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Videos by Sharon Lowen

An overview of Bhakti Shringara as expressed in Jayadeva's Geeta Govinda.

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Ritusamharam Shakuntala Malavikagnimitra Meghadoota Kumara Sambhavanam The wedding night and... more Ritusamharam
Shakuntala
Malavikagnimitra
Meghadoota
Kumara Sambhavanam
The wedding night and morning of Lord Shiva, God of Dissolution and his consort, Parvati, is described in the 2000 year old epic by the great Sanskrit poet/dramatist Kalidas. Shiva reclines as Parvati glances at him with curiosity and mischief. He slowly opens his eyes as she is dazzled as though by lightning. covering Shiva's eyes with her hands in shyness, Parvati sees his third eye open and is bewildered by the futility of effort to hide her shyness. Next morning, in Parvati's concern that her friends will arrive and tease her about the telltale signs of love, she checks herself in her mirror. Shiva is reflected and she cannot answer his questions in shyness.

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Papers by Sharon Lowen

Panjab University research bulletin: Arts, 1999

Shastric Traditions in Indian Arts , University off Heidelberg, 1989

Dance is a movement art, transmitted as an oral, or rather aural-visual, tradition. What then is... more Dance is a movement art, transmitted as an oral, or rather aural-visual, tradition. What then is the relationship of shastric texts on dance to the actual performance practice, with particular reference to Odissi dance? Shastric texts have become a major reference point and validating factor of “classical” dance in India since the 1930’s, in Orissa since the 1950’s, and are increasingly used in the training of today’s educated students of the dance.
Did these texts play a central role in the development of the Odissi dance tradition as we know it today, or have they been used after the fact in a quest to capture and codify a tradition? What are the consequences of using textual codification as a starting point in classical training? To what extent has Odissi dance gelled into a distinctive form as it passed through generations of dancers up to the present and how much latitude still remains for innovation within the tradition?
What texts play a role in Odissi dance and what is that role? To what extent do contemporary practitioners of Odissi base their work on shastric tradition?
What are the problems of textual representation of a three-dimensional art form functioning in time and space translated to two dimensional paper and word symbolization? What are the difficulties of taking a fluid tradition in art and categorizing its elements in narrowing definitions, definitions which can intrinsically exclude nuance and variation, and lose its channeled logic in tangents? Does the quest for codification threaten the fluidity of tradition, tying teaching to text in future?
And finally, what role has shastric text played in bestowing legitimacy of recognition to Odissi dance as a classical tradition?

Gross National Happiness: Practice and Measurement, edited by Dasho Karma Ura and Dorji Penjore, The Centre for Bhutan Studies, 2009

Education, community interactions and the experience of the inner world that we all share through... more Education, community interactions and the experience of the inner world that we all share through the sharing of culturally specific performing arts enable the transformation of “other/foreign” to the comprehensible with which we can personally identify, without fear or apprehension and even embrace. Connecting to others, from within our own cultural background expanding out to those less familiar is essential to inhabit a world where we live at ease within our global communities. An opportunity to enter into the cultural space of others dissolves the defensiveness of fear of the “other” and enables a sense of security and the happiness of connection, understanding and even celebration of sharing a larger human landscape. Cross cultural education, interactions and carefully framed introductions to cross cultural essence through performing arts build understandings that can go beyond the intellectual to a more intrinsic, even visceral, connection.

Asian Age , 2019

The integral connections between classical Indian dance and yoga are perhaps less generally known... more The integral connections between classical Indian dance and yoga are perhaps less generally known, even though institutions like the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA)and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) have presented outstanding mult-day lectures and demonstrations focused on this theme.

The recently released Illustrating Classical Indian Dance Through Yoga, co-authored by Shovana Narayan and Anita Dua, clearly and systematically share these similarities. I would presume that most classical dancers are aware of the yoga of their dance, but the care taken by the authors to deconstruct the elements for comparison goes far beyond what the vast majority of us could articulate. Shovana found surprisingly, little actually written on this when the Shubhi publisher, Sanjay Arya, suggested the theme for her to research for a book.

Anita Dua, trained for years by her Pune neighbor, Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, supports Shovana’s comparisons with solid visual and textual information. The result is a book accessible and of interest to the general reader while of solid use for dance and yoga teachers and practitioners.

Asian Age, 2019

This article is about Monodhama -developing ideas through movement inspired by text, and the Mono... more This article is about Monodhama -developing ideas through movement inspired by text, and the Monodhama Dance Festival and Beyond Technique seminars I organized to focus on the process and expression of free interpretation of abhinaya which is a core of classical Indian dance and yet losing focus with today’s emphasis on speed, group and quick learning. All performance and seminar presentations are available on Youtube.
Performances were by Vidushi Lakshmi Vishwanathan- today perhaps the only artist who does justice to the essential aspects of the Tanjore tradition of Bharatanatyam. May 3 2019 and Pt Birju Maharaj - the undisputed master of Kathak, torch-bearer of the Kalka-Bindadin gharana of Lucknow – May 4.
The Beyond Technique Seminar gave one hour each to senior exponents and gurus to share their process: Vidushi Saswati Sen - Kathak, Guru Lakshmi Vishwanathan, Guru Singhajit Singh -Manipuri Jagoi,Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan - Bharatanatyam and Guru Kamalini Dutt - Bharatanatyam & Sharon Lowen – Odissi on their pedagogy of teaching monodhama to today’s students. This was presented by Manasa-Art Without Frontiers in collaboration with the India International Centre, New Delhi

Asian Age newspaper and Deccan Chronicle, 2019

"Yes, yes, yes!" was the immediate response of dozens of visual and classical performing artists ... more "Yes, yes, yes!" was the immediate response of dozens of visual and classical performing artists to Shovana Narayan's request for participation in the recent Tribute to Pulwama Martyrs at the India International Centre, New Delhi.

We have all shared the grief over the attack on so many dedicated defenders of Indian democracy, but it was Shovana, retired from a brilliant IAS career and fortunately not retired from a brilliant performance career, who brought us all together to express our solidarity through our arts.

Row upon row of uniformed CRPF personnel along with their DG, other administration and families were present for an emotional evening of love, tears, compassion and solidarity. The tribute was planned out with the collaboration of the multi-talented visual artist, Naresh Kapuria, also known for his half century of dedication to helping others including a legendary fundraising benefit by a panorama of artists for Kargil families.

The vision for the evening began with every dancer, vocalist and speaker signing a large canvas in the lobby which was later presented to the DG CRPF, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, on stage. Shovana wove a tapestry of poetry through the warp and weft of the evening connecting each brief presentation to the next. Drawing on ancient and modern sources, from sutras to Helen Keller, Gandhi, Wordsworth and Robert Louis Stevenson, she gently embraced our shared loss as with the Sufi “When the heart grieves over what is has lost, the spirit rejoices over what it has left.”

The balance of dance, music and spoken word tributes began with heartfelt words from the IIC Director, KN Shrivastava. This was followed by a moving vocal performance by Dr. Shanno Khurana introduced by Rani Chhabra. The incredibly elegant Shanno-ji at the age of 95 established the aura of the evening. Other musical tributes were offered in the deep, stirring tones of Madhup Mudgal and Vidya Shah’s lyrical tenor.

The dancers had been asked to present 3-4 minutes of abhinaya without costume and bring recorded music. Music was handed over to Shovana’s student liason coordinators, Komal and Mrinalini, with light and sound coordination by Nitin Jain. It was incredible to see the seamless technical transitions handled without a single glitch! No mix ups, restarts, or dropped levels; mics for musicians and speakers were all in the right place and on at the right time, lights did the needful and all you consider that this involved more than 30 separate light and sound occasions in one presentation it was awesome.

Sonal Mansingh rushed from her India Gate Odisha Parb performance to join us but arrived after the well orchestrated event had concluded because everything had gone like clockwork without the usual hiccups and delays that would have made such a large group presentation drag on interminably. This one was crisp and effective and the energy was palpable as artistic voices shifted flawlessly.

The dance presentations were powerful and touching, elegant and thought provoking, by nationally honored dancers Bharati Shivaji, Geeta Chandran, Prathibha Prahlad, Madhavi Mudgal, Ranjana Gauhar, Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan, Prerana Srimali plus myself. I was particularly moved by Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan’s abhinaya of a soldier’s mother, wife, sister and brother interacting with him before departure to service and each one’s reaction to news of his death.

Rashmi Vaishalingam shared the words of Raja and Radha Reddy who were out of Delhi, Sadhana Shrivastava shared poetry of Nalini Kamlini and Rama Pandey blew us away with a powerful reading of her own poetry of praise and reflections on society. The always graceful actress, Sushma Seth, shared her feelings in a few words of poetry while Sunit Tandon brought the artist tribute to a fitting end with a well chosen poetic bouquet.
Besides poetry, there were excellent spoken tributes by Alka Raghuvanshi , Lavlin Tandon reading inspirational letters from the battlefront and from Aruna Vasudeva, Ashish Khokar shared his pride in a family history of a grandfather and aunts serving as army doctors while Geetanjali Lal recalled her college days in Kashmir during the 1965 war with Pakistan.
This heartfelt tribute was a much appreciated opportunity by the community of artists to share our feelings as part of civil society to a representative selection of our armed forces, those who “give their today for our tomorrow”.

Asian Age , 2019

How is Indian classical dance viewed abroad? The place and impact of India’s dance traditions th... more How is Indian classical dance viewed abroad?

The place and impact of India’s dance traditions throughout the world is obviously a vast subject covering space and time. It has perhaps almost as many perspectives as there are artists and audiences. Recently I invited a dance scholar, a mid-career international performing artist and a former Indian ambassador to offer their thoughts and experiences as part of a seminar.

Ambassador Amarendra Khatua is an all-too-rare civil servant who brought significant knowledge and familiarity with arts and artists to his international postings as well director of ICCR. He shared that there are approximately 7,600 classical art schools outside India and 367,000 recognized classical Indian arts performers. Surprisingly, these are not just in the Indian Diaspora countries but all over the globe.

A question he raised is whether these arts, which are recognized and appreciated abroad, have entered the local lexicon of the arts internationally. Khatua also shared his personal view, after 38 years as a Foreign Service bureaucrat, that government should not function as a patron of the arts running institutions but should simply offer financial support. He also raised the question of the motivation and impact for India of taking our performing arts abroad. There are 32 million non-resident Indians persons of Indian origin abroad. We tell them they are ambassadors of India but are they ambassadors of our performing arts? Or are they opportunistic promoters of our performing arts during their conferences and festival events?

Bharatanatyam exponent Rama Vaidyanathan articulated the responsibility of representing Indian Sanskriti and connecting to both the Indian Diaspora and local nationals worldwide. I was happy to hear that she shared my experience that “it is the emotive power of Indian dance that really stirs the soul of the audience that connects to them and is different from their familiar dance forms rather than the general assumption that fast-paced rhythmic nritta”.

Dance scholar Arshiya Sethi shared her research into the creative interactions, based on fact and imagination, of Western artists connecting to the Indian dance genres available to them in the early and mid-20th century. These included Ruth St Denis, Anna Pavlova, La Meri who promoted Ram Gopal, Jazz and film choreographer Jack Cole who trained under La Meri, and many more, creating a considerable tapestry of artistic and cultural influences and interactions as well as the downside of devadasis exhibited in fairs.

She gave an historical panorama of the tapestry of these connections. “The transference of Indian dance overseas is a process that has been going on in phases for 140 years. A Nautch group that went in the 1880s to perform in exhibitions and fairs provided glimpses of spiritual elements draped in saris, though tinged with racist and sexist stereotypes.

Basically these were people who were fascinated by India. There are questions of representation, authenticity even today when we have reclaimed and researched so much that was not available earlier in the 20th century.

The 1960’s STEM visas for the USA brought highly skilled immigrants with wives trained in classical dance who found a few interested American students to teach. In the 1980’s USA visa policy changed which led to many Indians coming, trained dancers among them, and the rise of Indian dance schools everywhere with more Indian origin students as the number of American students reduced.”

Arshiya’s historical overview led to the conclusion that the visibility of Indian dance has improved considerably in the USA with an Indian dancer, Ranee Ramaswamy, in the National Endowment for the Arts which determines national funding and other dancers getting national, state and local funding.

Of course, this is a subject I have enjoyed observing over the decades since I was first exposed to India and Indian classical dance during the 1950’s as a child in multi-culturally vibrant Detroit, Michigan. The transmission of tradition here and abroad, along with its understanding and appreciation, is an evergreen subject I plunge into regularly. This was a few drops from this ocean.

Asian Age, 2019

Sharan Rani, popularly known as ‘Sarod Rani’ (Queen of Sarod) – a modern day Mira - ‘A musicians ... more Sharan Rani, popularly known as ‘Sarod Rani’ (Queen of Sarod) – a modern day Mira - ‘A musicians musician’

Stories of great artists can be enthralling; those with unusual challenges are inspiring. If overcoming these obstacles is achieved with grace and generosity we are delighted and amazed. If an individual artist's success clears the path for others, we applaud their courageous inspiration.

Sharan Rani, popularly known as ‘Sarod Rani’ (Queen of Sarod), was all of the above and more. She was the first internationally renowned woman instrumentalist of India and undoubtedly one of the foremost master musicians of the 20th century during a concert stage career spanning over seven decades.

What has fascinated me is how she achieved this, coming from a non-musician family of Hindu Delhi walled-city businessmen and educators, as well as how she wore the mantle of greatness with humility and devotion, without compromise to either art or family.

To have genius together with dedication and a pure life is a rare occurrence and by her example, Sharan Rani inspires all artistes and the younger generation who are the hope of the future.’- Rukmini Devi Arundale, President, Kalashetra

Asian Age, 2019

Stories of great artists can be enthralling; those with unusual challenges are inspiring. If over... more Stories of great artists can be enthralling; those with unusual challenges are inspiring. If overcoming these obstacles is achieved with grace and generosity we are delighted and amazed. If an individual artist's success clears the path for others, we applaud their courageous inspiration.

Sharan Rani, popularly known as ‘Sarod Rani’ (Queen of Sarod), was all of the above and more. She was the first internationally renowned woman instrumentalist of India and undoubtedly one of the foremost master musicians of the 20th century during a concert stage career spanning over seven decades.

What has fascinated me is how she achieved this, coming from a non-musician family of Hindu Delhi walled-city businessmen and educators, as well as how she wore the mantle of greatness with humility and devotion, without compromise to either art or family.

To have genius together with dedication and a pure life is a rare occurrence and by her example, Sharan Rani inspires all artistes and the younger generation who are the hope of the future.’- Rukmini Devi Arundale, President, Kalashetra

She grew up in a home that enjoyed music, literature and dance but to perform beyond the confines of the home was taboo. She enjoyed learning Kathak under Achhan Maharaj and Manipuri dance from Nabha Kumar Sinha side by side with Kapila Vatsayayan but was told clearly by family that we “will break your legs if you dance in public”.

An unrecognized string instrument was given to her by her flamboyant lawyer brother, Rajindra Narayan, when his wife had no interest in it. Sharan’s life changed when she touched the strings. The sound went to her heart and she knew this instrument was made for her and she for it. Earlier vocal training allowed her to pluck out notes and then ask for a music teacher’s help. This was a time of many artists coming home, occasional classes with Baba Ustad Allauddin Khan (which she absorbed like a sponge) and winning school and college music competitions culminating in President Rajendra Prasad awarding top honors in the first all India music competition. She was not simply the only female playing sarod, she was the only one playing an instrument rather than singing.

Her world turned on its head when her parents died, followed the next year by that of her beloved brother Rajindra. Only music helped her bear this, yet she was well aware of the disapproval of the family she was now dependent upon. Ustad Allauddin Khan had always denied her requests to come to Maihar to study so it is hard to image the courage and determination of a young Sharan Rani packing her considerable belongings and meeting Baba in Calcutta insisting that he take her to study in his home.

When he said the sitar was better suited for a woman than the sarod, Sharan replied “You can’t fall in love with one and marry another”. He told her she would have to care for the cows (she was terrified of them), fill his hookah, wash clothes, come with only two changes of clothing-one to wear and one to wash, face the weakness of being a vegetarian taking up a physically demanding instrument, never leave the house except to visit the temple and meet no one (the Maharaja, his patron, had a reputation for lifting girls).

The upside was their arrival in Maihar when Baba called out to his wife that he had brought her daughter home with him and young Sharan found a new mother. For two years she practiced only swaras (notes) and alankar or palta variations. Her dedication was unwavering, yet perhaps even more remarkable was her unstinting caring for those around her and uncomplaining adaptability material discomfort.

Her caring for others and uncomplaining adaptability are halos around the crowning achievement of her art. She was a stalwart friend of her guru-bahan Annapurna throughout her life, fought for the same AIR pay scale for English and Hindi announcers and transformed the lives of 65 Indian and international students, including a blind disciple, who lived in her home over 18 years free of cost except the requirement to practice during all free time. This great artist was an agony aunt and surrogate mother to many.

Asian Age

Dance of the Enchantress, a film by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Brigitte Chataignier I have always... more Dance of the Enchantress, a film by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Brigitte Chataignier

I have always loved the ephemeral nature of dance. The magic of the performance exists in the synergy of performer and audience in a particular moment in time and space. Entering the stage, the dancer offers one’s creative best available for the moment, not for posterity. Another day and the “same” dance may be exponentially different in performance. It always seemed to me that when a book was published or a painting displayed, the creator had made a statement of completion that I did not in dance. Of course, as I matured, it was clear that tangible arts are also “of the moment” in the creative process, yet dance is a poignant reminder of impermanence.

Because of this, we treasure filmed moments of dance in documentaries or archives knowing that they can provide only a tangential experience to being part of a live performance experience. For Indian classical dance, straight forward quality documentation is available from the Doordarshan Archives created by Smt. Kamalini Dutt. Documentation by other government and autonomous bodies leaves too much to be desired.

Given that every artistic medium has its own abilities and parameters, a good film on dance can shift time and place to provide not only varying angles of the dance but also of the lives, context of the dance, gurus and dancers. A great film can shift energy and even our willingness and ability to perceive.

La Danse de l’enchanteresse (The dance of the enchantress) by Adoor Gopalakrisnan and Bridget Chataignier is a great film. As everyone familiar with other films of this master, Adoor-ji chooses not to lean on a linear narrative to convey meaning. The viewer is respected as a Rasika to experience the rasa evoked. This is done through images of Mohiniattam performed in temples, palaces as well as classroom, contextualized in the Kerala environment.

When the renowned French Mohiniattam exponent, Brigitte Chataignier, a graduate of Kerala Kalamandalam was directed to Adoor Gopalakrishnan with her film concept, she discovered he had also been studying and considering Mohiniattam for decades without yet having decided on how to approach it in film. Bridget managed to secure funding, create a production house and together they co-scripted this exquisite film. The sensitivity and expansiveness of spirit in this virtually wordless depiction of the lush traditional ethos of Kerala is breathtaking.

An exception to the rule of classical dancers making documentary films, Bridget did not feature herself or make even a transitory appearance, instead presenting accomplished performances by Smitha Rajan (daughter of Sreedevi Rajan), Dr. Neena Prasad, Pallavi Krishnan and Usha Balaji. I was personally delighted to see included two Mohiniattam compositions that I had never seen before, Swati Tirunal’s Aliveni and the popular lullaby, Omanathinkal Kidavo in Mohiniattam, as I had performed these in Odissi in Kerala decades ago.

There are only 2 scenes with spoken dialogue. One finely crafted scene is in a bus as dancers and their musicians are returning from a performance. The vocalist is singing and a bus discussion reiterates the revival of Mohiniattam by the Maharaja Swati Tirunal (his over 400 classical compositions are the core of the repertoire since the first half of the 19th century) while another bus rider reminds that Vallathol Narayana who established Kerala Kalamandalam revived it in the early part of the last century.

The sole other scene with dialogue involves the guru asking why a student is not in class. The answer- she is getting married and her in-laws don’t approve of her continuing to dance. The guru declares that this is an outdated attitude. Meanwhile the images of the young girl, her betrothed, even the selection of wedding saris are dovetailed with the sringar of the dance and luxuriant Kerala landscapes.

Without dialogue, the sound landscape of birds and rain in nature, dance music and solkattu in class, courtyard and inner sanctum calms down our inner voices to rest in a more metaphysical serentity.

We see the bhava of the most revered and beloved gurus sharing with their shisyas in the classroom. These interactions with Kalamandalam Satyabhama, recently departed Guru Prof. Kalamandalam Leelamma, Sreedevi Rajan (daughter of the 'grandmother of Mohiniattam', Kalyani Kuttiyamma) as well as Guru Kalamandalam Kshemavathi evoke the delicious flavor of learning to experience and share rasa.

The well chosen dance sequences were shot in temples and palaces associated with Maharaja Swati Tirunal and Mahakavi Vallathol, generations apart, who both revived Mohiniyattam and other Kerala art forms when they were fading into oblivion.

This film is so much more than a documentary; it is an aesthetic experience that evokes rasa through the music, dance and visuals. If you already appreciate Kerala or are uninitiated, immersing yourself in Brigitte and Adoor-ji’s Dance of the Enchantress will be a meditation in joy.

Good, good enough or excellence in dance How does a dance student go from practice to perfect; al... more Good, good enough or excellence in dance How does a dance student go from practice to perfect; along the path developing the essential life skills to succeed in any endeavor? This question came to me with answers almost as varied as there were individuals, as I agreed for the first time to prepare an all inclusive student recital from school age to moms with passion to dance. Those already performing professionally wholeheartedly cooperated and worked patiently with their juniors. In the past, I have been happy to groom individual students to perform for their school or other functions and several performing together in temples during Navratri. As they reached semi-professional level, they participate in lecture demonstrations and group choreography in Delhi. Of course, summer/winter workshops end with a works-in-process studio presentation as stage practice is part with of learning, but this is without costumes, costs and fanfare. Some students convinced me that giving up solid technical training for a couple months was justified in the interests of the motivation to focus on a time-bound group performance. It was a learning experience for me to see the character of students reflected in their consciousness of what preparation entailed. The simplest and most fundamental component of success is respect for Time. Just showing up and on time, not wasting the time of others in a group cooperative effort is a clear expression of personal consideration for others. s life beyond wasting rehearsal time. One student, asked if having a student program coming up motivated her, replied, "It made me regular in attendance, otherwise I sometimes skip class when I feel lazy or low energy after a hard week." How thoughtful or thoughtless of the impact of "being there" for others translates across one's land personal and professional life. Stage practice, i.e. a performance for a non-professional dancer, is an essential part of learning how to project energy and connect with the audience. One student had regularly performed under a previous teacher, so she definitely had the benefit of "stage practice". I asked her what she might gain this time that was new. "Before, I went on stage without a thought about what efforts and corrections to technique I needed to be conscious of or how to use my eyes and mind to communicate." A pretty good example of the truth of the sport's adage, "Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect!" The legendary English ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn said, "If I don't practice for two days, I will know the difference. if I don't practice for four days, the audience will know the difference." This standard of excellence won her critical accolades during a career spanning twice that of most other classical ballet dancers. When rehearsals have reached a point where everyone has gotten it right, there is a temptation to move on. That is the time to share the motto "Don't practice till you get it right, practice till you can't get it wrong" Mastering dance is a process without end. The Padmavibhushans of the dance world consider that they remain learners. Besides from our teachers, dance student dents learn from life experience and personal growth, observation of the life around us, group collaboration, fellow students, and seeing disappointing as well as good performances.

Asian Age

Indian Masters of the Performing Arts Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards It make me feel something is ... more Indian Masters of the Performing Arts
Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards

It make me feel something is still right in this world when I see puppeteers, folk and tribal as well as classical performing artists, being honored by the President of India in the magnificently formal setting of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Wearing dhotis and Kanjeevarams, Himachali caps and lungis as well as smart modern attire, our living masters of intangible culture proudly walked up the three historic steps of the Durbar Hall dais, many needing a helping hand, to receive a nation's gratitude for their contributions in dance, music and drama with Sangeet Natak Akademi awards.

The same maroon velvet drapes and 5th century Buddha statue that framed the transfer of power at Independence backed the President as he heartily rose again and again for each awardee. After the ceremony, I had to pause at the doors open to Delhi to relish the view. The red carpet below my feet matching the top of India Gate and the breathtaking sight of the illuminated Jaipur column, a fitting tribute to the Maharaja who gave Raisina Hill for the new capital over 100 years ago.

In addition to 2016 awardees, four Akademi fellows were awarded for overarching contributions to Hindustani and Carnatic music, Shri Arvind Parikh and Shrimati R. Vedavalli respectively, Shri Ram Gopal Bajaj for his contributions to Indian theatre and Shri Sunil Kothari for his outstanding contribution to Performing Arts through as author and critic. I have not had the privilege to know the music fellows but it was a joy to congratulate the friends who became fellows and awardees and applaud the others.

The performances and talks by all of these national treasures were a treat for residents of the National Capital Region and I can never get over my good fortune to live in the only capital city in the world where great performing arts can be seen gratis simply by walking in. Anyone with a metro card, uber/ola number or car, can attend virtually any production in multiple theatres daily. These annual Sangeet Natak Akademi award programs should be high on the list of anyone with an interest or even curiosity in the arts or who has a desire to nurture cultural awareness in their children.

Anita Ratnam, awarded for Contemporary Dance, opened one evening’s dance offerings with her solo presentation on Ahalya, created by Brahma as an experiment in perfection and cursed by her husband Sage Gautama for infidelity when she and god Indra, disguised as Gautama, are discovered. Anita is a strong feminist performing artist who is inspired to interpret shared cultural myths to shift the paradigm of understanding a woman questioning the injustice of women living as a stone and then to become one.

The pulsating grey and gold draped figure of Anita was mesmerizing as she was far more than a lifeless stone but more the Bala Kanda description of remaining invisible for thousands of years, fasting by subsisting only on air, suffering and sleeping in ashes. The woman from the stone emerged first as a mouth, vividly framed inside the dark contours of “stone”. Sandhya Raman’s first-rate costuming of stretch lycra was the perfect modality for a use of the body covered and changing shape immortalized by Alwin Nikolai’s 1953 Noumenon and Martha Graham’s 1930 Lamentation. Milind Srivastava’s lights were a good reminder of how essential lighting is to the performing arts, something often neglected.

The Troth - Usne Kaha Tha, produced by The Akademi, London under executive producer, Mira Kaushik... more The Troth - Usne Kaha Tha, produced by The Akademi, London under executive producer, Mira Kaushik, is just what the “cultural” doctor ordered. Every audience member, whether in India or the U.K., comes out with a paradigm shift in awareness of Indo-British history as well as the aesthetic possibilities of transnational artists and choreography in dance-drama.
The story is a simple human story set in World War I. The classic Hindi short story Usne Kaha Tha (written in 1915 by Chandradhar Sharma Guleri) begins in rural Punjab and moves swiftly to the stark reality of trenches in Belgium where Indian soldiers basically served the Allied Forces as cannon fodder.
This largely invisible chapter of history comes to life through the intensely physical action of the dancers supported by authentic film clips from the British War Archives of training, fighting, living and dying in the sodden trenches. Unless one visits India Gate in New Delhi and takes a close look at the thousands of names inscribed on this First World War and Third Anglo-Afghan War memorial, Indian lives sacrificed are commonly unimagined.
The story begins with the evergreen kahani of a boy, smitten by a beautiful girl in his village who, while drawn to him, marries the suitable boy. Lehna Singh’s 1888 Amritsar line to Leena, “Are you bethrothed?” gets a yes answer on their third encounter and the long trailing silk scarf is the emblem of this engagement.
Without dwelling at length on the emotional impact on Lehna, we move swiftly to ahead the recruitment and eventual war call-up of Indians in Punjab that includes Lehna as well as Leena’s husband and son.
Both amusing and heart rending, the supercilious recruiter dances out the inducements of glory and money to the naive young men. The long legged twists and turns of Daniel Hay-Gordon who also later plays the Sergeant Major and Lt Sahib, communicate the patronizing and arrogant attitude of masterful manipulation.
We time and again have seen Western stories and themes interpreted though Indian dance genres but this was a path-breaking vision of an Indian reality interpreted in contemporary choreography and direction by award-winning choreographer Gary Clarke.
It was an interesting choice by the Akademi to commission one of the UK’s leading independent dance makers to work with a multi-national cast of Indian origin. This juxtaposition offered a clear canvas to paint an interpretation of the story read during Mira Kaushik’s pre-UK student days studying Hindi literature. Having promoted Indian classical and contemporary dance throughout the UK for decades, the UK-India Year of Culture marking 70 years of Indian independence was the Akademi’s opportunity to marshal the international resources needed to mount a well-crafted production worthy of touring around India and the U.K.
The direction and choreography was informed by creative consultants that included National School of Drama, Delhi’s Professors Tripurari Sharma and Ashok Bhagat, poet and literary translator Amarjit Chanda, King’s College Reader Dr Santanu Das and the curator in the Research and Academic Access department at the National Army Museum in London, Jasdeep Singh.
The dancers included both those trained solely in contemporary dance as well as some with strong classical Indian dance backgrounds. Vidya Patel (Leela), a Kathak dancer from Birmingham was a BBC Young Dancer Finalist who brought a gazelle-like quality to the young Leena and tragic passion to the grown woman separated by war from her husband and son in spins of despair.
Subhash Viman Gorania (Lehna Singh) wide dance background began in hip-hop, moved to classical western dance and training in Bharatanatyam and Kathak. He definitely brought his unorthodox and quirky edge to this performance. Deepraj Sing (Wazira), who graduated from the London Contemporary Dance School as the first Duke of York Scholar is known as an explorative urban improviser with beatboxing/vocal percussion skills, all well used as WW1 Punjabi soldier.
Songhay Toldon (Leena’s husband the Subedar) and Dom Coffey ( their son Bodha) both brought solid contemporary dance backgrounds to their top notch performances.
The sequence highlighting their military training took no short cuts in fast-paced physically challenging rigor. The amazing film clips of Indian soldiers practicing Gatka, the Punjabi martial arts training, whirling swords in both hands gave a richer context to the modern boot camp training represented in the choreography.
I would love to see more of the extensive archival films held by London’s National Army Museum, but the prohibitive costs of accessing them make me grateful that the generous sponsorship of two nations made it possible to see the memorable clips included in The Troth.
We have all seen well integrated audio-visual integration with live performance, but the centrality of the film material combined with soldiers letters, Amrita Pritam poetry and translations put together by Josh Hawkins is superb, not to mention the lighting by multitalented Charles Webber tackling the almost impossible task creating excellent lighting on stage while still allowing full screen visibility.
The number of people who contributed creatively to make this all happen is almost over-whelming, from dramaturg Lou Cope to composer Shri Sriram and a long list of an amazing production team who, after the Jaipur Literature Festival inaugural traveled to Delhi and on to Bhopal, Jabalpur, and Kurukshetra. The funders and partners obviously include the Arts Council England and British Council, ICCR and GOI Ministry of Culture and long list ranging from the LaLit Hotels, Air India, to Eastern Eyeand Vivechna Theater Group.
It’s difficult to understand how Amritsar, Chandigarh and other cities of Punjab let the opportunity to host this production slip away, but I hope that means a return tour in the future could be possible after these cities see what they missed.
It will be interesting to hear of the response of British audiences when this is presented in the coming months. I hope it will open new artistic and civil society conversations.

An overview of Bhakti Shringara as expressed in Jayadeva's Geeta Govinda.

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Ritusamharam Shakuntala Malavikagnimitra Meghadoota Kumara Sambhavanam The wedding night and... more Ritusamharam
Shakuntala
Malavikagnimitra
Meghadoota
Kumara Sambhavanam
The wedding night and morning of Lord Shiva, God of Dissolution and his consort, Parvati, is described in the 2000 year old epic by the great Sanskrit poet/dramatist Kalidas. Shiva reclines as Parvati glances at him with curiosity and mischief. He slowly opens his eyes as she is dazzled as though by lightning. covering Shiva's eyes with her hands in shyness, Parvati sees his third eye open and is bewildered by the futility of effort to hide her shyness. Next morning, in Parvati's concern that her friends will arrive and tease her about the telltale signs of love, she checks herself in her mirror. Shiva is reflected and she cannot answer his questions in shyness.

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Panjab University research bulletin: Arts, 1999

Shastric Traditions in Indian Arts , University off Heidelberg, 1989

Dance is a movement art, transmitted as an oral, or rather aural-visual, tradition. What then is... more Dance is a movement art, transmitted as an oral, or rather aural-visual, tradition. What then is the relationship of shastric texts on dance to the actual performance practice, with particular reference to Odissi dance? Shastric texts have become a major reference point and validating factor of “classical” dance in India since the 1930’s, in Orissa since the 1950’s, and are increasingly used in the training of today’s educated students of the dance.
Did these texts play a central role in the development of the Odissi dance tradition as we know it today, or have they been used after the fact in a quest to capture and codify a tradition? What are the consequences of using textual codification as a starting point in classical training? To what extent has Odissi dance gelled into a distinctive form as it passed through generations of dancers up to the present and how much latitude still remains for innovation within the tradition?
What texts play a role in Odissi dance and what is that role? To what extent do contemporary practitioners of Odissi base their work on shastric tradition?
What are the problems of textual representation of a three-dimensional art form functioning in time and space translated to two dimensional paper and word symbolization? What are the difficulties of taking a fluid tradition in art and categorizing its elements in narrowing definitions, definitions which can intrinsically exclude nuance and variation, and lose its channeled logic in tangents? Does the quest for codification threaten the fluidity of tradition, tying teaching to text in future?
And finally, what role has shastric text played in bestowing legitimacy of recognition to Odissi dance as a classical tradition?

Gross National Happiness: Practice and Measurement, edited by Dasho Karma Ura and Dorji Penjore, The Centre for Bhutan Studies, 2009

Education, community interactions and the experience of the inner world that we all share through... more Education, community interactions and the experience of the inner world that we all share through the sharing of culturally specific performing arts enable the transformation of “other/foreign” to the comprehensible with which we can personally identify, without fear or apprehension and even embrace. Connecting to others, from within our own cultural background expanding out to those less familiar is essential to inhabit a world where we live at ease within our global communities. An opportunity to enter into the cultural space of others dissolves the defensiveness of fear of the “other” and enables a sense of security and the happiness of connection, understanding and even celebration of sharing a larger human landscape. Cross cultural education, interactions and carefully framed introductions to cross cultural essence through performing arts build understandings that can go beyond the intellectual to a more intrinsic, even visceral, connection.

Asian Age , 2019

The integral connections between classical Indian dance and yoga are perhaps less generally known... more The integral connections between classical Indian dance and yoga are perhaps less generally known, even though institutions like the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA)and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) have presented outstanding mult-day lectures and demonstrations focused on this theme.

The recently released Illustrating Classical Indian Dance Through Yoga, co-authored by Shovana Narayan and Anita Dua, clearly and systematically share these similarities. I would presume that most classical dancers are aware of the yoga of their dance, but the care taken by the authors to deconstruct the elements for comparison goes far beyond what the vast majority of us could articulate. Shovana found surprisingly, little actually written on this when the Shubhi publisher, Sanjay Arya, suggested the theme for her to research for a book.

Anita Dua, trained for years by her Pune neighbor, Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, supports Shovana’s comparisons with solid visual and textual information. The result is a book accessible and of interest to the general reader while of solid use for dance and yoga teachers and practitioners.

Asian Age, 2019

This article is about Monodhama -developing ideas through movement inspired by text, and the Mono... more This article is about Monodhama -developing ideas through movement inspired by text, and the Monodhama Dance Festival and Beyond Technique seminars I organized to focus on the process and expression of free interpretation of abhinaya which is a core of classical Indian dance and yet losing focus with today’s emphasis on speed, group and quick learning. All performance and seminar presentations are available on Youtube.
Performances were by Vidushi Lakshmi Vishwanathan- today perhaps the only artist who does justice to the essential aspects of the Tanjore tradition of Bharatanatyam. May 3 2019 and Pt Birju Maharaj - the undisputed master of Kathak, torch-bearer of the Kalka-Bindadin gharana of Lucknow – May 4.
The Beyond Technique Seminar gave one hour each to senior exponents and gurus to share their process: Vidushi Saswati Sen - Kathak, Guru Lakshmi Vishwanathan, Guru Singhajit Singh -Manipuri Jagoi,Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan - Bharatanatyam and Guru Kamalini Dutt - Bharatanatyam & Sharon Lowen – Odissi on their pedagogy of teaching monodhama to today’s students. This was presented by Manasa-Art Without Frontiers in collaboration with the India International Centre, New Delhi

Asian Age newspaper and Deccan Chronicle, 2019

"Yes, yes, yes!" was the immediate response of dozens of visual and classical performing artists ... more "Yes, yes, yes!" was the immediate response of dozens of visual and classical performing artists to Shovana Narayan's request for participation in the recent Tribute to Pulwama Martyrs at the India International Centre, New Delhi.

We have all shared the grief over the attack on so many dedicated defenders of Indian democracy, but it was Shovana, retired from a brilliant IAS career and fortunately not retired from a brilliant performance career, who brought us all together to express our solidarity through our arts.

Row upon row of uniformed CRPF personnel along with their DG, other administration and families were present for an emotional evening of love, tears, compassion and solidarity. The tribute was planned out with the collaboration of the multi-talented visual artist, Naresh Kapuria, also known for his half century of dedication to helping others including a legendary fundraising benefit by a panorama of artists for Kargil families.

The vision for the evening began with every dancer, vocalist and speaker signing a large canvas in the lobby which was later presented to the DG CRPF, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, on stage. Shovana wove a tapestry of poetry through the warp and weft of the evening connecting each brief presentation to the next. Drawing on ancient and modern sources, from sutras to Helen Keller, Gandhi, Wordsworth and Robert Louis Stevenson, she gently embraced our shared loss as with the Sufi “When the heart grieves over what is has lost, the spirit rejoices over what it has left.”

The balance of dance, music and spoken word tributes began with heartfelt words from the IIC Director, KN Shrivastava. This was followed by a moving vocal performance by Dr. Shanno Khurana introduced by Rani Chhabra. The incredibly elegant Shanno-ji at the age of 95 established the aura of the evening. Other musical tributes were offered in the deep, stirring tones of Madhup Mudgal and Vidya Shah’s lyrical tenor.

The dancers had been asked to present 3-4 minutes of abhinaya without costume and bring recorded music. Music was handed over to Shovana’s student liason coordinators, Komal and Mrinalini, with light and sound coordination by Nitin Jain. It was incredible to see the seamless technical transitions handled without a single glitch! No mix ups, restarts, or dropped levels; mics for musicians and speakers were all in the right place and on at the right time, lights did the needful and all you consider that this involved more than 30 separate light and sound occasions in one presentation it was awesome.

Sonal Mansingh rushed from her India Gate Odisha Parb performance to join us but arrived after the well orchestrated event had concluded because everything had gone like clockwork without the usual hiccups and delays that would have made such a large group presentation drag on interminably. This one was crisp and effective and the energy was palpable as artistic voices shifted flawlessly.

The dance presentations were powerful and touching, elegant and thought provoking, by nationally honored dancers Bharati Shivaji, Geeta Chandran, Prathibha Prahlad, Madhavi Mudgal, Ranjana Gauhar, Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan, Prerana Srimali plus myself. I was particularly moved by Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan’s abhinaya of a soldier’s mother, wife, sister and brother interacting with him before departure to service and each one’s reaction to news of his death.

Rashmi Vaishalingam shared the words of Raja and Radha Reddy who were out of Delhi, Sadhana Shrivastava shared poetry of Nalini Kamlini and Rama Pandey blew us away with a powerful reading of her own poetry of praise and reflections on society. The always graceful actress, Sushma Seth, shared her feelings in a few words of poetry while Sunit Tandon brought the artist tribute to a fitting end with a well chosen poetic bouquet.
Besides poetry, there were excellent spoken tributes by Alka Raghuvanshi , Lavlin Tandon reading inspirational letters from the battlefront and from Aruna Vasudeva, Ashish Khokar shared his pride in a family history of a grandfather and aunts serving as army doctors while Geetanjali Lal recalled her college days in Kashmir during the 1965 war with Pakistan.
This heartfelt tribute was a much appreciated opportunity by the community of artists to share our feelings as part of civil society to a representative selection of our armed forces, those who “give their today for our tomorrow”.

Asian Age , 2019

How is Indian classical dance viewed abroad? The place and impact of India’s dance traditions th... more How is Indian classical dance viewed abroad?

The place and impact of India’s dance traditions throughout the world is obviously a vast subject covering space and time. It has perhaps almost as many perspectives as there are artists and audiences. Recently I invited a dance scholar, a mid-career international performing artist and a former Indian ambassador to offer their thoughts and experiences as part of a seminar.

Ambassador Amarendra Khatua is an all-too-rare civil servant who brought significant knowledge and familiarity with arts and artists to his international postings as well director of ICCR. He shared that there are approximately 7,600 classical art schools outside India and 367,000 recognized classical Indian arts performers. Surprisingly, these are not just in the Indian Diaspora countries but all over the globe.

A question he raised is whether these arts, which are recognized and appreciated abroad, have entered the local lexicon of the arts internationally. Khatua also shared his personal view, after 38 years as a Foreign Service bureaucrat, that government should not function as a patron of the arts running institutions but should simply offer financial support. He also raised the question of the motivation and impact for India of taking our performing arts abroad. There are 32 million non-resident Indians persons of Indian origin abroad. We tell them they are ambassadors of India but are they ambassadors of our performing arts? Or are they opportunistic promoters of our performing arts during their conferences and festival events?

Bharatanatyam exponent Rama Vaidyanathan articulated the responsibility of representing Indian Sanskriti and connecting to both the Indian Diaspora and local nationals worldwide. I was happy to hear that she shared my experience that “it is the emotive power of Indian dance that really stirs the soul of the audience that connects to them and is different from their familiar dance forms rather than the general assumption that fast-paced rhythmic nritta”.

Dance scholar Arshiya Sethi shared her research into the creative interactions, based on fact and imagination, of Western artists connecting to the Indian dance genres available to them in the early and mid-20th century. These included Ruth St Denis, Anna Pavlova, La Meri who promoted Ram Gopal, Jazz and film choreographer Jack Cole who trained under La Meri, and many more, creating a considerable tapestry of artistic and cultural influences and interactions as well as the downside of devadasis exhibited in fairs.

She gave an historical panorama of the tapestry of these connections. “The transference of Indian dance overseas is a process that has been going on in phases for 140 years. A Nautch group that went in the 1880s to perform in exhibitions and fairs provided glimpses of spiritual elements draped in saris, though tinged with racist and sexist stereotypes.

Basically these were people who were fascinated by India. There are questions of representation, authenticity even today when we have reclaimed and researched so much that was not available earlier in the 20th century.

The 1960’s STEM visas for the USA brought highly skilled immigrants with wives trained in classical dance who found a few interested American students to teach. In the 1980’s USA visa policy changed which led to many Indians coming, trained dancers among them, and the rise of Indian dance schools everywhere with more Indian origin students as the number of American students reduced.”

Arshiya’s historical overview led to the conclusion that the visibility of Indian dance has improved considerably in the USA with an Indian dancer, Ranee Ramaswamy, in the National Endowment for the Arts which determines national funding and other dancers getting national, state and local funding.

Of course, this is a subject I have enjoyed observing over the decades since I was first exposed to India and Indian classical dance during the 1950’s as a child in multi-culturally vibrant Detroit, Michigan. The transmission of tradition here and abroad, along with its understanding and appreciation, is an evergreen subject I plunge into regularly. This was a few drops from this ocean.

Asian Age, 2019

Sharan Rani, popularly known as ‘Sarod Rani’ (Queen of Sarod) – a modern day Mira - ‘A musicians ... more Sharan Rani, popularly known as ‘Sarod Rani’ (Queen of Sarod) – a modern day Mira - ‘A musicians musician’

Stories of great artists can be enthralling; those with unusual challenges are inspiring. If overcoming these obstacles is achieved with grace and generosity we are delighted and amazed. If an individual artist's success clears the path for others, we applaud their courageous inspiration.

Sharan Rani, popularly known as ‘Sarod Rani’ (Queen of Sarod), was all of the above and more. She was the first internationally renowned woman instrumentalist of India and undoubtedly one of the foremost master musicians of the 20th century during a concert stage career spanning over seven decades.

What has fascinated me is how she achieved this, coming from a non-musician family of Hindu Delhi walled-city businessmen and educators, as well as how she wore the mantle of greatness with humility and devotion, without compromise to either art or family.

To have genius together with dedication and a pure life is a rare occurrence and by her example, Sharan Rani inspires all artistes and the younger generation who are the hope of the future.’- Rukmini Devi Arundale, President, Kalashetra

Asian Age, 2019

Stories of great artists can be enthralling; those with unusual challenges are inspiring. If over... more Stories of great artists can be enthralling; those with unusual challenges are inspiring. If overcoming these obstacles is achieved with grace and generosity we are delighted and amazed. If an individual artist's success clears the path for others, we applaud their courageous inspiration.

Sharan Rani, popularly known as ‘Sarod Rani’ (Queen of Sarod), was all of the above and more. She was the first internationally renowned woman instrumentalist of India and undoubtedly one of the foremost master musicians of the 20th century during a concert stage career spanning over seven decades.

What has fascinated me is how she achieved this, coming from a non-musician family of Hindu Delhi walled-city businessmen and educators, as well as how she wore the mantle of greatness with humility and devotion, without compromise to either art or family.

To have genius together with dedication and a pure life is a rare occurrence and by her example, Sharan Rani inspires all artistes and the younger generation who are the hope of the future.’- Rukmini Devi Arundale, President, Kalashetra

She grew up in a home that enjoyed music, literature and dance but to perform beyond the confines of the home was taboo. She enjoyed learning Kathak under Achhan Maharaj and Manipuri dance from Nabha Kumar Sinha side by side with Kapila Vatsayayan but was told clearly by family that we “will break your legs if you dance in public”.

An unrecognized string instrument was given to her by her flamboyant lawyer brother, Rajindra Narayan, when his wife had no interest in it. Sharan’s life changed when she touched the strings. The sound went to her heart and she knew this instrument was made for her and she for it. Earlier vocal training allowed her to pluck out notes and then ask for a music teacher’s help. This was a time of many artists coming home, occasional classes with Baba Ustad Allauddin Khan (which she absorbed like a sponge) and winning school and college music competitions culminating in President Rajendra Prasad awarding top honors in the first all India music competition. She was not simply the only female playing sarod, she was the only one playing an instrument rather than singing.

Her world turned on its head when her parents died, followed the next year by that of her beloved brother Rajindra. Only music helped her bear this, yet she was well aware of the disapproval of the family she was now dependent upon. Ustad Allauddin Khan had always denied her requests to come to Maihar to study so it is hard to image the courage and determination of a young Sharan Rani packing her considerable belongings and meeting Baba in Calcutta insisting that he take her to study in his home.

When he said the sitar was better suited for a woman than the sarod, Sharan replied “You can’t fall in love with one and marry another”. He told her she would have to care for the cows (she was terrified of them), fill his hookah, wash clothes, come with only two changes of clothing-one to wear and one to wash, face the weakness of being a vegetarian taking up a physically demanding instrument, never leave the house except to visit the temple and meet no one (the Maharaja, his patron, had a reputation for lifting girls).

The upside was their arrival in Maihar when Baba called out to his wife that he had brought her daughter home with him and young Sharan found a new mother. For two years she practiced only swaras (notes) and alankar or palta variations. Her dedication was unwavering, yet perhaps even more remarkable was her unstinting caring for those around her and uncomplaining adaptability material discomfort.

Her caring for others and uncomplaining adaptability are halos around the crowning achievement of her art. She was a stalwart friend of her guru-bahan Annapurna throughout her life, fought for the same AIR pay scale for English and Hindi announcers and transformed the lives of 65 Indian and international students, including a blind disciple, who lived in her home over 18 years free of cost except the requirement to practice during all free time. This great artist was an agony aunt and surrogate mother to many.

Asian Age

Dance of the Enchantress, a film by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Brigitte Chataignier I have always... more Dance of the Enchantress, a film by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Brigitte Chataignier

I have always loved the ephemeral nature of dance. The magic of the performance exists in the synergy of performer and audience in a particular moment in time and space. Entering the stage, the dancer offers one’s creative best available for the moment, not for posterity. Another day and the “same” dance may be exponentially different in performance. It always seemed to me that when a book was published or a painting displayed, the creator had made a statement of completion that I did not in dance. Of course, as I matured, it was clear that tangible arts are also “of the moment” in the creative process, yet dance is a poignant reminder of impermanence.

Because of this, we treasure filmed moments of dance in documentaries or archives knowing that they can provide only a tangential experience to being part of a live performance experience. For Indian classical dance, straight forward quality documentation is available from the Doordarshan Archives created by Smt. Kamalini Dutt. Documentation by other government and autonomous bodies leaves too much to be desired.

Given that every artistic medium has its own abilities and parameters, a good film on dance can shift time and place to provide not only varying angles of the dance but also of the lives, context of the dance, gurus and dancers. A great film can shift energy and even our willingness and ability to perceive.

La Danse de l’enchanteresse (The dance of the enchantress) by Adoor Gopalakrisnan and Bridget Chataignier is a great film. As everyone familiar with other films of this master, Adoor-ji chooses not to lean on a linear narrative to convey meaning. The viewer is respected as a Rasika to experience the rasa evoked. This is done through images of Mohiniattam performed in temples, palaces as well as classroom, contextualized in the Kerala environment.

When the renowned French Mohiniattam exponent, Brigitte Chataignier, a graduate of Kerala Kalamandalam was directed to Adoor Gopalakrishnan with her film concept, she discovered he had also been studying and considering Mohiniattam for decades without yet having decided on how to approach it in film. Bridget managed to secure funding, create a production house and together they co-scripted this exquisite film. The sensitivity and expansiveness of spirit in this virtually wordless depiction of the lush traditional ethos of Kerala is breathtaking.

An exception to the rule of classical dancers making documentary films, Bridget did not feature herself or make even a transitory appearance, instead presenting accomplished performances by Smitha Rajan (daughter of Sreedevi Rajan), Dr. Neena Prasad, Pallavi Krishnan and Usha Balaji. I was personally delighted to see included two Mohiniattam compositions that I had never seen before, Swati Tirunal’s Aliveni and the popular lullaby, Omanathinkal Kidavo in Mohiniattam, as I had performed these in Odissi in Kerala decades ago.

There are only 2 scenes with spoken dialogue. One finely crafted scene is in a bus as dancers and their musicians are returning from a performance. The vocalist is singing and a bus discussion reiterates the revival of Mohiniattam by the Maharaja Swati Tirunal (his over 400 classical compositions are the core of the repertoire since the first half of the 19th century) while another bus rider reminds that Vallathol Narayana who established Kerala Kalamandalam revived it in the early part of the last century.

The sole other scene with dialogue involves the guru asking why a student is not in class. The answer- she is getting married and her in-laws don’t approve of her continuing to dance. The guru declares that this is an outdated attitude. Meanwhile the images of the young girl, her betrothed, even the selection of wedding saris are dovetailed with the sringar of the dance and luxuriant Kerala landscapes.

Without dialogue, the sound landscape of birds and rain in nature, dance music and solkattu in class, courtyard and inner sanctum calms down our inner voices to rest in a more metaphysical serentity.

We see the bhava of the most revered and beloved gurus sharing with their shisyas in the classroom. These interactions with Kalamandalam Satyabhama, recently departed Guru Prof. Kalamandalam Leelamma, Sreedevi Rajan (daughter of the 'grandmother of Mohiniattam', Kalyani Kuttiyamma) as well as Guru Kalamandalam Kshemavathi evoke the delicious flavor of learning to experience and share rasa.

The well chosen dance sequences were shot in temples and palaces associated with Maharaja Swati Tirunal and Mahakavi Vallathol, generations apart, who both revived Mohiniyattam and other Kerala art forms when they were fading into oblivion.

This film is so much more than a documentary; it is an aesthetic experience that evokes rasa through the music, dance and visuals. If you already appreciate Kerala or are uninitiated, immersing yourself in Brigitte and Adoor-ji’s Dance of the Enchantress will be a meditation in joy.

Good, good enough or excellence in dance How does a dance student go from practice to perfect; al... more Good, good enough or excellence in dance How does a dance student go from practice to perfect; along the path developing the essential life skills to succeed in any endeavor? This question came to me with answers almost as varied as there were individuals, as I agreed for the first time to prepare an all inclusive student recital from school age to moms with passion to dance. Those already performing professionally wholeheartedly cooperated and worked patiently with their juniors. In the past, I have been happy to groom individual students to perform for their school or other functions and several performing together in temples during Navratri. As they reached semi-professional level, they participate in lecture demonstrations and group choreography in Delhi. Of course, summer/winter workshops end with a works-in-process studio presentation as stage practice is part with of learning, but this is without costumes, costs and fanfare. Some students convinced me that giving up solid technical training for a couple months was justified in the interests of the motivation to focus on a time-bound group performance. It was a learning experience for me to see the character of students reflected in their consciousness of what preparation entailed. The simplest and most fundamental component of success is respect for Time. Just showing up and on time, not wasting the time of others in a group cooperative effort is a clear expression of personal consideration for others. s life beyond wasting rehearsal time. One student, asked if having a student program coming up motivated her, replied, "It made me regular in attendance, otherwise I sometimes skip class when I feel lazy or low energy after a hard week." How thoughtful or thoughtless of the impact of "being there" for others translates across one's land personal and professional life. Stage practice, i.e. a performance for a non-professional dancer, is an essential part of learning how to project energy and connect with the audience. One student had regularly performed under a previous teacher, so she definitely had the benefit of "stage practice". I asked her what she might gain this time that was new. "Before, I went on stage without a thought about what efforts and corrections to technique I needed to be conscious of or how to use my eyes and mind to communicate." A pretty good example of the truth of the sport's adage, "Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect!" The legendary English ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn said, "If I don't practice for two days, I will know the difference. if I don't practice for four days, the audience will know the difference." This standard of excellence won her critical accolades during a career spanning twice that of most other classical ballet dancers. When rehearsals have reached a point where everyone has gotten it right, there is a temptation to move on. That is the time to share the motto "Don't practice till you get it right, practice till you can't get it wrong" Mastering dance is a process without end. The Padmavibhushans of the dance world consider that they remain learners. Besides from our teachers, dance student dents learn from life experience and personal growth, observation of the life around us, group collaboration, fellow students, and seeing disappointing as well as good performances.

Asian Age

Indian Masters of the Performing Arts Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards It make me feel something is ... more Indian Masters of the Performing Arts
Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards

It make me feel something is still right in this world when I see puppeteers, folk and tribal as well as classical performing artists, being honored by the President of India in the magnificently formal setting of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Wearing dhotis and Kanjeevarams, Himachali caps and lungis as well as smart modern attire, our living masters of intangible culture proudly walked up the three historic steps of the Durbar Hall dais, many needing a helping hand, to receive a nation's gratitude for their contributions in dance, music and drama with Sangeet Natak Akademi awards.

The same maroon velvet drapes and 5th century Buddha statue that framed the transfer of power at Independence backed the President as he heartily rose again and again for each awardee. After the ceremony, I had to pause at the doors open to Delhi to relish the view. The red carpet below my feet matching the top of India Gate and the breathtaking sight of the illuminated Jaipur column, a fitting tribute to the Maharaja who gave Raisina Hill for the new capital over 100 years ago.

In addition to 2016 awardees, four Akademi fellows were awarded for overarching contributions to Hindustani and Carnatic music, Shri Arvind Parikh and Shrimati R. Vedavalli respectively, Shri Ram Gopal Bajaj for his contributions to Indian theatre and Shri Sunil Kothari for his outstanding contribution to Performing Arts through as author and critic. I have not had the privilege to know the music fellows but it was a joy to congratulate the friends who became fellows and awardees and applaud the others.

The performances and talks by all of these national treasures were a treat for residents of the National Capital Region and I can never get over my good fortune to live in the only capital city in the world where great performing arts can be seen gratis simply by walking in. Anyone with a metro card, uber/ola number or car, can attend virtually any production in multiple theatres daily. These annual Sangeet Natak Akademi award programs should be high on the list of anyone with an interest or even curiosity in the arts or who has a desire to nurture cultural awareness in their children.

Anita Ratnam, awarded for Contemporary Dance, opened one evening’s dance offerings with her solo presentation on Ahalya, created by Brahma as an experiment in perfection and cursed by her husband Sage Gautama for infidelity when she and god Indra, disguised as Gautama, are discovered. Anita is a strong feminist performing artist who is inspired to interpret shared cultural myths to shift the paradigm of understanding a woman questioning the injustice of women living as a stone and then to become one.

The pulsating grey and gold draped figure of Anita was mesmerizing as she was far more than a lifeless stone but more the Bala Kanda description of remaining invisible for thousands of years, fasting by subsisting only on air, suffering and sleeping in ashes. The woman from the stone emerged first as a mouth, vividly framed inside the dark contours of “stone”. Sandhya Raman’s first-rate costuming of stretch lycra was the perfect modality for a use of the body covered and changing shape immortalized by Alwin Nikolai’s 1953 Noumenon and Martha Graham’s 1930 Lamentation. Milind Srivastava’s lights were a good reminder of how essential lighting is to the performing arts, something often neglected.

The Troth - Usne Kaha Tha, produced by The Akademi, London under executive producer, Mira Kaushik... more The Troth - Usne Kaha Tha, produced by The Akademi, London under executive producer, Mira Kaushik, is just what the “cultural” doctor ordered. Every audience member, whether in India or the U.K., comes out with a paradigm shift in awareness of Indo-British history as well as the aesthetic possibilities of transnational artists and choreography in dance-drama.
The story is a simple human story set in World War I. The classic Hindi short story Usne Kaha Tha (written in 1915 by Chandradhar Sharma Guleri) begins in rural Punjab and moves swiftly to the stark reality of trenches in Belgium where Indian soldiers basically served the Allied Forces as cannon fodder.
This largely invisible chapter of history comes to life through the intensely physical action of the dancers supported by authentic film clips from the British War Archives of training, fighting, living and dying in the sodden trenches. Unless one visits India Gate in New Delhi and takes a close look at the thousands of names inscribed on this First World War and Third Anglo-Afghan War memorial, Indian lives sacrificed are commonly unimagined.
The story begins with the evergreen kahani of a boy, smitten by a beautiful girl in his village who, while drawn to him, marries the suitable boy. Lehna Singh’s 1888 Amritsar line to Leena, “Are you bethrothed?” gets a yes answer on their third encounter and the long trailing silk scarf is the emblem of this engagement.
Without dwelling at length on the emotional impact on Lehna, we move swiftly to ahead the recruitment and eventual war call-up of Indians in Punjab that includes Lehna as well as Leena’s husband and son.
Both amusing and heart rending, the supercilious recruiter dances out the inducements of glory and money to the naive young men. The long legged twists and turns of Daniel Hay-Gordon who also later plays the Sergeant Major and Lt Sahib, communicate the patronizing and arrogant attitude of masterful manipulation.
We time and again have seen Western stories and themes interpreted though Indian dance genres but this was a path-breaking vision of an Indian reality interpreted in contemporary choreography and direction by award-winning choreographer Gary Clarke.
It was an interesting choice by the Akademi to commission one of the UK’s leading independent dance makers to work with a multi-national cast of Indian origin. This juxtaposition offered a clear canvas to paint an interpretation of the story read during Mira Kaushik’s pre-UK student days studying Hindi literature. Having promoted Indian classical and contemporary dance throughout the UK for decades, the UK-India Year of Culture marking 70 years of Indian independence was the Akademi’s opportunity to marshal the international resources needed to mount a well-crafted production worthy of touring around India and the U.K.
The direction and choreography was informed by creative consultants that included National School of Drama, Delhi’s Professors Tripurari Sharma and Ashok Bhagat, poet and literary translator Amarjit Chanda, King’s College Reader Dr Santanu Das and the curator in the Research and Academic Access department at the National Army Museum in London, Jasdeep Singh.
The dancers included both those trained solely in contemporary dance as well as some with strong classical Indian dance backgrounds. Vidya Patel (Leela), a Kathak dancer from Birmingham was a BBC Young Dancer Finalist who brought a gazelle-like quality to the young Leena and tragic passion to the grown woman separated by war from her husband and son in spins of despair.
Subhash Viman Gorania (Lehna Singh) wide dance background began in hip-hop, moved to classical western dance and training in Bharatanatyam and Kathak. He definitely brought his unorthodox and quirky edge to this performance. Deepraj Sing (Wazira), who graduated from the London Contemporary Dance School as the first Duke of York Scholar is known as an explorative urban improviser with beatboxing/vocal percussion skills, all well used as WW1 Punjabi soldier.
Songhay Toldon (Leena’s husband the Subedar) and Dom Coffey ( their son Bodha) both brought solid contemporary dance backgrounds to their top notch performances.
The sequence highlighting their military training took no short cuts in fast-paced physically challenging rigor. The amazing film clips of Indian soldiers practicing Gatka, the Punjabi martial arts training, whirling swords in both hands gave a richer context to the modern boot camp training represented in the choreography.
I would love to see more of the extensive archival films held by London’s National Army Museum, but the prohibitive costs of accessing them make me grateful that the generous sponsorship of two nations made it possible to see the memorable clips included in The Troth.
We have all seen well integrated audio-visual integration with live performance, but the centrality of the film material combined with soldiers letters, Amrita Pritam poetry and translations put together by Josh Hawkins is superb, not to mention the lighting by multitalented Charles Webber tackling the almost impossible task creating excellent lighting on stage while still allowing full screen visibility.
The number of people who contributed creatively to make this all happen is almost over-whelming, from dramaturg Lou Cope to composer Shri Sriram and a long list of an amazing production team who, after the Jaipur Literature Festival inaugural traveled to Delhi and on to Bhopal, Jabalpur, and Kurukshetra. The funders and partners obviously include the Arts Council England and British Council, ICCR and GOI Ministry of Culture and long list ranging from the LaLit Hotels, Air India, to Eastern Eyeand Vivechna Theater Group.
It’s difficult to understand how Amritsar, Chandigarh and other cities of Punjab let the opportunity to host this production slip away, but I hope that means a return tour in the future could be possible after these cities see what they missed.
It will be interesting to hear of the response of British audiences when this is presented in the coming months. I hope it will open new artistic and civil society conversations.

Asian Age

part one ondance scholar Sunil Kothari part 2 on critic Leela Venkataraman and dance photographe... more part one ondance scholar Sunil Kothari part 2 on critic Leela Venkataraman and dance photographer Avinash Pasricha
We all are fascinated by the passions that drive intrepid individuals to risk the uncertainties of lives dedicated to the performing arts, but what of the stories of those passionate about documenting these artists?
Dr. Sunil Kothari’s involvement exploring and sharing his passion for dance as a scholar, critic and author dates back to the 1050’s. He shared his journey along with dance critic/writer Leela Venkataraman and celebrated dance photographer Avinash Pasricha recently as part of a panel discussion organized by Interface Media and Sudhaya in collaboration with the India International Centre, New Delhi. In my last article, I wrote of the impressions shared by Leela-ji and Avinash but was unable to do justice to Sunil-bhai’s story in the space remaining and promised this follow-up.
Sunil Kothari shared his thoughts on dance writing and his transition from a destiny as a chartered accountant as the youngest of 13 children of a Gujarati Bania family to recognition as a world renowned dance scholar. The journey was one of discovering gem after gem along the path as he learned the craftsmanship to construct and share a vision of a beautiful bejeweled mala of aesthetics.

A story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption Wir Sind Osterreicher Erwin Traxl (1884-1975) Thos... more A story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
Wir Sind Osterreicher Erwin Traxl (1884-1975)
Those who enjoy delving into history may still be a bit fuzzy about the breakup of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and the aftermath effects on the populations of Central and Eastern Europe. The results of the breakup of the multicultural, multilingual Hapsburg Empire on the real politic supporting Hitler's rise are central to the trajectory of this biography. The life experiences of the Austrian Erwin Traxl detail how simply and inexorably one family walks, stumbles and survives rising fascism and identity politics. His personal courage is inspirational for those who value multiculturalism over tribal identity and integrity over exploitation.
Beyond filling in the gaps in our general knowledge of modern history, the imagined internal monologues of Erwin Traxl and the external actions he took based on personal and family values, mirror very current issues facing civil society in large democracies.
The biographer, Shovana Narayan Traxl is a celebrated Kathak exponent and retired senior civil servant. Married to a former Austrian ambassador to India, Herbert Traxl, Shovana has lovingly researched the life and times of her father-in-law, Erwin. With her trans-national sensibilities, she has brought to life the major conflicts of the 20th century from the perspective of a small European German-speaking country. The trajectory expresses the confusions of living in troubled times interspersed with the mundane realities and of daily life.
From 1848 till 1916 Emperor Franz Joseph ruled over 15 nations and 50 million inhabitants. Austrian-Hungarian Army officers were required to give commands in 11 languages besides German. "With the granting of full citizenship rights in 1867 to the Jews, there was a surge of energy that saw the Empire scaling upwards in intellectual, economic, medical, art, architecture and various streams of activities." At the same time, the Emperor demolished the old city fortifications and the Ringstause development included the University, City Hall, Parliament and magnificent buildings, some by Jewish Austrians now permitted to own property.
Using date headings in lieu of chapters, The biography begins on the 28th of June 1914 with the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, critical in setting off the chain of events that led to the First World War.
Erwin, aged 30, a trained engineer and artillery lieutenant, was immediately sent to the Russian front, the nation that had supported the Serbian nationalism movement prompting the assassination. The war started a month later and not only ended the Empire, but also the vibrant multicultural, multinational life of Vienna in a suddenly shrunken Austria.
Walther Traxl, Erwin's chemist brother, chafed at his perceived unfairness of unfairness to Austria when Britain wasn't held accountable for the Opium Wars and could have intervened to stop Germany's promised aid to Austria. By the early 1930's Walther was anti a Pan-European Union in favor of National Socialism, a brand of nationalism Erwin called "negative in character as it rejects rationalism, democratic values and human rights".

“To understand what I am saying, you have to believe that dance is something other than techniqu... more “To understand what I am saying, you have to believe that dance is something other than technique. We forget where the movements come from. They are born from life. When you create a new work, the point of departure must be contemporary life…not existing forms of dance”, Pina Bausch (choreographer).
Tripura Kashyap opens her new book, Contemporary Dance – Practices, Paradigms and Practitioners with this quote from not only one of the world’s greatest contemporary dance choreographers but one who shifted perceptions of dance in India for artists and audiences, thanks to the actualized dream of Max Meuller Bhavan’s Dr Georg Lechner. She addresses the historical, theoretical, philosophical and practical considerations of contemporary dance in India. It is readable, thorough and full of practical advice for teachers, performers and anyone interested in a solid overview of its past and present.
In her dance journey, exploring her own movement preferences and themes developed outside the parameters of her Kalakshetra Bharatanatyam training, Tripura also became interested in dance as a form of therapy for people with disabilities. Studying Dance/Movement therapy at the Hancock Centre and Contemporary dance at the University of Wisconsin, Madison she discovered that it was the informal, non-traditional approaches in dance, which helped people, with and without disabilities, to evolve personal styles of expression and communication. With an M.A in Psychology alongside modern and creative dance techniques, Tripura brought Creative Movement Therapy to India in 1990.

Shringara in Classical Indian Dance, 2020

This is one chapter of a volume I edited including chapters by prominent dancer/scholars of other... more This is one chapter of a volume I edited including chapters by prominent dancer/scholars of other classical Indian dance genres
ISBN 9788182903647
Classical Indian aesthetics use human love (Shringar Rasa) as the closest metaphor to approaching an understanding of divine love, and consequently divides and subdivides the nuances and states of love in relation to anticipation, preparation, yearning, waiting, disappointment, betrayal, reconciliation and ultimately, union. The Shringara Rasa theory shared across classical dance genres of India has already been detailed in earlier chapters. This aesthetic philosophy of love imbued with Bhakti, or devotion, is presented to a highly sophisticated and refined degree in the art of Odissi dance and the poetry that inspires it.