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 'A Life in Dance': Guru Sharon Lowen's 75th birthday celebration - Manjari Sinha e-mail: manjari@sinha.com Photos: Vinay Tiwari October 18, 2024 Sharon Lowen, the renowned Odissi, Manipuri and Chhau dancer, choreographer, research scholar, author and dedicated Guru, was the centre of attraction when Sangeet Vidya Niketan (SVN) celebrated her 75th birthday with a festival titled 'A Life In Dance', conceived by her disciples and admirers and curated by Madhur Gupta, her senior disciple and the Founder-Trustee of SVN, at the Habitat Centre, Delhi. The foyer of the Stein Auditorium was transformed into an art gallery showcasing framed photographs and posters of Sharon Lowen's formative years under legendary Gurus to her pioneering collaborations and innovative choreographies. One could also see her framed photos with His Holiness Dalai Lama and several other dignitaries from India and abroad. The notable event offered a comprehensive journey of Guru Sharon Lowen and her illustrious career. Introducing 'A Life in Dance', Madhur Gupta stated, "This festival not only celebrates Guru Sharon Lowen's unparalleled achievements but also pays homage to the enduring power of dance in bridging cultures and transcending boundaries." The event commenced with a film 'A Life in Dance' created by Madhur Gupta with video clips of Sharon's early years and her dance training in America and India interspersed with bites by Gurus Raja-Radha Reddy, Madhavi Mudgal, Kausalya Reddy and Kamalini Dutt amongst others, reflecting on their association with Sharon. Some of her students also reminisced about their experiences with their Guru wishing her on this momentous occasion.  Kamalini Dutt, Leela Venkataraman, Dr Adam Grotsky, Arshiya Sethi A panel discussion celebrating Sharon's life and her contributions to Indian classical dance came next with panelists Dr Adam Grotsky (Director, United States India Educational Foundation - USIEF), Leela Venkataraman (scholar and dance critic), Kamalini Dutt (Former Director, Doordarshan), moderated by Dr Arshiya Sethi, Founder & Managing Trustee of Kri Foundation. Sharon's choicest choreographies blending traditional elements with modern sensibilities and pushing the boundaries of expression, came as the evening's highlight featuring her disciples. The live orchestra enhancing the effect of the choreographic compositions comprised Prafulla Mangaraj on mardala, Sukanta Kumar Nayak and Ashish Nayak on vocals, Dhiraj Pande on flute, Anees Khan on sitar, Vishwanath Mangaraj on manjira, and Smita and Rohit Saini on tanpura.  Vishwanath Mangaraj  Madhur Gupta Vishwanath Mangaraj opened with 'Surya Pranam Mangalacharan' ending with Shlokas from Valmiki Ramayana, and the Gayatri Mantra. Madhur Gupta performed 'Jhagadi matra hela he Shyam', the only Oriya piece Sharon Lowen had composed on a 'Champu Kavya' for a disciple. It was about a tongue-in-cheek conversation between Radha's sakhi Lalita and Krishna on losing his demeanour while catching just a glimpse of her friend Radha. With the jovial 'Ninda Stuti', the sakhi ultimately acts as the link between Radha and Krishna, facilitating their conducive meeting.  Younger disciples of Sharon Lowen  Nitisha Nanda 'Padma Patra' and 'Veena Vadini' were invocatory choreographies presented by the group of younger disciples namely Devyani Sharma, Chidusa Kamamasu, Pooja Kumar, Aashi, Saumi, Sneha, Gauri, Rajshri Rathor and Anagha Neralkar. Nitisha Nanda's abhinaya on Meera Bhajan "Mhara Olagiya…" portraying Meera's intense love for her beloved Krishna, was striking. Arunima Ghosh concluded the choreographic presentations with 'Mahadevi Upasana' which was choreographed for Doordarshan by Sharon Lowen in the 1990s.  Sharon Lowen The performances reached the climax when her disciples requested their Guru Sharon Lowen to perform "Sakhi hey". Her subtle abhinaya on Jayadeva's ashtapadi from Geeta Govinda proved her enduring presence in the classical dance scenario. At the flag end of Sharon's performance, all her disciples joined effusing their Guru with showers of flowers and love. 'A Life in Dance', turned out to be a landmark event, bringing together dance enthusiasts, scholars, and artistes alike to celebrate the life and contributions of Sharon Lowen.  Festival finale Sharon, touched by the warmth and love she experienced this evening exclaimed, "When I look back at my life in dance, I have to say that I've been so blessed. Dance for me has been an opportunity to grow, learn, share, and reach so many people. There are many professions where your effect is one-to-one, but as an artiste the impact is exponential. And you are able, through your disciples, to go on through further generations. I have met many people who've said they were inspired to have a life in dance and to care about the arts. I can't imagine any path I could have taken that could have been as fulfilling, leaving me with no regrets, no bucket list, and unbelievably happy at this age, at the age of 75, to feel that it's been a wonderful journey."  Manjari Sinha is a musicologist and an acclaimed classical music and dance critic. She has an MA in Sanskrit from Allahabad University, MA in Music from Vikram University, Ujjain; Sangeet Prabhakar in Hindustani Vocal, Tabla, Sitar and Kathak dance from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad; and further training in Sitar under Guru Pt. Arvind Parikh in the lineage of Ustad Vilayat Khan. She has authored a book on Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, commissioned & published by Roli Books. She has contributed the chapter on Kathak for ‘Indian Dance: the Ultimate Metaphor’. Her articles in English and Hindi on Music, Dance, Art & Culture are regularly showcased in a variety of leading journals and periodicals. |
