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ANITA SAYS..... May 1, 2025 Dancing is like dreaming with your feet. Great dancers are not great because of their technique. They are great because of their passion. - Martha Graham, icon of American modern dance  Welcome to the merry month of May... it's a gorgeous time of the year. Nature expresses herself in fascinating and unusual ways and the world is on the move. Flights are jam packed, airports are teeming with people, roads are jammed - it looks like our planet is buzzing... the oceans are filled with resort and holiday crowds on cruise liners. And, of course, the dance world is buzzing and humming and singing along - even if the world seems to be burning as we look around. However, what else are dancers supposed to do? As the opinion pendulum swings from right to left, never pausing at the centre, my travels and thoughts will focus on the here and now of what the month of April unpeeled for me. April concluded with INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY. Started in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of UNESCO International Theatre Institute to promote global awareness of the art of Dance, it has become a marker for all dancers to celebrate in their cities and towns across India and the world. Performances and more performances, talks, discussions, conclaves, seminars - every form of word, movement, visual and thought fill many spaces in the days leading towards April 29.   (Photos courtesy: Natya Vriksha) My presence, for a few years now, has been in New Delhi to attend and savour the exquisitely curated weekend by Geeta Chandran and her NATYA VRIKSHA dance organisation. Held at the India International Centre, the 18th edition of World Dance Day was launched by a movement workshop led by Tanusree Shankar. The searing 40 degree Celsius heat was no deterrent for the large number of young dancers who registered for her session. Tanusree, daughter-in-law of legendary Uday Shankar, the "father" of modern Indian dance, shared precious nuggets of the making of Shankar's magnificent movement pedagogy. A painter and a magician, Uday Shankar was led to create his unique choreographic style through two westerners. His painting teacher William Rothenstein and dance mentor, prima ballerina Anna Pavlova. The style, named after him, used the kinetic markers of Bharatanatyam, Kathakali and Manipuri to create a signature of flow and complete body involvement. Tanusree was a graceful and authentic leader who guided the eager dancers of various classical styles through two mornings of strenuous and imaginative choreography. It was fascinating to watch the students attempt to unlearn and absorb movement systems that were obviously new to them. I joined in for a bit on both days and felt my body loosening up and urging me to do more! A thoughtful lecture by poet Ashok Vajpeyi titled DANCING AWAY, reminded the audience that while dancers perform in the here and now, they are actually taking the audience on a journey to another place and time. That dance was perhaps the only art practice that could hold temporality and vulnerability within the crucible of transformation. The lucid statements about Bhakti and Sringara were telling. "When there is too much emphasis on spirituality, dance becomes religious. When there is too much sensuousness, it becomes obscene." Dancer turned storyteller Ramaa Bharadvaj shared her hit show AVATARANA, the story of dance, with her usual superb timing and humour. This is a show that every dancer and non dancer must watch. It embeds knowledge and concepts in an easy to follow style. The audience was laughing and relishing every minute of the hour-long exposition. The robust cheering at the end was well deserved. Ramaa has a box office hit on her hands and I see AVATARANA with a long life ahead. The two evenings of performances showcased emerging dancers who have made a conscious commitment to their art as a full-time practice. On Day One, Bharatanatyam artiste MADHURA BHRUSHUNDI sparkled in her opening showcase. A rising talent nurtured by guru Geeta Chandran, Madhura rose to the occasion with a lively Pushpanjali and an evocative interpretation of Adi Sankaracharya's SARADA BHUJANGAM. It is not easy to be a student of a star guru whose shadow looms large. Madhura has worked tirelessly to create her own "voice" in the 3 dance pieces she shared to a packed hall.  Madhura Bhrushundi  Dheerendra Tiwari The next performer was DHEERENDRA TIWARI, a fabulous talent and most seen on Indian stages as part of the Aditi Mangaldas dance ensemble. During several sequences and crisp "Padanths" (the rhythmic spoken syllables), Dheerendra brought a cascade of applause. His one leg twirls, split second level changes, superb timing and effervescent energy gave Delhi audiences a fresh perspective on Kathak. Here is a dancer with an "X" factor worth following. Day Two began with an excellent Kuchipudi performance by ABHINAYA NAGAJOTHY. A student and disciple of her mother Seetha Nagajothy, this lesser known but promising dancer is brimming with talent. Abhinaya has the saucy lilt and gait of the style which she performed with aplomb. I watched several classical dancers and rasikas relish the scenes where she portrayed the famous heroine Satyabhama.  Abhinaya Nagajothy  Shashwati Garai Ghosh The dance component of World Dance Day concluded with the excellent performance of Shashwati Garai Ghosh. A rising star in the Odissi world, this student of Sharmila Biswas, has been in the exploratory mode ever since the Covid lockdown. I have watched her many collaborations with dancers of other styles and her firm Odissi grounding has given her a springboard to launch into partnerships with colleagues with mutual respect and self-confidence. Her performance was marked by clarity of technique and a marked maturity on stage. It is a gift that mid-level professional artistes receive during careful curation like NATYA VRIKSHA's two-day YOUNG DANCERS FESTIVAL. To have senior dancers and rasikas present for their performances, to receive a just remuneration, PR and publicity as wind beneath their sails and responses for their appearance in the nation's capital - these are not what my generation experienced. We slogged and persisted the old fashioned way - and have lived to see today. I truly hope that these talented dancers realise what they have received in a world that is cluttered with too much information and too little discernment. Our best wishes to all four artistes. SIX DEGREES OF SURPRISE     A week before I was in New Delhi, I attended an ensemble performance of a little known dance academy, inspired by a student of Rukmini Devi's KALAKSHETRA. Founder and Director S Premnath has created RUKMINI DEVI NATYAKSHETRA, a 25 year old institution that has produced high quality dance artistes. Located in North Madras, away from the Mylapore nerve centre of Bharatanatyam (and its politics!) seems to have helped the school flower quietly without interference. The production I watched was staged at the Rukmini Arangham inside the Kalakshetra campus. It was about the valour and wondrous achievements of the popular Tamil deity MURUGAN. ARU PADAI VEEDU - the six sacred places of Murugan, also known as Skanda, was performed at a standard that took me completely by surprise. The hallmarks of the Kalakshetra style, the swift and light footed running, the clear technique and special touches to certain props and entries, like Rukmini Devi used in her dance dramas, were all showcased. For me, the 3 hour long production on a humid evening was a revelation. Almost every student was a first generation dancer from very modest homes. The dance presentation showed what a dedicated team of teachers, advisors and patrons led by a determined Premnath at the helm can achieve. It was an AHA moment for me! I left smiling! THE FEMALE LEGACY PROJECT  Usha Rani  S Seethalakshmi   Line drawing of Narthaki Nataraj HER - RESILIENT FLOWER   The dance theatre presentation was inspired by a text by German Bertolt Brecht titled THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN. Using dance, spoken text, props and multi-lingual audio, Lucrezia interpreted the story of a single woman who attempts to rise above social prejudice to dream of a better life for her unborn child. Lucrezia had incorporated the presence of the two musicians (K. Sarvesh and Deepa) who played the role of Gods who came down to earth in search of the last good human being. Tamil, Carnatic music, English, Bharatanatyam, theatre were all employed rather effectively. Perhaps Lucrezia can also incorporate her native Italian in the spoken dialogues to bring a personal stamp to this very popular story. GIGENIS in India  As I rewind my memories of April, I now come to my trip to Mumbai and a matinee viewing of the much awaited presentation of AKRAM KHAN's GIGENIS - The Generation of the Earth. The overarching thoughts that swirled in my mind, and in the words of many friends who I met in the foyer was, "Why is Akram Khan back on stage after loudly proclaiming that XENOS (2019 to 2022) was going to be his final stage appearance?" THE GRAND THEATRE with 2000 seats was nearly filled with high price tickets. Dancers, actors and rasikas from across India had travelled to watch the only India showing of GIGENIS. The curtain rose to a dimly lit stage of Kapila Venu as the matriarch about to witness the total destruction of family and clan. Her small frame seemed to expand to fill the stage and from the opening moment she towered above everyone else. The vague narrative of queen Gandhari torn between maternal love and royal duty began to emerge for me. Staying within her metier of Koodiyattam and the rhythmic Mizhavu played by Kalamandalam Rajiv, Kapila Venu's brilliance held the evening together. The other two stars of GIGENIS were the sound design led by BC Manjunath's superbly adventurous Konnakol and the lighting (Zeynep Kepekli). Now for the performance itself. The power struggle between brothers, the literal crowning / snatching away and resulting loss of kingship felt like musical chairs performed in a very literal manner. The choreography of a ravaged world from childbirth to maturity was divided between 4 dancers. A young girl, a new wife, a mother and the mature woman. The sections were danced through the bodies of 3 performers. Odissi (an unimpressive Sirikalyani Adkoli), Vijna Vasudevan (a beautiful duet with partner Renjith Babu) and young mother Mythili Prakash (a competent performance but familiar - almost repetitive - choreography of fluttering hands and flailing body) that is at war with herself and the world. Kapila Venu was the fourth stage of the woman's journey from innocent joy to cynical devastation. Akram Khan and Mavin Khoo looked visibly slower than their younger colleagues who bore the lion's share of the movement sections on their bodies. The choric arrangements with the Carnatic music sections led by Sohini Alam, Sushma Soma and Rohith Jayaraman were melodious and often enhanced the abstract choreography. What jarred was the sudden insertion of the ghazal, "Ab jaane ki zidd na karo". The inclusion of the Kriti JAMBUPATE by Dikshitar was questionable. Why was a reference to Lord Siva who is the master of the five senses used for an effervescent, romantic interlude? In fact, all lyrical choices seemed superfluous. I was impressed but underwhelmed with GIGENIS. Akram's skill in the creation of a common movement vocabulary that could be executed by Kathak, Odissi and Bharatanatyam trained dancers was fascinating to watch. The production values were superb. While the artistes were all classically trained, there was no visible trace of each style (except for the brief posture of the Odissi Tribhanga). The 65-minute performance dragged towards the end, straining to conclude. It meandered and returned to a relentless focus of a world heading towards Armageddon. This was not choreographed activism but rather a toe-stab at the dismal state of the earth and the generation that will inherit the looming disaster. As a scholar friend said, "For artistes, the process of art making is the only resistance". So perhaps this is how an arts tycoon like Akram Khan expresses his world view. The calamitous dirge continues with Akram's next presentation THIKRA - a night of remembering - again with the use of several classical dancers from India, US and the UK. The quiet hush at the end of GIGENIS with the mandatory standing ovation was muted in some sections and heartily expressed with "bravo" being shouted in the mezzanine sections. The lack of programme notes was significant, leaving the audience with no context or credits to peruse before or after the event. GIGENIS is clearly a work conceived and created outside India where the current funding and business climate for art making encourages such a dark view of humanity. Depression, isolation and emptiness are no longer niche topics. These dark, dystopian subjects are now considered universal emotions and are at the forefront of films, art, digital expression and dance. Gigenis was slick, well crafted, superbly mounted and professionally performed. It was certainly an afternoon well spent for many who have followed Akram's work from his early years from 1999. From NO MALE EGOS (with Mavin Khoo) through LOOSE IN FLIGHT, ZERO DEGREES, VERTICAL ROAD, GNOSIS, GISELLE, DESH, MA, IN-I, TOROBAKA and XENOS, I have been following Khan's astonishing oeuvre over the last 26 years. This time, I rose to my feet with a sense of weariness and "ennui". Perhaps it is a bludgeoning of social media that has over exposed every aspect of GIGENIS and ripped all the mystery and anticipation for me. Sometimes, it helps not to read reviews or watch too many reels before actually watching the performance. ONCE AN ICON  Alarmel Valli  Malavika Sarukkai Across the oceans, Malavika Sarukkai dazzled the Kennedy Centre audiences with her new solo show BEEJA-the seed. Young performers who had made the journey from other metro cities were captivated by the rigorous and intense dancing, her passion for Bharatanatyam and a meticulously presented evening. Malavika is noticeably social media shy and takes long breaks for self reflection and research. She is among the very few classical dancers in their 60's, like Valli, who have been on the international radar for 45 years and still remain firmly planted within the rubric of tradition. CREATIVE CRESTS However, there is a larger question I wish to raise here. Can a creative artiste continue to have a trajectory of brilliant originality? Is there not a rise, a cresting and then a downward slope? When does a much applauded and awarded performer start repeating themself? When does it become apparent when a formula gets rehashed, cut and pasted to propel a flourishing brand forward? Does an artiste require creative rest? A period of quiet when the PR machine and the "business" side of dance making allow a chunk of reflection? Also, what happens when, in the case of the current Akram Khan/Mavin Khoo partnership, India trained dancers could suffer serious injuries when exposed to the western method of "rigour" that mandates hours and hours of pounding and hammering the body to repeated company classes and rehearsals? I know of numerous dancers suffering lower back and ligament tears that forces them to rest for 6 months after an international tour with western dance companies. For generations of Indian dancers, born and trained in India, each class rarely takes more than 2 hours at a time. There is much more than technique and physical prowess that is required in the making of a dancer. Music, literature, poetry, reading, discussion - these are all part of the learning process. Not anymore it seems. All that is needed today is a body that submits to "punishing" routines in the name of "rigour" and "discipline". And finally, does the brand value of India based dancers who work in international dance companies actually increase after the project ends? What do they return home to? Regular classes, online teaching, workshop touring? Does their own work shift and change with the experience? Do they absorb any qualities of collaboration and creation to insert into their own process? Does their home country recognise these prestigious assignments with rewards like greater visibility in festivals and a higher chance of honours? Or do they just wait until the next invitation to become a guest artiste in another international project?  With Kumiben I have written about the many performances and other dance related events I watched in April. I enjoyed watching such a wide variety of performances and felt blessed to have the opportunity of being this ever curious rasika. However, April also came with its share of grief and shocks. We lost two important women, among many others. The passing of Kathak icon Guru Kumudini Lakhia was a profound moment for dancers around the world. For decades, Kumiben had redefined what Kathak meant to her as a dancer and choreographer. Impatient with what she considered unnecessary frills and fuss around Kathak, she began work like a sculptor, discarding everything she felt was superfluous. In the process, Kumudini Lakhia discovered a whole new language within the classical idiom that spoke to her intimately and became a blueprint for a modern lens on Kathak. Draped in her favourite emerald green sari, Kumiben was given a grand send off to the beyond from her home in Ahmedabad. There was an outpouring of grief, comments and recollections by so many across the dance world and beyond about her wit, sense of aesthetics, ensemble dance design and the fresh makeover that she gave to Kathak beyond Krishna and Radha. I will personally miss the annual phone call on my birthday. Kumiben and I shared birthdays in the month of May and we would wish each other on those special days. There was talk about food, music, saris accompanied with lots of laughter.  Kamalini Dutt Another huge loss was the passing of scholar and dance producer Kamalini Dutt. A major force in Doordarshan, she was responsible for restoring numerous old and decaying databases of dance films. Her influence in dance archiving has been invaluable. Kamalini Dutt was steadfast in her efforts to preserve and protect the vast dance heritage of India. Artistes who were recorded at the Doordarshan New Delhi studios speak of her meticulous care and sense of visual aesthetics that she brought to the recordings. There were other dedicated artistes who breathed their last in April - Janak Khendry, Geeta Radhakrishna, Guru Premchand Hombal, PS Subramanian. Atma Shanti to the departed souls. While Kamalini is survived by her dancer daughter Purvadhanashree, what happens to legends like Kumudini Lakhia? Who inherits her mantle? Who will continue to run KADAMB, her academy in Ahmedabad? What about the rights of her major choreographies? Who will preserve and have the copyright over them? What are the questions that Tanusree Shankar has about her own legacy inherited from her mother-in-law Amala Shankar and father-in-law Uday Shankar? Her beautiful daughter Sreenanda is a lovely dancer but a more successful design and lifestyle influencer who is not active in the dance field. Why is it that many young dancers today have no idea about who Uday Shankar is and have not heard of, let alone seen the seminal film KALPANA? There is a practice in western countries of endowing dance choreographies after the Artistic Director passes away to the company board or to an individual. India has not confronted these aspects of intellectual property issues yet. And we have hundreds and thousands of dancers creating, learning, performing and recording themselves every day. Social media handles have also become important archiving sources. There is much to think about beyond the stage and the lights. News of the NATYA SHASTRA and the BHAGAVAD GITA being recognised and included in UNESCO'S MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER came at an opportune moment for Indic scholars and those engaged in the preservation of traditional practices. A timely international recognition for a culture that is embedded in stone and scripts, in oral transmission of knowledge and the performing/visual arts. Even the cringe worthy visuals of Bharatanatyam dancers performing on the tarmac in the blistering heat as US Vice President JD Vance and his family arrived in India cannot spoil our mood. The devaluation of our classical forms by officials is disappointing but we have to look beyond these obvious faux pas. As I head towards the USA this month and spend time in several cities on various professional and personal commitments, I take the time to wish you all a fabulous month of May. Peel off those coats and sweaters if you can and go barefoot in the park, feeling the grass beneath your feet. Let the breeze caress your spirit. Smile. The world is waiting. Until next time, Anita R Ratnam India / USA anitaratnam.com  Do listen, share and subscribe to our podcast ANITA SAYS on Spotify. 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