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ANITA SAYS..... I counted my years And realised that I have Less time to live by, Than I have lived so far My time is short: I want the essence, my spirit is in a hurry. I do not have much candy In the package anymore Yes, I'm in a hurry. I'm in a hurry to live what the intensity that only Maturity can bring. We have two lives And the second begins when you realize you Only have ONE. - Mario de Andrade Brazilian poet and novelist  Happy New Year, everyone! Here we are at the start of yet another year. A year that brings with it all the hopes and promises of something better and brighter than the year that has just gone by. Are you looking back at 2024 with gratitude, joy, delight? A twinge of regret and sadness? Are you a better person today than a year ago? It is a brand new start and moving beyond resolutions, there are 12 brand new months to reset, pivot or simply get up, dust the knicks and scratches off our knees and keep going-dancing! For me, 2024 has been one of big ups and downs. A broken bone mid year and weeks of rest put me in a reflective mood about my own journey. It's been 60 years since my arangetram! How much and how far I have travelled in my life and art! How many new initiatives, new platforms, new brands. So perhaps 2024 has rightly been a year of pause, reflection and perhaps a pivot! My travels took me to many countries but in December alone I went to villages, towns, cities, mountains and the seaside. I watched a gamut of performances - ritual theatre, folk art, mythic plays, classical and neo classical dance, performance art, film music orchestras, contemporary dance and, skipping (almost) the entire Chennai Margazhi season. I felt a huge surge of gratitude for the opportunity to encounter new cultural experiences while staying curious with a multitude of questions about walking the creative path. To take the entire month of December off was always the plan. Knowing only too well that Chennai would be drowning in too many Bharatanatyam shows from morning to night, I intentionally planned to turn my lens onto other kinds of creative endeavours. I wanted to absorb a greater diversity in arts programming, to personally witness the push of bristling young minds curating inter-disciplinary events with courage and bravado - to acknowledge (with a wistful twinge) the shrinking space for classical dance and to envy classically trained musicians who are able to easily straddle so many worlds simultaneously. AN ICON OF DANCE  Dr Ketu Katrak  In conversation with Dr Ketu Katrak However, the final 3 days of December was a rush of events. The long awaited biography of ASTAD DEBOO was launched in Pondicherry. Biographer and theatre scholar Dr Ketu Katrak has crafted a careful and empathetic narrative of Astad's remarkable life and oeuvre. Astad's introduction to dance was Kathak dance classes in Jamshedpur. Later, his adventurous spirit took him all over the world - 70 countries - which, in turn, nurtured and honed his choreographic lens. Astad's travels on the bottom deck of a ship to Iran at age 22, a voyage to Vietnam to observe the ravages of war, working with children of challenged communities, his collaboration with fashion, design, visual art, puppetry and international music; the biography has been carefully and lovingly crafted by an academic that makes for a compelling read, not just for dancers but, for anyone interested in a life led with passion and purpose.  Astad Deboo Astad could transform any space he was given. Precariously balanced atop a historic fort, a small window ledge, a rooftop, a bench, a sculpture garden. I remember when a dancer was injured and could not perform at THE OTHER FESTIVAL, a contemporary arts event I had co-founded. One phone call to Astad and he was on the next flight. No questions asked. My final memory of this dance phenomenon was at the Kalakshetra auditorium for the Korean collaboration SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT, swirling in his yards of fabric adorned with the crane (a bird considered sacred by the Parsis). I also recall the days before Astad's passing on 10th December 2020 at age 73. A month before the end, he started sending a small circle of friends numerous photos of his dance career with short messages. He called many of us to simply chat, perhaps knowing that it would be a goodbye. A WhatsApp group was formed by his family to inform us about his condition in hospital and the final moment was marked with "He's gone!" Like his name that means a STAR, Astad Deboo will always gleam and glimmer in the dance firmament for generations to look up to.  With Dr. Sunil Kothari I take this moment to also mark the fact that the dance world misses the intrepid dance scholar Sunil Kothari. He passed away 10 days after Astad due to Covid. During this frantic and frenzied December season, Sunil Kothari's effervescent presence is sorely missed more than ever. His monthly column FOOTLOOSE AND FANCY FREE was eagerly awaited by many. We at NARTHAKI are fortunate to have carried his by line and I know that so many dancers worldwide miss his indelible presence.  Sonali Skandan Just before New Year's Eve, I sat in the crowded MEDAI space, which is the least suitable for dance. The DIASPORA DANCE FESTIVAL was an all-day event that started at 10am but I watched the last two shows by Sonali Skandan and Archana Raja - dancers whose work I am familiar with. Sonali Skandan impressed with her powerful interpretation of Goddess Durga, the final dance piece in her multi chaptered showcase called HER WAY. Sonali's frame seemed to expand on the tiny MEDAI stage as she sliced the space with her arms and leg kicks. The raw voice of the singer added to the untamed dimension of the ferocious Goddess.  Archana Raja Concluding the all-day event was Bharatanatyam turned Kuchipudi dancer Archana Raja. This Bay Area based artiste has worked with my dance ensemble for 4 years playing the main role of ANDAL in NAACHIYAR NEXT. Archana has matured tremendously in her dance interpretations and Kuchipudi suits her vibrant personality even better than Bharatanatyam. The legend of YELLAMMA, the wild and unpredictable divinity, whose head is the image of worship, adoration and fear was Archana's exploration for the evening. Expressive and beautifully danced, Archana's interpretation of this complex story was convincing even though the transitions were somewhat jerky. With an average audience of 50 in the small space, MEDAI is becoming a popular venue for classical dance, no matter the immense challenges of logistics and equipment. Akhila Krishnamurthy and her team at AALAAP deserve special mention for the numerous events they have managed throughout December - busier than all the dancers and musicians combined! ARTS ON THE RAMP  Padma Subrahmanyam 
 Gopika Varma Winding back to the first of the month, December kicked off with a fun fashion show featuring several classical musicians and dancers in an event called MARVELLOUS MARGAZHI. Curated by Bharatanatyam dancers Lakshmi and Saraswathi, I found myself backstage at a five star hotel sitting with Padma Subrahmanyam, Aruna Sairam, Bikram Ghosh, Rakesh Chaurasia, Urmila Satyanarayana- among others. We were the captive muses for a saree and jewellery brand and were asked to walk the ramp with the single mandate - "HAVE FUN!" I took that seriously and more! The green room banter was rich with humour and anecdotes. Fresh and piping hot pakoras, steaming coffee was punctuated with laughter with so many of us talking about diets, skin issues, knee and lower back ailments, travel experiences and rib tickling humour. It was a rare moment of bonding with artistes across generations. Such a fun way to begin the month! With a ramp walk-performance! OF KITES AND LIFE   Kattam Katti (Photos: Vinay Datta) The Chennai performance of the UK based Pagrav dance ensemble's India tour of KATTAM KATTI was presented by NARTHAKI GLOBAL MEDIA. As an Arts Presenter of 35 years, I had been in discussions with Urja Thakore and dance consultant Nelson Fernandez for 16 months leading up to the December 4 event. The beautiful Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao auditorium was the perfect venue for a meticulously crafted Kathak piece on the famous KITE FESTIVAL in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This popular social event became the scaffolding for choreographer Urja Thakore to create a social commentary about celebration, inequality, justice and the exhilaration of freedom. Just like a kite flies across borders and boundaries, humanity can learn to tide over differences. The true stars of the evening were the musicians who became co-performers, seated, standing, walking, singing, drumming, playing the flute - becoming a seamless part of the 55 minute work. The dancing was beautiful, the costumes simple and flattering but it was the musicians who made us all sit up in our seats. What a contrast to the stiff dance musicians in India who sit on the side and consult their notes and Ipads constantly! The technical team from the UK led by Matthew Ort (lights) and Camilo Tomas Tirado (sound) created a magical atmosphere in the 6 hours they had for a full tech set up. True to form, the Chennai dancers did not attend the event which was, however, attended by a refreshingly different audience of A list social elites and many others from diverse sections of the creative arc. THE POWER OF RITUAL    Kaisika Natakam From the city, the next stop was my ancestral village of Tirukurungudi. The annual theatre ritual performance/offering of KAISIKA NATAKAM is now in its 26th year of re-enactment as a 4 hour performance-offering to Lord Vishnu. Always on the 4th day of the waxing moon in the Tamil month of KARTIKEI - mid November to mid December. This year the crowds were larger than usual, thronging the Azhagiya Nambi temple and filling every nook and crevice. Seated, standing, leaning against the ancient pillars and rapt in attention as the emotional story unravelled about the musician-devotee NAMBADUVAN convincing the raging RAKSHASA-demon into submission with the beauty and power of his soulful music. Hundreds of hands raised in ecstasy, wet cheeks and voices raised in a chorus of "NAMBI NARAYANA" piercing the night was a testament to the power of ritual and the abiding resonance of faith-based performance art in sacred environs. Over the past 26 years, KAISIKA NATAKAM has seen many actors take the 3 important roles of the devotee/musician, Lord Vishnu disguised as an old man and the cursed demon. For the actors themselves, inhabiting the roles has been a transformative experience as they voice the dialogues facing idols of Lord Vishnu in a palanquin seated before them as the "Chief Guest". Working in the quiet village for nearly 3 decades for the KAISIKAM revival project has helped me encounter so many prejudices from the local families about art, performance and performing in public. Many homes refuse to allow their daughters to participate once they have attained puberty. Young men are attracted to the role of the demon rather than the character of Lord Vishnu. Over the years, we have identified and trained several young girls and boys between 10 to 14 years of age in the dialogue and actions of the play. The ancient palm leaf manuscript holds the original script which runs for over 6 hours. Editing and re-staging this 15th century ritual for today's audiences has been a very important chapter in my artistic journey. CHENNAI AND PANJIM The Chennai season had begun in early December and concerts were already in full swing. I returned in time to felicitate Geeta Chandran on being chosen to receive the prestigious NRITYA CHOODAMANI award from Krishna Gana Sabha and to watch her evocative performance the next day.  Making news was not dance performances but the Sabha canteens that have become enormous magnets for foodies. This season alone, the Sabha food turnover is estimated to cross 1 million US dollars. Revenue for music and dance concerts is 40% of that number! So now you know where the crowds are gravitating! Next, it was off to Goa and the exciting SERENDIPITY ARTS FESTIVAL which continues to offer India's best smorgasbord of performance and visual art across genres. The large number of enthusiastic youngsters as volunteers and the wide variety of venues across Panjim made everyone feel that something exciting was in the air. Everywhere you went, from the moment of touchdown at the airport, there were hoardings, placards and posters heralding the weeklong event. If only Chennai could get its act together, I thought wistfully.     Serendipity Arts Festival I watched 92-year-old Kathak guru Kumudini Lakhia speak of her eventful life and dance journey in a film. Then listened to her star student Aditi Mangaldas expand on how important her early years of training under "Kumi-ben" were. How she always encouraged every student to "find her own dance voice." Once labelled a "renegade and a corrupter of Kathak" for her pared down costumes, discarding of the dupatta so the dancer's spine can be revealed, Padma Bhushan Kumudini Lakhia is now hailed as "a genius, a visionary and a change maker". I loved the moment when she explained how she departed from the normal religious and mythological narratives of Radha and Krishna by saying, "Give the Gods a rest and let's dance about the present." The meticulously curated (Geeta Chandran) afternoon ended with two excerpts by dancers of the KADAMB DANCE GROUP, Ahmedabad. It was a most satisfying 2 hours that cemented my opinion about the value and place of great traditions and its potential to nourish and nurture the past and present. There was much more to see at the festival. A dizzying variety actually. LGBTQ based plays, a rejig of the Ramayana story through the lens of women (a favourite topic that never fades!), a boisterous and engaging ensemble representing Punjabi music and dance, a lavish orchestra playing the hits of Bollywood composers Laxmikant Pyarelal, Baul music by Parvati Baul that was trance inducing, an emotive moodscape capturing the monotony and camaraderie of the rural woman in SONGS OF THE MILLSTONE - art exhibitions, contemporary FADO music (Goan version of the Portuguese tradition of melancholia and longing). Artistes were invited to "PITCH" their new work for future curation, a session on writing for the arts, stalls on how to make your own pickles, kids specials for painting and visual arts - I could go on and on about how I needed a thousand eyes and sleepless nights to capture a sliver of the variety and excitement of the festival. I went, I saw, I feasted on the superb cuisine Goa offers. I returned charged and motivated. Back in Chennai for two days, I got news that Indira Kadambi's performance at Krishna Gana Sabha was a huge hit. Vyjayantimala Bali gave a rare public appearance to rapturous response. Awards were received by many deserving younger names. Music performances were filled to the brim with houseful audiences and standing ovations for many stars. Retail establishments like jewellery and sari stores also participated in the mood by having dance performances at their venues. The NATYA KALA CONFERENCE (Nirupama and Rajendra convenors) brought a big slice of Karnataka culture to Chennai. There was the usual conversations about mediocrity, excellence, nostalgia for some artistes who have passed on. A FALL AND THEN WHAT?  I want to pause and add an event - actually a mishap - that derailed me, somewhat. A week before my birthday in May, I fell and broke my left wrist. It was a complicated fracture and for the first time I had a long cast and an immobile arm. While I did not have any performance looming ahead, it did put a dampener on my travel plans. The bigger question was "how did it affect my state of mind?". Normally, these kinds of accidents, while closing one door actually open up windows. I have heard of people who take to other creative ventures during physical mishaps. For me, everything went blank. I stopped dreaming strange and colourful dreams, ones where I would wake up and jot down something on the note pad next to my bed. My body became sluggish and tired. It was as if one broken part of my body conveyed to the rest of the limbs and muscles to "STOP EVERYTHING!" It was uncomfortable and scary; I wonder if any of you reading and listening have felt this way. Now, 7 months later, has the creative bug returned? Did I miss rehearsals? I did continue to write (actually dictate) this monthly column and record my podcast, trying to keep the broken arm out of the camera lens. I feel now that something inside me has changed. The incident has made me pause in a major way. It makes me wonder about where I am in my dance/art life? Does 2025 mean a major pivot? GOA STATE OF MIND   Serendipity Arts Festival Returning to the GOA experience is important for me to share with you. As I watched such a dizzying variety of shows, I also experienced POETRY ON WHEELS. A free shuttle organised by the SERENDIPITY FESTIVAL brought a vehicle AND a poet in the back seat. As we travelled from one venue to the other, I was listening to beautiful poems! Delightful! And - one room in the central GMC complex invited us to write any single thing or person we hated. Yes, hated. We drop it into a box and proceed to sit in a comfortable chair as someone gives us a nourishing foot or neck rub. Aaaaah! Who has time to hate anyone or anything was the feeling I walked out with! I also felt a major twinge of regret when I watched classical musicians slide into Bollywood music extravaganzas with such ease. Rajesh Vaidya and BC Manjunath were jamming at the Laxmikant Pyarelal show at the large open air arena and elsewhere for other smaller performances. The quiet veena player Anjanai, who plays for my group shows, was at Goa airport with jeans, a T shirt and ready to play for 2 theatre artistes. Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam jammed with Usha Uthup and Shubha Mudgal. Music seeps into any genre unlike the physical body which is bound by place and time and musculature of physical and cultural geography. A dancer cannot fit into modern, classical, contemporary, performance art, pop. Music can. Intergenerational conversations is what I saw in plenty. It put me in a very happy place - where I felt valued as an artiste and a Rasika. Seeing so many across generations fill every show at every venue, big and small, with a genuine curiosity not seen anywhere else - to see fledgling shows that still need time to mature alongside experienced performers on the same day - gave me so much hope for the future on Arts in India. AND ON THAT NOTE  The new year beckons. Dance will always be difficult and challenging - and it is getting more and more problematic on many fronts. Remember WHY you chose to be a dancer. WHY you wake up every morning. Ask yourselves if you would rather do something else? Remember that after the first rush of excitement of becoming a dancer and being on stage, the longer journey will challenge your own family and community. This is when grit, stamina, common sense and diplomacy has to kick in. It takes a village to make a dancer and a village to sustain one. So put down that mirror (which is now your device) and look around. There is space for everyone. You are not the navel of the universe. You are connected and interconnected through the web we call LIFE. Thank you for reading my thoughts and words. In 2025, we reach the silver anniversary milestone of 25 years online! A quarter of a century of the NARTHAKI.COM web portal. So many years of supporting dance and its world. Of cheering, funding, sponsoring and showcasing emerging talent across so many disciplines. Today it is the NARTHAKI platform that is the most sought after digital destination for reviews and commentary on performances. The podcast ANITA SAYS is still in its infancy and has to find its own personality. In print ANITA SAYS will continue to contain and share many ideas and inspirations that I have personally experienced and encountered. As far as the state of classical dance is concerned, the 2024-2025 season has confirmed the status that the horse has bolted from the gate and cannot be stopped. What goes today in the name of classical and neo classical Indian dance is a far cry from what my generation was taught. What is considered eye catching, excellent and emoji worthy is unrecognisable today to me and my generation. My single comment - to those who are hiding behind the classical costume and ankle bells (egged on by their irresponsible gurus) and doing what they consider HUMOUR or CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL COMMENTARY is only this - Have the courage to wear jeans, Tshirts, kurtas, salwars, churidars, leggings, casual hair and make up when you attempt these departures. The classical dance costume represents an ethos, a cultural and social framework and demands acknowledgment and respect. Not this sort of careless disrespect. As a BABY BOOMER who was birthed by the generation of BUILDERS, I have lived through the successive generations of MILLENIALS, GEN X Y and Z - onto GEN ALPHA and now awaiting GEN BETA in 2025, I have adopted the following mantra for myself. LET IT BE, LET IT BE. SPEAKING WORDS OF WISDOM, LET IT BE. If a student leaves you - LET IT BE If a mentee prefers a cool Insta influencer - LET IT BE If someone unfollows, blocks you - LET IT BE If your own children unfollow you - LET IT BE If you get a poor audience or a bad review or NO review - LET IT BE If Gen Z respects you in direct proportion to your Insta followers - LET IT BE If a collaborator-dancer-musician breaks your trust - LET IT BE Deal with it calmly. Everything passes. Like LIFE. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Your heart beat is the only companion that will be with you until the very last moment. Listen to your heartbeat like the sound of a drum. May it resonate with integrity, respect, solemnity, courage and the fulfilment of your songs. Like the Beatles sang these words 54 years ago, LET IT BE. THERE WILL BE AN ANSWER, LET IT BE..  Aaaaand... so - here we go! Bring it on, 2025! We are ready for you! - Dr Anita R Ratnam anitaratnam.com  Do listen, share and subscribe to our podcast ANITA SAYS on Spotify. Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook    Post your comments |
