|     |
|
| |
 e-mail: khokar1960@gmail.com UNbox and outta box! December 14, 2023 UNbox is the latest attempt to brand Bangalore. Earlier attempts were worthy but faded away without staying power and change in admin. As part of the 11 days feast, classical dance was offered by the UNbox Bangalore Habba team at Medea in Koramangala.  Chithkala K Tunga  Debasish Pattnaik It is a chamber theatre with great location and potential. Chithkala Tunga, that wonder girl of Yakshagana started the evening and despite initial tech hitch she danced with joy and led to an Odissi offering by a recent settler in town from Odisha called Debasish Pattnaik. His accomplices looked from the soil and all three acquitted well with neat and clean lines, aesthetic rendition and smiling faces! One tattoo too many on his body was a distraction. One doesn't have to wear one's regional predilection or religious symbols on stage!  Chethan Gangatkar & Chandraprabha Chethan The ardhanarishwara piece by the duo Chethan Gangatkar and Chandraprabha Chethan, was lokadharmi by definition as Kuchipudi is a melam or group dance drama art, like Kathakali is. The concept actually is the meeting and merging of both the male principle and the female in one body. By doing as a duo they created two bodies. A common mistake evident this evening while depicting Shiva, most dancers think and depict him as an angry young man! Shiva is not just raudra or angry all the time. That's just one of his sthayi bhava as manifested in Sapta Tandava form. The seven types being 1.Ananda tandava, 2. Sandhya tandava, 3. Kalika tandava, 4. Tripura tandava, 5. Gouri tandava, 6. Samhar tandava, 7. Uma tandava or urdha. Dancers need to understand inner bhava or meaning too of deities they are depicting. Raksha Karthik next is a good example when the body may not be a dancer's best tool but if the art and its foundation are strong enough then it can shine. Shine she did with a very expressive face. Her hand and leg positions were also well-etched and on the whole she captured audience attention. A dark sari will help contain the form, as light coloured costume doesn't help with strong lights in small halls where there is no distance from the spectator. On big stage it gets adjusted by the darkened wings and depth of stage.  Raksha Karthik  Manasa Joshi & disciples It was left to Manasa Joshi to conclude on a high note which she did with her students. Manasa shows maturity of form and good foundation. She has a happy personality dancing. Alas, the costumes did nothing to help. Why do dancers bring bling to stage? Classical dancers should either maintain the aesthetics of classical form or do modern dance or filmy. While wearing leggings makes for ease of delivery and convenience, churidar goes with Kathak aesthetics where swirls dominate. An enthusiastic general crowd was pleased anyway. Crowds came in abundance to NADAM's 24th year Kalanadam festival at ADA Rangamandira. The hall has seen better days. Even with enhanced facilities, especially parking and elevator, the staff is nonchalant, uncooperative and plain rude. They are getting a salary for work but act as though they are doing a favour! I would tell the owners to replace them with younger, more qualified professionals if these think they are doing social service. Lights go off when needed most; elevator switched off unless you can prove you are above 80 and can't climb steps. NONSENSE. NADAM made sense despite that and for three days brought a dance palette of taste and substance. On day one were the popular local razz-m-tazz Kathak duo Nirupama and Rajendra. Day two was Odissi from the soil by Meera Das group and G. Narendra solo. Day three was Mohiniattam by Sunanda Nair, then Kathak by Nadam ensemble and Bharatanatyam by Poornima Ashok. Festivals can be boring. Anything goes. Friends and family are often bunged in these days. Someone pays and all watch for free. Not NADAM's. From many wannabes, only a few are selected. There's diversity of forms and mix of solo with group. Punctual, perfectly conducted by Smita Srinivasan and young trainees, the festival is a hallmark of good taste and aesthetics. They also support some social cause every year, an orphanage or a hospice or a school or an institution. NADAM under the baton of Murali Mohan Kalvakalva and Nandini Mehta have helped put Bangalore on the cultural map of India. Many wish to be associated with it and dance in their annual festival.  Meera Das  G Narendra As to actual art, the second day saw wholesome Odissi with grace and lalitya, which is a rarity even in Odisha these days. However, the Gunjan group was pretty polly that never rose above the ordinary. When there are students why do gurus also struggle to dance solos in conclusion? Such abhinaya intensive item can be sandwiched between two group performances. A good opportunity to make a mark in most cosmo dance metro Bangalore, was somewhat lost. It was left to a soloist from Chennai, with live music to boot, to lift the evening with his rendition on Shiva. Narendra's hastas alone are worth a watch. What grace and fluidity. Here is a first rate Bharatanatyam dancer who is centred and focussed. Don't go by his mostly white head. He dances better than a youngster. His over an hour presentation of a single item showed stamina alright but was a tad too long, leading to ennui and audiences wanting to leave. In any city, by 8.30/9pm people like to leave. Distances are vast, traffic cumbersome and roads not safe. A good dancer should know how much to give. The art of editing escapes most Indian dancers. Less is more, please understand. Leave audiences wanting more.  Sunanda Nair  Nadam ensemble NADAM did that the next day with its Kathak offering, which was preceded by the most soothing, graceful and deep Mohiniattam one saw in recent times. Sunanda Nair, an ace disciple of Dr. Kanak Rele, did her memory proud and got a standing ovation. Her Kubja was memorable and Krishna delightful. I remember Kalanidhi maami teaching Chaliye kunjan mo to Priyadarsini Govind at home, 1996. Sunanda Nair also brought a first rate music team. Most soothing singer, first rate mridangist and edakka, ever so delectable. Credit goes to NADAM for getting dancers with live music too. It costs! Travel, stay and fee and audiences get it all for free. They should start paying for these feasts. Free art has less value. There used to be a donation box earlier at entrance. Now post Covid the challenge is to get people to physically come to the hall itself but with achche din back kindly start charging entrance fee to the festival. Test how many are willing to pay. Madras has turned the tide. Bombay, even Pune pays. Delhi is spoilt silly by sarkari freebies and over patronage. Bangalore being high tech and all, the science capital and startup city, ought to start paying for art.  Poornima Ashok Always end a festival, especially one that goes on for 3 days, on a high note. A group energy is by definition different. Unless the soloist is a star and a crowd puller, it doesn't work. Poornima Ashok has an old fashioned approach to Bharatanatyam and maintained the Kalakshetra mould, though there was no spark. The dice game and concomitant cheer haran of Draupadi was infused with predictable drama and she maintained natyadharmi style and content. Live music did nothing to uplift the spirit except Sanjay Shantaram was the surprise of the lot, singing well and conducting. It would have been better if NADAM ensemble concluded the festival, as by definition they have an ability to engage the audiences and as stated before, group energy is different and most of all, their Kathak connects. NADAM FESTIVAL showed high class content and concept and is now a benchmark dance festival to go to.  Critic, connoisseur, historian, author, artivist, archivist, administrator and more - editor, columnist and mentor Ashish Khokar remains true to his muse. More on attendance-india.com Response * What a description of every single artist and their styles, colour of their clothes, lighting effect etc. A good balance between positive & to be considered points. Ex “less is more.” People’s behaviour & what is needed to make the whole experience better and a memorable one. I am not an artist and I do not have any knowledge in this as well. But, when I start reading your articles on subject of art, I end up reading until the end. That is the gift and art of your writing skill with truth, humour and wisdom. Best wishes to keep going. - Revathy (New Zealand, Dec 16, 2023) * There are things that I totally agree with you: 1. Wearing of chudidaar instead of leggings. When you do a chakkar and that swirling costume goes up… the view that comes is not nice. 2. You also need the Chudi of the Chudidaar on which you tie your ghungroos. 3. Yes, for classical performance a plain light is better than flashy things. The dancer with traditional costumes and makeup is enough. Flashy lights dilute and disturbs here. 4. Tickets for shows - We have reached a situation where we need to pull audience for the shows. Now if they have to pay? Who will come? Art lovers are limited. Classical dance tho traditionally patronage se hi chaltaa hein. - Dr Putanjani Mungar Purgus (Mauritius, Dec 16, 2023) * Nice & crisp critique. - Gaurang Mishra (Andamans, Dec 15, 2023) Post your comments Please provide your name and email id when you use the Anonymous/blog profile to post a comment. All appropriate comments posted with name and email id in the blog will also be featured in the site. |
