September 2026ANITA SAYS.....Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart Who looks outside, dreams Who looks inside, awakes - Carl Jung, psychiatrist and psychotherapist  Aaaand... hello again! Another month goes by. Another capture through my personal lens. Another set of thoughts shared. As Time marches on and tastes shift and change, it is a challenge to find that common ground that you, the reader who can be - dancer, choreographer, guru, teacher, musician, composer, costume designer, lighting director, Arts manager or anyone who is interested or working in the performing arts sector can connect to. Being a senior in the field, I realise that many of my views are shaped by the long decades of learning, performing, producing, curating, mentoring, speaking and writing about dance and society. I write and speak as I see it.  Flash floods at Trishuli in Nepal's Nuwakot district Arun Sankar/Getty Images Against the backdrop of the devastating tragedy enveloping Nepal, I wish to pause and reflect on the rage of the elements. Fires, floods, typhoons and cyclones are no strangers to our planet and it becomes even more urgent to pay attention to these cataclysmic events, especially when they become fodder for dance themes. This month, I will write about the three performances I watched at the annual Chennai NATYARANGAM dance festival and the issues that emerged from this event. For 28 years, the dance wing of the Narada Gana Sabha has been curating and producing an annual event based on a particular theme. 27 years ago, I was part of a Faith based festival called DHARMA BHARATAM in which I was given the subject of Islam. Yes, you read that correctly. My presentation was titled TARKAASH - the quiver. With music by OS Arun (fabulous!) and lights by the late Mithran Devanesan (gorgeous) and costumes from my personal wardrobe, the evening was made especially meaningful with the presence of 100 young women from SIET college, seated quietly, all robed in Burqas! Today, with changing times and shrill identity soaked voices, it is inconceivable for a reprise of that moment. Read more or Use the audio control (at the top of the page in the website) to listen to the editorial |
TAKITATOM
SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI, New Delhi, released two documentary films on the lives and artistic journeys of legendary maestros Kalamandalam Gopi and R.K. Singhajit Singh,
on August 10, 2026 at Delhi. The evening also featured captivating
performances of Kathakali and Manipuri dance, celebrating India's rich
performing arts heritage.
NATANAKAIRALI, the renowned centre for traditional theatre and
performing arts, launched their new 'NETRA RAGAM PROJECT - WHERE THE
EYES BECOME A LANGUAGE' on 19 August 2026, at the Kottichetham Theatre,
Natanakairali, Irinjalakuda. The launch marks the formal beginning of an
ambitious new project dedicated to the exploration, practice, research
and teaching of Netrabhinaya - the art of acting and communicating
through the eyes. |
ANNOUNCEMENTSSrjan presents 32nd Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival Rabindra Mandap, 7pm Sept 5 - 9, 2026 Bhubaneswar Kalasri Basel presents Kala Chakra Theater Chur, 7pm September 10 & 11, 2026 Switzerland Kuchipudi Parampara Foundation and Sri Sai Dance Academy present BhavaNuta Sampoorna Adhyatma Ramayana Sept 12, Ijamsville, MD Sept 13, Richmond, VA Sri Rajarajeshwari Kalaniketan presents Samanvay Arts Festival Chowdiah Memorial Hall September 19, 2026 Bangalore Bengaluru International Arts Festival Celebrating harmony through Arts Chowdiah Memorial Hall, 6.30pm September 20, 2026 Bengaluru LOOK OUT FORMASTER TALKS BY ASHISH KHOKAR EP 1 | Guru Shishya Parampara EP 2 | Gurus Walk... EP 3 | Gurus Gather EP 4 | Uday Shankar THINGAL - A dance film by Karuna Sagari Thingal - the moon is a Bharatanatyam film inspired by a Sangam poem written nearly 2,000 years ago, whose message is simple: just give. Honoring THE GURU with Jothi Raghavan, Priyadarsini Govind & Nirupama Vaidyanathan Remembering Vadyar Swamimalai K. Rajaratnam by Ramya Harishankar. A legacy carried forward, one memory at a time. |
AWARDS The recipients of GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA AWARD 2026 are Sharon Lowen (Odissi dance), Keshab Chandra Rout (Odissi music), Dhirendranath Mallick (Theatre) and Mahasweta Ray (Cinema). It carries a cash award of ₹1,00,000 and a citation. The GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA YUVA PRATHIBA SAMMAN awardees are Vrinda Chadha (Odissi dance), Aishwariya Singh Deo (Odissi dance), Nikita Banawalikar (Kathak) and Sowmya Ranjan Nayak (Odissi music-mardala) with a cash award of ₹25,000 and a citation. The GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA KALA SAMMAN carrying a cash award of ₹50,000 and a citation goes to Agnimitra Behera (violin) and Dr Nazia Alam (vocal). They will be awarded on the concluding evening of Srjan's five-day GKCM Award Festival 2026 at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar, on September 9, 2026.  Natyarangam presented NATYACHARYA RATNA to Guru Lalitha Srinivasan on August 14, 2026 on the inaugural day of its dance festival Pancha Bhootha Bharatham at Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai. Other awardees include Anand Satchidanandan (Senior dancer award), Dr Sridhar Vasudevan (Proficiency in dance and music), Mudikondan Ramesh (Veena accompaniment), Dr Shatavadhani R Ganesh (Outstanding contribution to Bharatanatyam), Jayashree Ramanathan (Nattuvangam), Manasvini KR (Outstanding talent), Saakshi Mohan (Dec season debutant, afternoon slot).  Natyanjali Trust confers THE FLAME OF BHARATANATYAM award on Alarmel Valli on September 11, 2026 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai. On September 17, 2026 the NARTAKA AWARD will be conferred on Kuchipudi dancer MVN Murthy.  Legends of India presents LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD to The Dhananjayans (dance) and Margi Madhu (theatre) on September 5, 2026 at IIC, New Delhi.  On the 99th birth anniversary of Balkrishna Doshi, the Vastu Shilpa Foundation announced the BALKRISHNA DOSHI: GURU RATNA AWARD 2026 honouring Leela Samson for her contribution to Bharatanatyam. |
FROM THE ARCHIVES Remembering Ebrahim Alkazi - Dr Sunil Kothari It was during the year 1954 that my late dear painter friend Bhupen Khakhar and I were attending a series of lectures by Ebrahim Alkazi at Bhulabhai Memorial Institute on Warden Road.  Yog Sunder: The dancer extraordinary - Dr Utpal K Banerjee Born with a silver spoon in his mouth in a royal family of Gujarat, he was exposed early in life to the Spartan Gandhian principles…. |
