Anita says...February 2025

ANITA SAYS.....

Feb 1, 2025

PEOPLE WHO SAY IT CANNOT BE DONE SHOULD NOT INTERRUPT THOSE WHO ARE DOING IT.
- George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and critic

IF YOU HATE A PERSON THEN YOU ARE DEFEATED BY THEM.
- Confucius, Chinese philosopher

Against the awe-inspiring backdrop of the MahaKumbh - a once every 144 year event - that witnessed the largest human congregation on earth at Prayagraj, millions of devotees congregated to pray and plunge into the meeting point of the sacred rivers - Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. This created a visual canvas that no scenographer could hope to emulate. A powerful and undeniable testament to the power of faith.

Dancers and musicians were part of the daily celebrations. The experience has been described by every artiste as "deeply moving", "extremely humbling", "life altering". Shovana Narayan and Geeta Chandran, whose dance ensemble were invited to perform last month shared their individual perspectives on the impact of being a part of this human tidal wave.

Geeta Chandran at the Kumbh

Shovana Narayan at the Kumbh

Shovana Narayan says, "The atmosphere was charged with a million hearts drenched in devotion. I felt a powerful current of energy as I dipped into the waters."
Geeta Chandran says, "The Kumbh makes you deeply aware of your own insignificance both on earth and in the cosmos. A moment that shakes one to the deepest core."

NEW AGE CHOREOGRAPHERS

Who are today's new choreographers? They are the India's photographers. Aggressive, pushy and in a world of their own. You see them at award functions directing the awardees to stand in a certain way, look a certain way and even ask the chief guest to repeat the act of giving away the award for the perfect shot. I have watched them ruin a good wedding function by climbing on to the main dais and getting their camera between the groom and the bride during some important moments. The priests who conduct these rituals are equally to blame. In the midst of their duties, they pause and turn for the "photo op"! They block the view of the audience and are nearly impossible to control. In this, there are several categories - the film photographers are the worst behaved, the wedding and party lot are not much better, though not as rude and the dance/music lensmen are perhaps the best of the worst! During a performance, the photographers from legacy media arrive during a performance and walk right to the middle of the hall in front of everyone to take that perfect shot for the next day morning papers. Digital advancement has curbed flash photography somewhat but it has not taught photographers better stage manners. I have seen many climbing the stairs by the side of the stage, sometimes even clicking from the wings as they try to capture that special moment. The incessant "click" of the digital shutter is distracting. The catch-22 situation is that we dancers need them to record our performances and make us look better than reality (with photoshopping for social media!)

PAISA VASOOL- GETTING OUR MONEY'S WORTH

For anyone who watched the Australian Open tennis tournament last month, the rude and uncouth behaviour of the crowd was shocking. When tennis icon Novak Djokovic retired hurt during the semi finals, they started heckling and booing him. For someone who has won this Grand Slam 10 times already and is considered a GOAT in his sport, this kind of audience behaviour was sharply criticised. Were they disappointed that the match was not completed? Did they want a terrific 5 setter to satisfy the hefty ticket prices? Did they not care about the health condition of Djokovic? To retire hurt was the decision of the champion so as to not aggravate the injury.

What about a dancer? Many of us perform even while injured, adjusting our bodies or the choreography to help us get through the performance. However, we know the moment, on stage or before, when it becomes impossible to continue. Almost a decade ago, a celebrated Bharatanatyam dancer appeared at the Music Academy's annual January festival with such a bad hip injury that she could hardly stand. Instead of telling the organisers ahead of time and pulling out so that her slot could be replaced by another artiste, she decided to go ahead with the show. And what a sad and disappointing evening it was! I was in the audience getting increasingly uncomfortable. After the show, there were many who were openly angry at being "cheated" of an evening of good dance. However, nobody demanded their money back, like the Aussie tennis crowd did.

There are questions that athletes and performers share. The emotional and ethical dimensions of our profession. All we can do is give our best. To retire hurt or to continue during a match or a performance is entirely up to the individual.

RETURNING TO THE STAGE
I returned to the performance space after a very long hiatus. Mind and body felt very different. Heavier - not in weight, but in the way I walked and moved. My normally excellent balance was off. I was swaying unexpectedly. My movement from the floor level to the upright position was not smooth. Stamina was poor. My normal elephantine memory was failing me. My concentration was off course. I felt like a novice. Looking at the script and memorizing my lines all over again. It was very frustrating. It got me thinking.

A woman's body goes through so much - not just in the teenage years and the time of maturation but also the rite of passage of becoming a mother and watching her body change right before her eyes. Peri and post menopause is yet another whammy that hits us like a hammer. Mood swings, sleep apnea, hair fall, weight gain. Everything that dancers are terrified of. And we are on stage through it all for all to see and judge. No matter what today's politically correct mantra dictates of not body shaming large women and embracing her appearance as she is - to disregard fashion forecasting - a woman who has given birth has to reckon with the changing contours of her breasts, waist, hips and thighs. There is something very radical that occurs during the formation of a life within you and it is very, very rare that a new mother can return to be fighting fit and performance ready within a year. There is also the inevitable march of time and you cannot dance at 60 the way you did at 50.

There are, of course, some rare examples - Urmila Satyanarayana and her 32 year old daughter look like sisters! There are others, of course, who look like they stepped out of magazine covers, but on the whole - our Indian Ajanta hips and rounded breasts reveal the advancing march of Mother Time.

I wish there was a guide for dancers with Indian genes to maintain optimum health and positivity through careers that now stretch beyond our 40's and 50's into the 60's and beyond.

A DANCER'S SOURCE OF ENERGY

Chitra Visweswaran in impromptu Ras Leela

Award winning Hollywood actress Zoe Saldana remarked that she would always think of herself and hold her body as if she were a ballet dancer long after she had stopped dancing. The terrific discipline that dance gives a human body is still being assessed. I watched a multi-generational celebration that was like a Flash Mob at a private event. An audience of mostly dancers were listening to folklorist and storyteller Revathy Sankkaran followed by musician OS Arun. On my request, Arun concluded his concert with a Ras Leela. Spontaneously, guru Chitra Visweswaran rose from her chair and was followed by 30 more dancers across generations as they wove around a large tree in the open air, creating choreography on the spot and revelling in the moment. And what a moment it was! The non-dancers were all watching through their cameras (of course!) capturing the moment that was unrehearsed and joyous. A few days later, Chitra was chosen to receive the DIVA AWARDS for dance at a glamorous city event. When dance legends are remembered and honoured, it is a good feeling because memory is fleeting and legacy disappears in a flash!

AMAZING ADITI

Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company (Photo: Daljeet Singh)

In January, I watched another icon Aditi Mangaldas - who looks far away from her 65 years - as she twirled, lunged, crouched and navigated the vast Music Academy stage for her command performance in Chennai last month. In an ensemble work called UNWRAPPED, Aditi and her marvellously trained dancers and musicians delivered a stand out show to a rapt audience who had not seen Kathak in this contemporary avatar. Faces wrapped in monotone beige silky cloth - inspired by the words of philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti - Aditi never looked out of place with her much younger colleagues. Her intellectual curiosity shone through at many sections, pushing the socially elite Chennai audiences to sit up and lean into the work. An intelligent Tillana / Tarana finale in a more colourful and traditional costume was the placating piece for the invited guests who seemed a bit perturbed by the lack of "Ananda" and colour in the early sections.

Aditi Mangaldas (Photo: Dinesh Khanna)

Over an extended phone conversation, Aditi shared how her top priority was to put two musicians on a monthly payroll, thereby ensuring that they attend class every day. The presence and sound of live music in the daily Riyaz/rehearsal process has been a crucial factor in her creative process. The well knit, impeccably dressed and trained musician ensemble were totally at ease during the performance, walking into the dancer's space, standing behind Aditi and elaborating a Raga while a seated Aditi interpreted a lyric.

Aditi's fitness levels clearly shows a tremendous discipline that is ingrained in her sinews. She confesses that not being a foodie has certainly helped her health, energy levels and weight control. On the suggestion of her son, she consumes only pomegranate and blueberries in the fruit category, cutting out every other fruit in her diet. On show day one banana and a cup of tea with sugar is the only indulgence she allows herself. To clear her mind, she cleans her room, keeping only the costumes and notes needed for a particular show. She believes that this kind of Japanese IKIGAI code of clearing clutter helps her focus. No matter what the weather or the hour, Aditi is ready to tie her ghungroos and get to the dance studio by 10 am daily. Waking up in the middle of the night to record an idea on her phone or write down a new rhythmic sequence in her notebook, this relentless woman is a creator 24/7. During the Covid lockdown, she shared training videos with a fitness expert as she and her team lifted heavy ropes and ran up and down stairs to strengthen the core and leg muscles - vital for dancers. Yoga, Kalari, meditation, contemporary movement classes - Aditi worked at improving the level of her company ever since she was told by UK presenters, especially Farooq Choudhury and Akram Khan, to tour overseas only with her classical solos since they felt that her company dancers were not at par with Aditi's movement quality. Working with Morag Deyes, the Scottish dramaturg and visual artistes from Europe, Italian lighting and Japanese costume designers who brought a fresh silhouette to her newer ideas, Aditi evolved, amongst fierce criticism and resistance from the Kathak community. Turning 60 was a watershed moment when all the "fights, fears and faults fell away", Aditi recalls. I remember a heated debate over a decade ago in New Delhi about the style of her presentation being "not Kathak". Today Aditi is a grandmother to two young toddlers and is a sought after artiste by both traditional and modern presenters. "Ageless" is a quality that is easily applied to her.

Akram Khan's Thikra

The Akram Khan company seems to be everywhere. Like a Hydra, the gigantic imagination of its founder has morphed into a global brand of extravagantly imagined and flawlessly executed stage productions. Now at the JOYCE theatre in NYC with GIGENIS - Generation of the Earth and almost simultaneously in the Saudi Arabian desert oasis of AlUla with a site specific performance called THIKRA - Night of Remembering. The good news is that several Bharatanatyam dancers, led by an Akram favourite Mythili Prakash, are now guest artistes in the AKDC fold. The latest to join are Jyotsna Jagannathan, Kavya Ganesh, Renjith/Vijna and Divya Ravi. With major music inputs by vocalist Aditya Prakash, this large scale production shared some enticing glimpses on Instagram that set the dance world buzzing. The inclusion of so many Bharatanatyam and Carnatic elements into Akram's productions could be attributed to his 'Dance Brother' Bharatanatyam dancer Mavin Khoo who introduced the British dance sensation to the roots of Bharatanatyam through several visits to Tanjavur and other centres of the tradition. It augurs well for the dancers to experience such a grand level of organisation and management in a company that is a proverbial juggernaut. Working in the professional atmosphere of the Akram Khan company will open the India-based dancers' eyes to the possibility of how dance can be created, performed, sustained and marketed as a global cultural export.

Mythili Prakash has incorporated a member of my NAACHIYAR NEXT ensemble into her latest all female edition of SHE'S AUSPICIOUS. Ashwini Srinivasan, the multi-percussionist is becoming a familiar face internationally as she tours with Mythili. Her elder sister Anjanai, who is the veena artiste for the beloved ANDAL production, has moved to Fremont, California and beginning a new artistic life of cross-cultural collaborations with dance, theatre and more. I applaud and watch the rise and growth of these young women with whom I have worked and travelled for several years.

PRAYERS AND PRANAM

Kumudini Lakhia

Sobering news comes from Ahmedabad where Kathak guru Kumudini Lakhia is in deteriorating health. The announcement of the PADMA VIBHUSHAN award came as she was lying in bed. While her family and students rejoiced, there is growing concern about the physical condition of this 95-year-old matriarch whose mind is still sharp and active. India's second highest national honour could have come sooner, while she was in better health and still able to travel to Delhi and receive the award from the President of India. Now confined to her bed and awaiting the wedding of her grandson, Kumiben has not lost any of her spirit and ebullience. According to her senior student Rupanshi Kashyap, she is busy directing her daughter Juju Hattangady with various responsibilities.

A loud round of applause and a fervent prayer for this incredible daughter of India - unstoppable, unbreakable and unforgettable!

THE ANNUAL BLOOMING OF THE LOTUS
Congratulations to all the Padma awardees across so many creative fields.
Martial arts, folk performers, composers, writers, historians, classical dancers, puppeteers, musicians, sculptors - the selections across the arts fields has been admirable. This PADMA is a national honour that is highly coveted by so many and is certainly a high point for any professional in any sphere of life. A total of 33 artistes were recognised for this honour and a moment when India's "soft power", sometimes relegated to a footnote, moved into the national spotlight.

Republic Day cultural show

The month ended with a grand show of 5000 folk artistes across 45 art forms who covered the entire long stretch of grand boulevard Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26, India's 76th Republic Day. A colourful and exuberant show, titled JAYATI JAYA MAMAH BHARATAM, was conceived by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Apart from the military show of strength that has become a tradition on January 26th, it is the cultural segment that is eagerly looked forward to. Every year, designers and choreographers are hired for this mammoth task. Artistes rehearse in the freezing winter from 3 am in the morning. This year, the National School of Drama (NSD) designed nearly 75 props including instrument decorations, floral elements, muppets, and other traditional craft elements that brought a carpet of colour to the Kartavya Path. Normally, smaller groups perform in a loop while walking down the long stretch. This year, the number of performers was expanded considerably so that all 5000 artistes could be seen by every member of the audience. The television imagery was incredible to watch and the aerial shot was like a long and never ending carpet of colour. Kudos all around!

An interesting footnote for all regional and linguistic chauvinists. Today, Bharatanatyam is considered a TAMIZH art form. The image of the BN dancer is used at every opportunity to stamp the regional specialty of my home state. Likewise, every Indian state claims its own classical and folk style to boast about. The general opinion is that Udupi, a region in Karnataka, is the navel centre for the popular foods - Idli, Dosai, Sambar and Vadai. While Tamilnadu and Karnataka battle fiercely for the ownership of these dishes, a historic detail blows the theory wide open. In the fascinating book THE TAMILS, by Nirmala Lakshman, a chapter on the Maratha rulers of Tanjavur reveals this surprising nugget of information. It was during this period in the 17th,18th and 19th centuries that arts and culture flourished. The Carnatic music Trinity - Dikshitar, Syama Sastri and Tyagaraja as well as the Tanjavur Quartet - Ponnaiah, Chinnaiya, Sivanandam and Vadivelu created and composed. King Sambhaji (1657 to 1689), a Marathi speaking aesthete and gourmand, missed the sour taste of KOKUM of his native Maharashtra. Instead, he discovered TAMARIND as a suitable substitute and hence the SAMBAR- named after His Royal Highness -was born! So, the proverbial South Indian SAMBAR has Maharastrian roots. Just like Bharatanatyam flourished under the linguistic domination of Telugu and Marathi over local Tamizh in the royal capital of Tanjavur! How's that for a marvellous mosaic!

My point is, nothing is absolutely PURE. There is a delicious mix and a polyglot of influences across cuisine and culture in India. That is what makes our nation and our civilization so fabulous. And so layered that it confounds simplistic analysis or algorithms.

As I close this edition, comes news that several nonprofit organizations who run community journals are having their nonprofit status cancelled. According to one post on X, the Indian tax authorities have determined that "journalism serves no public purpose or good". Hmmm. Wonder what all of us working in the arts writing sphere are doing?
On this note I say ADIEU.

Stay well, healthy and in a positive state of mind.
It is Basant Panchami and Valentine's Day.
Cupid and Saraswati arrive. One stirring the heart and the other the mind.
Remember that both can waver.
Live in the moment.
Let every breath be like a dance.

Until next time…

Thank you for reading and listening.

Anita R Ratnam
anitaratnam.com

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Responses
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I read your serious points of age catching up for dancers. There is a saying in Tamil, whose translation goes like this: The vocal chords that sing and the feet that dance will never cease to be.

I heard Swami Omkarananda (he died of Covid) telling his audience this:
“There is a time and station in your life where pujas, reciting hymns, and rituals are important just to stay focused and not go astray into habits that harm yourself and your wife, kids, parents and your neighbors. And as you age well into your 70s, your daily discipline and puja routines that served you well in your prime themselves become a burden for you and those around you. So do not hesitate to wind down.”
This is the advice from a Hindu monk. Worth pondering over and sharing with your dance fraternity.
- Kollengode S Venkataraman (Feb 2, 2025)

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