We are conducting a dance workshop (followed by a performance) soon ...I will share the details in the next few days! … [Read more...]
Thank you!
For all those who came and watched me and listened to me at Art Hop Pune, thank you!I began with almost no one in my audience. In five minutes, there were over twenty people - a large number in such a small place. And as I was doing my last piece, the place was full. I was honoured!Of course, the result of having no one to begin with was that I forgot to market myself. I forgot to tell people that I was a writer and a dancer. In the very end, I apologised and said, "By the way, I'm a writer too. And my collection, The Story-Catcher, is on sale here."Needless to say, no copies were sold.Despite that, what a charming experience it was! Art Hop Pune was a grand event! … [Read more...]
Lecture Demonstration at Art Hop Pune
Nritta is one of the two pillars of the magnificent structure called dance. Nritta is pure technique, with no hidden symbolism, no complex meaning and no detailed explanation involved. What is the purpose, then, of nritta?That's one of the modules of today's lecture demonstration at Oakwood Sen5es at 5pm. Be part of Art Hop Pune! … [Read more...]
Women of Pride
Women of Pride unravelled a lot of questions before proceeding to respond to them, at least in part .There was so much about the devadasis that I did not know. Often in books I read, the history of these temple dancers was cheerfully summed up in a couple of sentences. The devadasis were nityasumangali - perpetually married. They were honoured and revered, but as time went on, they began to lose their patronage. They became associated with loose women, with no morals. Consequently, the entire system of being wedded to a God was abolished. Voilà, you have a history that begins in legends and ends in the 20th century.Who were these women? If they were married to gods, how did the lineage continue? If they were 'pure' and suddenly became corrupted by changing values, what constitutes purity and what constitutes corruption? What does it mean to outlaw a caste? Is it the same as … [Read more...]
Ram Navami
Three years ago, we performed on a beautiful stage as part of the Kannada Sangha celebrations in Pune. I can't quite believe that it was three years ago. Waiting to perform again! … [Read more...]
Arangetram
Often, invitation cards say that 'Arangetram' means 'ascending the stage'. Theoretically, all of us know that it is our first stage programme. Then why is it supposed to be so perfect? It is a beginning, an entrance.We often widen our eyes and raise our eyebrows at students who perform their Arangetram 'too early'. At age seven? How ridiculous! After learning dance for just two years? Tut tut. Nonsense.Where do these ideas come from?A book I'm reading tells me about many of the last devadasis. Kumbakonam Bhanumathi (who described dance as 'the sweeter unheard melody of our music system') did her Arangetram at age eleven. Pandanallur Jayalakshmi (whom Rukmini Devi allegedly tried unsuccessfully to imitate) completed hers when she was eight. Thanjavur Balasaraswathi (about whom Satyajit Ray made a film) was seven when she did hers.These are just examples. The … [Read more...]
Baby Krishna
Finally, here are a few photographs of the baby that everyone loved so much. It's a doll, yes, a doll, made by my French mother. It's not a real baby, no. We dressed it (her) as Baby Krishna for our performance in December - here are a few pictures! … [Read more...]
PMC Award!
When we introduce my teacher, we always talk about the prestigious Iyal Isai Nadagam award that she received. We have so many things to say about her, about countries she's toured and things she has achieved.This time, we had the privilege of being present when Guru Mythili Raghavan received an award from the Pune Municipal Corporation - the Pandita Rohini Bhate Puraskar.Hindi poet Ashok Vajpeyi was the chief guest, felicitating first Guru Prabhatai Marathe and then five other recipients of the award. Pune's mayor Chanchala Kodre came in late for the function and faced poet Ashok Vajpeyi's brilliant sarcasm with respect to the role of the government in promoting classical Indian dance and music.Proud to be Guru Mythili Raghavan's student! … [Read more...]
Performed Yesterday!
There's nothing in the world like the thrill of performing. Even if it's just a tiny performance at my teacher's place.Nothing much went wrong.There were no black-outs, but that was okay.I was to sit on a small wooden stool for one scene, but no one but I seemed to know where the stool was and I was already on stage. So I got a rickety blue stool instead and I sat on it rather shakily. A few scenes later, when Radha needed the wooden stool, she had to bring it herself. But that was okay too. Everything went remarkably smoothly, despite the fact that we were using the kitchen and the balcony as wings for our stage.My video camera was with a parent in the audience, but there's not a single video on it.But finally, it's not the video that matters. It's what my teacher says. And she hasn't said anything yet. … [Read more...]
Performing on Tuesday
The thrill of performing is here again! A little performance, a private performance this time - not on a stage, and for barely twenty people."We'll do it in a very simple way," said my teacher. "Those who are playing boys will dress in salwar-kameez. The girls will wear practice saris."Doing it at my teacher's house, we began to play with the lights. Black-outs, yellow light, white light - we could do that much."Krishna at least should wear Krishna costume," my teacher amended. "And Radha, of course."We used a stool as a cradle for baby Krishna as we practised, and we spoke about how we could decorate it. I brought a beautiful doll that looks like a real baby. Another dancer brought a lovely cradle."Even the others, like Yashoda and Kamsa..." my teacher said, thoughtfully. "It will be better if you wear costumes, I think."The kitchen and balcony were our wings; the music … [Read more...]