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Narthaki
Monthly Newsletter
May 2013
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Anita says.....
 Surely an Asian would not have conceived of World Dance Day in the
sizzling temperatures of this continent. However, the relentless hunger
of dancers to seize any and every opportunity to ascend the stage was
never doubted. On April 29th and days leading to this annual event, it
seemed that the whole of India was dancing. From the scorching
temperatures of Jaipur to the mountains of Imphal, dancers
were moving and joined a surge of energy that linked us all. All social
network sites were overloaded with a barrage of images, handshaking, air
kissing, pranam-ing, garlanding, bouquet gifting and DANCING!
Mainstream media ignored the day altogether, although certain high
profile events did make news of panels with celebrity dancers debating
issues about changing tastes, styles and attitudes of teachers,
students, sponsors and audiences. What could be a point to consider is
that World Dance Day is becoming another excuse for a ‘Sabha’- like scam
in some cities, initiated by money hungry presenters to ask dancers to
PAY them to organise events!!! WILL DANCERS NEVER LEARN?
The Royal Festival Hall in London was full to the very last seat and the
audience was on its feet swaying and clapping in delight at the stocky
woman on stage with wild hair and swaying like a shaman. The Pakistani
qawali singers seated behind her were waving their hands as their voices
soared in ecstasy. Guitars, tablas, desert flutes and a twanging
morsing completed an international soundscape that drove the audience
into a delightful whirl. I was wonderstruck at how Susheela Raman,
the toast of Britain’s pop/fusion world could manage such a raucous
crowd when her own voice was so off key during the traditional Tamizh
and Sanskrit songs. Oblivious to anything except the energy of her own
signature vocals that soared with a “grab-me” zing, Raman brought the
two contrasting images of Sufi and Tamizh trance together. “ALI ALI” and
“VEL MURUGA” were belted out in unabashed gusto with the audience
swaying their heads until they seemed to almost want to fall off.
It was an example of superb arrangement, presentation and planning.
Raman’s voice is not as interesting as multi vocalist Sheela Chandra but
her stage presence was electric and glossed over her blatantly poor
pronunciation and ‘sruti ashuddham.’ For the organisers of the annual
ALCHEMY South Asian arts festival, this was a sure-fire house full event
year after year.
ALCHEMY at London’s premiere arts centre - Southbank - has become the
most prestigious week in the Spring calendar. From outdoor fairs selling
tikka, dosa, health food and red chilli chocolate laced with saffron
and cardamom (yummm) to wonderful embroidered jackets from Jaipur,
fashion shows, and the now mandated open house session of Bollywood
dance, the multi arts event turns this British cultural institution into
one large mela. Embracing Daksha Sheth in the lobby and watching her
daughter Isha “shusshing” her mom and ushering her to the rehearsal
venue was a sight to behold! Pianist Anil Srinivasan was teaching music
appreciation while Chennai based theatre artiste Yog Japee was the
intern at the Southbank Centre to study how such a festival is planned
and mounted. Also in the lobby were composers Nitin Sawhney and so many
creative people that it struck me as to how deep the layers of
India-Pakistan immigration are in the UK and what a diverse range of
cultural pickings a curator could harvest from. Very different from the
more linear and predictable US of A.
 For this year’s ALCHEMY, I was invited as guest artiste to share the
Purcell Room stage with curator/dancer Gauri Sharma Tripathi. Joining me
in an evening called CLASSICAL DEPARTURES were Bharatanatyam artistes
Chitra Sundaram and Mavin Khoo and Gauri herself. Each of us was
requested to create a 20 minute solo on the idea of the theme. My
offering was a new piece called MA-HYPHENATE, a triptych-meditation on
three women/Goddesses inspired by the Japanese word “MA”- the space
between objects. In collaboration with my two dear friends and
brilliant artistes Hari Krishnan and Rex (this is a 16 year old
connection where we can anticipate and read each others’ minds by now), a
short and compelling work was born. Continuing with the ideas of
bringing a personal signature to the time lines of myth and
abstractions, MA-HYPHENATE begins a different direction to my dance
life. Created between the many e-mails, personal discussions and skype
calls, Hari Krishnan and I worked in the freezing winter temperatures of
New York dance studios. In spite of a hairline fracture in my right toe
(I was unaware of this until after I returned to India), the
performance was completed without a hitch. Glimpses of the work are featured in this edition with images by the ever wonderful Vipul Sangoi
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In the news- Hari Krishnan
(Artistic director of Toronto based inDANCE and Professor of Dance at
Wesleyan University) has been awarded the prestigious BESSIE SCHOENBERG
CHOREOGRAPHIC RESIDENCY by The Yard (Martha’s Vineyard) where he will be
creating a new work for 3 dancers from May 27-June 16. The other two
recipients of this award are Deborah Lohse and Donnell Oakley.
- Menaka Thakkar (founder of Nrtyakala Academy of Indian Dance and
artistic director of Menaka Thakkar Dance Company) is one of 6 artistes
to be named the 2013 laureates of the prestigious GOVERNOR GENERAL’S
PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
Laureate individuals are honored for their outstanding body of work and
enduring contribution to the performing arts in Canada. Each laureate
will receive a cash award of $25,000 contributed by the Canada Council
for the Arts and a commemorative medallion struck by the Royal Canadian
Mint. On May 31, David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will
present the Awards at a special ceremony and reception at Rideau Hall.
- Utsav Music conferred the title UTSAV NRITHYA RATNA on The
Dhananjayans at the dance day celebrations on April 28, 2013 at Sri
Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai.
- Janaki Rangarajan received the KALA RATHNA award from Bhairavi Fine
Arts Society at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival on March 30, 2013.
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- At the 1st WOMEN'S PRERNA AWARDS (instituted by Lotus Refinery Oil’s
Arun Kumar Sharma) which was held on April 9, 2013 in Mumbai,
dignitaries from every sphere of life were felicitated with cash prize
with Sitara Devi being the artiste honored in dance field.
- The Andhra Pradesh government conferred the HAMSA AWARD (Kalaratna) on
Voleti Rangamani (Abhinaya Darpana Arts Academy) on April 11, 2013 at
Hyderabad for her outstanding contribution towards Kuchipudi and temple
ritual dances. She received the award from N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chief
Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
- Rema Shrikant was awarded KALA SHRI by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka
Akademi for dance on 27th March 2013 at a ceremony held at Kanakakkunu
Kottaram, Thiruvananthapuram, by KC Joseph, the Cultural Minister of
Kerala.
- Guru Pankaj Charan Odissi Research Foundation conferred MAHARI SAMMAN
2013 on Odissi dancer Jyoti Srivastav on March 19, 2013 at Bhubaneswar
on the concluding day of the 19th Guru Pankaj Utsav.
- Bharatanatyam artistes Badari Divya Bhushan & Anjana Bhushan were
presented with the title NAATYA DRUMA PURASAKAR on 7th April 2013 by
Kerala Sangeeth Natak Academy and Satyanjali School of Dance at the
Regional Theatre, Thrissur.
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Reviews
- Classical Departures: Gauri Sharma Tripathi & Guests by Seetal Kaur Gahir
Classical Departures took an introspective journey through questions of
the contemporary and the classical, the present and the timeless.
- Pushing the boundaries of art
Through a collective protest that finds its roots in the brutal Delhi gang-rape, Resist is a voice against gender inequality.
 - Budding Dancers’ Festival: A celebration by Dr. SD Desai
Dancers and dance lovers look forward to Celebrating the World of Dance –
Mallika Sarabhai’s brain child - at Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad now
and when the third 7-day national dance festival of 21 solos and 3 duets
came this year (April 5 to 11) they packed Natarani every day.
 - Sri Ram Vijoy Ankiya Bhaona by Dr. Sunil Kothari
Sankaradeva, the saint of Assam, wrote six plays which are known as
Ankiya Nat Bhaona. Of the six plays, the most well known is Sri Ram
Vijoy.
 - Gently flows the Sindhu by Veejay Sai
What started last year as a tribute to Vaibhav Arekar’s late mother, in a
small way blossomed into a noteworthy festival in just one year. This
year the Sindhu festival turned out to be a blockbuster hit among
audiences who arrived in large numbers, craving for some good cultural
overhaul.
 - The 3rd Naada Bindu Festival for the Arts: Sacred Encounters by Usha Sundaresan
The 3rd Naada Bindu Festival for the Arts was presented by Chinmaya
Naada Bindu from April 19 to 21 as a 3-day residential arts retreat at
the Chinmaya Vibhooti Ashram in Kolwan near Pune.
- The reverential and the celebratory by Leela Venkataraman
It was a busy week, with tributes to a late guru and celebrations ushering in the New Year.
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 - 6th Guru Debaprasad Award by Ashish Mohan Khokar
In last few years, guru Gajendra Panda has surpassed all in guru bhakti
by instituting awards in memory of his guru. So to Odisha we all went
when mercury soared 42 degrees, to be a part of the 6th Guru Debaprasad
Award function…
 - A’ Houseful’ diversion, nonetheless! by Jyothi Raghuram
Got up by International Arts and Cultural Foundation floated by
performing arts photographer Srivatsa Shandilya on April 24, “House
Full” was to be as much a dance event as it was about Kannada film
songs.
 - Rural rhythms by Padma Jayaraj
A lesser known artist who hails from the hinterland of southern
peninsula is engaged in casting the rural rhythms in a combination of
molten metals of brass, copper and alloy. MD Paul Walakie, based in
Chennai, is a product of Art Club Evening College.
 - Bharatanatyam recital by Keerthana Ravi by Satish Suri
Keerthana Ravi, a student of Padmini Ramchandran, gave a solo
Bharatanatyam recital on 6th April at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
Bangalore.
 - Encounter 7 – an evening of contemporary dance
'Encounter' is an event hosted by Basement 21, offering young
contemporary art-makers a platform to present their work at Chennai.
- Odisha vignettes by Leela Venkataraman
A festival of music and dance from Odisha brought Delhi audiences enjoyable fare.
- Classic idiom, prodigious in its variety by Brian Seibert
Beyond displaying the talents of the two performers and of Ms. Sen as a
choreographer, the brilliantly arranged program encapsulated and
expanded the possibilities of Odissi style, danced alone and in tandem.
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Reports
 - Book launch of ‘Sattriya: Classical Dance of Assam’ by Raju Das
At Sattriya Kendra, we were all awaiting the publication of ‘Sattriya:
Classical Dance of Assam,’ a book edited by Dr. Sunil Kothari,
with photographs by Avinash Pasricha, published by The Marg Foundation,
Mumbai.
 - Katkatha and nritya-katha by Shveta Arora
The final day of the 15th National Festival of Creative Arts was held at
the India Habitat Centre, Delhi on the 22nd of March 2013.
 - Natyanjali Festival in Mumbai by Vijay Shanker
Organised annually by Shanmukhapriya, the cutural wing of Subramanya
Samaj, the last day (9th March) of Natyanjali festival held at the
Subramanya Temple premises in Chembur (Mumbai) was a happy spectacle.
 - 5th St. Louis Indian Dance Festival: Bigger and better by Kumuda Prabhakar & Anitha Nagendra
This year, this festival had more than 150 artistes performing on three
days (both mornings and evenings). It boasted of having seven classical
dance forms and a folk art form from India.
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 - Culture on campus
The University of Hyderabad’s Department of Dance presented the dance
drama ‘Avasyam Swaccha Paalanam’ – Need for Good Governance.
 - Governor releases book on Mohiniattam by Vijay Shanker
The Governor of Maharashtra, K Shankaranarayanan released the revised
edition of the book ‘The Lyrical Dance – Mohiniattam’ by Dr. Kanak Rele
on 6th April at the mini PL Deshpande Auditorium in Mumbai.
 - Anuradha Venkatraman’s tribute to Maharaja Swati Tirunal by Satish Suri
Anuradha Venkatraman, a student of Saroja Vaidyanathan, gave a solo
performance on 20th April at Seva Sadan, Bangalore, as a tribute to
Maharaja Swati Tirunal on the occasion of his 200th birth anniversary.
 - When shishyas shone by Shveta Arora
The disciples of Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan performed at the Kamani
Auditorium on the 12th of April under the aegis of Ganesha Natyalaya.
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Book Reviews
- Contemporary Indian Dance: New Creative Choreography in India and the Diaspora by Ketu H. Katrak by Uttara Asha Coorlawala
Ketu Katrak’s book, which analyzes recent Indian dances in India, North
America, and Britain, sympathetically delineates the career trajectories
of artists, their personal struggles in breaking from their traditional
training, their negotiations with cultural stereotypes, and their
choreographic intentions and aspirations.
 - Noopuraagama - 1st Dance Research Journal of India by Vaishnavi
The journal is bi-lingual, consisting of 4 articles in Kannada and 2
articles in English with bi-lingual editorial and 4 expert notes.
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Obit / Tributes
 - KP Bhaskar (1925 - April 17, 2013)
KP Bhaskar, a leading light in the Indian dance community of Singapore
and former president of WDA Singapore chapter passed away in Singapore
on the morning of April 17, 2013 due to heart related illness.
 - Lalgudi Jayaraman (Sept 17, 1930 - April 22, 2013)
Violin maestro and composer Lalgudi Jayaraman passed away in Chennai
after a brief illness. He mastered the nuances of Carnatic music under
his father Gopala Iyer’s guidance, starting his music career at the age
of 12. He accompanied many stalwart vocalists before becoming a solo
violinist.
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New Releases
 - MASTER OF ARTS - A LIFE IN DANCE by Tulsi Badrinath
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. 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 - 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.
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
 - 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
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 - RASAANUBHAVAM – A BHARATANATYAM DVD presents
specially choreographed pieces in a professional studio recording by
Dr. Janaki Rangarajan. 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).
Orchestra: Jayashree Ramanathan (nattuvangam), K Hariprasad (vocal),
Vedakrishnaram (mridangam), and Kandadevi S Vijayaraghavan (violin).
 - Smitalay’s LEELAVATI
An Odissi dance ballet based on Bhaskaracharya’s 12th century
mathematical treatise, this famous text comprises of 261 shlokas. 13
were chosen for this production and story woven around Bhaskaracharya,
the father and his daughter Leelavati. The dance 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).
Conceived, choreographed and directed by Jhelum Paranjape, this was
performed by students of Smitalay and recorded live on March 8,
2004, Nehru Centre, Mumbai.
Price: Rs.600
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Globetrotting with Dr. Sunil Kothari
 - Sankardev Utsav: a tribute
Under the aegis of Pratishruti Foundation, Sattriya dancer Prateesha
organized Sankardev Utsav, inviting monks led by Adhyapaka Tankeswar
Barabayan from original Kamalabari Sattra from Majuli Island, Assam. The
program was held at YB Chavan Auditorium in Mumbai on 30th March 2013.
 - Utsav’s Unbound Beats of India
Ranjana Gauhar’s Utsav Educational and Cultural Society activities have
included several welcome facets for the past twenty six years. On 17th
April, the festival was inaugurated by Kumari Selja, at the Habitat
Centre.
Workshops / Announcements
- Smitalay presents
Odissi workshops in Mumbai
Dipali Tikam: May 2 – 10
Ankur Ballal: May 8 - 18
- NADAM organizes
Abhinaya workshop
By Bragha Bessell
May 18 - 24, 2013 Bangalore
- ICPA presents
8 day workshop
Understanding Indian classical dances
May 19 – 26, 2013 Bangalore
- Rhythmosaic Dance Company offers
One Year Academic Diploma in Contemporary Dance
June 2013 - May 2014 at Kolkata
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Look out for
- Rasika Kumar performance at Chidambaram 2013
- My journey as a dancer and choreographer by Priyadarshini Ghosh
Articles
 - Balasaraswati (1918 - 1984): Sketch & text by Ashwini Kaarthikeyan
On the night of 13th of April, as I listened to a classical composition
in praise of the Devi - Mother Goddess, my intense longing was
transformed into a portrait in charcoal of Balasaraswati on a 5' x 4'
canvas.
- Advaita and Science by Padmaja Suresh
Adi Shankaracharya is the Father of Particle Physics, says Prof. V Suryanarayana Rao, Chairman of Foundation of Vedic Sciences.
- Bharatanatyam and ballet by Miriam Lamas Baiak
In India, 5000 years ago, according to Sarabhai (2007), classical dance
appeared as a way of communication between humans and Gods, revealing
values and beliefs.
- The most unlikely disciple by KK Gopalakrishnan
Here’s a heart-warming tale of two great Kathakali masters of the 19th century.
- What the brain can tell us about art by Eric R. Kandel
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Interviews
 - Prasanna Kasthuri: Keeping Indian art alive
First of all, we have to understand that we are immigrants in a foreign
nation. The only reason we are doing this festival is to keep the Indian
art alive.
- House rules by Nita Vidyarthi
Odissi exponent and musician Guru Ratikant Mohapatra on having Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra as a father and guru.
- Dancing away divides by Devina Dutt
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui dances to an inclusive rhythm that brings in everything from Kathak to Manga comic art.
- Q&A with Chitra Kalyandurg
Quote
"My biggest responsibility, of course, is to be as sincere as I can in
practising and preserving and nurturing this rare vidya.
Traditions/practices have to evolve constantly and simultaneously grow
deeper roots. The growth of tradition has to go both ways
simultaneously. I am not comfortable with excluding the traditional
practices for being contemporary. If an art touches/moves a person
living in today’s world, if a person living in the contemporary world
feels passionate about the practice of a tradition, the tradition is
already contemporary."
- Kapila Venu
(‘A life less ordinary’ by Nita Vidyarthi, The Hindu, Jan 25, 2013)
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Meet the artistes
- Unique steps by Vidya Saranyan
Saroja Vaidyanathan’s calm demeanour reflects the collective experiences
of her years as a renowned Bharatanatyam artist, a well-respected
teacher, author, choreographer and the founder-president of Ganesa
Natyalaya, New Delhi.
- Spin to Kathak by Shilpa Nair Anand
Deepa Kartha says that Kathak is a popular choice among students of dance.
- Heart of the image by Anjana Rajan
Swapnasundari on reviving the agamic dances of the Shaiva tradition and discovering the harmony of all faiths.
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- Ode to the art of dramatics by Arundhati Pattabhiraman
Kapila is one of the young exponents in the country who has been a
dedicated practitioner of this ancient form of Sanskrit drama, which is
based on mythological texts.
- Bengal traces Kerala steps by Parvathy Nambidi
Recalling his initial days at Kalamandalam, Goutam says, “Getting
admission for a regular course was not easy because the medium of study
was Malayalam. And we were the first non-Malayali students in the
86-year history of the institution.”
- The right moves by Priyadershini S
A dash of Broadway, ballet’s pirouette, some contemporary dance… friends
Maria Roy and Arunima Gupta want to introduce people to a fresh idiom
of dance.
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More on the Arts
- Matter of dialogue by Leela Venkataraman
There are enough examples to underline the point that we stand to gain a lot by cross-disciplinary experiments.
- Two Indian divas by Joan Acocella
The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble has made eleven visits to New York, always
including on its roster not just the troupe’s two stars, Surupa Sen and
Bijayini Satpathy, but other Nrityagram dancers as well.
- Feats of excellence by Vinu Vasudevan
Popular Kathakali plays, Carnatic concerts and dance recitals were part of a cultural fete at Kottakkal.
- Resist discrimination by Geeta Padmanabhan
Artists come together for a show to generate awareness about gender inequality.
- Creating good work by Nadhi Thekkek
For me, creating work is often an outward presentation of a very personal journey.
- The Sufi spirit by Anantha Krishnan
The sights and sounds of world music at the World Sufi Spirit Festival in Jodhpur.
- Devoted to artistry by GS Paul
Father Saju George, a stickler for tradition, presented the nritta and natya aspects of Bharatanatyam at a recital in Thrissur.
- An epic well staged by Ranee Kumar
The ballet on Ramayana was carved in guru Chinna Satyam’s trademark style.
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- Foot tapping away to bliss by Hina Nainani
Natarani dance festival
- An evening of music, dance for a good cause by Ranjani Govind
It was a special Ugadi as Ananya Cultural Academy held this year’s
edition of its fundraiser, ‘Milana-an evening of dance and music.’
- A mature rendition by Ranee Kumar
Varsha Bhuvaneshwari’s Harikatha rendition was flawless, belying her young age.
- Masterly acts by Aasish Venugopal
‘Kalyanasougandhikam’ Kathakali, staged in Thrissur, was an aesthetic display of dramatic dynamism.
- Unity’s rushing waters by Sharmilla Ganesan
Sutra Dance Theatre’s latest offering River Sutra shows how the many streams of Malaysian dance can flow together.
- Soaring as high as a seagull by Janani Sampath
Bharatanatyam exponent Jayanthi Subramaniam’s Kala Darsana marked its silver jubilee with a grand show.
- Reign of aesthetics by PK Ajtih Kumar
N Srikanth and Aswathy V Nair’s ‘Amrithavarshini – A Rain Song’ was a blend of poetry, music and dance.
- Battle of the sexes by Vinu Vasudevan
‘Sree Sakthi Vijayam’ celebrates the spirit of womanhood through the
tale of Mahishasura’s defeat at the hands of Goddess Mahishasuramardini.
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EventsApril 27 - May 30, Malaysia, Kolkata, Cairo
Schedule for Sudarshan Chakravorty and Sapphire Creations, Kolkata
- April 27 – May 6: Sudarshan Chakravorty represents India in an
International Conference in Kuala Lumpur organised by the British
Council and Rimbun Dahan in Malaysia called the 'Audience Development
Program'. Sudarshan represents both Sapphire Creations and his
international biennial festival INTERFACE.
- May 13: Sapphire’s Main Company performs RITURANGA, a Symphony of
Seasons as part of the celebration of Tagore's Birth Anniversary by
Govt. of West Bengal. At the national theatre Rabindra Sadan, Kolkata,
6.30pm
- May 28-30, Cairo, Egypt: Sudarshan participates in the Pre-Event Media
Conference of IBFAA 2013 (International Bangla Film Academy Awards)
instituted last year where the entire Bangla film industry will
participate in the gala event in June. The pre-event will showcase
Sapphire's photographic exhibition MY BREATH ON CANVAS cumulating the
snapshots of Sapphire dances over the last one decade by ace
photographer Ranjit Sinha.
May 1, Bangalore
Shankaraa Foundation presents JEEVANOTSAVA.
- Jeevanotsava team presents tribal and folk forms of Karnataka, 5.30pm
- The GIVING TREE choreographed by Rasshme Hegde Gopi, performed by little dancers of Jeevanotsava group, 6.15pm
- Odissi recital by Meera Das and troupe, 7.30pm
- Music recital by Sangeeta Katti, 8.30pm
At: Shankaraa Foundation, Kanakapura Road, Bangalore, 5.30pm onwards
May 1 - 26, Switzerland
Schedule of events for D Keshava and Kalasri
- May 1, 10am to 5pm: At FESTIVAL OF CULTURES, the Keshavas and their
Kalasri dance and music ensemble present Indian cultural program to show
the richness of Indian art and culture: Carnatic music concert,
Bharatanatyam, folk dances, workshops in Yoga and Indian dance, Lec-dem.
At: Arena und Aula, Rudolf Steiner Schule Birseck, Apfelsees, Aesch
- May 3, 7 – 9pm: MODE SHOW, Globus in Bern
Bollywood dance by Anjali and Sumitra Keshava
- May 5, Tanzfest, Basel: Anjali and Sumitra Keshava will conduct a Bharatanatyam workshop,
Warteck pp, Basel
- May 24 – 26, KULTUR ERZÄHLT, open air festival at Museum, Basel
“Art of telling stories” - Keshava, Anjali and Sumitra present Bible
stories and Indian mythological stories in Bharatanatyam style.
May 24, 6pm: Opening ceremony, Ramayana play reading (German and Sanskrit) by Keshava
May 25: 1 – 2pm: Bharatanatyam by Keshavas
May 26: 11am to 12noon: Bharatanatyam by Keshavas
May 26, 2 – 3pm: Anjali will conduct a Bharatanatyam workshop
At: Museum der Kulturen, Münsterplatz 20, 4051 Basel
May 1 - 31, Aurangabad, Delhi
Schedule for Dr Sunil Kothari, dance historian, scholar, author, critic for May 2013
- May 1 & 2, Aurangabad: World Dance Day celebrations, seminar on Writing on Dance, at Mahagami Gurukul
- May 3 onwards, Delhi
- May 28: Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards function at Rashtrapati Bhavan, 11am
May 2 – 25, USA
US Tour May 2013 for Chitra Arvind, Rhythmotion, Bangalore
- Boston - 2nd & 5th May - Bharatanatyam and Kathak
- Irvine - 7th, 8th, 9th May - Contemporary dance
- San Diego - 11th May - Bharatanatyam and Kathak
- San Jose - 12th May - Kathak
- Washington DC - 18th May - Kathak
- Maryland - 25th May - Kathak
May 3, Gurgaon
Geeta Chandran performs on the theme of Diversity for School of Inspired
Leadership (SOIL) and the National Leadership Committee of The
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
At: Epicentre, Gurgaon
May 4, Aurora, IL
Natya Dance Theatre, Hema Rajagopalan, Artistic Director, presents
Spanda led by Leela Samson and featuring Bragha Bessel and a company of
dancers, in ASPECTS OF SHIVA exploring traditional and new works. Under
the artistic direction of Leela Samson, Spanda rediscovers and
reinterprets the traditional vocabulary of Bharatanatyam, establishing a
dialogue between dance, music, and stagecraft.
At: Metea Valley High School, 1801 N. Eola Rd., Aurora, IL 60502, 6pm
May 2 - 19, London & Italy
- May 2, Bedford: Ileana Citaristi gives an Odissi dance workshop and
lec-dem for the students of ‘21st education Century Trust’ at Bedford,
UK from 5.30pm onwards.
- May 4-5, London: Ileana Citaristi holds an Odissi dance workshop for
advanced students at Study Society Colet House, from 10am to 4pm
- May 6-10, Rome: Ileana Citaristi holds an Odissi dance workshop organized by Associazione Culturale Orchestes.
- May17-19, Venice: As part of Natyakala, Encounter with Theatrical
&Musical Traditions of India, Ileana Citaristi holds an Odissi Dance
workshop.
May 5, Bellevue, WA
From Within Nucleus presents NAVARASA NARTHANA GANAPATHY
At: Meydenbauer Center Theatre, Bellevue, Washington
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May 5, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu
Kittappa Natyalaya observes centenary celebration of Thanjavur KP Kittappa Pillai.
- 9am: Mangala isai by EM Mariappan & group
- 10am: function. Bahadur Singh (Post Master General, Central region,
Trichy) releases special postal cover and centenary souvenir. Babaji
Raja Bhonsle receives first copy of SPECIAL POSTAL COVER. Padmalochana
Nagarajan, senior disciple of Kittappa Pillai, receives first copy of
CENTENARY SOUVENIR. PS Sachu (Member-Secretary, Tamilnadu Iyal Isai
Nataka Sangam) releases publication THANJAI NALVAR NATYA ISAI SURANGAM
and first copy will be received by Sudharani Raghupathy, senior disciple
of Kittappa Pillai.
Artistes to be felicitated are Guru Kalyanasundaram, Dr. Rama Kausalya
(Former Principal, Govt Music College, Thiruvaiyyaru), Prof Sudharani
Raghupathy, Nandini Ramani, Dr. Selvaganapathy (Former Principal, Raja’s
College, Thiruvaiyyaru), AK Palanivel (thavil exponent), S Ramanathan
(Secretary, Karanthai Tamil Sangam)
- 3.30pm onwards: dance recitals.
At: Karanthai Tamil Sangam, Thanjavur, from 9am to 9pm.
May 5, Indianapolis, IN
Inner Peace Yoga Centre presents BHARATANATYAM FOR NEW AUDIENCES by Jaan
R Freeman (disciple of Nandini Ramani & Priyamvada Sankar, senior
disciples of T Balasaraswati). In this unique and informative
performance, Jaan will weave the interpretation and the Hindu mythology
of this riveting art form as well as provide the interpretation of the
poetry in the sung text.
Venue: Inner Peace Yoga Center, 5038 East 56th Street, Indianapolis, 2pm to 3.30pm
May 9, Luton, UK
Kadam/Pulse and Hat Factory present UC Shorts with guest artist Kalpana
Raghuraman in THE SPIRIT OF FRIDA. Cutting-edge South Asian dance that
is fresh, cheeky, thoughtful and heart warming. Unlocking Creativity
Shorts features: Spyridoula Dance, York, UK; Divya Kasturi, Stevenage,
UK; Ashima Suri, Toronto; Khavita Kaur, London, and Kalpana Raghuraman,
Den Haag, Netherlands.
At: Hat Factory, Luton, 7.30pm
May 12, San Jose, CA
Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose presents Spring Recital SONS OF SHIVA
At: School of Arts & Culture, Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA, from 4pm – 6pm
May 13, Thennangur, Tamilnadu
The ‘Mylapore Trio’ & the members of Sri Sumukhi Rajasekharan
Memorial Foundation celebrate the 87th Month KALA POSHAKAM at Sri Rukumayee
Sametha Pandurangan Aalayam, Thennangur 604408, Vandavasi. On the
auspicious occasion of Akshaya Thrithiyai (Lord Pandurangan’s
incarnation day) KALYANA UTHSAVAM will be performed for Sri Rukmini,
Sathyabhama Sametha Govindharaja Perumal, 4pm.
May 17, Bangalore
Nadam presents a Bharatanatyam performance by Bragha Bessell.
Venue: ADA Rangamandira, JC Road, Bangalore, 6:30pm.
May 17, Costa Mesa, CA
Ramya Harishankar performs for World Dance Concert, Orange Coast College
May 17 & 19, London, Salford Quays
Milapfest presents SPANDA: VIBRATIONS IN BHARATANATYAM created and
choreographed by Leela Samson. Featuring eight brilliant dancers,
including Leela Samson, Spanda moves through dynamic group and solo
choreography, with music by brilliant upcoming composers.
- 17 May, 7:30pm at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London
- 19 May, 5pm at The Lowry, Salford Quays
May 18 & 24, Bern, Winterthur, Switzerland
Bharathanatyam Tournee 2013, Dance: Lakshmi K Devadas & Petra Heiz
Vocal & Nattuvangam: N.N. Siva Prasad, Mridangam: Prasanth Piranavanathan, Violin: Yazhini Prasanth
May 18: Aula Muristalden, Campus Muristalden, Muristrasse 8, 3000 Bern 31, 7pm
May 24: Alte Kaserne, 8400 Winterthur, 8pm
May 26, Mississauga, ON
Sampradaya Dance Creations presents Children’s Film Festival in
partnership with FILMI. A family friendly event that will feature short
films by South Asian filmmakers.
At: Sampradaya Theatre, 4-3250 Ridgeway Drive, Mississauga, ON, 4pm
May 30, Mumbai
Santosh Nair & his company Sadhya present ROOTS, an evening of
Mayurbhanj Chhau & Contemporary work that stems from both Santosh’s
& Sadhya’s vocabulary of dance. It is designed on the concept of a
deeply felt bond between one’s roots & innovation. Nataraj-
describing the grandeur of Lord Shiva, Sabar Topka-showcasing a Hunter’s
escapade & Yodha - the war dance…all are presented in Mayurbhanj
Chhau style & and are interspersed with some innovative
contemporary work.
Artistes: Santosh Nair, Nikhil Lal, Nanda Kumar, Rishi Sharma, Neha Sharma
At: Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai
Bharatanatyam Arangetrams
May 4 - 19, 2013 California
Disciples of Ramya Harishankar, Arpana Dance Company
May 17 - 31, 2013 Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Disciples of Chandan & Nirali Thakore, Nrityabharti Performing Arts
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Welcome to our new member
Reshmi Nair Ghosh, ICPA Bangalore, training in various classical dance forms & music
www.icpabangalore.com |
Write to
us at narthakionline@gmail.com
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