ANITA SAYS.....
It occurs to me that courage comes from the same place as fear, and where there is fear, there is the possibility of courage.
- Pádraig Ó Tuama, Irish poet and theologian
In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World
Welcome to October - the changing season, the clocks turning back in
North America and our grand silks and festive wear emerging from
closets.
Navaratri dolls
Garba dancers
All around me in Chennai and elsewhere in India, the spirit of Navaratri
has begun. Festivals in dance, music and theatre - starting at 5am with
classical music, lighting of the lamps in the evening, display of
Golu dolls in South India, the fantastic swirling energy of Garba in the
north - everything feels so alive, electric and festive. I am
sure the festival season has also begun with diaspora circles all over
the world. It really is a delicious time of the year - perhaps my
favourite season.
I begin in NYC... the BIG APPLE which has been the western world's most
important center for dance for many decades. And for the past
three weeks, all eyes were on Indian dance events that crowded the
calendar.
Read on....
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Anita Says...by Dr. Anita R Ratnam
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TAKITATOM
The Australian Govt has granted Mohiniattam dancer DR. METHIL DEVIKA
Permanent Resident Status in the Global Talent category. The highly
competitive and prestigious visa is granted in the Outstanding Talent
category as a recognition for one's contribution to work globally.
At the 7th South Asian Film, Arts & Literature Festival at the Parliament of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, TARA-THE SINGING ANKLET about dancer TARA RAJKUMAR, produced and directed by VINOD MANKARA
was screened on 18 September. The 55 minute long film, records Tara
Rajkumar's Mohiniyattam - Kathakali life in India - Britain - Australia.
SUNIL SUNKARA has been recognized with the Tagore National
Scholarship to research on the temple traditions of Awadh with a special
focus on Ram Madhurya Bhakti. He is the first Kathak dancer to receive
the scholarship as well as the youngest scholarship holder.
SNEHA SASIKUMAR takes up a new role as a Research Guide at Kerala Kalamandalam deemed-to-be University.
Founder and Artistic Director of Thresh Dance, PREETI VASUDEVAN has been
selected as one of the featured choreographers for the 2024 Women in
Dance Leadership Conference (Oct 17 - 19) in Los Angeles, California.
KALPANA RAGHURAMAN has been appointed as a Creative Associate of the
Dutch National Ballet for the next two years, giving opportunity to
explore new artistic possibilities, blending Indian dance with classical
ballet and contemporary dance. Her first choreography as Creative
Associate will be presented in Spring 2025.
CHITRA VISWESWARAN's Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts
(CAPA) celebrated 50 years with a 2 day festival (Sept 28 & 29)
titled Samanvay at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Chennai.
Sonali Skandan's JIVA PERFORMING ARTS is a 2024 New Music USA
Organization Fund awardee. It will use this to support their new work,
Lessons from My Mothers. New Music USA's Organization Fund is for
outstanding organizations that work regularly with, and support the
development of music creators and artists and offer a crucial resource
to their community.
In a unique celebration, M. MURALI of Krishna Sweets celebrated the
100th birth anniversary year of his father/founder of Krishna Sweets,
N.K.Mahadevan on September 16, 2024, by honoring 100 Bharatanatyam
acharyas for their valuable contribution to nurturing dance, at Vani
Mahal, Chennai. For the next 3 days,100 nurses, 100 sloka acharyas, 100
Tamizh teachers were honoured.
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AWARDS
 SHARMILA MUKERJEE is to receive the KARNATAKA KALASHREE AWARD
by the Karnataka Sangeet Nritya Academy for 2023-2024. She is the first
Odissi dancer to get this award in Karnataka for her contribution to
Odissi.
Karnataka Sangeet Nritya Academy has announced the KARNATAKA KALASHREE AWARD for 2024-25.
Honorary Award for dance to Gayatri Keshavan, Hassan
Dance: T. Ravindra Sharma, Belgaum; Anuradha Vikranth, Bangalore;
Sugganahalli Shadakshari, Bangalore; B. R. Hemantha Kumar, Bangalore
(violin for dance)
ILEANA CITARISTI is to receive GURU SHREE SAMMAN from Angika at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar, on October 22, 2024. Trinetra
Kala Kunja in association with Department of Odia Language, Literature
and Culture, Government of Odisha, presented the 4th International
Trinetra Award Festival on September 14, 2024 at Bhubaneswar.
TRINETRA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2024: Manmath Kumar
Satapathy, Researcher of Dance, Drama and Theater; Guru Snehaprava
Samantaray, Odissi dance; Guru Niranjan Patra, mardala exponent; Guru
Kavita Mishra, Odissi dancer and Guru Keshab Chandra Rout, Odissi
singer.
TRINETRA YUVA PRATIVA AWARD 2024 was presented to three young Odissi dancers Rithika Banerjee, D. Priyanka and Shreya Sradhanjali.
TRINETRA SISHU PRATIVA AWARD 2024 was presented to Bharatanatyam dancer Priti Pal, Odissi dancers Ridhima Verma and Meghambari Pradhan.
Apsaras Dance Company awarded MEENAKSHY BHASKAR of Bhaskar's Arts Academy with the title NATYA AACHARYAMANI at Indian Performing Arts Convention (IPAC 2024) on 29th September 2024 at Singapore.
On Oct 1, 2024 Natya Tarangini Hyderabad on its 17th anniversary, presents the ANNUAL WORLD DANCE DAY AWARD to scholar V.A.K. RANGA RAO in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to Indian classical dance, music, and cinema.
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ATMA SHANTI
Japanese Bharatanatyam dancer KIMIKO OHTANI
passed away on August 25, 2024. She received her M.A. in Dance
Ethnology from the University of Hawaii and her Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology
from Queen's University of Belfast. Her specializations were in
Okinawan dance and Indian classical dance.
More details
PT. SUNIL KUMAR DUBEY passed away on September 17, 2024 at
Seraikella at the age of 64. He was a music composer, dancer and
director of Trinetra Chhau Dance Centre, Seraikella. He led the
internationally acclaimed team of Chhau dancers and musicians of
Trinetra founded by his elder brother, Late Guru Pt. Gopal Dubey.
More info
Brilliant artist, lights and sets designer for theatre and dance, Koothu-P-Pattarai Foundation's Managing Trustee M NATESH passed away on September 20, 2024 in Chennai.
Veteran Sri Lankan traditional dancer, choreographer and teacher, DR. VAJIRA CHITRASENA,
who took Sri Lanka's traditional dance to international arena, passed
away on September 23, 2024 at the age of 92. Wife of legendary artiste
Chitrasena, Vajira was instrumental in revolutionizing Sri Lanka's
classical dance forms.
She and her husband Chitrasena are known for their close bond with India
and for their contributions in strengthening the ties between the two
countries in the field of arts. She made her debut as soloist in the
role of Prakriti in the ballet 'Chandali' in 1952. Her rise to stardom
was coupled with unswerving discipline and dedication both as teacher,
performer and choreographer, even as she illumined her husband's career.
She was announced as an honorable recipient of the prestigious Padma
Shri award for her achievement in arts in January 2020 and the award was
given by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind during the Padma Awards
Investiture Ceremony which was held on 8 November 2021. Her
contributions as a performer and teacher left an indelible mark on the
country's cultural heritage, inspiring generations of dancers.
VASANTHA KASINATHAN, one of Singapore's pioneering
Bharatanatyam gurus, passed away on September 24, 2024 aged 78. She was
popularly known as Miss Vasantha Mani. She was closely associated with
the classical arts from as early as the 1950s in Singapore. Her long
association with the People's Association since 1983 garnered her the
Long Service Award for conducting dance classes in community centres.
Apsaras Dance Company awarded her the title of Natya Aacharyamani in
2013. She inspired the young and old in Singapore, in both the Indian
and other communities with her innovative teaching and dance
choreography.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
 Facial distractions
- Lakshmi Viswanathan
Our dances, particularly Bharatanatyam relies on Mukhaja
Abhinaya..... facial expressions. Kathakali and Koodiyattam are
disciplines which give proper and elaborate Shastra-based training to
students on the use of eyebrows, eyes, facial muscles and so on.
Subbudu
- Ashish Mohan Khokar
There are critics and critics, some glorify their travels, some their
connections. One man stood just by the power of his pen. His name was PV
Subramaniam.
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