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Section Synopsis
NEWS & NOTES
Nalanda Nrityotsava in Mumbai
-MEENAKSHI IYER
The Nalanda Nrityotsava has ushered in ‘a season of dance’
in Mumbai. This dance event was an official part of the prestigious international
event — The Mumbai Festival. Held for the third consecutive year, Nalanda’s
Nrityotsava is gaining recognition not just as a national festival of Indian
classical dances but also as an international event as the participants
come not only from different parts of India but even from abroad.
There are great dancers and maestros who are senior artists but there is
a paucity of seasoned artists in the middling category. Added to this is
the tremendous influence of Western or the so-called fusion culture on our
youth, which makes Mumbai a city starved of traditional classical dance
activities. Of course, Mumbai too has its share of arangetram-s performed
by the young in the age group of 10-15 years but these cannot be considered
serious performances.
Dr. Kanak Rele, the chief architect of Nalanda’s Nrityotsava revealed that
the main objective of the festival was to encourage learning, practising,
understanding and appreciating Indian classical dances. Her concern for
the future of the traditional art-forms and her firm belief that the young
should be the torchbearers of our tradition, motivated her to provide a
free platform for the enthusiastic, dedicated young dancers and thereby
nurture their talent. According to Nalanda officials, most of the 95 applicants
were from outside Mumbai. The overwhelming response confirms that the love
for Indian classical dance among young people persists.
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Uday Shankar Fest in Kolkata -TAPATI
CHOWDHURIE
Uday Shankar gave Indian dance a contemporary dimension. He is revered and
remembered every year in Kolkata at a week-long dance festival starting
on his birthday. This year too dancers from various parts of the country
congregated to pay homage to him.
Among the solo dancers, Manipuri dancer S. Basu Singh impressed with his
aesthetic presentation of Dasavatara. Bharatanatyam dancer Kirti Ramgopal
impressed the audience in her maiden appearance at Kolkata. Her dance had
polish and her abhinaya was charming and endearing (Krishna nee begane baro).
Mohini Attam dancer Pallavi Krishnan was at her best in Maya Mohana Krishna.
Madhuri Majumdar’s Ushapravesam choreographed by Vempati Chinna Satyam
was remarkable. Rittika Som Chowdhury showed her grip over the technical
aspects of Kathak and also danced to a ghazal by Mirza Ghalib.
Ratikanta and Sujata Mohapatra cast a spell over the audience with their
fine and expressive depiction of Jatayu Moksha. Aloka Kanungo’s disciple
Nivedita Daw was the other Odissi dancer in this festival. The audience
had a chance to see Sattriya dance showcased by Anita Sharma who presented
Nandi, taken from Sankaradeva’s Ankiyanat.
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COVER STORY
Kalakshetra Then and Now
From a holy to a happening place -
V. RAMNARAYAN
 Kalakshetra.
A holy place for the arts. That is what Rukmini Devi and her associates
intended it to be when she opened this international school in sleepy Adyar
a little over seventy years ago. Today, it remains an island of serenity
in the midst of galloping consumerism and rampant globalisation.
I remember a friend’s protest a couple of decades ago when asked to remove
his footwear before entering the Kalakshetra theatre. “Is this a temple
or an auditorium?” he asked petulantly. Today he is a total convert who
believes it is a temple, an artistic venue that has retained its spiritual
aura despite the march of progress.
It is not just the ambience that has remained relatively unsullied by external
influences. The dance taught by the institution and practised by its students
continues to be a model to be emulated for its clean lines and perfection
of postures. Facilities and amenities at the school have undergone a seachange
after its conversion to a government run foundation with a broadbased board
of governors, yet nothing has been done to mar the landscape, the sylvan
surroundings, the essential conservatism of the teaching methods or fidelity
to Rukmini Devi’s vision.
What has changed is the exclusiveness bordering on insularity outsiders
associated with the Kalakshetra of yore.
“Whenever I walk through the gardens of Kalakshetra and watch children being
taught music whether in charming little thatched huts or in the shades of
trees, I think of Santiniketan,” wrote V.K. Narayana Menon two decades ago.
“Santiniketan and Kalakshetra had similar forms and content. Both fully
realised the interdisciplinary character of our culture,” he said. “I cannot
think of any culture other than our own in which the relationship of music,
dance and drama is closer. Both realised the full meaning of the word Sangeeta.
Both had demanding but gentle creative minds to lead youthful minds in their
search for the truth that is art.”
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MAIN FEATURE
Arti Anklikar-Tikekar
Stepping out of a towering shadow
-DEEPAK S. RAJA
 Arti
Anklikar-Tikekar (born: 1963) has the unique experience of shaping her
music in the mould of Kishori Amonkar, fulfilling her dream of training
with her role model, and then discovering that the universe of musical
ideas has much more to offer. For Arti, one of the busiest vocalists
in Hindustani music for almost two decades, the journey in search of
her musical self has been a tricky one.
 She
was groomed initially in the Gwalior style, and succumbed thereafter
to the hypnotic influence of the Neo-Jaipur-Atrauli diva, Kishori Amonkar.
Arti’s tutelage with Kishori lasted two years after which, she moved
on in search of music which made more sense to herself.
Arti holds a degree in commerce, has been an artist of the All India
Radio in the semi-classical as well as classical categories since 1983,
has over twenty commercial recordings to her credit, and enjoys a considerable
following in India, the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, Canada and the UAE.
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SPECIAL
FEATURE
Prof. Mysore V. Ramarathnam
Musician’s musician - Based
on a Kannada article by Prof. SAMPATH KUMARACHARYA
 Prof.
Mysore V. Ramarathnam (b. 1917) is a well known Carnatic musician, author,
teacher and composer. His 91st birthday and nearly 70 years of contribution
to music were celebrated in December 2007. The only vocalist disciple
of Mysore T. Chowdiah, Ramarathnam was highly regarded by such stalwarts
as Mysore Vasudevacharya, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chembai Vaidyanatha
Bhagavatar, Alathur Srinivasa Iyer and Musiri Subramania Iyer. He occupied
centrestage on the concert platform for more than six decades. He was
the first Principal of the University College of Music and Dance, University
of Mysore, since its inception in 1965, a position which he held till
his retirement in 1987. He has trained hundreds of students, guided
Ph.D students, authored books on the theoretical and practical aspects
of Carnatic music, and composed some scholarly compositions in major
raga-s under the mudra “Rama”.
 Vidwan
Ramarathnam who has been hailed as a musician’s musician was born at
Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh on December 20, 1917 in a family of music lovers
and landlords to V. Subbaramiah and Parvatamma. Introduced to music
at a young age, Ramarathnam loved to hear his aunt Saradamma sing. He
later learnt from her. A self taught person, Saradamma learnt music
by keenly observing and listening to the lessons given to her husband
Kothandaramiah by the legendary Pallavi Sesha Iyer — son and disciple
of Manambuchavadi Venkatasubbiah, a direct disciple of Tyagaraja. Ramarathnam’s
uncle Kothandaramiah, a businessman and a connoisseur of music, lived
in Chennai on Thambu Chetty Street and through his friends, approached
the sixty-year old Pallavi Sesha Iyer to stay in his house to teach
music. Pallavi Sesha Iyer graciously accepted this invitation and stayed
with Kothandaramiah and Saradamma for over three years. During this
time, Sesha Iyer taught Kothandaramiah his own compositions along with
those of the trinity. Kothandaramiah wanted his guru to publish a book
containing about 300 of his compositions that would include varnam-s,
kriti-s and tillana-s. He even provided monetary help to the extent
of 3000 rupees. Unfortunately, his wish was not to be fulfilled. Saradamma
returned to Chittoor after Kothandaramiah’s untimely demise in Chennai.
It was at Chittoor that the boy Ramarathnam learnt from his aunt the
compositions of Pallavi Sesha Iyer (Ika nannu brovakunna – Bhairavi),
Tyagaraja kriti-s (Kalaharanamelara, Rama nannu brovara, etc.), Patnam
Subramania Iyer kriti-s (Inka dayaraleda napai – Chakravakam), and the
tillana-s of Pallavi Sesha Iyer — including a tillana in Dhanyasi composed
in praise of the Mysore royalty.
At Chittoor, even as a boy, Ramarathnam’s skills in singing were noticed
by Nagari Varadachar, a High Court advocate. Ramarathnam and his elder
brother did main and supporting roles in puranic dramas featuring songs
produced by the Rama Vilas Sabha. It was founded by the cultural elite
of Chittoor, made up of highly educated people, members of the judiciary,
artists and dramatists alike. Many plays were produced in summer, when
the court was not in session. Members of the sabha included personalities
like Anantasayanam Iyengar who later became the Governor of Bihar and
Chittoor V. Nagiah, who played the harmonium
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BEHIND THE
SCENES
Feathers in his many hats
- SARASWATHI VASUDHEVAN
Artist V.V. Ramani is a man of many moods. Quiet, observant, discerning.
His is a multi-dimensional talent. From one angle, he can be seen
as an artist in a purist sense, working with every possible medium
(collage being the current research), and from another, a specialist
in theatre props and sets, wedding decor, events, costume design
for dance, films, and theatre.
The passion for dance was probably inherent, and his training in
music, formal and rigorous. Watching cousin K.R. Geetha (senior
disciple of Pandanallur Subbaraya Pillai) from his student days
laid the foundation to bond with the art and to connect to an intrinsic
part of it, ‘the arangam’.
His career in stage decor began with a festival in Chennai organised
by the Kala Mandir Trust. Instantly, the seed was sown in the artist’s
imagination to bring about a confluence of arts. His work blends
and merges mood, music, dance and art. This focused fusion of specialities
underlines the simple truth that all art is but one and that its
comprehension needs no man-made barriers. It was again the Kala
Mandir Trust that enabled his eager wings to take flight on stage.
Adorning the space each time with a novel vision, Ramani says, “I
always believe that the main space belongs to the dancer.
The performer is centre-stage. Stagecraft is purely to enhance and
embellish the dance and form as a technique. To me predictability
bears symmetry of line which is not in keeping with my perceptions
and creative urges. There is so much joy, depth and symbolism in
asymmetry.” Thus was born many an aesthetic depiction using variations
in backdrop, diagonals and unaligned areas for props and sets.
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SPOTLIGHT
Fluctuating fortunes of classical music in Assam
(Part 2) -MITRA PHUKAN
Hindustani classical music came to Assam through the Bangla administrative
staff who arrived in the valley with the British. Before very long,
they were a familiar presence in the offices of the British colonisers,
in the clerical cadres of the tea gardens that they established,
in the railway that was soon chugging through the valley, in the
coalmines and oil wells that the colonisers founded.
Kolkata, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was an
important centre of North Indian music, and it was inevitable that,
with the interest the Bangla bhadralok always took in cultural activities,
many came to Assam with a strong interest in Hindustani classical
music. Before long, Bangla men brought their families over. The
practice of classical music naturally continued in this valley.
In any case, knowledge and practice of the genre was deemed a “cultured”
pastime. Classical music was in many ways aspirational, standing
for a “higher” musical system than the “lighter” forms.
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HERITAGE
Prasanna Seeta Rama Mandira
A jewel in the history of Carnatic music
-K.S. SRINIVASAN and V.R.SUBRAMANYAM
 Great
buildings tell the story of their creator, their purpose and
their ambience. Bidaram Krishnappa’s Prasanna Seeta Rama Mandira,
located in the heart of the royal city of Mysore, is one such
historic temple of music. To understand the significance of
this Rama Mandira, we need to learn about its creator, Gana
Visarada Bidaram Krishnappa — his life of sacrifice, the trials
and tribulations he faced and his unflinching devotion to the
cause of building the Rama Mandira. Krishnappa firmly believed
that Carnatic music is not just “art for art’s sake”, but indeed,
“art for God’s sake”. The result is the magical environment
of the Rama Mandira where performers surrender themselves through
their music to the presiding deity, Lord Ramachandra. In the
process, the performers transport themselves and their listeners
to the world of Nadabrahman through soul stirring music. In
the words of some Carnatic music greats, “very few places match
the Rama Mandira in providing inspiration and creating the mood
that enables them to give some of their best concerts”.
 Bidaram
Krishnappa hailed from a Konkani family in Konkan or South Canara,
a strip of land along the west coast of India, beyond the Western
Ghats. His parents were Viswanathayya and Saraswati Bai. Viswanathayya
was part of a drama troupe that specialised in mythological
musicals. The members of the troupe made a meagre living, but
to Viswanathayya’s children, these musicals offered a chance
to learn by imitation many Dasara Padagalu and other songs.
Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the Maharaja of Mysore, while on
a pilgrimage to Subramanya, Dharmasthala, and Udupi, witnessed
the troupe’s Dasavatara performance. He was so impressed that
he invited the troupe to Mysore. The troupe dropped anchor in
the new place provided by the Maharaja. However, Viswanathayya’s
living conditions did not improve significantly despite the
move. “Bidaram” got appended to Krishnappa’s name in course
of time.
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OBITUARY
TRIBUTE
Sulochana Pattabhiraman Exemplary guru
- SUDHA RAJA
 “To
get a good teacher is difficult, but still more difficult is it to get
a good disciple,” Sulochana Pattabhiraman used to say. Her favourite
line was, “There should always be musical thought in order to be musical”.
Cricket was her favourite sport, and she loved films. Clothes and jewellery
could always entice her. She could talk for hours on any subject under
the sun, be it Barbara Cartland or Bauli raga. She was curious to keep
abreast of current trends. She never felt she knew everything; on the
contrary, she gave everyone a patient hearing.
She had gourmet tastes in food, but she thought cooking was one of the
drudgeries of life. When students brought delicacies they would be distributed
in a jiffy and the container returned promptly, courtesy, Sesha Mama,
her man Friday. She was ever thoughtful, greeting people on special
occasions and never had a harsh word for anyone.
I entered Mami’s house as her second student when I was in my tenth
standard, nearly twenty-eight years ago, and there was never a dull
moment in our association..
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PHOTO NEWS
Ananda Shankar Jayant, well known Bharatanatyam and Koochipoodi
dancer received the prestigious Andhra Pradesh State award 'Kalaratna'
for dance on 7th April 2008. The award was presented at a glittering
ceremony on Ugadi day by Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra
Pradesh.
 The
special 10th anniversary issue of attendance, “the dance
annual of India 2008” celebrating “the top ten in Indian dance” was
released by Dr. Karan Singh, MP and President ICCR, at a special function
on 4th April 2008 in New Delhi. Lalit Mansingh, eminent diplomat, received
the first copy in the presence of Shanta Serbjeet Singh, senior arts
writer and Ashish Mohan Khokar, Editor – attendance.
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
The 22nd World Congress on Dance Research will be held in Athens,
Greece, from 2nd to 6th July 2008. It will be one of the largest
gatherings of dance specialists world-wide - comprising practitioners,
dance teachers, choreographers, researchers, journalists and organisers.
All forms of dance will be represented in this mammoth congress
organised by the Dora Stratou Dance Theatre and the Greek Section
IOFA, in collaboration with the International Dance Council CID.
The programmes will include discussion forums, research papers,
classes, lecdems, performances, video projections, cultural visits,
exhibitions and sale of books, records, pictures, costumes, and
accessories.
Rajalakshmi Fine Arts conferred the title of Isai Mani Makutam (2008)
on Parassala B. Ponnammal, veteran vocalist on 6th April, during
its fifth anniversary celebrations at Coimbatore.
Dance Grand Prix Italy 08 (June 19-22, 2008) is designed to showcase
the work of approximately 50 emerging and established dance schools/companies
from all over the world. The 2008 Dance Grand Prix is an integral
part of the larger Annual Dance Awards Europe. Modern/ballet dance,
emerging and established choreographers/companies can apply before
10th May 2008. Application forms can be downloaded at
web.tiscali.it/internazionaldance/italiadancegrandprix008.html
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