It's been ages since my sister and I performed together at a programme organised by our society. I remember the time, ages ago, when the two of us practised on the little round stage in the lawn. It was in 97 or 98. How far we've come since then! We played our music on audio cassettes, rewinding and fast-forwarding, working on our synchronisation.Now, we probably practise as much or more, but differently. Synchronisation must be taken that many notches higher. Quality cannot possibly be compromised. I look forward to it! … [Read more...]
On Being Krishna
Watching the Indore video last night reminded me -For the last piece that all of us performed together, my teacher was keen that Krishna use a real flute. So a friend bought a flute for me and I diligently decorated it. I put lovely peacock feather tassels and gold ribbon around Krishna's melodious flute. (My flute, just to make things clear, is not at all melodious. I can make a few harsh sounds. That's all.)I did not really practise with the flute, but it was fun to have a flute, so I used it to my best advantage.Except once. Sitting happily in aramandi, I discovered that the tassels were cheerfully pointing upwards and the holes of the flute were all facing the floor.I winced inwardly. Should I gingerly and inconspicuously turn it around?I decided against it. I can't play it anyway, so might as well let it stay upside down. … [Read more...]
Back from Indore
A magnificent wooden stage - 50 feet long, 30 feet wide ...Infrastructure that allowed us to use lights in a way that we have never done before ... Guru Mythili Raghavan, determined to give her best to Kasturitilakam ... Eleven dancers - all excited, all nervous, all thrilled at the opportunity ... Of course things went wrong, but things went wonderfully right too. We performed at IIM, Indore, and delighted our audience.Photos and stories will come soon!But meanwhile, a view of the campus ... The lapwing is not a chance visitor. We saw it (and its friends/ enemies) everyday and everywhere. The campus is truly inspiring! … [Read more...]
Main Nahin Makhan Khayo
One of the highlights of this evening's performance:The gopis carried tales to Yashoda, complaining time and again about how Krishna stole butter from them. But naughty little Krishna convinced his mother not to believe any of the complaints the other gopis made about him.When Krishna stole butter in his own house, however, things changed – because Yashoda herself saw him.Yashoda wanted to catch her little boy out and asked him, out of the blue, “Kanhaiya, did you eat butter?”Taken aback, the words escaped from Krishna’s mouth, “Main nahin maakhan khayo – I did not eat butter! Ma, how did you think I had eaten the butter? I don’t even have the time to eat it! All day, I herd the cows. From dawn to dusk, I’m out grazing the cattle. When could I possibly eat butter?”The argument did not work. So, Krishna thought of another justification. “Maiya mori, mother mine, I’m such a … [Read more...]
Kasturitilakam
Timeless, beautiful, expressive. Dance is all three, and much more. Classical dance in India is a language. With its ancient origins, it is a medium of communicating knowledge, expressing emotions and creating aesthetic pleasure. Kasturitilakam – conceived and choreographed by Guru Mythili Raghavan – explores each of these dimensions.Lord Krishna, playing his divine, melodious flute, has touched the hearts of millions. Stories of this beloved god find their way into languages, music and culture all over India. His naughty pranks as a child, his strength and bravery as a young man, his divine love for Radha and the other gopis, his accompaniment of the Pandavas during their exile, and ultimately, the Bhagvad Gita, the immortal treatise delivered to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra – these stories strike a chord in hearts everywhere.Guru Mythili Raghavan’s Kasturitilakam will … [Read more...]
Performing at Indore
The Academy of Indian Dances will be presenting Kasturitilakam - episodes from the life of Lord Krishna - everyone is welcome! Venue: IIM, Indore Date: 6th July, 2013 Time: 18:30 Credits: Choreography: Guru Mythili Raghavan Make-up: Shri Mohan and Smt Lakshmi Music compilation: Friends Studio, Pune Dancers: Ashwini Sashital, Charulatha Ramesha, Dhwani Lalai, Nisha Seshan, Pooja Shetty, Rashmi Shetty, Resham Abdagiri, Riddhi Joshi, Tejashree Natu, Suguna Nair and Varsha Seshan … [Read more...]
Performing in Renage
A very dear friend of my sister's organised a performance for us at a chapel in Renage. That was when we learned what effective publicity is.Michèle, who, I should mention, is in her seventies, did absolutely everything to make people come for our performance. She, helped by two friends, went (literally) from pillar to post putting up posters. She made signs to direct people to the chapel, and went and put them up on lamp-posts. When we drove towards the chapel, we saw our own faces everywhere. Every wall, every lamp-post, every pillar had a poster of our performance thanks to this formidable lady. She sat and folded the programmes for the performance - easily a hundred or more - insisting that she had nothing else to do, while we, the dancers, ought to rest. She went individually to each neighbour and convinced all her friends that they would not get the opportunity to watch a … [Read more...]
Nritya Tarangini
Day 1: I wondered whether I would get anything out of the workshop conducted by the Dhananjayans. I wondered whether it was all worth it. We were learning a piece that was getting totally jumbled in my head. There were too many episodes and at the end of the day, I could not even remember the music.Day 2: I knew it was worth it. I understood why Dhananjayan Anna and Shanta Akka have played Rama and Sita so often. Anna's gentle humour, Akka's quiet poise. I remembered when I went with my teacher to their place while Akka was taking class. I could barely take my eyes off her. 68 now, and still so beautiful. In her own words, Anna is the architect and she is the engineer. I watched her teaching. I realised how similar she is to my teacher and I realised once again how blessed I am.Day 3: A performance at Tilak Smarak Mandir. Of course there were parts I did not enjoy. It's part of the … [Read more...]
‘Shiva’
Last evening's performance at Bal Shikshan was a visual treat. Of course there were things I did not like. I did not like the opening piece or the concluding peace. I found them most peculiar. Yet, there is something about the perfection of classical dance well performed that cannot be compared to anything else.Vaibhav Arekar and his troupe performed a beautiful collection of dances - united by the theme of Shiv. There were some pieces I'd watched before. There's one that brings tears to my eyes every time - the story of an untouchable devotee of Shiva who wants a glimpse of the shivalingam inside the temple.Spurned by the higher castes, Nandan hides, crouches, apologetic about his very existence. When higher caste women see him, they recoil in disgust. He cringes, almost trying to become invisible. Yet, when everyone else finishes the prescribed rituals and has gone, Nandan goes … [Read more...]
Our Special Chief Guest – Amjad Ali Khan
It was compulsory for teachers to attend the inauguration of MIT's Vishwashanti Sangeet Academy. But my day was made when I saw Ustad Amjad Ali Khan ascend the stairs. With his characteristic humility, he acknowledged all those waiting on the sides, unlike many others who obliviously walked by. Unembarrassed by his outdated chivalry, he remained standing for as long as his wife was standing. He spoke briefly, boring none with long-winded, irrelevant speeches.I felt like a school-girl meeting a film-star when I saw him up close. My colleagues made fun of me, and I enjoyed that too - like a school-girl again. There he stood, dignified, poised, smiling. He didn't even play. He sat beside his wife and listened to long speeches in Marathi, not even in the limelight - because Lata Mangeshkar was in the limelight.There has to be something special about a man who, even without the instrument … [Read more...]