Sunday 31 May 2015

Hema Karunakaram - Bharatanatyam Arangetram - An Appreciation - May 2015

Hema Karunakaram - Bharatanatyam Arangetram - An Appreciation.
S. Narayanaswamy
30- May -2015
Venue: Towsley Auditorium Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI



The normal story of an arangetram in the US goes something like this: Girl attends Bharatanatyam (Or Kuchipudi or whatever dance) classes. A few years later, girl is in high school. If she is sufficiently interested and if the dance teacher decides she is sufficiently talented, and if (and this is a big IF) the girl's parents are sufficiently well funded, they do an arangetram. Then the girl goes off to college and forgets all about this. This has been pretty much the norm for the last 20-25 years.

But the arangetram I attended yesterday was as different from the norm as possible. During all the time Hema has been learning and performing Bharatanatyam with her guru (and my dear friend) Roopa Shyamasundara, she did not nurture the idea of an arangetram particularly. She finished high school, she finished college - she continued to dance at every opportunity all this time. At the end of it all, before she sets off into the corporate world, Hema decides - let there be an arangetram! When Hema decides, it happens, and boy, what a show it was!




The show followed standard Bharatanatyam Margam, staying true to tradition, with small touches of innovation here and there that added some sparkle. Hema's alarippu in misra nadai gave a good preview of what a solid dancer she is. Jatiswaram in Vasanta ragam was crisp and clean. The traditional Shabdam - Gokulambudhi chandra, was handled with delicacy and the liveliness of little Srikrishna. The Varnam she chose, Maye Mayan Sodariye, in Todi ragam, is also a traditional item. The mood is mainly devotional and Hema performed the complex jathis with clean lines and perfect execution. They could have avoided the isolated delineation of the navarasas in the choreography.

After a brief intermission, the program resumed with an Annamacharya composition, Brahma Kadigina Padamu, in mukhari ragam. Hema enacted the Vamanavatara - Bali story as well as Kaleeya mardanam as part of this. The Javali - Muttavaddura Mohananga in Saveri ragam was a pure delight and showcased the mature grasp Hema had in depicting various characters and various moods in a dramatic setting. This was followed by another keertanam - Chandrasekharam Bhajami Satatam in the raga Chandrakauns, in which the story of Markandeya was enacted. The program concluded with a Tillana in Valaji and Mangalam.

I should mention a beautiful subtle touch Hema added in her aahaaryam .. she decorated her hands and feet with real marudhaani (gorintaaku, mehendi, henna) in the traditional way .. did not use the usual red marker pen or other red stain! Not sure how many in the audience noticed it. A lot of care and thought were put into the production, from the decorations in the lounge that greeted the guests upon arrival to the stage design and decoration - everything was arranged tastefully and in harmony. 



Hema's arangetram is a prime example to show the superior product that emerges when the dancer is not only committed to the art, but also superbly talented, and more importantly, mature in age and stage experience to bring out the bhava of each composition. This is what is usually lacking in many arangetrams where the young lady is usually in a hurry to wrap it up along with other high school activities before pushing off to college.

Babu Paramesvaran's majestic voice elevated the mood of the show a couple of notches. The supporting instrumentalists were good. Guru Roopa ran the show efficiently.

Hema graduated from University of Michigan recently with a degree in Engineering and will start working for IBM's Watson Project soon. I should also disclose here that Hema's father, Krishna Karunakaram, was my classmate during undergrad days, and we rekindled our friendship some 15 years later in Michigan. 

I wish Hema all the very best in her future. Keep dancing in grace!!

Pics Credit: S Narayanaswamy

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Srjan Summer Workshop - Sanskrit Sessions - May 2015



Pt Nityananda Misra 

As part of Srjan Summer Workshop for a month - 10th May 2015 to 10th June 2015, Sri Nityananda Misra, held sessions relating to the language Sanskrit in Srjan's Bhubaneswar premises.

It is very important for a dancer to understand the shastras and the rich literary content and music of any classical dance form. Some Gurus and Institutes give utmost importance to providing the 360 degree teaching and in a manner befitting Guru Parampara tradition. I am glad to have come across the Srjan Summer-workshop and requested Sri Ratikant ji for publishing his very personal note and I am very thankful and obliged to him and Srjan for their gracious acceptance. 

A note from Sri Ratikant Mohapatra::

Pt. Nityananda Misra, elucidating the importance of Sanskrit literature for Indian classical dance and its correct pronunciation while composing music for dance using the Sanskrit text.
As always and each time it is a great learning experience with Nityananda sir. Easily transmits the essence of his experience to the listeners’ consciousness. 

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Saturday 30 May 2015

Srjan Summer Workshop - Sessions on Natya Shastra - May 2015



As part of Srjan Summer Workshop for a month - 10th May 2015 to 10th June 2015, Sri Rahul Acharya held sessions on Natya Shastra during 29th May to 30th May 2015 in Srjan's Bhubaneswar premises.

It is very important for a dancer to understand the shastras and the rich literary content and music of any classical dance form. Some Gurus and Institutes give utmost importance to providing the 360 degree teaching and in a manner befitting Guru Parampara tradition. I am glad to have come across the Srjan Summer-workshop and requested Sri Ratikant ji for publishing his very personal note and I am very thankful and obliged to him and Srjan for their gracious acceptance. 

A note from Sri Ratikant Mohapatra::

Rahul Acharya is one of the most loved and most popular male Odissi dancer. The world fondly knows him as the divine dancer. Other than the dance he is a brilliant scholar and an avid devotee of Lord Jagannath. As always it was a great experience to be part of Rahul’s lecture today on ‘Natya Shastra“ at Srjan.

I wish Rahul all success and may god bring him many more achievements in life. — with Rahul Acharya and Rajib Bhattacharya.


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Bhavayami - Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi - A Report - CA - May 2015

Bhavayami, a thematic recital presented in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, 
Choreographed and conceptualized by Shirni Kanth, Artistic Director of Mythri Natyalaya 
 Sunnyvale/Cupertino California. 

22nd May 2015

A Report




The show opened up with an apt invocation to Ganesha in Nattai ragam and ended with a fitting finale Balamurali's popular Kadanakuthoohalam thillana. It was a great evening with a great lineup of fantastic dances. The whole event was a superb treat to the eyes. Each of the girls were looking like real Lakshmis dancing away for each God they were dancing for. The costumes and makeup were really good and most of all very well coordinated. Panchabuta was a highlight of the show  music, choreography, costumes, dancers -- just fit so well and it just was so spectacular. Brilliantly choreogrpahed piece by Late Sri Vempati Chinna satyam presented by the Guru and her post arangetram students was well executed. The uniformity of the costumes and the co-ordination of the dance movements made the show top notch.

The event was sold out in-spite of being a working day. 
Some Pics



thanks to Mythri Natyalaya

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Thursday 21 May 2015

The Porous Earth - A Classical Dance Performance - "Dancing the Poem" - The Inspiration - April 2015

"The Porous Earth" recently was premiered in Hyderabad. Kiranmayee, Bharatanatyam Dancer, student of renowned Bharatanatyam teacher and guru Smt Hemamalini Arni, explains the inspiration behind and the producing of our "The Porous Earth"- at first a poem, a poetess.. Mrs. Tejdeep Kaur Menon and then taking the shape of Kiranmayee in her dance.  



In Kiranmayee's words:  "Kiran, I'd like you come in tomorrow - I want discuss this idea with you. I plan to put up a ballet, something that I put off for so many years now, I think I'm going to take the plunge and just go ahead and do it!", said Hema Aunty one evening to me, a few weeks after her 80th birthday. 

 She hands me a copy of the poem - each line was descriptive, with very characteristic content, the kind I knew she liked. She said, "Kiran, please put on your thinking cap - I need you to be imaginative for this" - as I read through the poem, the syntax of nritya and abhinaya were falling into place - flowing waters, eerie sages, bouncing bleating sheep, nonchalant shepherds, comical birds, mundane machines, pandits and mothers, gods and commoners, their motion was going to a dance in itself. On the other hand, pathos and injustice, devotion and deliverance, curiosity and humour, these were for my soul to ponder upon.

Press Report
 If the brain is a muscle, the last six months were like having a personal gym trainer. Each session more enriching than the other. Hema aunty's distinctive methods of teaching will go a long way in my career. "Mark my words - Be individualistic! Be Original", she stresses everyday, vehemently. 

 The Porous Earth was a gift given to me by my Guru; I must have accumulated some incredible karma in my previous births! Memories I shall cherish and experiences I shall carry forward. Thank you Aunty for trusting me with this. 

 Mrs. Tejdeep Kaur Menon - I have read your poem so many times, its internalized completely. Every metaphor you encoded into it excited me more - like seeing a beautiful pattern under the sheath of an unassuming surface. Thank you for all your help! And thank you for adopting me



My Note: As I am with my friends searching, finding and presenting information/ reviews, reports about classical dances, some performances, and some dancers have a charming and endearing effect. Kiranmayee is one of those dancers who approach every opportunity to perform with eagerness to explore their skill and creativity.

When "The Porous Earth" appeared, it appealed to me instantly. At first it was with curiousness and then after going through the production, I fell in love with the poem. Rivers are referred in India as "Jeeva Nadhis" and no wonder are called "Mothers". The words of the poet made me feel being Mother Earth, and being a River. The wonderful production is does read naturally and reach and get absorbed into our heart.. "The Porous Heart" 




This Poem is from Mrs Tejdeep Kaur Menon's Third anthology Minnamini from Sterling Publishers

Saturday 2 May 2015

A Note on the occasion of World Dance Day - 2015


WORLD DANCE DAY 2015
Pandithar Sivakumar
It is a very happy fact that from the earliest centuries of mankind, dance is still alive, practiced, preached, and its healing powers recognized too.

Today dance is a social activity, which both relaxes and rejuvenates, having the power to impress upon and encourage a process of thinking amongst all, making people understand the best practices in life.

Transition of art over time has not been without heartaches too. One of the most decorated forms of expression of human emotions nevertheless traveled through a phase of social stigma, class and caste discrimination.

Withstanding all, it traveled through, faced all the odds with determination and reached the pinnacle of social acceptance. Each artist in himself or herself has put forth his/her self to be a part of a flow of the art from generation to generation.

When we come across the initiative of "dance as a healer," indeed it is a moment of pride for the art. Today, dance is the most respected of arts, and the strict discipline that goes into its learning is what eventually earns the artists, the respect for their hard work. This results from the fact that artists have made a place for the art in their hearts.

The beauty of dance as an art is its unique characteristics that fascinates and captivates human imagination into a physical or a symbolic beauty. God created the world, and God created dance so we could express the beauty of nature and spread love and harmony amongst fellow beings.

Dance should be looked upon as an innovation, wherein the artists' presentations are what they portray as a hypothesis situation of how beautiful nature is, or how a complexity of life can be resolved through application of simple virtues of love and compassion.

Today, we are in midst of a revolution of time and modernization in life style and it is really praiseworthy of the artists, who have still been able to carve a niche for themselves in this modern world. It is due to their efforts and dedication to dance that today this art has become an integral part of civil society.

As we celebrate the World Dance Day, we should ponder on a few aspects. The classical forms of dance are always documented, while the folk and the tribal dances lack such patronage; they are left alone to "dance them to keep them alive."

Dance, from being a mode of worship, entertainment, profession and healer, has done excellently through all the phases; it is still a form of worship and now has the added feature of also being a healer.

The world is beset with many complex problems today. Though our arts have always brought us together globally, there are certain elements that still are exceedingly dangerous for humanity. Art has always risen to such an occasion; we can name the nemesis as global warming and terrorism, and I feel that art has a role to play in correcting these. The art of dance has in the past taken challenges and done supremely to conquer them; it is possible to do it again.

On 'World Dance Day' - April 29, or any day in our lives, it is important to remember the loss of legends, who lived, breathed and worked so hard to propagate the art - 
Kathak exponent Sitara Devi, Kathak Guru Dr. Maya Rao, Legendary Bharatanatyam guru and choreographer Adyar K Lakshman , Kalamandalam Haridas, Kathakali performer and teacher, Guru Jagannath Mahanta- A reknowned Sattriya exponent, Bharatanatyam guru Leela Ramanathan, Shashimani Devi – the last mahari tradition dancer, Bharatanatyam Guru Udupi Laxminarayan since the last World dance day of 2014. These legends will always continue to live through their arts forever.

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