ANITA SAYS.....
We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time,
meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it as not as dreadful as it
appears, discovering that we have the strength to stare it down.
- Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady, USA
At the end of a tumultuous year, when we are staring into
several conflicts and possible further escalations, we pause to take
stock of our lives and our journey in the dance arts. This is the final
edition of ANITA SAYS for the year 2024.
As we continue to wonder at the speed of passing time and the urgency
and purpose of our lives, I would like to share my views and reactions
to four performances I have watched in four cities over the 30 days of
November. In New York City, Coimbatore and Chennai. Varied in content,
purpose and intentions, these dance events have thrown up further
questions about reinvention, re-purposing and revival. I will discuss
each of these performances and add my personal take. These opinions are
mine and mine alone and I hope that it is received in the spirit of
someone who has been engaged in the performing arts scene for 6 decades.
Read on....
Connect and subscribe to our podcast on Spotify
Anita Says...by Dr. Anita R Ratnam
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TAKITATOM
The Kuchipudi Heritage Arts Society celebrates 50 years of the Kuchipudi flag with the KUCHIPUDI NATYAPATHAKA SWARNOTSAVULU,
a 3 day festival from Dec 27-29 in Kuchipudi village. The Kuchipudi
flag, created by the late hereditary Kuchipudi Guru Vedantam
Parvateesam, represents the essence of the Kuchipudi art form's
identity. To commemorate this momentous occasion, a 50-foot stupa will
be installed along with the Kuchipudi flag hoisting.
Dance Magazine's CHAIRMAN'S AWARD honoree, Mikhail Baryshnikov,
is considered one of the greatest dancers of our time. In 2005, Mikhail
Baryshnikov launched Baryshnikov Arts, a creative space in New York
City designed to support multidisciplinary artists from around the
globe. On December 2, 2024 The Juilliard School president Damian Woetzel
will present Baryshnikov with his Chairman's Award, and students from
Juilliard will perform a dance in his honor.
Dance/NYC awarded 25 grantees and 3 runners-up funding through the
fourth iteration of the DANCE ADVANCEMENT FUND (2024-2026), made
possible by the generous support of the Howard Gilman Foundation and the
Ford Foundation. Jiva Dance headed by dancer SONALI SKANDAN and Surati
for Performing Art led by founder-artistic director RIMLI ROY are two of
the grantees.
A book titled EFFIGY OF KERALANATANA - INSIGHTS AND PROBABILITIES
authored by Aparna Sarma was released on October 5, 2024 in Chennai
during Krishnanjali Academy's celebration of natyam. Prof. A.
Janardhanan retired principal, Kalakshetra, released the book and V.
Balagurunathan, director of the academy, received the copy. Aparna
Sarma, a disciple of Guru Gopinath's disciple Kottayam Bhavani
Chellappan, is a Keralanatanam research scholar fellowship awardee from
Department of Culture, Govt of Kerala. This book explains all the
nuances and techniques of Keralanatanam.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
NADAM presents
25th Kalanadam Festival
Nov 26 - Dec 8, 2024 Bangalore
Debadhara Delhi presents
17th Debaprasad Nrutya Parampara
Stein auditorium, 6.30pm
December 3 & 4, 2024 New Delhi
Natya Tarangini presents
28th Parampara Series
Kamani auditorium, 7pm
December 4 - 6, 2024 New Delhi
Sangeet Vidya Niketan presents
Odissi workshop
Dec 8, 2024 Delhi
Sapphire Creations Dance Company with Ministry of Culture, Govt of India presents INTERFACE Ed X 2024-25
December 10-12, 2024 Kolkata
Aditi Mangaldas Dance Co presents
Naman IV - Kathak workshop online
Dec 20 & 21, 2024
Krishna Gana Sabha presents
42nd Natya Kala Conference
December 26 - 29, 2024 Chennai
Convenors: Nirupama & Rajendra
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AWARDS
Kartik Fine Arts presents NADANAMAMANI to Bharatanatyam dancers Mahati Kannan and Sowjanya Suresh on Dec 1, 2024 at Narada Gana Sabha hall, Chennai. On Dec 13, 2024, NRITHYA PEROLI to Guru Leela Samson, NATYA CHUDAR to Manasa Sriram, NRITHYAJYOTHI AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN BHARATANATYAM to Binesh Mahadevan, NATYA KALAI ARASI to Sreelatha Vinod, MADURA KALAMANI AWARD to Vijay Palaparty will be given at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Dancer GEETA CHANDRAN to be honoured by Krishna Gana Sabha with NRITYA CHOODAMANI award on 13 December 2024 during the inaugural ceremony of the 68th Marghazi Mela in Chennai. RANJANI-GAYATRI receive the SANGEETA CHOODAMANI.
Brahma Gana Sabha confers NAATYA PADHMAM on PARVATHI RAVI GHANTASALA on December 12, 2024 at TAG Dakshinamurthy Hall, Mylapore, Chennai.
Bharatanatyam dancer Sathyanarayana Raju received the DR MANGALAM SWAMINATHAN NATIONAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE 2024 for Art and Culture on November 28, 2024.
Aatmalaya Academy (Bangalore) presented the following awards on Nov 30, 2024 at Chennai.
CHAKYAR RAJAN MEMORIAL AWARD to K.N. Krishna Kurup, Pooja Kottu
DR. RAJARAM SHASTRI AWARD to Dr. R. Krishnamurthy Shastrigal, Veda-Sanskritam
MELATTUR SRI S. NATARAJAN MEMORIAL AWARD to Jayaram Ganesan, Music and Dance
AATMALAYA SPECIAL AWARD to Tanjavur V. Padma, mridangam
Bharat Kalachar Awards for 2024 - 25 will be given on December 15, 2024 at their premises in Chennai.
VISWA KALA BHARATHI: Shobana Chandrakumar
ACHARYA KALA BHARATHI: Meenakshi Chitharanjan
KALA SEVA BHARATHI: Priya Murle
YUVA KALA BHARATHI for dance: Sahana Selvaganesh, PV Adithya, Shivani Krishnamurthy, Aparajitha, Ramya Venkataraman
SPECIAL COMMENDATION: Kali Veerapathiran
Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2022 & 2023 were
conferred in a special ceremony on November 22, 2024 at Dr.Ambedkar
International Centre, New Delhi. USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN YUVA PURASKAR for Dance (2022): Mandakranta Roy (BN), Kadam Saurinbhai Parikh (Kathak), Urmika Maibam
(Manipuri), T.Reddi Lakshmi (Kuchipudi), Arupa Gayatri Panda (Odissi),
Dimpee Baishya (Sattriya), Akshara M Das (Mohiniattam), Pradyumna Kumar
Mohanta (Chhau), Mingma Dorjee Lepcha (Creative & Experimental
Dance), Aparna Nangiar (Nangiarkoothu) Moirangthem Kendra Singh (Nata Sankirtan, Manipur)
Anuthama Murali (Overall contribution in performing arts) USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN YUVA PURASKAR for Dance (2023): Apoorva Jayaraman (BN), Meghranjani Medhi (Kathak), Kalamandalam Vipin
Sankar (Kathakali), Pukhrambam Reepa Devi (Manipuri), M. Surendra Nadh
(Kuchipudi), Debasish Pattnaik (Odissi), Mukunda Saikia (Sattriya),
Vidyamol Pradeep (Mohiniattam), Sunita Mahato (Chhau), Venkateshwaran
Kuppuswamy (Music for Dance) B. Mallikarjuna Rao (Allied Theatre Arts - Make-up) Laxminarayan Jena (Overall contribution in performing arts)
 Mohiniattam dancer Dr. Sunanda Nair and Bharatanatyam dancer Ragasudha
Vinjamuri received CULTURAL CHAMPION AWARD 2024 from She Inspires,
Manchester, UK, on November 21, 2024.
 Nirupama Rajendra received the DEVI AWARD from The New Indian Express on November 30, 2024 at Bangalore.
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ATMA SHANTI
Distinguished scholar, celebrated exponent, choreographer and Guru of
Manipuri dance RAJKUMAR SINGHAJIT SINGH (born 1932) passed away on the
evening of November 19, 2024 at his residence in Delhi.
Born in a family of dancers and musicians in Manipur, he was fortunate
to receive his dance education from the finest gurus - Guru Ojha Iboton
Singh for Pung (drum), Guru Amubi Singh, Jagoi; Guru Thambal Angou Singh
and Guru Chauba Singh for Kartal Cholom; and with Guru Ojha Gaura Singh
from whom he learned the martial arts with sword and spear. He
soon established himself as a dancer, choreographer and artiste of
repute. Guru Singhajit Singh and his dancer wife Charu Sija Mathur
established Manipuri Nrityashram in New Delhi.
He was a recipient of many awards and recognitions including Tagore
Award for Cultural Harmony (2014), Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
(2011), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1984), Kalidas Samman, Manipur
State Kala Akademi Fellow, Nritya Choodamani, Padma Shri (1986), Manipur
Sahitya Parishad award. A luminary in the arts, his profound knowledge,
dedication to his craft, and warm humour touched countless lives,
leaving a lasting legacy in the world of Indian classical dance.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
Outdancing our exceptional times
- Dr. Utpal K Banerjee
Having spent a life span of 86 years, this critic has seen two
tumultuous times: one around 1947, the year of Independence and the few
preceding years of nationalist movement. The other is right now in 2020,
around an incomprehensible pandemic round the entire globe.
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