Posts Tagged ‘Nritarutya’

July 10th, 2010

It seemed like the birds and insects were having a rave party outside, it poured like lord Shiva was dancing in joy! My first night at ‘Shivakumara Ranga Prayoga Shale’- a school which teaches theatre in a village of Chitradurga district, Sanehalli. Lets talk about the day now-I reached Birur and Madhu, the administrator picked me up in the school van, I heard about the many renowned theatre artist’s like Smt.B.Jayashree, Sri Prasanna from Ninasum, Sri K.G.Krishnamurthy, Sri Basavalingiah, artists from N.S.D, visit to the institute –made me a bit nervous! We halted at a nearby village Ajjampura where I had the privilege of meeting an old man Sri.Krishna Murthy, who had been documenting newspaper cuts of theatre from all over the country-he even has won awards for it and people from through out India visit him for references.

Shivkumar Ranga Prayoga Shale is a reputed, residential school, which gets around 50 applicants every year among whom only the best 18-20 are selected. These students are trained in various aspects of theatre like Abhinaya, Aharya, and Western theatre at the end of which they need to give their exam to get a diploma. The school also absorbs the best of these students to create a new play that tours all over the country for a year (Thirugaata).

I met a couple of bright-eyed students when I was sitting in the portico. They looked lithe and strong. I remembered I was told that I could go on the whole day if I wanted to, I wondered “the whole day, how tough are they”???

I was introduced to a set of 20 theatre students mostly in their early 20’s. I began by telling them a bit about the history of contemporary dance. I started with an easy warm up and included some simple rhythm based movements. I soon realised I have to first introduce them to the basics of speed, pointwork and moving with music before I proceed. Didn’t know how time flew by, both our energy levels were rising.

It was mid April, scorchingly hot in Sanehalli and suddenly it began to pour to everyone’s surprise. The place we were rehearsing became wet and away went the electricity. Guess what we did? Instead of stopping work we danced in rain, wow it was so much fun. We danced with sticks which is called Kolata, a traditional folk form of Karnataka. Our folk dances are really a great way of bonding, it would be fun to introduce them in urban discos. We then shifted to one of the classrooms to practice rhythm and footwork in candlelight. As opposed to a regular class-format, I decided to have fun asking the students to stand in a circle with me in the centre turning direction every time to teach.

It stopped pouring and 3-4 students got down to mopping the floor. They took turns in cleaning the studio everyday- a beautiful system which teaches you how important teamwork and dignity of labour in the field of art is!! We programmed some basic beats in the keyboard to practice spins to end the day.

In my spare time, I used to chat with Mr.Nataraj Honnavalli, the principal, a very learned, witty man who loves to crack jokes, we hit it off very well, discussing everything under the sun from politics to art.

As it was raining heavily, we closed all the windows. When I was asleep a little bird, which looked like yellow-throated sparrow, lost its way, got stuck inside the room and was flying frantically. I got up and opened one of the windows to help the bird but couldn’t. After a long time, the bird found its way out, when another bird from outside came and saved it showing the way out. I didn’t know how the sparrow knew it’s friend was stuck inside, I guess some of nature’s most exquisite work is on a miniature scale!!

The next day when they had a kalari session in the morning at the outdoor Greek amphitheatre, I prepared for my next choreography session with them. When I asked them to compose on their own, they came up with some brilliant compositions which I guess even I wouldn’t think of. I think their theatre education has given them a strong sense of blocking. Also did some contact work and each one would try and say, “mam’ mam’ look at me”, imagine a 20 mam’s to attend too, I love their zealous, drives me to teach them more.

We spotted a snake lying next to the door which was chased by the students as though they were chasing a dog!! Everyone is in harmony with nature here, if there is a natural calamity tomorrow these are the people who will survive I guess, ha ha!!

I became one of them, supremely spirited, eager to share my knowledge, woke up early started class at 6.30 am. Many of them were complaining of body pain, price of enthusiasm! Took an easy stretching session to ease their pain. I set their choreography, which Mr. Honnavalli wanted to use for a poem later. I was happy to see how fast they progressed in 3 days. Their sincerity to learn and absorb anything you throw at them is extremely motivational for anyone who works with them. The students used to say I brought rain to Sanehalli and would be beneficial to take me to a desert.

While I was waiting in the bus to Bengaluru, there was a girl who had run away from the house because her father scolded her. The whole village knew who she was and advised her to get off the bus and go back home. This would never happen in a city, where there is so much population and I guess that girl would have been lost forever!!

I went to teach dance in Sanehalli but came back a student with a lot of rich experiences. I think it’s a must for all of us to invest time in our villages, it’s our roots.

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

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.

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 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

October 11th, 2009

Rohan Raj is a senior dancer with the Nritarutya. Hailing from the background of cinematic dance, Rohan is here with his journey to contemporary dance.

Hi, through my introduction, you guys know I am Rohan Raj, my people generally call me “Ro”. I am going to share a very special bit of my life with all of you today.

It all happened while I was walking. I was alone one day, had been to a movie then, and felt like a walk later. Walking through the roads of Bangalore, I reached a corner that opened doors to my past. Suddenly, an image interrupted my thoughts and thus my legs stopped moving. I could hear the good old laughter and a loud conversation.

I watched the conversation of past happen as if it were happening in real time. I could see all my old friends in this good old ‘Adda’. I called my friends and spoke to them for some time. Loneliness started playing its games with me, and I started thinking, analysing and comparing my life with that of my friends.
To myself, I said – ‘Ro, all your friends are working in big companies. What about you? What are you doing with yourself? Still dancing eh? Why can’t you join a big company and settle down with something?” I felt very bad about the feelings that occurred inside me and I started asking myself if I were in the wrong place, with the wrong job…
My feelings were mixed, all jumbled and there was a lot of happening in my head.
I had told my friends that I’d take up dance as a profession six years ago. Some had encouraged me; some had said, “No it is just not worth it, haven’t you’ve been doing the same thing for the last 8 years? Aren’t you bored?”
I wasn’t able to fathom my feelings towards dance, which probably was the best possible thing to have happened to me. I felt the need to revisit myself in the past and inspect things over again.

I had belonged to the genre of cinematic dance, having choreographed for the films, and other night shows, it did feel great to be in the lime light, I had had my share of fun, experience and entertainment, but yet I had felt stagnation seep in. Contemporary training and technique have been my answers and cure.
Cinematic and contemporary are related since they come under wider streams of dance, both draw from other dance forms and have niches carved for themselves, but like it is true, that no two movement arts are similar, my mind started analysing what each form contained. Comparing both I found these points.

Coaching and classes:
If anyone were to learn cinematic dance, every locality in Bangalore could have at least one class, while contemporary dance throughout India, would hardly have 200 major classes with 30 established companies. So the ratio is indeed quite comparable.

Training to be a professional:
Cinematic dance, one needs to attend classes, and undergo further training with well known choreographers. Then through auditions one gets into the movies for dancing, where outstanding performers are selected, these selections happen once in two years, and once one gets through the selection, one is required to shell out a million ( around a lakh in Indian rupees) to be a part of that association. It is a set pattern.
While learning and training in contemporary dance is not everyone’s cup of tea. The training involves sincere dedication and perseverance. One needs to be a maverick in one or more forms which complement ones’ style. So a movement background and training in certain contemporary techniques for a good number of years is essential before one actually starts performing on a mainstream level and every level involves a documented technique. Moreover, Indian contemporary dance beautifully blends into itself the rich culture of Indian dancing. Since every contemporary dance company takes its movement inspirations through several classical forms, every company has a unique style calling upon itself.

Being taught Bharatnatyam by Minal Akka

Music for the productions:
A cinematic production is quite monochromatic, for you are expected to dance and choreograph to a piece of music that has already been made and produced.
While the choreographer here, does have the liberty to be able to decide the music, that will parallel the performance, enhance the movements, set the right mood, add meaning and hold the definition of the piece.
Niche Profession:
Lights, Camera, Action are the starting and unending parts of Cinema and its choreography.
Working with an Indian contemporary dance company is so different an experience. Home productions, festivals, corporate comprise of the performing part. Classes and workshops make the teaching part of Contemporary dance. Research and administrative work is the part that helps build knowledge and strengthen theories of dance. Learning is never ending a process here.

At London

A dance like contemporary has become a part of my life; it helps me explore my passion further. With training, I have become smarter with space, started pushing my limits, more creative and indeed testing of my spirit. If this is true, then it’s true that I am really lucky to be a where I am today. Nritarutya is a central part of my life and as a part of Nritarutya, I find opportunities to grow by teaching, learning, performing, researching and travelling across the world. All this while old habits die hard; I also take up a fun class with Nritarutya’s dancers’ sometimes as a fun thing.
Over the time I have become more patient and filled with ability to support myself and look at more possibilities to create meaning out of ideas. What I have gotten out of the both worlds of dance is invaluable. In my spirit and life I breathe dance and I can honestly believe and say, “Dance is my entire life.”