April 2023
ANITA SAYS.....
We are moving too fast
We talk too fast, decide too quickly
Move too swiftly, hate too soon
Love hastily and rage too rapidly
We need a return to the pace of our breath
A pace where we can savour life.
- American pop icon Patti Smith
NARTHAKI begins year number 24! Let that sink in!
Yes! We complete 23 years online and begin our 24th year as the GO TO dance portal!
AND... There is that elephant in the room. THE KALAKSHETRA STORY.
We will address it at the end of this piece.
Read on...
|
TAKITATOM
Curated for Narthaki.com by Dr.Anita Ratnam, the digital dance
festival EPIC WOMEN was held on March 4 and 5, 2023. It featured
Thilagavathi, Anuradha Venkataraman, Chitra Arvind, Bindu Rajendren
with Sruthi Mohan, Varsha Dasgupta and Madhuvanthi Sundararajan.
The Natya STEM Dance Kampni premiered its new production PALIMPSEST as
the headline act of the Future Fantastic festival, India's first tech
art festival dedicated to the theme of climate change.
Shankarananda Kalakshetra & Natyarambha present 3 day multi art
festival (March 31-April 2) RAMAYANA KALPAVRKSAM in Hyderabad - with
thought provoking talks from scholars, evening performances, workshops,
puppetry, special features, and artist flea market...
RAJU DAS assumed the charge of Secretary, Sangeet Natak Akademi on 27 March 2023.
DR. KIRAN SETH starts the last phase of his #solocycling on March 31
from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and ends his journey in Mangalore,
Karnataka on April 17. His main objective is to get many more leaders
and volunteers for Spic Macay.
Curated by Rajika Puri, World Music Institute presents DANCING THE GODS FESTIVAL on April 14 & 15 at NYC.
NCPA presents MUDRA DANCE FESTIVAL on the unique theme Aparajita - the
one who didn't stop till she won, on April 27 & 28. This edition of
Mudra celebrates women who have crossed the threshold, surmounted
challenges and come back to outshine the stage light (Sutapa Talukdar,
Rajashree Shirke, Dr. Sonal Mansingh, Dr.Sandhya Purecha).
Artistes touring the USA in April/May are Parashah ensemble with MADURAI
CHITHIRAI THIRUVIZHA, Shijith Nambiar and Parvathy Menon with NIRVRITHI
and Praveen Kumar with SAKHA.
SPIC MACAY will hold its 8th International Convention at Visvesvaraya
National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, from May 29 to June 4, 2023.
Cultural performances for the SAMVAD OVER DINNER for the #2nd
Infrastructure Working Group Meeting in Visakhapatnam on 28th March
2023, during India's Presidency of G20 India, was put together by ICCR
and Govt of Andhra Pradesh.
Indian music composer and environmentalist RICKY KEJ won his third
Grammy award in the Best Immersive Audio Album category at the 65th
Annual Grammy Awards, which took place in Los Angeles on 6th February
2023.
Various cultural organizations including national level museums and
affiliated offices under the Ministry of Culture have been functioning
with at least 38 per cent less staff across the country; many senior
posts are lying vacant in most institutions.
Photographer P VENKATESAN and Kattaikuttu Sangam collaborate to bring
out a set of postcards featuring photos from a koothu performance.
NCPA, Mumbai, opens the newly refurbished DILIP PIRAMAL ART GALLERY, a
state-of-the-art venue for photography to continue the rich legacy of
nurturing photography in India and showcasing the best from around the
world.
Bank of Baroda, Melattur branch, honoured BHAGAVATAMELA VIDYALAYA's
(headed by Priyamvada Murali) contribution to village community through
arts.
|
AWARDS
The Madras Music Academy has announced that the
SANGITA KALANIDHI award for 2023 goes to Bombay Jayashri and NRITHYA
KALANIDHI award goes to Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari. The music
award will be conferred at the Sadas on Jan 1, 2024 and dance award on
Jan 3, 2024 at the inauguration of the 17th Annual Dance Festival in
Chennai.
 Bharatanatyam
Guru M.R. Krishnamurthy (for 2020-2021) and Kuchipudi dancer Sunanda
Devi (for 2021-2022) are to be honored with the SHANTALA AWARD by the
Karnataka government later in the year.
On March 11, 2023 Bharatanatyam Guru Viji Prakash was awarded the
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD at the Los Angeles Indian Dance Festival by
Soorya Foundation for Performing Arts, in California.
Shambhavi School of Dance honored 94 year old Vimala Rangachar with the
NATYASASTRA AWARD as part of the 7th edition of Nayika on March 15, 2023
at Bangalore. The stages that we often perform on or organise festivals
at, be it ADA Rangamandira or Seva Sadan are her brain child.
Bharatanatyam dancer Srekala Bharath received the NATYA KALA SARATHY
award from Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha on 20th March 2023 at Chennai.
Prathibha Prahlad received the ICONIC DANCE & CULTURE AWARD from the tourism sector, on March 23, 2023.
|
LOOK OUT FOR
Samsara
By Akash Odedra (UK/India) and Hu Shenyuan (China).
|
 Bishnupur, W Bengal
Photo: Lakshmi Ramaswamy
ATMA SHANTI
*
"Dance is my meditation, my prayer and my life."
UMA RAO of Kalakshetra passed away on March 9, 2023. She was born at
Bellur, Mandya District (Karnataka), in the family of poet laureate B.M.
Sree. Even at the age of ten, she excelled as a child performer in
Kathak, from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi, under the able guidance
of Guru Teerathram Azad. Uma got a surprising opportunity to act in
Hollywood film 'Maya' produced by MGM. The film put her on the world map
as an artiste of inborn talent. But a film career did not attract her
and she took to classical dance, under the expert tutelage and direct
guidance of Rukmini Devi Arundale. This turn in Uma's life was the
timely encouragement given by the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
and the matinee idol of Tamil films, M.G. Ramachandran who saw her
inherent talent. MGR and his wife Janaki were Uma's local guardians in
her initial stages of Kalakshetra life.
Uma completed her post-graduation in Bharatanatyam with First Class
distinction from Kalakshetra, Chennai, followed by her arangetram (along
with dancer Jayalakshmi Eswar) on Dec 1, 1972 at Kalakshetra College of
Fine Arts. She established herself as an outstanding performer and able
teacher during her 24 years of stay at Kalakshetra. She was a graceful
dancer and a perfect receptacle for Rukmini Devi's ideas. She took part
in all major dance dramas produced by Rukmini Devi in leading characters
winning laurels and travelled widely.
Later, Uma Rao joined SIFAS (Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society),
Singapore, in the Dept. of Bharatanatyam and created an unparalleled
history on the Singapore arts scene during her stay. The crisp stage
productions, choreography and dedicated teaching brought her unstinted
name and fame from her students, art lovers, press and general public.
Uma Rao being also a vocalist with a sweet voice, her command over
nattuvangam, ability to teach in multi languages and the privileged
close association with Rukmini Devi, has placed her in a unique place in
the field of Bharatanatyam.
*
Bharatanatyam guru JAYALAKSHMI KANDAIAH is no more.
In 1963, she established her dance school Natanalaya in Sri Lanka, in
England in 1970 and in Australia in 1990, to promote and nurture
Bharatanatyam.
In 1988, she was the first Bharatanatyam artist to be conferred with the
national honour (Kalasuri class 1) by the president of Sri Lanka for
her fostering of the arts at home and abroad. In 1996, she was the
recipient of the Order of Australia Merit and included in the Queens
Honour list for her contribution to the arts in Australia.
Natanalaya has been renowned for its creative choreography and
exceptional performance quality, staging many commended dance
productions that have also raised funds and awareness for charitable
organisations.
*
Leading Indian contemporary artist VIVAN SUNDARAM passed away in New Delhi on March 29, 2023. He was 79.
|
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Krishna and Vasanta
- Harsha V Dehejia
The seasons for us have a living presence embodying the mysterious
essence of growth and decay and regrowth, tied to the movements of the
cosmos and the rhythms of the earth, touching the deepest longings and
aspirations, moods and feelings of humans, providing a scenario upon
which we celebrate and understand life and love.
The Rasa Lila
- Harsha V Dehejia
It has rightly been said that dance is the art form par excellence that
best reflects the human condition, for dance reflects a state of being
or human consciousness at the highest order of both sensual evocation
and spiritual discipline.
|
|
