October 2026ANITA SAYS.....I can only paint in India Europe belongs to Picasso, Matisse, Braque India belongs only to me. - Painter Amrita Sher-Gil  And just like that, I feel exhilarated to be a dancer, a performer and everything that has given me an inside view of this fabulous and frenetic world. I must confess, that the past few months had left me a bit wistful, maybe even a tad sad and uncertain about the future of our classical and neo classical styles. Despite all the efforts of recasting Bharatanatyam especially, in various moulds - stand-up comedy, Nightie Natyam (wearing kaftans for abhinaya) and Hip Hop, twerking and what not - there is so much energy and talent out there. Amidst the barrage of festivals and performances, I am seeing some phenomenal energy in the performing arts space. And so, I share my travels and thoughts this month on a true high! Read more or Use the audio control (at the top of the page in the website) to listen to the editorial |
TAKITATOM
MADHU NATARAJ has been
awarded the G. S. SARDESAI FELLOWSHIP FOR HISTORY OF INDIAN ARCHIVES by
FIHCR for her project, 'Archiving the Ephemeral: Dance, Memory,
Historical Continuum' for 2026-2027.
JAYA JAYA DEVI composed by maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman and choreographed by Guru Rhadha was staged after nearly 3 decades in Chennai. The dance production toured US and Canada in 1994. Ernst Meisner, director of Dutch National Ballet, is extending KALPANA
RAGHURAMAN's appointment as Creative Associate at Nationale Opera &
Ballet! Kalpana has been a Creative Associate since 2024. Her
affiliation will be extended for one season, until July 2027. She is a
choreographer, dancer and anthropologist, and the artistic director of
Kalpanarts. In her work, she combines Indian dance styles with
contemporary Western forms. |
ANNOUNCEMENTSNMACC presents Naachiyar Next By Dr Anita Ratnam & ensemble The Studio Theatre, NMACC, 8pm October 1, 2026 Mumbai Narthaki Global Media presents 25th show of Naachiyar Next By Dr Anita Ratnam & ensemble Rukmini Arangam, 6pm Oct 3, 2026 Chennai NCPA presents world premiere The absence of presence By Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, 6pm Oct 31 & Nov 1, 2026 Mumbai LOOK OUT FORMaster Talks by Ashish Khokar EP 6 | ANNA PAVLOVA EP 7 | MOHAN KHOKAR EP 8 | TED SHAWN | RUTH ST. DENIS Kathak Tales | Dance History | Salaami | Ep 15 By Navina Jafa Salaami begins with a raised hand and a gentle bow. In Kathak, this simple salute becomes a complete dance composition - alive with rhythm, grace and storytelling. |
AWARDS WION honoured Dr Anita Ratnam with the ICONIC EXCELLENCE IN DANCE & PERFORMING ARTS AWARD at the Iconic Awards 2026 on September 23 at New Delhi.  Sai Arts International and Gokulam School of Music presented LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD to dance musicians G Gurumurthy (mridangam), N Narayana Swamy (mridangam), R Purushotama (mridangam), Pustakam Rama (vocal), C Madhusudan (violin), NR Narasimha Murthy (flute), DS Srivatsa (vocal) and A Shankar Raman (veena) on September 5 at Jayaram Seva Mandali, Bangalore.  The SAMANVAY PURASKAR was given on September 19 by Sri Rajarajeswari Kalaniketan to Revathi Ramachandran, Anitha Guha and Dr. Hamsini Nagendra at Chowdiah Hall in Bangalore.  Manipuri Guru Darshana Jhaveri received the VYSAKHI BHARATA NRITYA BHUSHAN AWARD 2026 from Nataraj Music and Dance Academy, on 26th September at Vishakhapatnam. |
ATMA SHANTI
 Bharatanatyam practitioner and dance teacher INDU MITHA passed away in Dublin on August 31, 2026 at the age of 97. More info: Classical dance icon Indu Mitha is no more - Syeda Shehrbano Kazim  Scholar and author DR. MANDAKRANTA BOSE passed away on September 10, 2026 in her home city of Vancouver, Canada. Professor Emerita at the University of British Columbia, and director of the university's Centre for India and South Asia Studies, she held a D. Phil. degree of Oxford University and was a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and the Department of Sanskrit, University of Calcutta. She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain. Deeply engaged with dance and drama, Dr Bose was a noted dancer in the Tagore style for many years as well as an actor. She has written many books on dance such as: Movement and Mimesis, Speaking of Dance, The Dance Vocabulary of Classical and India amongst others. She taught at UBC from 1990 onwards, becoming the director of the Centre for India and South Asia Research in 1998. More info: Dr Mandakranta Bose (1938- 2026) - Jai Govinda  A pioneering force in the world of art and culture, former ISRO scientist-engineer and arts promoter SOORYA KRISHNAMURTHY passed away on September 23, 2026 aged 77. The end came in Thiruvananthapuram at 6.45pm, a time when he started his shows punctually. The cause of death was liver ailment he had been suffering from for a long time. His doctor is a student of guru Girija Chandran, who said, "He did much for artists and put Thiruvananthapuram on the world map, culturally." Actor and star dancer Shobana Chandrakumar hailed him for making Dubai an Indian dance base too, in addition to work in Kerala. He established the Soorya Stage and Film Society in 1977. The Soorya Festival evolved into one of the world's longest running cultural events, spanning over a hundred days annually and showcasing premier classical dance, music, theatre, and cinema. For generations of artistes, the name Soorya has been synonymous with a deep love for the arts and an unwavering commitment to giving artistes a platform. His passion, warmth and extraordinary dedication created a space where countless artistes found an audience, encouragement and recognition. In recognition of his immense contributions to art and society, he was awarded the National Award for Stage Craft and Direction in 1996. In 2023, the Government of Kerala conferred upon him the Kerala Prabha Award, the state's second-highest civilian honor. The dance community has lost a true crusader and patron. |
FROM THE ARCHIVES When Aharyabhinaya, the extraneous representation becomes integral in Performing Arts - Dr. Varada Pandit Theatre and cinema are the performing arts which portray a theme in realistic mode for which nepathya / set is an important aspect.  Indian dance: From real to virtual - Rashika Ojha For a dancer practicing Indian classical dance, the journey from an idea to the form is not an independent journey; instead it's a collaborative journey which you tread painstakingly. |
