Posts Tagged ‘contemporary Indian dance’

August 24th, 2010

The intent was to do hip hop but y does it look like moves stolen from a Chinese fight sequence blended with a real bad MJ impersonation. Well, I’ve been askin myself this q evrytime I watch somin on indian television where someone is trying to krump with an oversized pull over( Intentionally worn) trying to point towards his man b**bs with those arthritis fingers. Well you have to appreciate his guts, after all he is doing this to himself on national television, but wait a minute; I also saw about a hundred odd dancers imitate his moves in a local competition in the city, where has it gone wrong??????
Well honestly I don’t know; may be for them it just didn’t matter as long as they had fun. Well things were not that different when I was growing up, shaking a leg for everything possible MJ, Ricky Martin, BSB, Shivarajkumar, Mamooty….. just about anything that inspired us to move. And the moves we did would resemble anything from riding a bicycle to peeling bananas.
My affiliation with hip hop is like Britney Spears’s brain; Though biologically you might prove it exists, it’s hardly any proof????. With a little professional training, I decided that hip hop is my second favorite dance form. Well I would not say I was very bad at it, when compared to the guy with the arthritis fingers. Not to brag or anything, but I’m naturally good with movements and hip hop comes with less effort. I could really make people believe that I know what I’m doing, Kinda like what our Indian cricket team does with their fielding. My folks at the company were so impressed they made me take a couple of technique sessions for them, well, glad I could help.
You know this thing that you really like, not very good at, but you keep doing it and eventually get better at, the same thing happened to me. As a dancer it gives you time to understand a movement form, its history, origin and its purpose. You will question yourself about why you like it so much or why the movement flows naturally in your body. Answering this might help you understand your connection with the dance form and once you have done that all you need is an inspiration point to create movements, which in my case was just about anything.
It’s really important that you know what you are going to do with all the knowledge you have acquired, Well NOT REALLY. I never learnt anything with an intension to make good use of it, I’ve got proof- 18 years of academic education and I’m a full time dancer. It really does not matter, you know how they say, everything happens for good; My CREATIVE IMPULSE told me to do something brave and stupid, well I rule the kingdom of ‘The Brave and Stupid’; hence I went ahead and did it. I thought why not find a connection between my two favorite dance forms- Hip Hop and Indian contemporary( suggested names for the dance form- Indian Haap, contemporary Hip……..). Guess what, it is not as ridiculous as it sounds, it looked much better than the omlette I made for the first time (another one of my brave and stupid decisions). It looked refreshingly new and made sense to me. To think of it, both of these dance forms are very similar in its origin- I am of the belief that hip-hop culture can be seen as a form of
struggle against the wider society whose belief and values are generally
accepted in the society. It can be seen as a religion because it holds its own
values and beliefs. And contemporary dance was a movement started against the rigid classical dance form.
Things became much clearer when I started to choreograph (Which I have elaborately explained in my next blog ‘How NOT to choreograph’), Hip hop is a vast language and there is a wide range of styles one can get inspired to create movements from. And the culmination of the two languages has to be interesting, right? At this point you might think the movements might look like, cheese burger with pudina chutney, statue of liberty holding a Taras in hand, Barack Obama in lungi ……, but it was not like that at all, atleast that’s what I thought, well unfortunately my dancers thought differently, to be more specific they stopped thinking. Everytime I showed them a movement, they looked like they just came out of the movies after watching ‘Inception’. Well, after a lot of trial and error (mostly error), all of us landed in the same page; after all, dance is the easiest language to learn. The dancers took it pretty well, to be fair to them. In the beginning, for them, it was just movements and they didn’t want to look beyond it, which kinda worked for me. It was important to keep alive the aesthetics of Indian dance, while achieving the dislocated and disfigured movements. At the end of the day I’m happy, kinda like how Isaac Newton would have felt, for not having sat under a jackfruit tree………….. I’m not saying this is the most creative and unique thing in the world, but its mine.
Well, Here I am claiming to be the proud owner of Hip Haap, still experimenting, understanding and still in the first page of a book, which I’m hoping will become a novel and not a comic strip. To me, it was what they stood for, its purpose and what it meant for their people that attracted me most towards these dance forms. What contemporary dancing did to people was evidently revolutionary, it gave regular people a chance to enjoy the art of dancing, In times when only the best of bodies were allowed to take up dancing seriously. And how the hip hop culture was more of a struggle, a mean to express, a mean to survive, if there was one thing in common between both, it was ‘Hope’.

August 9th, 2010

ನಾಟ್ಯದ ಅವಿಭಾಜ್ಯ ಅಂಗ ಅಭಿನಯ
ಸುಂದರ ಲಯಬದ್ಧವಾದ ಅಭಿನಯ
ನೋಡುಗರೆಲ್ಲ ತನ್ಮಯ
ಜನರಿಂದ ಸಿಗುವುದು ಮಾನ್ಯ
ನಾಟ್ಯದಿಂದ ಮನಸಿದ್ಧಿ ಸಾಧ್ಯ
ನಾಟ್ಯದಿಂದ ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಕಾಯ
ನಾಟ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲದಿರೆ ಮನವೆಲ್ಲ ಶೂನ್ಯ
ನಾಟ್ಯಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಕಲೆಯಿಲ್ಲ ಅನ್ಯ
ಅಭಿನಯ ಹೇಳಿಕೊಟ್ಟು ನೀವೇ ಅಗ್ರಗಣ್ಯ
ಅದನ್ನು ಕಲಿತ ನಾವೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಧನ್ಯ
ಮನವೆಲ್ಲ ತುಂಬಿದೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕಳೆದ ಮಾಧುರ್ಯ
ಅದೇ ಗುಂಗಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳುವೆವು ನಾವು ಧನ್ಯವಾದದ ವಿದಾಯ

ನಾಟ್ಯದ ಅವಿಭಾಜ್ಯ ಅಂಗವೇ ಅಭಿನಯ. ಈ ಅಭಿನಯದಿಂದ ಪ್ರೇಕ್ಷಕರನ್ನು ತನ್ಮಯಗೊಳಿಸಿ ಅದರಿಂದ ಮಾನ್ಯತೆ ಪಡೆದು ಅದರಿಂದ ಸಿಗುವ ಧನ್ಯತಾ ಮನೋಭಾವ - ಇದು ಕಲಾವಿದನಿಂದ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸಾಧ್ಯ. ಅಂತಹ ಪೂಜ್ಯ ಕಲೆಯನ್ನು ನಮಗೆ ಸುಂದರವಾಗಿ ತಿಳಿಸಿಕೊಟ್ಟ ನೀವೇ ಧನ್ಯರು. ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರ ವಿನಮ್ರತೆಯ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು.

June 18th, 2010

TAMASSU..!

“Tamassu is like upholding a mirror for all of us, living in today’s society.It’s a relevant and relatable subject with a powerful message to hand down. It’s a much awaited film for all right reasons.”

TAMASSU EXPERINCE

“It’s an extremely memorable experience”. The entire team comprised of not just seniors but veterans in their respective field. I was lucky to get this project. They worked hand in hand with me to execute my thoughts. From Sreedhar Sir to cinematographer, Suvarna Sir to Art director Shashidar Adappa and finally Shivanna. phew!!!

I met each one of them prior to shooting to  ensure thorough execution of the same. Their expert suggestions not only boosted my confidence but also added more definition and color to my work.

The only familiar thing and my strength was my team of 16 dancers, and my experience in the dance field. I loved the entire shooting experience…so did my team. Every single individual worked hard and hopefully audience also liked the final product. It’s fresh, experimental and contemporary in every bit of it.

TAMASSU HAPPENED

Mayuri updaya-with-her-team-16-dancers
Veena introduced me to Sreedhar Sir. He’s the only reason for me to bag this project and I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity. For him to take a chance on me, a beginner in film field was risky but his faith was undeterred. He guided me throughout…”I need a balance between commercial and artistic language”; “keep your target in mindset etc were his pointers for me.

TAMASSU – “Director – AGNI SREEDHAR WORDS “

mayuri-with-director-agni-shivanna
I still remember the time when our meetings reached a stage of giving up… we’d met to exchange parting notes, shake hands in goodwill and look for working together sometime in future.
My concepts were shot down as too arty, abstract ….when I said I’m not sure if I can do this. Sreedhar sir advised “Mayuri, anyone who has studied till a degree can and should think of reaching out to those without such learning opportunities and educate them. An educated has the ability in him already if he wants to tap into it and reach the uneducated but it can never be other way round… with your learning in dance…its easy. So think new …attempt again.”

It was the final try…when I explained my latest concept, he sat silent for sometime. Then, came a burst of cheer with three most magical words “let’s do it…go ahead start planning” He was really excited. He stood by me in all my research. I asked for meetings with various dept and he made sure I got every bit of co-operation from all. He even came to watch my rehearsals and patted me with a smile. His child like enthusiasm would show when Shivanna had to learn martial art sequences and sword movements. At the same time his participation in it also showed me his in depth knowledge in the subject. I look up to his courage and wish the best for his directorial debut.

TAMMASU – “SHIVANNA THE SOUL”

He’s a fast learner and his experience is evident when he performs with ease whatever movement is given to him/ he’s very humble and loads fun on sets. When I first met him to explain the concept, he was very enthusiastic and supportive of the idea. He said “everyone needs to bring into the industry their individual style and he was happy to welcome this change”. He’s a through professional coming on time to the sets. Also was helping me in keeping the tempo of work high and go fast … [esp. since we were short of time. it really boosted the energy of the whole team]. He’s the soul of the entire song.

Photography: Veena Narasasetty

May 27th, 2010

There is always something that you want to do and you have to do. And at one point, you choose one over the other.. obviously compromising on what you’ve always wanted to do having no strong reason, probably it was just more convenient to do so.
But what if you never have to choose!

Thanks to Nritarutya, I have never had to choose between anything. It has just helped me grow more passionate ’bout dance. Who said professional dancing is not for part timers?? All you need is interest and dedication and they take care of the rest. It really amazes me the kinda interest and effort the company takes in each one of the dancers they pick. They call it an investment . I would like to add the adverb ’selfless’ to it.

Professionalism is embedded in everything done.When you are wrong, its communicated to you and when you have been good, that’s communicated to you as well and what remains unchanged is the sophistication.If you wanna fool around, this is not the place but on the other hand If you want to grow , they help you grow.

I have always been in awe for this company and now I am a part of it and its too good a feeling to express!!Its been almost two years of association with them now and I cherish every session and every show.

We,I mean the youth wing of NR are having our showcase this Friday and am super kicked bout it..!!Not that we haven’t performed earlier but this is OUR showcase .. or you can call it as the ‘ranga pravesham’ of the youth wing of nritarutya And hopefully, its gonna be the most happening show ever !!!!

May 20th, 2010

The music CD has just slipped and is repeating a track on its own or just goes ‘kapoot’…
‘1 – 2 -3 -THUD- the side wing has just fallen on the very spot you were just 2 seconds ago..
Ouch!! A nail has just pierced even through the seasoned skin of the feet…
How am I supposed to get off stage when there are no steps?????
Oh –oh my pants have a rip in them, now what?

Hmmm.. you must be wondering what am I talking about. These are just a few glimpses of what can happen to a dancer when on stage, giving a performance. Most often than not, artistes’ needs are given last priority when it comes to building a set-up for any performance.

Performance – the most intoxicating, high- spirited happening in any artistes’ life. Every performance- what we call a show, holds a special place, a time that is irreversible. And still, we do not go about checking the little important things that matter to one as a dancer and performer.

With what the dancer has to cope for the dances itself – the steps, the positions and rehearsals, I know with experience that ‘show management’ in itself is a huge area which we dancers have to be equally skilled to handle to be a better performer.

A dancer- whether in a team or pursuing dance career individually, must equip themselves with knowledge on how to manage the process to better their performance and presentation.

In my familiarity of handling the production aspects of shows for my company, I know it is very important for a dancer to concentrate on giving that perfect performance. But how will one do it if the mind is cluttered with things have not been organized??
For this, I have a simple mantra – a check list that helps me tick my teams’ needs for any showcase, so I can assure that my teammates and I can perform peacefully thinking only of the dance and nothing else.
Even before the actual list, the most important must check would be to obtain a letter of confirmation for the performance which explains the date, venue, duration, the necessary legal obligations and consent to provide with specified requirements. This is most crucial as it acts as proof of agreed terms should any dispute arise during the process or after the performance.

It is equally important how we communicate with the organizers to get our needs to be met. A smile on your lips and pep in your voice would be a good start.
I’ve also noticed that communicating freely and clearly help a lot in smooth process of the show. As they say, too many cooks spoil the broth- it is advisable to keep your instructions on your needs clear, short, to the point and made to ONE person who is in contact for the event.

At any stage, it would be wise to have all communication through mails and wherever possible a written document – to go back and check on what has been told and compare it to what has actually been done.

Following which, my basic check list would have the following things:
- Rehearsal schedule (what to present and how) – Once we have a confirmation of the performance, the company accommodates the rehearsal schedule for the sequences to be presented. This is a priority before a show and it requires preparation – probably the one part which we can assure to be ‘perfect’.
- The technicals (lights, stage and sound) – The next step is to obtain information on the stage size, the flooring and the design of the stage. Get to know the production team in charge to discuss what is available and obtain details of the set-up.
This helps in determining the presentation to a great extent. It helps the company to gauge how many dancers can be included in the presentation and modify it accordingly.
Any performance is incomplete without the magic of lights; the next step therefore would be to get information on lights that the event is equipped with. Based on which suggest additional lights that is specifically required for the showcase and then work up a rig.
Ensure transparency of all communications with the production team to the organizer. Having mails sent on what has been decided also helps.
Pre-show (costumes, music, credits) – A thorough check on the costumes and accessories is needed for the presentation. A reminder for the dancers to carry their respective gears before a performance is sure a big check. We surely don’t want a wardrobe malfunction right in the middle of a performance and nor would we like compromising that arises of a bad memory now, do we? I strongly recommend carrying a sewing kit too!!
A check on the music required for the presentation is a must too. Carry the required music in adaptable formats (that plays in all systems, computers or any device that is used for the event).
Another important matter to be considered is the credits of the company, its choreographers and dancers. No one wants to dance anonymously – even if I say, our work speaks for itself, people should know who we are, where we are from and what our work is about. It is a dancer’s right to be known – don’t you think so?
For which I suggest, get introduced to the MC of the event in prior - go with a few notes and help them to fit it to their script. I make sure it is brief and goes with the flow of the event.
The look needed for the presentation is yet another important tick mark on the list. Carry good make up to enhance the presentation and when slotting time before the performance, keep a good hour to apply it and get ready.
- During the show (console management) – This involves coordination between the dancers and the organizers on the day of the show at the venue. This mainly revolves around getting a tech-run for the presentation – a mock presentation of the show itself complete with lights, sound and repertoire.

While exercising a tech-run, one will need a calm yet convincing approach to get things moving fast, smooth and according to the specified requirement.
This section has its own check list: the number of things that needs to fall in place for the tech run– starting with sorting of lights and dancers positions (yes, this is necessary even if you have a set rig and light designer working for you), the sound level of the monitor, the stage floor being clean and free of sharp objects that may hinder the performance, the exit and entry points, the size and position of green rooms required for changing costumes in between the presentation, things in the green room like chairs, water, mirrors, the music being played right on time –just few of the long list.
At this time, one must be ready to face situations like some of the ones I mentioned in the beginning. Surely, if not to our dancers’ excellence presence of mind, we would be facing a decreasing number of the already depleting number of dancers in the city!
I also insist on volunteers and helpers during the tech run and performance, who will be available to aid in getting simple things done like cleaning the stage, getting water and refreshments, cue entries, etc.
There may be a long waiting period post the tech-run and before the actual performance. Dancers will need refreshments to recuperate – opt for healthy, simple, OIL-FREE snacks along with some warm beverage to get that required strength without feeling too full to perform. Keeping the organizers informed of what can be served beforehand will be useful.
- Post show– We are just off stage after delivering that near perfect ‘show’ but the story doesn’t end there!! Every dancer has to pack their respective costumes/gear, collect back the music and thank the crew.
I also think carrying a few visiting cards will help – you never know who you will meet for your next collaboration/performance.
- BACK UP – it is very vital to have back up for every aspect. Main check for this would be back up music cd’s. Have atleast 2 -3 Cd’s of the repertoire handy to avoid track slipping/not playing sort of issues.
Back up costumes is also a good foresight, in case of forgotten costumes or tear/rip that cannot be repaired right then or even if there is an alternate sequence that has to be performed.
Medicines – carrying a supply of basic medicines is needed too. Pain killers, band aids, electoral fluids and probably sprays would constitute a good kit.

Of course, there are several unforeseen - very last minute- factors that will arise to put one in enough panic to turn the world upside down. But what really works here is a calm mind and quick thinking of an alternative to the situation. Back-ups help you to a great extent at this time.
Well, this is by no mean an exhaustive list – the list may differ from one performance to the other or even dancer to dancer. You can with this aim for a near perfect show.
Mind you, I am deliberately saying Near Perfect as no show can be a perfect one – there are a million ‘force majeure’ like factors that will glitch, if not the performance, at least the process.
There is no sure escape route to a perfect show- but hey, you are a dancer remember – pull up the spine, take a deep breath, put that chest out, focus and…. SMILE. The process too is like a performance – just enjoy it.

May 6th, 2010

It has always been a wonderful experience to shoot movement and more over to showcase motion in a single frame. For me it was so exciting to capture various compositions and the lighting adding up to the frame. The utilization of space and mixture of dance gestures were just brilliant. Their immense dedication and passion made me magnetized; their movements were so rapid that it was a challenge for me to capture it. I struggled a lot to get a composition in which Rohan and Vishwa are flying literally, and somehow was successful in doing it.

For me, i relate to shapes, forms and patterns more than scenic beauty in a single frame. While shooting, I always saw these dance movements as patterns and moving forms, and to visualize the entire aura through the viewfinder was just truly amazing.

I have always enjoyed tagging along with the team, and I must say I really enjoyed being around with them in Auroville. Altogether, it was an unforgettable experience traveling with the team of Nritarutya to Auroville.

April 27th, 2010

Weekends, party, aaram are all synonymous terms, aren’t they?
Hmm but last month, its weekends, was a little different for us here at Nritarutya. The entire team traveled to perform at two very famous venues.
Even with its radically different environments they equally had a supportive climate for art and dance.

Spaces, their cultures and the conversations with audiences are like the rewards and the reasons….

At FTII [marking their 50th year celebration], history and heritage of film making continue living. Actors, directors technicians ..over the years, they unwrap guild of artistses. Mundane arrangements, formality, programmed minds make way for bold artistic choices.
At Auroville, there is the right recipe for harmonious integration. Mix of cultural roots of people exerts an influence on its peaceful co-existence. The energy is pure and revitalizing.

Body finds different connection to the spaces around it-

While we got a beautiful auditorium-Bharatinivas to perform in, otherwise green nature filled Auroville, in FTII, it was open air; the entire stage was constructed around the significant Shantaram pond -where scenes of Navrang’s Holi dance/Kaminey’s shaadi song were also shot

And its audiences: Our representation of dance ideas to respective audience…exposed existence of diff types of dance culture and taste of dance audience. Though both had high artistic quotients..their reception of dance and its enjoyment was evidently diverse. From respectful silence as appreciation at Auroville to youthful cheers and tweets at FTII…we loved them all.

When you make a dance, it’s basically about engaging with other human beings …Touring around Auroville, learning about the simple philosophy of life, engaged every bit of me from within and to its surrounding. The essence of Aurobindo and Mataji still breathes in every living tree, especially their Matri Mandir…its to experience!!

Memorable moments at FTII doubled post performance in conversation with creative minds; relaxation under their famous Wisdom tree, meeting significant film makers from Mani Kaul to Anurag Kashyup, watching films in their archive centre , tour of Prabhat studio and areas around, their canteen etc etc. Both these trips set aside very enriching experiences for us.

April 10th, 2010

As promised…we continue to fill in more on the fitness/diet for dancers…read on

The diet of a dancer ideally must consist of about 55-60% carbohydrate, 12-15% protein, and 20-30% fat. During weighty working out and rehearsals the amount of carbohydrate should be augmented to about 65%. The reason is that carbohydrate in the major energy source in muscles. Ingested carbohydrate is broken down into simple sugars (glucose) in the digestive tract then stored in muscle in the form of glycogen, the primary fuel for energy production. Dancers who do not ingest sufficient carbohydrate in their diet will compromise their ability to train because of low muscle glycogen levels. They may feel more fatigued during classes and rehearsals.

To achieve a high carbohydrate diet, food choices should be complex carbohydrate (bagels, cereal, bread, English muffins, pasta, rice) rather than simple sugars, because complex carbohydrate has many micro nutrients associated with it (nutrient dense) while simple sugars are nutrient poor. The estimated carbohydrate need is 6-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight.

In addition to meals, other times when carbohydrate ingestion is important are before, during, and after class, rehearsal, or performance. About 1-2 hours prior to these activities, a small carbohydrate snack should be consumed.

This will increase glucose levels in the circulation and “top-off” muscle glycogen stores. A carbohydrate snack, such as a bagel or commercially available “energy” bars, can provide the added boost needed for optimal performance. During long rehearsals it is also important to ingest some carbohydrate to maintain circulating levels of glucose to prevent fatigue. A good way to ingest this carbohydrate is in solution such as sports drinks that are specially formulated to contain the right amount of carbohydrate (6-8% glucose) to empty from the stomach quickly. Ingesting carbohydrate in a solution provides the added benefit of fluid replacement. After a period of dancing, the muscles require an adequate supply of carbohydrate to replenish the muscle glycogen stores. Because the fastest rate of glycogen re-synthesis occurs in the 2 hours following exercise, it is important to ingest carbohydrate as soon as possible after a long or strenuous exercise period to refill muscle stores and be ready for the next activity.

March 30th, 2010

I remember feeling excited and nervous, earnest and apprehensive hesitant and confident all at the same time as I entered Kalari Institute of performing arts, the venue of Nritarutya’s dance class for the very first time. As I entered the hall, I was genuinely surprised to be greeted by the sight of a jolly bunch of people in tracks laughing their head of at….. Well, I never found out what! I’d expected to see a grim gathering of austere people rehearsing their steps showing no signs of wanting to commune with a new addition to their passionate species. Well that was exactly what didn’t happen. Everybody in the room called out in excitement and greeted with: ‘hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii’ and: ‘are you neeew???’

Just then, as I was starting to repudiate my hasty judgment on the place the  smart trainer in sleeveless and tracks walked in and said “UP! now I am going to try very hard to kill all of you” if it wouldn’t have been for that ever so friendly smile on his face after the dark statement, who knows, I might have run out of the place at record speed. And the class started, we warmed up, learnt a new sequence, practiced it, warmed down and wrapped up.
An hour up….sigh… already?

It was either that the universe conspired against me and on that day was just set to prove me wrong on every way OR I got so engrossed in the magic of that place, the grace of a pointed toe, the strength of a Kalari kick, the perfection embodied in a plie, the ocean of theory behind the movement of every single muscle that I never stopped to notice that I had finally made one of the better decisions in my life.

Nritarutya’s classes provide a forum to the earnest learner of dance to discover his talent and a platform to bond with the ever elusive right techniques and information. Basically, one is sculpted, his movement refined, his knowledge on the subject rarefied and his entity poised to enter that magnanimous world called the stage.

Each class with a few rare exceptions, (where we take time out to have fun but with dance and exercise of course) begins with a warm up, several warm ups actually! These are the kind that push one’s physical endurance beyond his maximum limit, and that’s the only way to grow, says Vishwa, our trainer. but the really scary part is when Vishwa’s in the right mood to put us all through an extra dose of extra toughened extrovert exercises to give us that extra edge.(forgive me for my love of alliterations!) well, everything will go ok as long as, we all think to ourselves…. come on we can do it! Push a little harder, try a little more, kick a little higher (higher than your neighbor at least!) but the real effect of Vishwa’s foresighted spell unfolds on the next day when the strenuous session takes its toll on the body inlump sum! But these are designed to condition the body to administer spectacular moves when demanded and to adhere to the understanding of the working of one’s body and the co ordination of the body and the mind.

Well, that takes a major part of the class as it is, but we still manage to learn a few well crafted and strategic steps in the form of sequences tabulated into bars of 8. Skill, precision, control, concentration, strength, stamina, clarity, perfection and a lot more goes into the understanding and execution of every step so you can’t help but call it strategic. Every class, the previous sequence is carried on by adding dimensions, creating spatial beauty, embodying the rhythm of the movement and music, texturing the strata of the steps, adding various parallels to the movement by imbibing an element of thought based dance.

All this in the short span of an hour which at the same time seems like an era and a indefinite moment, which is the way it should be perceived by an ardent lover and student of dance. A quick note on the styles of the various teachers we had till date, all of them have their own individuality in the same plane of our concentric syllabus, it’s like all of them represent parallel congeniality… whatever that means!

Madhuri’s warm ups are very deceptive as they are the classic case of wrong perception, to feel and look at, her movements seem light and easy but once she’s got you in the position she wants,she can snareyou with a quick “put your heel on the floor” or something of the sort, her exercises are designed to condition the body and demand long term dedication from the performer, her sequences have been based on the lines of yoga, kathak and pure energy incorporated with the beautiful control of the movement.

Sathya’s steps are simple and geometric, but simple is not equal to easy… no that would not be true of the fitness expert of Nritarutya .Would it? His depiction of the movement is artistically and scientifically justified to the needs of a dancer’s muscle network, he wipes out fatigue as if they were Jews and he was Hitler. Ok bad example!

Vishwa’s class somehow resembles a human anatomy class with all the information about our bodies and muscles being provided! Vishwa’s warm ups and choreography tend to have elements of martial art in them, be it kick boxing or Kalaripayattu. His steps also makes the body host a plethora of classical movements, sometimes without the knowledge of the dancer himself. He’s like a walking talking nritarutya.com!!

Nritarutya’s dance classes symbolize a torch of realization to the wandering dancer who is yet unenlightened about the……blah blah blah….in simpler and I am sure, in better accepted words, these dance classes rock and are a must to dance lovers and to those who want to make dance an integral part of who they are. (Try not to hit me with shoes and tomatoes)

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.