual arts section features
articles on MF Hussain, Bhupen Khakkar, Nalini Malani, VS
Gaitonde, KG Subramanyan, Akbar Padamsee and so on. The
dance section has interviews of Birju Maharaj and Padma
Subrahmanyam and articles on Yamini Krishnamurthy, Vempati
Chinna Sathyam, T Balasaraswati, Painkulam Rama Chakyar,
Uday Shankar, Sonal Mansingh, Astad Deboo, Guru Bipin
Singh, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Chandralekha, Kumudhini
Lakhia, Kalamandalam Gopi etc.
The literature section features profiles of Jayakanthan,
Sujata (Rangarajan), OV VIjayan, Agyeya, Dr.Shivrama
Karanth, Saadat Hasan Manto, Vaikkom Mohammed Basheer,
Mahasweta Devi, Ismat Chugtai, BS Mardhekar and so on.
Some of the artistes profiled in the theatre section are
Badal Sircar, BV Karanth, Ratan Thiyam, Satyadev Dubey,
Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay
Tendulkar, Utpal Dutt, Habib Tanvir and the interviews are
of Vijaya Mehta and Girish Karnad. The cinema section
features interviews of Shyam Benegal and Aparna Sen and
some of the featured artistes include Guru Dutt, Mani
Ratnam, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, K Balachander, V
Shantaram, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Girish Kasaravalli.
Published by Ace Publications & Promotions Pvt Ltd,
Mumbai
Number of pages: 463, Size: 13" x 11"
ISBN: 978-81-920196-0-4 / Price: RS.6000 or USD 150
Contact: acepathfinders@gmail.com
|
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August 3, 2011
CONTEMPORARY INDIAN DANCE
NEW CREATIVE CHOREOGRAPHY IN INDIA AND THE DIASPORA by
Ketu H Katrak
Contemporary Indian Dance
delineates a new language of dance - multi-layered and
multivocal
- in India and the diaspora. This language unfolds at the
intersection of classical Indian
dance forms with yoga, pan-Asian dance and martial arts
traditions as well as modern and postmodern dance, and
theatrical tools that result in hybrid dance creations.
Cutting edge
themes - ethnicity, gender and sexuality - are inspired by
artists' geographical locations
in the global North or South.
This study is grounded historically (the revival of Indian
dance in early 20th century), and
examines today's phenomena of globalization and diaspora
that impact artists in India and worldwide. It includes
creative choreography (with over 30 images) from selected
artists and pioneers that has impact and reverberates in
'an ancestry of gesture' in the work of emerging
choreographers. An interdisciplinary and comparative
approach makes visible inter-connections among artists in
sites as distant and disparate as Toronto to Chennai, and
London to Los Angeles.
Contents
List of Illustrations | Series Preface | Acknowledgements
| Preface: Multiple Idioms of Contemporary Indian Dance |
Glossary | Introduction:
Theoretical Frames: Ways of Looking at Contemporary Indian
Dance | Contested Histories of 'Revivals' of Classical
Indian Dance and Early Pioneers of Contemporary Indian
Dance | Abstract Dance with Rasa: Pioneers Astad Deboo and
Shobana Jeyasingh | Beyond Tradition: Contemporary
Choreography by Masters of Traditional Indian Dance and
Emerging Artists Innovating in Contemporary Choreography |
Hybrid Artists and Transnational Collaborations: Chennai,
Toronto, Kuala Lumpur | Dancing in the Diaspora Part I:
North America | Dancing in the Diaspora Part II: Britain |
Conclusion: Ways of Looking Ahead | Endnotes |
Bibliography | Index
KETU H KATRAK, born in Bombay, India, is Professor in the
Department of Drama at the University of California,
Irvine.
Published by Palgrave (UK)
Promo Code: P356ED / ISBN: 0-230-27855-8
Price: $85.00
View flyer |
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July 1, 2011
The latest issue of Indian Folklife - the 38th issue, is
out! Guest edited by Heike Moser, this issue is on the
traditional Sanskrit theater of Kerala - Kutiyattam. It is
titled KUTIYATTAM: 10 YEARS AFTER THE UNESCO DECLARATION.
With over fifteen contributions, the journal is unique as
it reflects the opinions and ideas of both scholars and
artistes of Kutiyattam.
|
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June 19, 2011
Books by Guru S Balachandra Raju, Music & Dance
Teacher, Director, Kanchi Kamakoti Peeta Asthana vidwan.
1. Natana mudiraigal (Tamil) - Rs 40
2. Natyamum Yogak Kalaiyum (Tamil) - Rs 40
3. Natya Nattuvanga Saram - a detailed study about art of
nattuvangam (Tamil) - Rs. 100
4. Isai Natya Palligal Amaippadu Eppadi? - Vasthu
lakshanas for Music and Dance school (Tamil) - Rs 45
5. Natana Manjari - 100 compositions for Bharathanatyam
Rs.200 (CD First part)
6. Chithambara Pancha Rathnam (5 songs on Lord
Chithambaram which is equal to Varnam sung by Dr. Sirgazi
Sivachithambaram) - Rs 100 with CD
7. Natana Adavugal - Tamil revised and enlarged edition -
Rs 210
8. Chithira Nardhanam & Alankara Natanangal - Rs 35
9. Natana Adavugal in English - Rs 500. Translation by B
Shivaranjani
The books are released by Shivaranjani Publications, 12A
Sakthi Nagar 2nd St, Choolaimedu, Chennai 600094.
Ph: (044) - 23741154 or + 91 9884455286,
natyacharyaschools@gmail.com |
| * |
June 15, 2011
Sruti, May 2011. This issue features a profile on guru
'Adyar K Lakshman - A true sangeetagna' by S Janaki and
second part of the feature on Natyacharya V.S. Muthuswami
Pillai by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan and recollections by his
disciples. Read 'Dancer's Diary' by Roja Kannan and
Mythili Prakash. Plus there are reports, interviews and
articles on things musical.
Price: Rs. 45
Contact address: The Sruti Foundation, 9 Cathedral Road,
Chennai 600 086
Ph: (91 - 44) - 28128070 & 28128073. Email:
sruti.magazine@gmail.com and srutimagz@gmail.com
Website: sruti.com |
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June 15, 2011
KN DANDAYUDAPANI PILLAI: LIFE AND CONTRIBUTION is a book
on the legendary Bharatanatyam teacher. It was released on
June 5, 2011 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai. |
| * |
May 21, 2011
Culture Vistas releases a Mohiniattam DVD of 40 minutes
duration with performance by Sunanda Nair featuring Ananda
Ganapathi, Mukhachalam, Chaliye Kunjana Mo, Nrithyathi
Nrithyathi.
Price: Rs.395
Contact: Culture Vistas Marketing Services Pvt Ltd,
Kaudiyar, Thiruvananthapuram 695003
Ph: +91 471 2311025 ; e-mail: info@cultureshoppe.com
Info: sunandanair@aol.com / sunandanair.com |
| * |
May 4, 2011
DANCE, DANCERS AND MUSICIANS
Collected writings of Nandini Ramani, well known
Bharatanatyam exponent, who has inherited the legacy of
her Sanskrit scholar father Dr. V Raghavan and the
legendary T Balasaraswati. Nandini has been associated
with The Hindu for 15 years as its resident dance
correspondent. She is respected for her unbiased,
analytical and constructive approach to dance criticism.
Published by Dr. V Raghavan Centre for Performing Arts,
Chennai
Price: Rs.350
Contact Nandini Ramani at: (044) - 24430344 /
rvramani@vsnl.com |
| * |
May 4, 2011
ODISSI ANNUAL
It was released on the occasion of Odissi International
2010 in December, at Bhubaneswar. It features tributes to
Guru Surendranath Jena, Dhirendra Nath Patnaik, Dullav
Chandra Singh and Asako Takami, articles on personality
Laxmipriya Mohaptra, on institution Orissa Dance Academy,
Odissi tailors, profiles of ten young talents, Odissi in
Russia and an interview with Pakistani dancer Sheema
Kermani.
Published by Shyamhari Chakra on behalf of Samskritiki
Price: Rs.150
Contact: samskritiki@gmail.com, +91 94371 08815 |
| * |
April 2, 2011
Swathi Soft Solutions presents audio Cd SANGEETA LAHIRI
(Geetham, Vaadyam and Nrityam) in its Sanskriti series.
Guru VP Dhananjayan has penned the songs and composed
music too. Famed Carnatic and playback singer P
Unnikrishnan has rendered the songs evocatively. Nandini
Ramani - scholar and critic -comments that the songs are
suitable for concert singing as well as for natya
choreography. Sriramkumar (violin), KV Prasad (mridangam),
Karthik (ghatam) give accompaniment.
The repertoire is drawn from Dhananjayan's Bharatanatyam
compositions. This compilation embodies his complete
Bharatanatyam repertoire in Malayalam (both lyrics and
music). For consummate understanding and enjoyment of the
music, the lyrics in Malayalam and its transliteration in
English is given in the enclosed printed booklet.
Produced and marketed by Swathi Soft Solutions. Price:
Rs.150
e-mail: solutions@swathigroup.com / (044) - 42316060 |
| * |
March 15, 2011
NRITYA MARGA MUKURA
A research oriented book (Kannada language) written by
Manorama BN about the Bharatanatyam repertoire. Book
consists of the historical aspects and repertoire and its
significance along with analysis of Natya Marga and
paramapara, Difference of Bharatha and later theories,
Lokadharmi v/s Natyadharmi, Tanjore Quartet, Sefoji's
Nirupana Tradition, Temple and Rajashraya repertoire,
Karnataka and Tamilnadu Bharatanatyam Tradition and
Contemporary movements. Mudraranava is the 1st research
oriented book written by Manorama about interdisciplinary
aspects of Hastha mudra.
Pages:160, Price: Rs.125
Info: editor@noopurabhramari.com |
| * |
Jan 28, 2011
eParampara Infotainment , the pioneers in Bharatanatyam
products have released four DVDs of Priyadarsini
Govind and two DVDs of Lavanya Ananth under
their 'Kalakriya Series'.
Bharatanatyam dancer Priyadarsini Govind presents a hearty
fare through four DVDs- two on Abhinaya and two on
Thillana- released during the December Season. The
mesmerizing charm of Thillana has been captured in detail
in Ruchira Thillana and Mohana Thillana'. Besides the
sparkling solo performances by Priyadarsini Govind and
Anajana Anand, there is a captivating Thillana duet
performed by Apoorva Jayaraman & Shwetha.
A wealth of information on thillana by way of
Priyadarsini's lucid introduction encompassing the
structure, the concomitant adavu patterns, adavu korvais,
pancha nadais, attamis and commonly used ragas is a
delectable value addition that students will lap up with
relish.
 
Bhava Pravaaham contains some select items
hand-picked and introduced by Priyadarsini Govind. Here
there is a fine sprinkling of compositions in different
languages, by ace composers across India depicting
different moods, characters and situations. Each item
unfolds as a solo performance by Priyadarsini Govind or
Apoorva Jayaraman or Shwetha Prachande, her promising
disciples.
 
Similarly Rasanubhava presents a unique abhinaya
experience through legendary compositions in Tamil, Telugu
and Kannada. Selected and choreographed by Priyadarsini,
each item is introduced by the danseuse herself detailing
its genre, composer, meaning of the lyrics and the mood
portrayed. While the composition in the kavadi chindhu
format is presented as a duet by Apoorva and Shweta, the
other items unfold as captivating solos.
 
The first DVD of Lavanya Ananth titled 'Aavaahanam-summoning
the celestials' unveils the features and finer
aspects of Nrittanjali, a unique invocatory piece in the
pure dance genre which involves an arresting array of body
movements and footwork. There are some pulsating
Nrittanjalis followed by Sthutis by ancient Indian saints
on Ardha Nariswara (the half woman manifestation of
Shiva), Harihara (the form of Shiva who is half Vishnu)
and Amba (the Universal Mother) adapted for music and
dance. The performance is preceded by a coherent
introduction of the item and word-by-word description of
the lyrics, context and the mood portrayed in it.
'Samhita- A miscellany & the mastery' is
essentially a well-packaged Margam comprising Mallari,
Varnam, Javali, Ashtapadi and Swaralaya that straddle
compositions in different languages on different deities
and depicting different emotions.
These products are available in the leading retail outlets
and can also be ordered online through www.kalakriya.com |
| * |
January 21, 2011
 '
MY JOURNEY IN
DANCE' by GURU PRATAP PAWAR, as told to Ashish Mohan
Khokar, was released in New Delhi on January 13, 2011.
The book is reconstructing history of Kathak in
independent India through the personage of the first
ganda-bandh (official) shishya of Guru Pratap Pawar. He
was sent by ICCR In 1972 to faraway lands like Guyana and
Trinidad to teach Kathak and after that he settled in the
UK to do so. lots of new and interesting dance tales and
myths are shared and some shattered! The book is visually
a very rich treat with rare pictures from India's largest
dance archives The Mohan Khokar Dance Collection. Many
non-dance iconic names like Asha Bhonsale, H.H. Gaj Singh
of Jodhpur and Amjad Ali Khan have contributed their
reminiscences. The President of India has sent a message
and Dr Karan Singh, the Foreword.
A4 size, 142 pages, 130 pics
Published by Ekah-Bios/Clarions
Price: Rs 1500/-, £25, $50 E40
ISBN: 978-81-216-1577-8 |
| * |
January 6, 2011
ODISSI YATRA: THE
JOURNEY OF GURU MAYADHAR RAUT by Aadya Kaktikar, edited by
Madhumita Raut
The history of Odissi dance over the last 60 years is the
story of the life and work of Guru Mayadhar Raut. Known as
one of the four pillars of Odissi, his style of Odissi
(Mayadhar Raut paddhati) is Bhava Pradhan. The book
captures the dynamic years of the 30s, 40s to the 70s in
the world of Odissi. It describes, in detail, the struggle
and the hardships undergone in redefining and codifying
Odissi as one of the prominent dance forms of India. It
elaborates the initial years of all the gurus and scholars
together at Jayantika and the making of Kala Vikas Kendra.
Illustrated with rare photographs, it also gives a
detailed and delightful glimpse into the world of
Kalakshetra.
Published by BR Rhythms, Delhi
ISBN: 978-81-88827-21-3
Price: Rs.1995 |
| * |
October 30, 2010
SHANMUKHA, the professional quarterly magazine devoted to
Indian classical music and dance, is brought out by Sri
Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha, Mumbai.
Its Special Issue (October-December 2010) is in
commemoration of the birth bicentennial and centenary of
Vadivelu (of the Thanjavur Quartet) and Vazhuvoor Ramiah
Pillai, respectively.
Theme: "Banis of Bharatanatyam and Recent Trends"
Contents
Cover - Portrait of Lord Nataraja
Dedicatory page (Dedicated to the Thanjavur Quartet and
Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai)
Nataraja Darshan - a portfolio of photos of Nataraja from
sculptures and paintings (taken by Lalitha Venkat)
| 1. In Focus (Editor's Introduction) |
Radha Namboodiri |
| 2. Vadivelu and Vazhuvoorar Centenaries |
A. Seshan |
| 3. Pandanallur |
Alarmel Valli |
| 4. Kattumannarkoil |
Ashish Khokar & M K Saroja |
| 5. Vazhuvoor |
Kamala Lakshminarayanan |
| 6. Thanjavur |
|
| Kuppiah Pillai |
K Kalyanasundaram and other gurus
based on interviews by Jyothi Mohan |
| Kittappa Pillai |
Sucheta Bhide Chapekar |
| Dandayudhapani Pillai |
Urmila Sathyanarayanan |
| Balasaraswati |
Nandini Ramani |
| 7. Kalakshetra |
Leela Samson |
| 8. Mysore |
Lalitha Srinivasan |
| 9 Bharatanrityam |
Jayashree Rajagopalan |
| 10. Teaching Bharatanatyam in the class room |
Jyothi Mohan |
| 11. Teaching Bharatanatyam in foreign countries |
Rajyashree Ramesh |
| 12 Group Choreography |
B Bhanumati |
| 13. Dance Drama |
V.P. Dhananjayan |
| 14. Contemporary and Thematic Dancing |
Anita Ratnam |
| 15. Composing and Singing for Bharatanatyam |
Rajee Narayan |
| 16. On Reviewing Bharatanatyam Performances |
Subadra Murthy |
| 17. Book Review - Attendance - The Dance
Annual of India 2009-10 |
|
| 18. Round-Up of Cultural Activities in Mumbai |
|
The individual copy is priced at Rs.50 (India) / 25USD
(abroad)
However subscribers will get the issue at the usual price
of Rs.20 / 11.25USD
Annual subscription is Rs.80 (India) or 45USD
(abroad-Rs.2025)
For the subscription form and other details, write to:
bhamusic22@gmail.com
Ph: (91-22) - 24013207 (5pm to 7pm on weekdays) |
| * |
Sep 19, 2010
A book release
function was organised on 22nd August 2010 at Tattvaloka
Hall, Chennai, by the Dr. V. Raghavan Centre for
Performing Arts. The occasion was the 102nd birth
anniversary function of Dr. V Raghavan. Two books
published by the Centre were released during the function.
One was 'Readings from the Bhagavad Gita by Dr. V.
Raghavan. The second book should be of interest to dance
students, researchers and teachers.
The name of the book is "Journey through a Tradition:
Kandappa - T Balasaraswati Bharatanatyam Technique." The
original book in Tamil was written by Dr. V. Raghavan more
than 50 years ago. This is an English translation by his
daughter Nandini Ramani who is one of the senior disciples
of the late Bala. She has added two new chapters titled
(1) Dr. V Raghavan's Contribution to a unique Natya
sampradaya, and (2) The Bala Legacy. The Foreword for the
book is by Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar, The book is priced at
only Rs. 170.
The book was released by Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy; the
first copy was received by S. Janaki, Executive Editor of
Sruti magazine, in the presence of Jayant Kastuar,
Secretary, Sangeet Natak Akademi.
For more details, contact Nandini Ramani: (91-44) -
24430344. |
| * |
Aug 21, 2010
Release of KATHAKALIPPADANGAL Part II - a text on
Kathakali by Achuthan Kutty.
The second volume of Kathakalippadangal, containing
Kottayam Kathakal (Bakavadham, Kirmeeravadham,
Kalyanasaugandhikam & Kalakeyavadham) &
Nalacharitham (4 dayas) was released on the 12th of August
at Dr KN Pisharoty Smaraka Kathakali Club Irinjalakkuda.
Published by: Thiranottam, Dubai
Special publication offer to Kathakali connoisseurs of
Narthaki community Rs 150 (Priced Rs 200)
Pls contact Aniyan Irinjalakkuda 09249800700 or 99475
98344, (0466)-2285 901
kathakalippadangal@yahoo.com, achuveta@gmail.com
Note: The text contains all popular parts of the story
with stage notations and meaning of Slokams and Padams.
Achuthan Kutty, Thantra Academy, [Po] Vellinezhi, Dt.
Palakkad, Kerala 679 504. |
| * |
July 20, 2010
Bharatanatyam
artiste Shashikala Ravi of Pune has released a DVD titled
THE DANCE OF SHIVA. The DVD is produced and released by
Swathi Solutions as a part of their Sanskriti Series. THE
DANCE OF SHIVA is an exploration of some of the cosmic
dances of Lord Shiva, more situational in its aspect -
when, where and why it took place. It is a solo dance
ballet choreographed by Shashikala Ravi in Ragamalika and
Talamalika. All the lyrics and images used are from the
book Shiva Thandavangal written by the Gnanacheri Swami
Sri Sadashiva Bramendrar of Chennai.
Shashikala Ravi made an official release of the DVD on
11th July in Pune at her Amritanjali Dance Studio. She is
the founder director of Amritanjali School of
Bharatanatyam in Pune. She is a student of late Guru
Swarna Saraswathy of Bharatanatya Academy, Delhi and
Kalanidhi Narayan, Chennai. She has been trained in
Carnatic vocal music by her mother, Thanga Varadarajan.
Price: Rs.350.
You can buy the DVD on the net from www.kalakendra.com or
from the regular outlets of Swati Solutions in all major
cities. |
| * |
Ojasi
Sukhatankar's ABHINAYA THEMES IN INDIAN CLASSICAL KATHAK
DANCE: A contextual reading in relation to pre-modern and
modern Indian society (ISBN 978-3639236354), is published
by Verlag Dr. Muller Publishing House Ltd.
This book deals with a contextual analysis of Kathak dance
in relation to the differences between pre-modern Indian
society with its modern times. With theoretical
perspectives about thematic trends in dance, the
traditional repertoire of Kathak performance in a
socio-religious context is analyzed to study its growth
and development. The discussion in various chapters tries
to show how perception of art is affected by its
divergence of context in various times in which it is
presented. It also analyses how different social
institutions, culture, tradition and religious systems of
a society can be understood by studying the dance-form
practised during those times in society. A practice-based
choreographic project facilitates readers of different
cultural background other than the Indian audience to
understand both universality and limitation of Kathak
styles. In spite of its focus on Kathak dance the
scholarly treatment of theory and practice serves both the
student and practitioner of any dance-form to take
inspiration for socio-cultural research in any context of
time. |
| * |
June 20, 2010
MAYURA PRIYA NADHAM - dance creations by mridhangam artist
Mayavaram T Viswanathan and music composed by Padma
Seshadri sisters Randini and Roshini.
Manufactured and distributed by Viswam Fine Arts, Chennai
Info: 94444 43778 / viswam996@yahoo.co.in |
| * |
May 23, 2010
BALASARASWATI: HER ART AND LIFE is the first biography of
T Balasaraswati (1918-1984). Balasaraswati was a dancer
and musician from southern India who was hailed as India's
greatest dancer and acclaimed as "one of the greatest
performing artists of the 20th century" by the New York
Times. She was a passionate revolutionary, an entirely
modern artist, and her art and life defined the heart of
traditional Bharatanatyam. Although steeped in the
traditions of her culture and revered as the purest of
hereditary performers, Balasaraswati's impact on
contemporary dance in India and the United States has been
acknowledged by some of the most recognized personalities
in dance, including Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and
Paul Taylor.
Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life
by Douglas M Knight Jr.
364 pp., 51 b/w illus., 16 duotones, 2 maps, 7 x 10"
Price: $35.00 jacketed cloth
ISBN: 978-0-8195-6906-6
Publication date: June 2010
Published by: Wesleyan University Press, 215 Long Lane,
Middletown, CT 06459
wesleyan.edu/wespress
'Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life' draws extensively on the
dancer's personal accounts and discussion of the process
of making dance and music, as well as commentary from
family members - some themselves internationally respected
artists - and dozens of her contemporaries from throughout
her five-decade long career. The book is illustrated with
rare historical photographs and portraits of the artist
dancing.
Biographer Douglas Knight gives an account of the life and
art of traditional performers from the hereditary devadasi
community that provides fresh insight into the causes and
costs of the displacement of family-based arts and
artistic practices in India. This intimate portrait of a
globally influential artist will appeal to lovers of dance
and music as well as to those interested in Indian arts
and culture, and the history of the United States during
the turbulent 1960s. The book, named "an outstanding book
in any field by a Connecticut author," is among the five
books in The Driftless Series, a publication award program
established in 2010 and funded by the Beatrice Fox
Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Foundation for
Public Giving. This project is supported in part by an
award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Douglas Knight is a musician and independent scholar who
began performing with Balasaraswati's daughter, Lakshmi,
in 1974. They were married in 1980. Over four decades,
Knight has observed the passage of the hereditary practice
of Bharatanatyam through three generations. He continues
to perform the family style with his son, Aniruddha, in
India and the United States. Knight has been a Fulbright
Scholar, a fellow of the American Institute of Indian
Studies and the Asian Cultural Council' and a Guggenheim
Fellow. |
| * |
March 30, 2010
THE DANCE OF SHIVA - Fourteen Indian Essays, by Ananda
Coomaraswamy
Shivalik Prakashan, 27/16 Shakti Nagar, New Delhi 110007
Price: Rs.300. |
| * |
Feb 4, 2010
Routledge an
imprint of Taylor and Francis Group, has launched a book
DANCE MATTERS: PERFORMING INDIA.
About the book:
India has a long tradition, both textual and oral, of
producing knowledge about the art - ritual - practice of
dance. As new methods of understanding, analysing and
teaching emerge, new thinking an investigation is required
to show how dance is a foundational socio-cultural
development that is local and global, critical and
emotional, personal and political.
This anthology makes a dramatic shift from established
narratives of dance history and practice to bring to the
forefront debates on history, aesthetics, identity, and
globalisation, embedded and embodied in and through dance.
It thus catapults dance into the vortex of debates in
social theory, and reflects its multidimensional aspects
by locating it within anthropology, art history, and
religious, postcolonial, and feminist studies. This
expansion of the discourse on Indian dance infuses the
global with local voices, issues, and concerns. The
articles attempt to look at dance as a lived and practiced
phenomenon in contemporary times. They are unique in that
they bring together the thoughts and experiences of both
theorists and practitioners, and examine how the meaning
and significance of dance has shifted in changing
historical and political regimes.
Readership:
Discussing dance in many of its manifestations -
contemporary and historical, classical and folk,
commercial and aesthetic - the book seeks to understand
this form of human expression that has remained curiously
under-explored in academic discourse. Academics and
students of cultural studies, fine arts and history, and
especially dance departments and institutes will find this
useful.
About the Editors:
Pallabi Chakravorty is Assistant Professor and Acting
Director of the Dance Program, Swarthmore College, USA.
Nilanjana Gupta is Director, School of Media Communication
and Culture, and Professor of English at Jadavpur
University, Kolkata
Published by: Routledge, New Delhi
Hardback: 978-0-415-55375-9 (ISBN), Price: Rs. 795, Pages:
312. |
| * |
Jan 24, 2010
RUKMINI DEVI: A LIFE by Leela Samson, was released by
Gopalakrishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal, at
Kalakshetra Foundation under the Banyan Tree on 23rd
January 2010. The book is a warm and candid portrait of
the artist and her times. Spanning eighty years of a
momentous century, across continents and countries, from
the early 20th century and post-1947 India, this is the
story of an extraordinary woman who had a vision of a
modern India.
Leela Samson is a dancer, teacher, writer and
choreographer of Bharatanatyam. She is deeply influenced
by philosophical thought and by the work of Rukmini Devi.
She took over as Director of the Kalakshetra Foundation in
May 2005.
Published by Penguin Books India, price: Rs.550
Info: (91 - 11) - 4613 1412. |
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