New Releases

Aug 28, 2023

“Mapping of Space Through Bharatanatyam Sequences” by Ramya Shankaran, aims to educate readers about the evolution of the understanding of the theater space, what is space in motion and in static, how theatrical space is defined and created in the dance, if theatrical space is comparable to everyday space and the benefits of studying theatrical space for an increased understanding of everyday space. The book also provides an understanding of the importance of movement and rhythm in architecture and the influence of Bharatanatyam to space as well as the implication of an understanding of “kinesphere” and “kinesthetic” in architecture and Bharatanatyam.

Ramya Shankaran, Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam performer, is an architect and founder of Adhyaathma School of Performing Arts based in New Jersey.

“Mapping of Space Through Bharatanatyam Sequences”
By Ramya Shankaran
Published by Xlibris
Softcover | 8.5 x 8.5in | 86 pages | ISBN 9781796052343
E-Book | 86 pages | ISBN 9781796052336
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

July 12, 2023

SHAKESPEARE MEETS THE INDIAN EPICS: COMPARATIVE THEMES AND INTERPRETATIONS

The third book in a trilogy series related to the Indian Epics, Kathakali and Shakespeare -SHAKESPEARE MEETS THE INDIAN EPICS: COMPARATIVE THEMES AND INTERPRETATIONS has been published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle, UK.
This book demonstrates that people writing and creating characters almost 6,000 miles apart, and in different centuries, have a lot more in common than one might expect. It examines the day-to-day themes appearing in the two epics, The Ramayana and The Mahanbharata and some of Shakespeare’s plays and looks at specific themes and character ‘pairs’ from the two genres. The book reveals that whatever backgrounds people may have, they ultimately tend to tackle life in very similar ways and this claim is substantiated with many pertinent examples drawn from diverse disciplines such as management, psychology and military rules of engagement. This book along with the other books in the trilogy are positioned as academic books and will be of interest to practitioners of the theatre, students of performing arts and aficionados of the Epics and Shakespeare.
The other two books in this trilogy have also been published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing - Vignettes Relating to Kathakali and Shakespeare: the Thirasheela versus the Curtain and Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, the Mozart of Kathakali. So the trilogy consists of firstly a comparison of characters in Shakespeare and the two Indian epics, followed by a detailed study of an individual actor and his links to Sir Laurence Olivier and ends with a comparison of the themes in the two genres. Overall, the trilogy presents a comprehensive examination of how commonalities exist in seemingly uncommon places if an in depth study is done.
You may view the description, author details and an extract from the book
Hardback
ISBN: 1-5275-1541-9
ISBN13: 978-1-5275-1541-3
Release Date: 19th June 2023
Pages: 386
Price: £77.99

June 22, 2023

The Marg Foundation releases READINGS ON DANCE: FROM 75 YEARS OF MARG, Marg’s Reader for Dance practitioners, students, and historians.
Edited by: Anita Elizabeth Cherian, Urmimala Sarkar Munsi
SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 / VOLUME 74 NUMBER 1
Price: Digital - Rs.250, Print - Rs.350
A carefully crafted collection of essays on Dance from Marg’s 75-year-old archive, Readings on Dance is just the book if you want to look at Dance in a more profound way.

May 25, 2023

Produced and presented by Natyarambha, KUTTY KAHANI - ETERNAL STORIES, YOUNG STORYTELLERS - brought to you stories from India’s timeless wisdom told by children from across the country as well as from UK, USA, Singapore and Malaysia.
Kutty Kahani, for children, by children, is now in a path breaking video embedded ebook with all 55 stories! A multi art multi lingual e-book of 55 Indic stories, captured beautifully in digitally animated videos, along with ‘Did you know’ snippets that is captivating, wholesome and educative, Kutty Kahani brings our timeless culture and knowledge within easy reach of children.
Get the Kutty Kahani ebook to read, listen, see, learn and know.
Available at amazon.in

May 23, 2023

DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL REHABILITATION
THE SAMPOORNATA MODEL
By Sohini Chakraborty
This book looks at the psychotherapeutic effects of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) with a focus on the experiences of survivors of gender-based violence and their social development, psycho-social rehabilitation, and reintegration within society. The author, a sociologist and dancer, uses a model she calls Sampoornata or Fulfilment, to merge sociology and dance in order to help survivors of sexual violence overcome their trauma.
This book will be of interest to researchers and students of psychology, psychotherapy, dance and movement studies, and to those who work with dance and movement therapy. It will also be useful for professionals working in the areas of gender violence, trafficking, trauma, psycho-social rehabilitation, and well-being.
216 Pages 36 B/W Illustrations
Published May 12, 2023 by Routledge India
ISBN 9781032160887

May 19, 2023

CULTURAL FORMS AND PRACTICES OF NORTHEAST INDIA published by Springer Singapore and edited by distinguished scholar and academic Prof K.C Baral, features a series of important essays by renowned contributors.
Serves as a bridge between vanishing cultural forms and their commodification
Spans aspects of cultural forms and practices in Northeast India
The first volume in the English language on Northeast India's cultural evolution
Published May 17, 2023
245 pages
Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-19-9291-9
e-book ISBN: 978-981-19-9292-6

May 12, 2023

In ancient India, women competed to win the title of Nagarvadhu, quite literally the town's consort. For certain temple worship (Agamas), dance and music were necessary ingredients. The women artists dedicated to the worship—Devadasis and Maharis—had a high rank and dignity in society. Tawaifs were central to Mughal court culture from the sixteenth century. It is also believed that young heirs were sent to courtesans to learn 'tameez' and 'tehzeeb', including the appreciation of good music and literature.
COURTING HINDUSTAN is a deeply researched, elegantly crafted portrait of some of the most intriguing women figures practising traditional Indian entertainment art forms such as, music, dance and poetry. It relives 2,500 golden years of women being elite traditional performers and how, over the centuries, they have captured the imagination of the country and the world at large, their art and lives being a complex response to social forces and cultural conditions.
COURTING HINDUSTAN delves into the scintillating world of courtesans who went on to become empresses, queens, prima donnas, pioneer filmmakers, music directors, ace dancers and so much more. Many of them went on to rule kingdoms, enjoyed positions of great power; many were venerated by governments and yet they lived on the fringes of society. In many ways, these were women, first of their kind, to survive an entrenched patriarchal society and break the chains imposed on them, paving the way for generations of women to come and conquer.

About the author: Madhur Gupta is one of the leading Odissi dance exponents of his generation. The Indian Express has hailed Gupta as one of the few male artists (in a field mostly dominated by women), who not only pursued Indian classical dance with devotion but also excelled at it. Beginning his initial training in Kathak with a maestro like Pt Birju Maharaj, he was strongly drawn towards Odissi as his life's calling. He has also had the fortune of interacting and learning from masters like Madhavi Mudgal, Bichitrananda Swain and Kumkum Lal. Madhur is currently in advanced training under Guru Sharon Lowen in the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra style of Odissi. Apart from extensively touring, performing and writing, Madhur also teaches Odissi at Sangeet Vidya Niketan, New Delhi.

Title: Courting Hindustan: The Consuming Passions of Iconic Women Performers of India
Author: Madhur Gupta
Publisher: Rupa Publications India
Price: INR 295
ISBN: 978-93-5702-103-6
PP: 208

April 11, 2023

Bharata Kalanjali hosted the release of the book NATYA YOGA (Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House), interconnecting the philosophy of the mind based on the Natyashastra and the Yogasutra.
“Anjali” Angelika Sriram graduated in dramatic Arts in Stuttgart, Germany, studied in Chennai at Kalakshetra, with The Dhananjayans and Muthuswamy Pillai. She has performed extensively in India and Germany and published a book on Bharatanatyam as well as three novels in German. R. Sriram trained with the renowned Yoga-Master and teacher of teachers T.K.V. Desikachar and taught initially at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. He has been an active student of Yoga for over 40 years and teaches yoga today to Yoga teachers in India, Germany and the UK. The couple runs the rewilding project Base Art Nature Yoga near Kodaikanal.
The function was attended by many book lovers at TEACH auditorium, Spastn campus, Taramani, Chennai, on 2nd April 2023. A few pages from the book were read and Shanta Dhananjayan received the first copy.

Feb 10, 2023

Guru Venu G's magnum opus 'MUDRA-THE LANGUAGE OF KUTIYATTAM, KATHAKALI AND MOHINIATTAM' is a rare book with 1341 hand gesture notations. It has the largest collection of hand gestures made so far in the world, compiled through practical learning over 5 decades. The book of 756 pages will be launched on March 1, 2023 and costs Rs.3000.
For copies contact: natanakairali@gmail.com

Dec 20, 2022

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR PERFORMING ARTS authored by Bharatanatyam dancer Dr.Sreelatha Vinod is a functional primer for thesis development and planning that offers guidance on form and structure with definitions, process clarity and presentation approach. An important companion for Bharatanatyam students and researchers alike, who set out on their journey to a Phd.
'Research Methodology for Performing Arts'
Author: Dr. Sreelatha Vinod
Published by 16Leaves
Published: Nov. 29, 2022
Price: Rs.200
ISBN: 9789395515870

Nov 5, 2022

GURU GOPINATH: THE MAKING OF A LEGEND by Tapati Chowdhurie
Guru Gopinath played a major role in the renaissance of Indian classical dance. He was born in Kuttanad, famous for its boat races, Kathakali dance, and artistes, with Gopinath being the prime among them. He was both the artist and the ambassador who trained countless students in the discipline of his highly evolved dance form using the techniques of Kathakali and other dance traditions of Kerala. After 12 years of rigorous learning, he went to Kerala's Kalamandalam to polish his art under great masters. Here he met the American dancer Esther Luella Sherman, known as Ragini Devi, with whom he partnered in Bombay and presented the nuances of Kathakali in stages outside Kerala. Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma—the last king of Travancore—and Moolam Thirunal Sethu Parvati Bayi, better known as Amma Maharani, conferred on him the Veera Srinkhala award. He travelled extensively inside and outside the country, winning accolades everywhere. Guru Gopinath married Thankamani, the first student of Kerala Kalamandalam. She was an inspiration to Guruji for all his creative work. His dance costumes were based on historical sculptures and frescos. Besides scriptural themes, he based his productions on social concerns too.
Publisher‏: ‎Shubhi Publications (1 January 2022)
Hardcover: ‎188 pages
ISBN-10‏: ‎ 9394797181
ISBN-13‏: ‎ 978-9394797185
Price: Rs.1345

Jul 27, 2022

Bharata Kalanjali's new book OFF STAGE, a visual voyage showcasing the life and artistry of Shanta and VP Dhananjayan, was released by Jug Suraiyya (author and columnist, former Editor, The Times of India) on July 23, 2022 at Chennai. “Offstage” represents a culmination of 3 years' worth of brainstorming, labour and love and presents to the readers the couple's roles as dancers, teachers and educators over the years. The visual narratives for the book have been done by three different artists - Satwik Gade, Alamelu Annhamalai, Rohit Bhasi.
Commissioned by: C. P. Satyajit, Concept and Idea: Anupama Satyajit
For queries regarding the book: office@bharatakalanjali.in / +91 88257 00498

May 3, 2021

ENVIRONMENTAL DANCE, a Photography coffee-table book on dance by photographer Sam Kumar.
It has 126 pages of 18 international dancers. The photos were shot in India, Singapore, Thailand and Bali. The aim of this project is to create awareness of environmental preservation. Foreword is written by Dr. Anita Ratnam.The book is available on Amazon in India and other countries.
Video preview of the book
Publisher: Buuks Publishing, Chennai
The book is available on Amazon
It's also now available as an e-book. Costs Rs.299 only.

Aug 27, 2020

NARTANAM, quarterly journal of Indian dance (ISSN 2455-7250 / Vol. XIX No. 3 July-Sept 2019 ) is a special issue on renowned Kuchipudi gurus Jayarama Rao and Vanashree Rao and is the first in the series of dance duos. There is also a collection of articles on the folk dances of Assam written by experts of the land. Mallika Kandali, a respected dancer and scholar of Sattriya, has been devoted to the compilation of these articles.

Dec 19, 2019

Dance Under the Shadow of the Nation
Volume XXXIX, 2019

The special issue of Conversations Across the Field of Dance is co-edited by Dr.Arshiya Sethi and Prof. Tani Sebro, of the department of Political Science, Humboldt University, and brought out by the Dance Studies Association. Titled 'Dance Under the Shadow of the Nation,' it is an anthology of eleven essays from dance and performance scholars who examine the complex ways by which the nation, both in its umbra and penumbra, impacts movement aesthetics. This is more significant coming out at a time when nationalism and nationalist resurgences stand center stage in global politics.

Link

*	May 4, 2019 NARTANAM, quarterly journal of Indian dance (Oct - Dec 2018) is a special on Odissi Guru Surendra Nath Jena ISSN 2445 7250

March 19, 2019

VARNA VARNANAM - a compilation of rare Pada varnams and Tana varnams for both music concerts and natya compositions by Dr. Kanakam Devaguptapu, has a Foreword by Guru V.P. Dhananjayan.
Carnatic Music has reached far and wide. Thanks to technology, knowledgeable teachers are able to impart it to all talented youngsters and enthusiasts around the world. Dr. Kanakam also contributes to the popularization of Carnatic music, by imparting the art through skype sessions, in addition to face to face teaching. This publication of rare pada varnams and tana varn̤ams will serve as an additional contribution to the world of Carnatic music. The book is crafted very intelligently to suit the present generation of students and give them a comprehensive in-depth understanding of the language, meaning of the song, correct notation and accurate intonation.
This author has specified the salient features of selected 'varnams' as under, which will help us know what we can expect from this publication.

The main focus of the book is to give a comprehensive input about the lyrics and meanings of 26 varnams which will be useful for dance teachers and musicians (concert singers).
Only two of the compositions are taken from contemporary composers: Suguna Purushottaman and Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna. The remaining 24 varnams are from composers of earlier times, dating back to the 17th century till 20th.
20 varnams are in Telugu, 2 in Tamil, 2 in Sanskrit, 1 in Kannad̤a and 1 in Mal̤ayalam.
The types of varnams included are: sringara varnams, bhakti varnams, stava varnams, pada varnams, cauka varnams, tana varnams, with lyrics and varnams with anubandham. Details of the same are indicated clearly in the index.
A couple of varn̤ams have anubandham or sampurna caranam. This is a format which has not been in use in recent times. It was in vogue till almost a century ago. The author has included these varnams after consulting very senior musicians, who felt that it is very important to renew the anubandham format, which has almost been forgotten now. For all those varnams where the caranams are incomplete and brief, the anubandham at a later stage helps elaborate the meaning and give a conclusiveness to the composition. Thus the anubandham is a very valuable tool which adds to the lyrical value of the varnam and enhances its thematic beauty.
A couple of varn̤ams have muktayi swara sahityam and anubandham or sampurn̤a caranam. They do not have ettugad̤a swara sahitya. Such varnams can be used for dance programs when the programs are of a shorter duration.
Care has been taken to see that the compositions cover a wide gamut of ragams. Many popular ragas like Sankarabharanam and Tod̤i along with a few not often used ragas like Suddha Bangala have been included. Except for one repetition (Kambhoji), there is no repetition of any other ragam. So, the varnams are in a range of 25 ragas. Thus, all of the varnams bring out different musical flavours!
All the 26 compositions are taken from 23 different well-known composers (either in their own regions or across South India), from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The two Sanskrit varnams included are taken from Swati Tirunal's works.
The author has taken efforts to the best of her ability to procure original notations and lyrics, either from printed versions which are at least 50 years old or from manuscripts.
'Varna Varnanam' has been conceptualized, planned, designed, typed out and formatted by Dr. Kanakam herself in order to see that the entire process goes in a smooth manner, with a singular focus of thought, plan and execution.
A summary of the varnam is provided. For a few varn̤ams which were written in a context, she has given the anecdotes as well. This can help the dancer/musician contextualize the varnam to its original situation. Detailed word to word meaning is given for each section of the song. Overall meaning (bhavartham) has been given for each section of the song. The text will be supported with audio recordings of the songs, which will be available for downloading to all those who buy the book.

The book will be available for purchase in leading book stores from April 10, 2019. For further information contact: (044) - 24910322 / foundationsuryakala@gmail.com

September 24, 2018

The book DANCING INTO ETERNITY - AN ENDEARING VIEW OF HIS MULTIFACETED LIFE AND WORK: GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA published by Ratikant Mohapatra, Director, Srjan, was formally released on September 9, 2018 at Bhubaneswar on the final day of the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival. The compact sized book is a pictorial history of the life and times of Kelubabu interspersed with articles by his numerous disciples and well wishers, in memory of his wondrous qualities, sharing their experiences with him. The book is dedicated to the numerous disciples of Kelubabu and their many disciples across India and the globewho are tirelessly carrying forward the rich legacy that Guruji has left behind.
Concept & compilation: Ratikant Mohapatra
Editor: Aditya Mahapatra, Design: Debiprasad Mishra
Published by: Ratikant Mohapatra, Srjan, Bhubaneswar
Price: Rs.850 / 20$
ISBN: 978-81-938676-0-0
Contact: srjan.bbsr@gmail.com

*	August 27, 2018 Digital release of 'Karna -Destiny's Child' by Bala Devi Chandrashekar was launched on 4th August 2018 at the India International Center, New Delhi. Available at: kalakendra.com

*	July 11, 2018 NARTANAM Volume: XVIII, No. 2, April - June 2018 is a special issue on Kalamandalam Gopi Asan. nartanam.in

*	Feb 6, 2018 The entire NARTANAM issue (Volume XVII # 4, Oct - Dec 2017), tribute to its founder G.M. Sarma, is on the website. ISSN 2455-7250

Dec 17, 2017

In Tirumala, Kalagangothri Foundation will release the DASA MARGAM CD, dance compositions based on the Dasa genre including Devaranama, Padam, Javali and Thillana on the 453 anniversary of Saint Purandara Dasa. This Bharatanatyam CD features compositions of Purandara Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa and Vijaya Vittala Dasa that can be choreographed in Bharatanatyam style for a dancer of any age. The compositions also offer a rare selection of story lines that have never been used earlier in the Bharatanatyam repertoire. Dasa Margam is the only CD to encompass complete Bharatanatyam margam based on Dasa sahitya. Detailed notes on the composition and choreography comes along with the CD.
Signature gift wrap is available with the purchase of CD and the reference guide. The Foundation also lets eligible students, faculty members and Music & Dance universities to take advantage of buying this CD at educational pricing.
Info: akilachethan@gmail.com

Sep 27, 2017

Dance as Yoga: The Spirit and Technique of Odissi by Rekha Tandon
Dance as Yoga addresses the background, technique and embodiment of the Odissi dance form. It describes Odissi's mechanism for creating, dispersing and expressing energy, as well as some early experiments in choreography that extended its accepted parameters with reference to Choreological Studies. It is meant for both performers and audiences to better appreciate the reasons for the restraints inherent in such dance forms and, by doing so, have an informed appreciation of innovation that builds on traditional strengths.

Hardcover: 228 pages
Publisher: Niyogi Books; First edition (12 September 2017)
Language: English
ISBN: 978-9385285844
Price: Rs1495
Amazon India price: 1,210 + 109.53 Delivery charge
Amazon India Link amzn.to/2wLa3NQ
(Will be available in the US/UK by Feb 2018)
Info: rekha@danceroutes.com

*	Jul 8, 2017 The issue probes the many factors and challenges facing contemporary dance in India. Edited by Astad Deboo and Dr. Ketu Katrak. Price: Rs.350 / $14 Order form

Jun 24, 2017

Voleti Rangamani has written the biography of her late father Kuchipudi dance Guru C.R. Acharyulu as a project under Senior Fellowship. It has been published as NRUTYA SAMHITA in Telugu as well as STEPS: THE LIFE AND ARTISTIC WORKS OF GURU C.R. ACHARYULU in English.
How and when did Guruji start learning dance in his childhood and what made him develop interest towards learning Kuchipudi dance, have been explained in detail. There are few art lovers who financially helped Guruji in learning Kuchipudi dance and how he developed his knowledge in the field of Kuchipudi dance plus many details of renowned dancers, who have learnt Kuchipudi dance from him. Guruji brought into limelight many dance items in Kuchipudi style. In the book are included complete lyrics for most of the dance songs including Guruji's compositions, javalis, padams, ashtapadi and many more.
Voleti Rangamani runs Abhinaya Darpana Arts Academy for training in Kuchipudi dance since 1980. She and her disciples present traditional temple Aaradhana dances, forgotten for centuries and only recently revived by her late father, and rare, complicated temple ritual dances of picture forming type - Simhanandini, Mayura Kauthvam and Mahalaxmi Udbhavam dances, in which the dancer forms the pictures of lion, peacock and lotus, respectively with footwork while dancing.
Publisher: Yugadi Publishers
Price: Rs. 250 / ISBN: 978-81-87745-26-6
Contact Voleti Rangamani, Hyderabad for copies: voletirangamani@yahoo.com

May 4, 2017

The sacred Buddhist dances of Bhutan form the cover feature of this issue of Nartanam, with an attempt to chronicle the dances witnessed at the Thimphu Tshechu, one of the many important festivals of Bhutan. Other features include scholarly articles, tributes and reviews.
Volume: XVII, No. 1, Jan - March 2017
For details: nartanam.in

May 3, 2017

Dr. Kapila Vaystayan, Dr. Sunil Kothari and Dr. Rita Swami Chaudhury (Photo: Sarabjit Dhillon)

'Indian Dance in Retrospect' in two volumes edited by Dr. Sunil Kothari, published by Sangeet Natak Akademi was released by Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, on 29th April 2017 during World Dance Day celebrations by Natya Vriksha.
The volumes edited by Dr. Sunil Kothari and published by Sangeet Natak Akademi contain papers submitted by legendary dance scholars, gurus, critics to historic All India Dance Seminar convened by Sangeet Natak Akademi in April 1958 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. These are papers which take stock of dance forms prevalent in India and the new forms like Odissi (from Odisha), Kuchipudi (from Andhra Pradesh) and Sattriya (from Assam) which were given recognition in later years as classical dance forms over and above Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Manipuri, Kathakali and Mohiniattam. The papers form the source material for scholars who write on various dance forms. There are papers on folk dances of India, on Rabindrik dance form, Dance in Films, Modern dance and by delegates from China, Nepal and Sri Lanka on dance forms of their countries. The volume II contains rare photographs of legendary dancers and participants.
The price of volume I with cover of Ram Gopal is Rs. 300 and volume II with cover of participants is Rs. 200. The two volumes are available from Sangeet Natak Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, Firozshah Road, New Delhi 110001
Please email 'attention Publications Director': mail@sangeetnatak.gov.in

Apr 19, 2017

DRAMA QUEENS: WOMEN WHO CREATED HISTORY ON STAGE by Veejay Sai
The period between 1850 and 1950 was a magnificent time for the world of performing arts. Classical music, dance, drama and folklore traditions were being rewritten and reinterpreted to welcome a new age. These arts were a reflection of the times, but they had larger role to play than as mere entertainment. The book places itself at the crossroads of understanding modern cultural history. Through ten leading ladies of theatre, including Munni Bai, Mukhtar Begum, Jahanara Kajjan and Moti Bai, the book traces an unwritten narrative of women, performance, nationhood and modernity. The visuals knit a historical account reflecting the rich artistic lives they led. Through a project of memory, this book is a tribute to the giant contribution of these women to the making of art history.
The book has a wonderful introduction by the legendary theatre director, actor and Jnanpeeth Awardee Girish Karnad. It is an illustrated book with hundreds of rare images from the world of Indian classical music, dance and theatre. It is of equal interest to the lay uninitiated reader as well as to academics in the fields of gender studies, performing arts history and cultural studies.
All royalties from the sales of the book have been pledged to a rural girl child education initiative. Readers can order the book from Amazon in the below given link.
Flexibound: 208 pages / Language: English
Publisher: Roli Books (1 April 2017), Price: Rs.695
ISBN-10: 9351941957 / ISBN-13: 978-9351941958
For copies

March 7, 2017

GURU: MYTHILI RAGHAVAN edited by Sekhar Seshan
Mythili Raghavan's journey from a student at Kalakshetra Foundation, to a teacher of Bharatanatyam to hundreds of her own shishyas, is a story of dedication and hard work. She, her husband, friends and students tell the story of how the young Mythili joined Kalakshetra as a part-time student when she was 9 years old, spending the next 5 years learning vocal music and dance in the evening. At age 19, she decided to leave her familiar surroundings and move to Patna, where the Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir wanted a Bharatanatyam teacher. Her five years there, not knowing anybody, or the language or the culture, were a complete change, and a major learning experience.

In 1976, she and her husband moved to Zambia with their son. She wanted to teach Bharatanatyam, but she was not allowed to as she did not have a work permit. A friend of her husband's got her a permit to set up the Academy of Indian Dances. When she returned to India in the 1990s with their son and daughter, the Academy came with her. And the rest is contemporary history: many of her students have become teachers themselves.
Publisher: SNAP BOOKS, Published: March 3, 2017
Available in: Paperback, ISBN: 978-93-5268-145-7, Rs.499
For info, contact: sekharseshan@snapbooks.in

*	Jan 28, 2017 Nartanam Vol XVI (Oct - Dec 2016) is a special issue on Dances of Telangana. Details

*	Jan 20, 2017 Learn Kathak Online Invis Multimedia has launched an online Kathak program with paid subscription options. At the same time it is also offered for free, one lesson every week on You Tube. For more info: hari@invis.in

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