As I write this post, I look back at the number of times I've written about an Arangetram. Some are just posts sharing details of upcoming arangetrams, but others ...The emotions after - in August 2013A reflection on the idea of the Arangetram itselfWhat I felt after an Arangetram in 2014Our Arangetram anniversaryI write so frequently about the Arangetram because for us, at the Academy of Indian Dances, each Arangetram is significant for everyone. I don't know if this is true for other dance schools too, but for us, it is a moment when all of us are charged with emotion. We are excited and nervous. Even though we are not going to be on stage at all, we are all part of the experience. We are part of this moment in each dancer's life.After today's Arangetram, 49 girls from the Academy will have reached this landmark. These dancers are scattered all over the globe. Some … [Read more...]
World Dance Day 2019
What did you do on World Dance Day? We put up two performances!To be completely honest, we did not plan the performances keeping World Dance Day in mind; things just fell into place that way. We were scheduled to perform in Udupi on the 28th of April, and one of the dancers in our troupe was keen on seeing whether we could perform at Murdeshwar Temple and Chitrapur Math too. It was just her determination that made it possible!At Murdeshwar, we didn't have a fixed audience. Of course, dressed as we were in Bharatanatyam costumes, we drew curious looks. Starting a performance, however, is something altogether different. Yet, we marked out our space and we began - and the response was heart-warming.Slowly, a group of people gathered together and settled to watch. We overheard a member of the audience saying to someone else that she would stay for just one more piece. She … [Read more...]
Experiences on Stage – Udupi
Performances, performances.So often, the joy of dancing on stage comes from the story it creates, which can be told and retold ad infinitum. I've written about this before, so many times.My first performance with the 'big girls', when we got so immersed in the drama that we ignored the recorded musicThe time when we staged the Ramayana: Ravana did not come in time for the swayamvara, and we were on stage trying to buy timeOur performance in Chidambaram, when the music suddenly looped backThe time Nisha and I entered from the wrong sides of the stageWhen the stage dimensions weren't exactly what we were told they would be - in the craziest way imaginable(There are a hundred other stories to tell; perhaps I've blogged about those too. But these came to mind, so I linked them here. If you explore the Dance category, I'm sure you'll find … [Read more...]
Performances Ahead
Why do we dance? And why do people suspend their lives for a couple of hours to watch?Performing arts seem to exist in a world of their own, with their own rules and rigorous demands. What other field has a saying like 'The show must go on'?I think the joy of a performance is that it feels like a huge secret that the artistes share. A secret is special. It creates oneness, like being part of an inside joke. What unfolds on stage is just a tiny part of everything that goes into a performance - hours of rehearsal, chatter and choreography; rising tempers, annoyance and laughter; work, play and food; balancing family, professional lives and dance.Where we perform is often secondary, for me. What I, as an individual dancer, "get to do" is also secondary. It's dancing together that unfailingly gives me a high.Knowing another dancer so well that I can predict what she will do … [Read more...]
Reading, Writing, Dancing
Two weeks ago, I asked the children at my Writers' Club whether they would like to make readers laugh or cry. Three girls said they wanted to make readers laugh. 12 said they wanted to make readers cry. When a few said they would like to do both, those who had already raised their hands dithered.Finally, though, most agreed that making readers cry was more important. This was both surprising and not.Funny books that sparkle with humour are wonderful. Yet, I do know that the books that stay with me are books that make me cry. The best ones do both. I then asked the children what makes them cry in books.These were difficult conversations, by the way, and I was warmed by how much the girls opened up. A 12-year-old is not always comfortable talking about crying in front of a 9-year-old. The fact that they did - and passionately - was lovely.They spoke of happy moments … [Read more...]
Performing in Varanasi
The last time I visited Varanasi, I was nearly run down by a charging bull. Not surprisingly, when the planning began for a dance trip to Varanasi, I was not overly excited. Varanasi, for me, was a place where religion was elaborately performed, as if every day was a festival. I was also utterly put off by a sign outside Kashi Vishwanath temple that said that non-Hindus were to remain outside. They could go see the temple from a nearby library. I was there with two French guests - how could I ask them to stay outside? It seemed more than a little unwelcoming, in a country that is famed for its hospitality.But this time was different. This time, Varanasi welcomed us in ways I would not have thought possible.Visiting BHU was a whole new experience. The campus is absolutely charming and feels steeped in history and culture. Yet, the campus was all very well - how would … [Read more...]
Sisters at Dance Class
Perhaps because Nisha and I have always been so close and so affectionate towards each other, I have always been intrigued by relationships between sisters. At dance class, we do have the odd pair of sisters joining class. These aren't as common as I would imagine. Often, one sister (usually the elder one) joins class, and the younger one simply could not be bothered. A bit like Nisha and me, I suppose, except that I persevered.At the moment, one of the pairs of sisters at class shares a warm, fierce relationship. The elder one, Shruti, joined us a few years ago, while Shweta has been with us for a year or two. Both of them are absolutely adorable.Yesterday, I asked Shweta to demonstrate an adavu. When children dance well, I am unstinting in my praise, and Shweta really did the step very sweetly and very neatly. As I praised her, Shweta glowed and instinctively turned to her … [Read more...]
Why Performances are Fun
Anyone who has ever performed knows about the adrenalin rush, the energy, the feeling of having achieved something. But more than all of these, I think performances are fun because they're full of stories.Some are dramatic stories that we tell and retell, like when we performed in Chidambaram, and the time when Nisha and I entered from the wrong side when we performed in Aix. Sometimes, though, they're small stories that we store somewhere inside us, and share when we finish the programme, but slowly forget.Last Friday, we performed for Dignity Foundation with my teacher. It was not dramatic, and I'm thankful for that. It did promise to be, though - more than once.The lights kept going during the previous performances, and my teacher prayed right through, the way she does when we're performing Pinnal Kolattam! Narasimha forgot to come on stage. I was Hiranyakashipu, … [Read more...]
Dashami Poojai
Each year, we have a poojai at dance class for Dashami. Now, at the Academy of Indian Dances, there are four teachers, including me. Mythili Mami is, of course, head; that goes without saying.On Dashami, a little girl crept up to the corner where we were standing."I want to speak to Ma'am," she whispered to my teacher.None of us knew how to respond to that - even the children call Mythili Mami 'big teacher'. She's the first "Ma'am", who makes the decisions. But clearly, this little girl did not want to speak to her."What happened?" Mami asked. "No, I want to speak to ma'am," repeated the girl. Much amused, Mythili Mami let her come to us."I have to call my mother!" said the little girl. "Okay ... Why?" She glanced back at Mythili Mami and turned back to us. Like most of the others, she was dressed up that day, with kajal, earrings and a pearl necklace. "I … [Read more...]
Guru Mythili Raghavan
What makes Mythili Maami special? Why have so many of us been with her for two decades and longer? Why did we not leave the Academy of Indian Dances and set up on our own like so many other dancers?The answer lies in a story that each one of us is only too willing to share.My teacher has her stories too - of learning to dance and sing, of being chosen to say the prayers at school, of sitting on a train and hugging her bag all the way to Patna from Chennai ... She has stories about Kalakshetra and stories about Australia. She talks to us about her experiences with teachers like Gowri Pati, Pushpa Teacher and Jaya Teacher. Stories must find their way into a book some day - and this one took root when my father said that we must all write it. We took our time, but released it for Maami's 70th birthday. It's here, and I can't quite believe … [Read more...]