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NARTHAKI MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
September 2019
ANITA SAYS.....
September 1, 2019
Most people believe
That physicists are explaining the world
They are only dancing in it
- GARY ZUKAV, American spiritual teacher
For almost all of last month, I was far away from home. Not just
geographically but also from the familiarity of dance, performance and
the arts. And yet, global events and the magic of the internet kept me
abreast of so many events in our wonderful and fractured world of the
performing arts. The distance from my cultural space helped give me a
respite and an objective view of many issues and shifts in our lives as
performers. Some ideas are still floating as unresolved questions.
Others have settled into patterns that are now more than mere trends. As
we move into the Fall season and cooler weather, I share more thoughts
and ideas.
Read on...
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ROVING EYE: A section of impressions, images and inspirations
Curated by Anita Ratnam
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SPOTLIGHT
- The NALCO GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA AWARD 2019 goes to Guru Harmohan
Khuntia, tabla maestro, for his immense contribution to the field of
Music, to Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, veteran Odissi dance Guru for his
invaluable work in the field of Dance, to Dr. Sunil Kothari and Leela
Venkataraman, eminent dance critics and authors, for their lifetime
achievements and contribution to the performing arts, and to
photographer Avinash Pasricha, for his pioneering work in the field of
Photography. The award carries a purse of Rs.1,00,000 to each artiste
and a citation.
The NALCO GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA YUVA PRATIVA SAM MAN 2019 to five
exceptionally talented performing artistes under the age of 40 goes to
Swapnokalpa Dasgupta (Odissi dance), Rahul Acharya (Odissi dance),
Rajashri Praharaj (Odissi dance), Anwesa Mahanta (Sattriya dance), and
Satyabrata Katha (Odissi music). Each artiste gets a cash prize of Rs.
25,000 and a citation.
The awards will be given on September 11, 2019, at the 25th edition of
the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival, at Rabindra Mandap,
Bhubaneswar.
- Natyarangam honored the following artistes on August 15, 2019 at Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai.
Bharatanatyam guru Saroja Kameswaran, Dr. S Raghuraman (scholar and
resource person) for Outstanding Contribution to Bharatanatyam, OBUL
REDDY ENDOWMENT AWARD to senior Bharatanatyam dancer Lakshmi Ramaswamy,
VASANTHALAKSHMI NARASIMHACHARI ENDOWMENT AWARD for talent promotion to
Pavitra Bhat, SUDHARANI RAGHUPATHY ENDOWMENT AWARD to mridangist M
Dhanamjayan, BHAGAVATULU SEETARAMA SARMA ENDOWMENT AWARD to KS
Balakrishnan for nattuvangam.
- Utsav-Ranjana's Odissi Dance Academy conferred the UTSAV SAMMAN on
Bankim Sethi (Odissi vocal and music composer), Dhaneswar Swain (mardal
artiste and composer), Manjari Sinha (music scholar and critic) and
flautist Chetan Joshi on August 13, 2019 at India Habitat Centre, New
Delhi.
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OBITS
Eminent educationist, founder of the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan (founded
in 1958) group of schools, journalist and cultural ambassador, Mrs.
Y.G.Parthasarathy (Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy also known as Rashmi),
passed away in Chennai on August 6, 2019. She was 93. In 1987, she
started Bharat Kalachar, a cultural organization that identified young
talent in music, dance and other arts and gave them a platform. Despite
being in a wheelchair in her advanced age, Mrs YGP attended many
programs and always said a few words to encourage the artistes. She
received the Padma Shri in 2010.
Prof. CK Balagopalan, dancer and former teacher at Kalakshetra, Chennai,
passed away on August 24, 2019 at Chennai. Born in 1939 in Cheruvattur
village in North Malabar district of Kerala, Balagopalan was initiated
into stage-acting by his father P. Koman Nair, a well-known actor of
Kerala. When he was 13, he joined Kalakshetra with a Government of India
Scholarship. He studied Bharatanatyam under the guidance of Rukmini
Devi Arundale and trained in Kathakali under Guru T.K. Chandu Panicker.
Balagopalan excelled in donning female roles in Kathakali. He danced in
almost all the productions of Kalakshetra doing justice to any character
he portrayed. He was most famous for his role as Hanuman for which he
prepared with abstinence and purification rituals. He retired as
Professor of Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra in 2000. His disciple
Eliza Louis has penned his biography titled 'Leap of Faith: Mesmeric
Hanuman of Kalakshetra.' Balagopalan received the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award.
Balagopal - tapasvi who walked the talk by Jyotsna
With his abundant creativity, he responded to Rukmini Devi's aesthetics, breathing life into every role that he played.
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PREVIEWS
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UPDATE IN THE SITE |
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THE EASTERN EYE: Column
by Dr.Utpal K Banerjee
Some charming colors and cadences
It was very refreshing to find half a dozen reputed and well-respected
gurus of classical dance in the Eastern metropolis join hands and
produce a well conceived item each, with well trained disciples.
Theatre experiences - folk, freak and Greek
Over a little more than a month, this critic got to view a vibrant
revival of the folkloric drama, a fantasy play built upon bizarre events
and a wonderful take on a Greek myth of yore.
PRISM
Shringaar in Odissi dance: A recollection
- Edited by Ileana Citaristi
Translated from an Odia speech (by Malabika Patel) on the getup and
costume of Odissi dance given by Harapriya Devadasi in the seminar on
Odissi dance organised by Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi in July 1975 at
Bhubaneswar.
Rhythmic narratives of Pt Lacchu Maharaj - The Kavit Paran
- Paullumi B Mukherjee
Late Guru Lacchu Maharaj, one of the most versatile gurus of his time,
laid emphasis on expressing the feeling within the form of the beat. In
his Kathak journey, Guruji experimented and specialized in the execution
of body movements.
Resonating in Rasa
- Sunil Sunkara
In context of Kathak, Bhibhatsa rasa has been studied with respect to
compositions composed by maestros and an analysis of the Vyabhicharis
involved when resonating within this seldom depicted rasa.
TAALAM: Column by Leela Venkataraman
ABHAI'S Pravasi Utsavam
Since last year, ABHAI, in a friendly sensitive gesture, has mounted
'Pravasi Utsavam' solely meant for presenting proficient Bharatanatyam
dancers settled abroad - who find it difficult to procure performance
opportunities during the Season with its crowded calendar.
Recapturing golden moments during Golden Anniversary of Kalasamarpana
The packed auditorium of Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai, bore full testimony
to the enormous goodwill earned by the Narasimhachari couple in the
fifty years of running their institution Kalasamarpana Foundation.
Registering ten years of Nrityantar with Naman 2019
The organisational work behind this very efficiently managed three day
event proved how professional dancers running institutions have taken to
multi tasking very effectively, mounting large events, with minute
details attended to carefully.
FOOTLOOSE AND FANCY FREE with Dr.
Sunil Kothari
Nrityagram Ensemble puts best foot forward
In memory of Protima Bedi on her death anniversary on 18th August, for
past 21 years Nrityagram dancers present performances showcasing the
continuous progress they have been making in the sylvan setting at the
now internationally renowned dance village Nrityagram.
SOCH: Column by Dr. Arshiya Sethi
These feet had to stop dancing: The trauma experienced by dancing bears
Continuing with the undesirable practices of dancing animals, we must
refer to an ancient practice, of making bears "dance" which has a long
history and was once widely spread in Europe and Asia
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| Meet the artistes
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SANCHARI.. More
on the arts |
Articles |
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EVENTS
Sept 2, Bangalore
Rhythmotion presents Bharatanatyam and Kathak on the auspicious occasion
of Ganesha Chathurthi at Sri Rama Mandira Auditorium Rajajinagar,
6:30pm.
Sept 2 - 29, California
Schedule for Ramya Harishankar, Arpana Dance Company
- Sept 2: SHE by Arpana Dance Co
At: Godinez Performing Arts Center, Santa Ana, CA, 4pm
- Sept 14: TAD BHARATHAM by Nirupama-Rajendra and Abhinava Dance Company
Co-presenting with Ektaa Center
At: Godinez Performing Arts Center, Santa Ana, CA, 7pm
- Sept 21: Celluloid Classics 2, at San Dimas, CA
- Sept 22: Ektaa Fest, 15th anniversary celebrations
At: Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine, CA
- Sept 28: Celluloid Classics 2, at Saratoga, CA
- Sept 29: Festival of Children, at South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, CA
Sept 3 - 5, Kolkata, N Bengal
Programs/Workshops of Sapphire Creations, Kolkata.
- 3rd Sept: 50 dancers of Sapphire Creations usher in the festive Durga
Puja celebration for Lifestyle store in a flashmob. They dance to an
original composition created specially for the event by music composer
and film maker Anindya Chattopadhyay.
At: Quest Mall Atrium,12 noon
- 4th Sept: Sapphire performs SAPPHIRESCOPE for the inauguration of
Ganesh Chaturthi celebration by Maitreyi Sangha in presence of the
Governor of West Bengal with a 30 minute montage of dance and music
drawn from tradition and modernity.
At: Swimming Pool, CF Park, Salt Lake, 8pm
- 16th Aug- 5th Sept: Sapphire leads a 40 days Residency in North Bengal
in Darjeeling and Kerseong districts with 16 communities namely,
Lepchas, Bhutias, Bhujels, Newaris and more to reorient their existing
rituals, songs and dance for the proscenium stage. This is organised by
Folk Craft and Culture Hub, Govt of West Bengal in collaboration with
Bangla Natak Dot Com
Sept 5 and 6, UK
Mitul Sengupta of Rhythmosaic performs WRITTEN ON MY BODY choreographed
by Shambik Ghose at Landing Party Festival by Leeds Beckett University.
Venue: Studio-1, Leeds Beckett University
Sept 6, 7 and 13, Basel and Zurich, Switzerland
Schedule for the Keshavas and Kalasri.
- Sept 6: Sumitra Keshava and the youth dance group Kalasri perform
Bharatanatyam and Bollywood in the Youth Cultural Festival JKF.
At: Theater Basel
- Sept 7: D. Keshava, Anjali and Sumitra Keshava perform Bharatanatyam
and conduct workshops in Swiss National Museum, Zürich, 6.30pm
- Sept 13: HIMALAYA dance theater by Keshava, Anjali and Sumitra Keshava with their music ensemble.
At: Theater Festival Kaserne, Basel, 8.30pm
Sept 7, Oswego, IL
Natya dance Theatre presents Nirupama + Rajendra and Abhinava Dance
Company's TAD-BHARATHAM, THAT IS INDIA! Tad-Bharatham takes you on a
journey through nature and culture using the artistic media of music,
dance, and literature. Performed by a team of ten dancers, the
production features elements drawn from India's classical literature
including the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata exploring various
sentiments of love, valour, anger, laughter, and celebration.
At: Oswego East High School, 1525 Harvey Rd, Oswego, IL 60543, 5pm
Sept 7 and 8, Chennai
ABHAI's KALA PRAVEENA PRATIYOGITA - Season 2 is a unique Bharatanatyam
competition, which shall be held at the Shakthi Palace Kalyana Mandapam,
Valsaravakkam.
ABHAI has short listed 10 dancers who will be performing a concert in
Margam format for 50 minutes each. Cash prizes will be awarded to the
first two places.
Sept 9 - 15, Bhubaneswar, Vadodara, Chennai
Schedule for Ileana Citaristi and Art Vision.
- 9th Sept, Bhubaneswar: Art Vision ensemble presents Odissi
production AKSHYARA, an ode to Odia alphabet, choreography by Ileana
Citaristi, for the 25th edition of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award
Festival organized by Srjan at Rabindra Mandap, 7pm
- 13th Sept, Vadodara: Ileana Citaristi presents a lec-dem titled "From
Grotowsky Physical Theatre to Indian Classical Dance: My Experience" for
the seminar on 'Performance Theories from and about the Global South'
organized by Forum on Contemporary Theory.
At: Conference Room 1, Centre for Contemporary Theory, 4.30pm
- 15th Sept, Chennai: Ileana Citaristi presents solo Odissi dance and
confluence with other styles for the annual art festival Nrityasangama
organised by Saila Sudha Academy.
At: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, 6.30pm.
Sept 14, Bangalore
Nadam presents NAZAAKAT, an evening of Kathak featuring two
celebrated dancers - Guru. V. Anuradha Singh representing the
Raigarh Gharana, Bhopal and Guru Jayanthi Eshwarputhi showcasing the
Lucknow Gharana, Bengaluru
Venue: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore, 6pm
Sept 15, New Delhi
Ankita Nayak, disciple of Guru Madhumita Raut, presents Odissi dance.
She will present masterpiece dance compositions of legendary Guru
Mayadhar Raut like Tandava piece Jago Maheshwara, Vishwanath Ashtakam,
Asthapadi "Rati Sukha Sare."
At: India International Centre, New Delhi, at 6.30pm.
Sept 21 and 22, Mumbai
Schedule for Jhelum Paranjape and Smitalay.
- 21st Sept: SAVITRI VADATEY during the diamond jubilee year
celebrations for P.N.Doshi Women's College, Ghatkopar, Mumbai in the
College Auditorium, 11am.
- 22nd Sept: YUVA TARANG for Sanskruti Cultural Academy, Savarkar Smarak, Dadar, 10am.
Sept 29 - Oct 3, Chile
Performance schedule of Bharatanatyam exponent Bala Devi Chandrashekar's Chile performance tour.
- 29th Sept: Municipality of El Bosque
- 30th Sept: University Adolfo Ibanez
- 1st Oct: Municipality of Rancagua
- 2nd Oct: Municipality of Providencia
- 3rd Oct: Municipality of San Antonio
Sept 30, New Delhi
Navina Jafa performs in JHOOLA: Swinging Love and Finding the Self, an
immersive experience of the 'Swing', a seminal motif in the Indian
ethos.
At: C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, 6.30pm
ARANGETRAMS
Sept 1 and 7, Irvine, CA
- Sept 1: Riya Reddy / - Sept 7: Sai Gayatri Bhaskar, disciples of Ramya Harishankar, Arpana Dance Company
Venue: Portola High School
Sept 7, Vancouver, Canada
Veena Vinod and Krishna Vinod, disciples of Jai Govinda, Jai Govinda Dance Academy
Venue: Surrey Arts, 13750, 88 Avenue, Surrey, BC V3W 3L1, 7pm
Sept 14, Richmond, Virginia
Roshini Adunoor, Gayatri Tyagi, Kavya Somala, disciples of Uma Chetty, Apsaras Arts Dance Group
Venue: Hershey Center of the Arts, Collegiate School, 4pm
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