February 27th, 2010

And we shall pass our dance, our tradition through these young minds!
The most Active, the most Vibrant, very vocal in their Actions!
Nritarutya’s Kids Team, at par with their skills and confidence, is trained and taken through several contemporary techniques, basics of classical dances and martial arts as well.
Children are encouraged to indulge within several interdisciplinary mediums of arts and media while learning dance. In class the kids were asked to draw the gestures of hands (Asamyuta Hastha), Ria Chawla had her drawings spell out her expression.

February 12th, 2010

I have been dancing since I was 12 yrs old. Lucky enough for me I have always danced for an audience, at small gatherings and family get together’. My siblings, friends, cousins, would put music on and ask me to dance. It was on one of the most popular songs of the movie, Kadalam, ‘Urvashi Urvashi…’ . This was my first dance inspiration and first dance ever.

Gradually I started with performing at school.Once I vividly  remember  dancing as a hero in an Adivasi dance, others around me were dressed in leaves!Also danced for a piece as an invisible man, another time acted as a chair- prop!

My holidays meant me working at an Agarbatti factory and sometimes visit my grandmother. Close to her house was Vijaya Film Institute and there would be people practicing dance, and I would go and watch them all the time. While on School trips, I would be made to dance on the bus too, all the encouragement always got to me. Later, we shifted to the city, this gave me good opportunity to go and visit dance classes, I would go there daily after school. Since I wasn’t allowed inside, I would stand at the window and watch, make friends with dancers.

Luckily the Dance master saw me and asked me to assist them for a show once, and there it started, I would go and assist the dancers for their shows, even when they didn’t call. Once the dance master used me as a prop, I was asked to stand for 20 seconds on the stage and exit.

It was a break for me, I started with another show, which was a competition at Yelahanka, Snehitara koota, my happiness knew no bounds when we were  put in the front row to dance, but only later we realized our hands and faces were to be covered, we couldn’t even see. But we won, we managed the consolation prize.

I soon quit because of certain issues. There were some more to  combat,my family wasn’t happy, and so they wouldn’t allow me to join classes or help me monetarily, but my passion took over and I continued, as I was soon offered to dance with other classes. Here, they persuaded me to even dance and practice. Two of my seniors worked with me on my flexibility and warm ups, Raghu and Naveen helped me learn dance sequences and perform them. We did more than 400 stage programmes with them. During these times, it used to get  late for us to get back and we would actually end up walking  five kilometers back home.

Too many violations and we left as a group for good. Sai Arts International happened soon after that, since they were short of people we would join them f or many collaborations and shows. I remember once wearing elaborate costumes for a Bharatnatyam dance drama collaboration, under this banner. I started conducting classes for them, they had two branches, and would have to travel around 250 kilometers to Dhavangere, twice a week for the same.

At one class, while rehearsing the front flip I lost balance, fell down and got a lower back hair line injury. This was grave, very seriously injured, I couldn’t move my body at all, and hence had to give up dancing for more than a year. I did resume back, as a freelance dancer for stage shows.

Meanwhile Rohan, called me in for auditions with Nritarutya. I was acquainted with their work since I had seen couple of their shows. I got through the auditions and my term with Indian Contemporary dance saw its dawn. Initially worked part time with the team for I was still working with Tata Indicom, my term with them ended and I joined here full time.

It became a new experience for me to live,”different”. I was a Full time dancer. I dance now to my heart’s content, grow and learn every single moment to the fullest. Having done shows and choreographies and traveling with Nritarutya, to Dubai and Pakistan world performing arts festival, it has been an experience to live for ages.
In my family no one likes dancing … they feel there is no life in this.

To me it doesn’t matter if there is a future as bright as others in it, to me when one is dancing, he should be ready for both success and failure, what counts is commitment to the work, change is a persistent factor. Challenges are to be faced any way, you win some and lose some, but doesn’t mean that you don’t pursue them at all! I will and hence I have pursued dance here, for I am committed and shall always be to whatever I do, for now its Dance!

January 29th, 2010

How important is a breather space to an artiste? Only as essential as inhaling and exhaling oxygen or as exciting work coming one’s way. So, my survival instincts made me think up a few things that would take me away from my dance studio and to re-energize I, me ,myself. As part of my “ I want to do this’ and “that’ list visit n study of festivals is a topper.
Visiting festivals- a must…my recommendation added, to learn, entertain, inspire, and open new windows in our lives. After witnessing “Ananya dance festival” in Delhi Purana Qila..my steps headed to much anticipated ‘ Madras music season”. The approx two month long season, celebrates showcasing a diverse blend of established and promising independent music and dance performance art, culture and community. It draws as its audience artists, scholars, fans, festival directors, organizers, creative minds, young and old from all over the world, to keep the inspiration and imagination alive that the arts provide.
With my eye for the unusual : D…I STILL ended up watching Shabari moksham [@ Kalakshetra’s which btw is most tastefully designed ,latest state of the art auditorium ] Dhananjaya’s team, Priyadarshini Govind, Rama Vaidyanathan, Listened to musical kacheris by Unni Krishnan, T.M Krishna, Hyderabad brothers and participated in several lec dems..For this of course, I jumped sabas[ auditoriums] not to mention my fights with chennai auto drivers.
Art in India, like anywhere else is also passing through a period of transition, searching within itself. But to me the festival re-affirmed that, the classical continues to form the base, and to provide the grounding, from which the innovator can take off.
Keep visiting this link: http://artindia.net/madras09/index.html to see updates, information and schedules of concerts, seminars etc from organizers of Madras Music Season.

January 23rd, 2010

Vande Mataram!!!
This 26th January, NRITARUTYA, Indian Contemporary Dance Company offers its tribute to the nation at the Chitrakala Parishat.

A live, contemporary movement experiment bringing the idea of Ashoka Chakra to spin over, this is a tribute to the nation’s Constitution.

Watch out as the Property turns into a magnanimous dance sculpture used by the Artists.
Also look out for the video premiere of the performance on our website on the same day –
Be there to pay your respects to the Tricolour!

Time – 9.00 am.
Chitrakala Parishat(CKP), Kumara Kripa Road, very close to Lalit Ashok.
(note – entry is free! )

January 20th, 2010

The Cultural Bangalore is much much more, and it grows everyday. A place like KH Kalasoudha’s a proof to the efforts of P D Sathish Chandra and Sihi kahi Chandru. With a dream and vision has KH Kalasoudha been restarted.

A 300 seater Space,it carries a very personal feel to it. This space is open to any kind of Performing arts, from Dance to Theater to musical concerts.

Satish’s Vision also looks up to each of the walls of the auditorium done with art work by several different Artist Groups on each of them.

It will also have a Cafeteria and space for Open theater, with Rehearsal space underneath the auditorium.

Technical end is handled by Arun Murthy, who’s popular with the dance folks for his light designing skills. Well constructed Green Rooms add to the comfort of Performers.

While Nritarutya was a part of the Inaugural,

It looks forward to much  collaboration with space and would like to reach its word out to the artists out there to go check the space out and make the best out of what has been brought back for them!

We also wish KH Kalasoudha a potful of luck and pretty days to come,

with more and more artists,

and several performances to be a part of this amazing space!

January 7th, 2010

It is been nine years now, however long I journey, I realize it’s a new discovery everyday, while I feel it started only in recent times.What began as a hobby and an unwinding exercise caught up with me as I grew up. I would swim, skate, play foot ball, practice Taekwon-Do–thrice a week and dance once a year. Craft making, drawing,writing poetry intrigued me and aroused my attention and I couldn’t help but praise the beautiful things that began to inspire me.

Once Taekwon-Do, became my inspiration I painted on a white cloth in Korean characters, the ‘Tenets’ of Teakwon-Do.

My teacher’s encouragement and appreciation stood by me then on.

My journey in the world of arts had thus begun and I never had to look back.

With the Practice of Taekwon-Do, the martial artist in me grew to understand several nuances of the art. Over a period I understood that martial arts are marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints and extensive use of sweeps, kicks.

Moreover, I realized that it was vital to season one’s body, to prepare the body for other movements, like in case of an attack; you may have to take a punch and not show any signs of pain. Your reflexes are required to develop into responses rather than unsystematic reactions. The combination of attacks and defence makes martial arts contain the perceived ‘fluidity’ and choreography.

Movement Dynamics became a second nature. Nritarutya’s style of contemporary dance, inculcated the use of these dynamics. Hence for me, the way I moved with Nritarutya was not very different.

My first dance with the team was on the theme ‘Kaliyug’, a highly energetic piece. It was similar to practicing a martial art and this was for music.

I loved it and here I am today, dancing my way with the Team.

As one learns a war art form, one learns what patience is…discipline…something about time sense…a sense to deal with people and situations as time progresses. A developed intuition and curiosity into various other art forms remain as the added bonuses.When i applied these martial principles to dance, I understood movement in a very different way. It became a spiritual practice for me like practicing a ‘Tul’ or a pattern. I instantly was engrossed in the music and sometimes would forget where or what I was doing, space or time did not matter to me.

Dance and martial arts together have helped me understand various aspects of other forms of arts, helped me understand other dancers, given me a way to deal with energies, to be friends with space and most importantly, to be responsible. Dance lets me dream and martial art lets me stay in the present.
Sometimes even while it has been a little confusing for me it has let me explore more and more. When you master something and you are performing on stage, you become one with the Dance. You truly begin to respect and love life!
I always had dreamt that I would be on stage – intuition works you see.
It is quite strange how it worked with me.

December 8th, 2009

For most of us, who use English as a language for all communications, IJJODU seemed like an alien word. After many an argument, we finally find that Ijjodu – meaning duality/two, is a film directed by M.S.Sathyu – an eminent filmmaker, and that Nritarutya was to choreograph and dance for the title track.

In the blink of an eye, everything around me seemed to buzz with excitement. “Now, turn your hip a little more”, “hold that pose, now smile”, “where’s the file I saved yesterday?”, ‘you think this shade looks better on the eyes?”, “ I think red is the colour for costumes”, “brighten those eyes- it’s for the camera!!”, “did you get those plaits?”- My routines never got bored ever – research on what costumes to wear, what accessories need to be purchased, what kind of ‘look’ to be presented, amid hectic rehearsals - each shot conceptualized, changed, focused, changed yet again…. It had to be perfect; after all it was our first movie.
The day arrives when my company and I have to travel to the location – the beautiful temple of Lakshminarayana in Belawadi – a village near Hassan. Our schedule for the coming 3 days was to finish the 5 minute title track, covering roughly about 40 shots. But first, I pick up my set of brush and paints, yes paints, to finish up some unfinished leaves and lines on our stark red leotards.

Early next day, I wake up to loud knocks on the door and shouts from the production manager at sharp 4.30am- that’s the way he likes waking his ‘crew’
As we prepare for the first shot, rehearsing the movements, trying different angles with the camera and setting the lights, I am amused to see curious onlookers – who thought we were famous film personalities; few who dared asked us our names and details of the film. I would often look at them and smile only to receive howls of laughter and sniggers in return… Sigh! So much for congeniality.

I would often find myself lost in the depths of this beautiful temple- delicately carved pillars, serene looking courtyards, brilliantly sculpted figures on the walls, above all the jet black idols of the Gods and Goddesses adorned with colourful flowers and the sweet smelling incense giving a heady feeling……

I bring together my concentration to the task at hand - we had to give our best in the hot sun, be it delivering complicated lifts with ease, moving perched on the slippery roof tops/gopuras without looking scared, hanging upside down on narrow stairs, rolling over a hundred marbles and not flinching, hanging from a shaky pipe, spinning plaits wildly without hitting anyone… the list is endless.

The heat of the place added more woes to my tired and tanned body. At times when others were in a shot, I would collapse just about anywhere to catch a siesta.

One has to be innovative instantaneously, what works from the mind’s eye may always not work from the camera. I was curious to know how the shots looked, whether the thought and concept of my choreographer was translated or not.. How did the composition look.. Did I do a good presentation.. Well, I must say I’m quite proud to see the result of this very exciting shoot. What more, the movie has been specially screened at prestigious film festivals like TIFF (Trishur International film festival), OSIANS film festival- Delhi and the PANORAMA-IFFI (International film festival of India)

The shoot has taught me a lot of things, patience being one of the prime most. As I waited for the shots to be set up, positions of lights being changed, shifting spots for better shots, trying out variations of movements, or just waiting for my turn in the shot with the costume and makeup intact, I realise all of them work towards getting the BEST nothing less!! There may be another chance – to go back and re-shoot what didn’t work, but this moment, the feeling of the first shot, the first shout of “action” will never come back… It will forever remain a memory in my mind….

November 26th, 2009

Do look into the painting exhibit @ our shop

Its amazing how painting took over dance and dance took over painting in my life!!! When movement came to a still, the paintbrush danced its way to limelight, again canvas taking over a performance stage!!! Wow, I cant believe how closely both are intertwined in the creative side of my brain making it difficult to separate emotion from art in my heart!

When colours start to dance and body begins to feel it gives rise to a new series of paintings-in my case atleast it has. I finally took one month off to paint without anything planned and with a curiosity to see how it will turn out. I couldn’t believe how your life completely influences your art (that is only if you are genuine and not copying other artists). The outcome was mudras, lines, movement, spontaneity, textures, rasas, ornamentation, fresh colours and a lot of vibrant energy.

I am very happy and will be producing many more paintings before I pick the best 15 or 20 for an exhibition. After practicing for 15 years I now have a body of work I can look at and compare. I know what has led to and inspired what. I most certainly know that this set of paintings will lead me on in my quest of creative work to I don’t know where, but surely some place else/ beautiful place/ where else/ .

November 15th, 2009

Many ways of exchanges are happening between performance artists and corporate folks. It seems like the boundary between the two is getting dimmer.
At our latest corp gig,

We staged various flash mobs around the area, integrating the property into the performance.

Even in commercial projects, we thematically create works that are personal yet relatable, current as well as ingrained in roots.

Dancers are actively contributing to the development of the movement.

Ruth St. Denis, said, “I never in my life set my feet on a stage without thinking of its magic and my destiny”.
High production setting, amplifying volume and space, integrating physical idioms to create magical synthesis….well, that’s showbiz!!! :)

October 26th, 2009

Following the tips that we shared in our older post- “Fitness for all”, we are here with many more,
this time bringing you the goodness of a wholesome diet.

Any Dancer’s diet like his/ her lifestyle is very very different.
Any individuals’ diet requirement is based on performance and output.
This makes a different place for a Dancers requirement.

For energetic and very zestful performance, where a dancer displays his best,
he/ she needs to be adequately fueled. Dancers need to ingest sufficient energy
to meet rigors of hard training. While it is important for a performer to be cautious of
the weight of his body, a low caloric intake can cause an under-ingestion and compromise
energy availability.

A dancer would need a diet plan which will meet the energy demands of dance. Thus
obtaining a calorie intake that should suffice is not only a real task but also
of high importance.

To estimate calorie intake required for a performance while undergoing heavy training is:
45-50 calories/ kg of body weight for females and
50-55 calories/ kg of body weight for males.

After the calculations of calorie intake are made, one needs to estimate the
needed amount of Carbohydrates, Fat, Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals and Fluids.

Continuing with the series of this, wait up guys for our next blog, where we get into the details of food,
nutrition and proper balanced diet for a dancer.
We’ll get comprehensive on one of the considerably neglected aspects of a dancer’s lifestyle!
Take care and stay healthy until then