January 2024
ANITA SAYS.....
DREAM. DARE. DO
CARE. CLEAR. CHERISH
LISTEN. LEARN. LET GO
ABSORB. ADMIRE. APPLAUD
REFRESH. REFINE. REBOOT
LET’S GO 2024!
Happy New Year
We have done it!
Navigated through the past 12 months to replace our calendars and look forward to a brand new year.
The United Nations has declared this year to be the year of CAMELIDS, a
cluster of animals that include Llamas, camels, Alpacas and others who
are vital to the indigenous peoples and local communities.
In 2023, some may have sailed through. Others trudged… some soared ...
or crawled… or limped… does not matter... we have all reached the
starting point of yet another year... and it is a leap year!
What does it mean for us as a creative community?
What can we do to make our lives and our immediate world safer, more
harmonious and more vibrant? What can we do for ourselves and our
emotional well-being?
Coming to you from Chennai, I know what a roller coaster year it has
been. And how strange the fluctuating moods of the final month were for
my city and myself.
Read on....
Anita Says...by Dr. Anita R Ratnam Episode 4. January edition 2024
APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY | YouTube
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Anita Ratnam presented A MILLION SITAS
(with Uma Sathyanarayanan)
at Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai on December 19, 2023.
Photos: Parallax pictures
TAKITATOM
IGNCA inaugurated the
birth centenary celebrations of Prof. Mohan Khokar (on his actual
birthday-Dec 30) by screening a short film and releasing a book of
tributes titled MOHAN KHOKAR: THE FATHER FIGURE OF INDIAN DANCE HISTORY
compiled and edited by Ashish Khokar on December 30, 2023 at
Kalakshetra, Chennai. This was apt as Mohan Khokar was the first male
dance student of Rukmini Devi.
CALL ME DANCER is a
documentary that follows MANISH CHAUHAN's intense journey from before
his first ballet class to the kickoff of his professional career.
Directed by former professional ballet dancer Leslie Shampaine and TV
and film veteran Pip Gilmour, the film was released in theaters in New
York on December 15, 2023 then afterward in California, Arizona,
Massachusetts, and Canada. He's the first male ballet dancer from India
to train at The Royal Ballet School. The documentary made its world
premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February
2023 and has gone on to win 11 awards at international film festivals.
INDHU RUBASINGHAM has been announced as the next director of National
Theatre, marking the first time that a woman and a person of color has
taken on the biggest role in British theatre.
VR DEVIKA received the LAADLI SOUTH ASIA MEDIA AWARD on Dec 14, 2023 for
her book Muthulakshmi Reddy: A trailblazer in Surgery and Women's
Rights, which got chosen for gender sensitivity 2023 in the category of
non-fiction.
The convenors of the 2024 Natya Kala Conference of Krishna Gana Sabha are Kathak duo Nirupama and Rajendra of Bangalore.
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AWARDS
94 year old Kathak guru Kumudini Lakhia received the LEGENDS OF INDIA
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD on Dec 24, 2023 at New Delhi.
Rathna Kumar received the NATYA VISHARADA award from Krishna Gana Sabha
on Dec 26, 2023 on the inaugural day of the Natya Kala Conference,
Chennai.
The Madras Music Academy presents the SANGITA KALANIDHI award for 2023
to Bombay Jayashri and NRITHYA KALANIDHI award 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.
Brahma Gana Sabha conferred the NATYA PADHMAM on Srinidhi Chidambaram on December 7, 2023 at Chennai.
Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha conferred VANI KALA SUDHAKARA on Meenakshi Chitharanjan on December 9, 2023 at Chennai.
Mohiniattam dancer Methil Devika received the PADMAJYOTHI
PURASKARAM on December 12, 2023 at Koodalmanikyam temple in
Irinjalakuda. This award is established in the name of dancer-actor
Padmini.
Narada Gana Sabha Trust bestowed award on Shobana Balachandra as a
dancer propagating 'Swati Tirunal's Works' under an Endowment instituted
by Binfield Trust, Chennai, in memory of the founder H H Radha Devi,
consort of H H Marthanda Varma, Maharaja of Travancore, on Dec 15, 2023
at Chennai.
On December 15, 2023 Kartik Fine Arts presented the following awards at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai.
NRITHYA PEROLI: Guru Rhadha
NATYA CHUDAR: Madhumitha Sriram
NRITHYA JYOTHI AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Sushama Ranganathan
NATYA KALAI ARASI: Dr.Lakshmi Ramaswamy
MADURA KALA MANI: G Narendra
Guru Gajendra Kumar Panda receives the SWAYAMSHREE NRUTYA PRATIVA SAMMAN
2024 on January 6, 2024 at Souvagya Auditorium, Talcher, organized by
Swayamsree Nrutya Anusthan. On Jan 9, he receives ODISHA PERSONALITY
AWARD 2024 at Geeta Govinda Sadan, Bhubaneswar, organized by Samayanti
Charitable Trust.
Drishti Art Foundation presents the DRISHTI SRESHTA PURASKAR to
Bharatanatyam Guru M R Krishnamurthy for his invaluable contributions to
the field of Indian classical dance, on January 20, 2024 at Chowdiah
Memorial Hall, Bangalore.
The Indian Fine Arts Society presented NATYA KALASIKHAMANI to Dr. Ananda
Shankar Jayant on December 17, 2023 at Ethiraja Kalyana Mandapam,
Chennai.
Kuchipudi dancer/teacher Sailaja received the first SATKOSIA MAHOTSAV
AWARD on December 18, 2023 at the festival held at Angul, Bhubaneswar.
On Dec 23, 2023 Dr.Sunanda Nair received the JWALA AWARD from Mumbai Jwala Vartha at Mumbai.
Sangam Festival, New Jersey, presented the SANGAM FESTIVAL AWARD OF
EXCELLENCE to Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam at the Sangam Festival on Dec 31,
2023 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai.
The DEVDASI NATIONAL AWARD was conferred by Devdasi Nrutya Mandir on Dec
18-20, 2023 at Bhanja Kala Mandap, Bhubaneswar. The recipients are Late
Giridhari Nayak (Odissi, Odisha), Uma Rele (Bharatanatyam, Mumbai),
Chitra Sukumaran (Mohiniattam, Kerala), Geetha Padmakumar (Kuchipudi,
Kerala), Paramita Maitra (Kathak, Kolkata), Rupashree Mohapatra (Odissi
& Mahari, Puri), Bhanu Deka (Sattriya, Assam) & T. Gyanapati
Devi (Manipuri, Kolkata).
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QUOTE
Learning dance is tough
To perfect it is tough
To perform is tough
To get program is tough
Having learnt not to perform is tough
To pay money and get program is tough
To watch others pay and perform is tough
To get reviews is tough
To watch others run for reviews is tough
To focus with determination is tough
To break loose and get out of it is tough
To surrender to the lord is not tough
Dance for the divine with divinity and dignity
Everything will fall in place.
- Sailaja, artistic director of Saila Sudha
(on Facebook, Dec 19, 2023)
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