An Interview with Dr Uma Rajan – accomplished dancer and arts administrator
By Vidhya Nair VN: How did you come to be introduced to the Satyalingams & what were your first impressions? UR: I met them both soon after they arrived, probably 1974-5 at an Air India party (her husband Rajan was Reservations Manager with Air India at the time). Both Neila and Sathyalingam were of course much younger and my first impression of Neila was her open smile – halfway between a smile and a laugh. She was warm from the start. When she recognised that I was a student of Pandit Chokalingam Pillai (nephew and Guru of lineage of the legendary Pandanallur Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai), she made an instant connection with me. Satyalingam also remembered me from my Arangetram in Chennai back in 1954. It turned out that he was present at that recital. A lovely coincidence! I saw Neila as a typical Ceylonese-Indian family woman who spoke Tamil with the Ceylonese twang. Sathy (Satyalingam) at that time was a silent person, half-smiling and he would speak Tamil in the Indian way. We were in sync in every conversation and able to speak on many topics and have an opinion. We often talked about the arts and gelled on a big factor – her son, Skanda. I was Medical Director for School Health at the time and Skanda was a multi-disability child who needed total care and attention. Most importantly, I helped her write the first letter to MOM explaining the needs of the growing boy and his teacher-mother and why a male caregiver-helper was needed. I had tremendous respect for her in how she managed his care. Both Neila, Sathy and their daughters treated Skanda like a normal child and that was more than half the battle won. They needed a male caregiver for Skanda to move forward in their life in Singapore. After many queries from MOM, they received approval for a male caregiver from Srilanka, who was familiar with their needs and culture. Over the years each caregiver stayed for a number of years meeting the needs of Skanda and their home. It was then that Neila was able to free up her mind and channel her energy, talent, knowledge and skills to developing a new circle of artiste friends and make contributions to the arts scene in Singapore. We also gelled on the fact that my son, Sanjiv and Neila shared the same birthdate, – February 8th. My son and she would exchange annual birthday wishes and speak to each other on that date. She was terribly upset when I was widowed and we often reflected on our first meeting when she met Rajan. She had noticed then that I had placed a rose at the nape of my neck in my hair the same way she also did too. We clicked, not realising how close we had become over the years but that’s how it was – a strong emotional bond based on our shared love for Indian classical music and dance, the medical care of her son. Managing our family and home – for me, she was like my family! VN: How did your relationship with Neila evolve over the decades? Share your thoughts about how you saw her develop her art in Singapore? UR: Neila wanted to start giving dance classes. She had a special talent for teaching little children. She first started classes at Handy Road (behind Cathay Cinema). My daughter, Rekha joined along and so did a few other mothers who sent their daughters. My son would come along too. It was a very simple, single room with a stage. She taught basic Bharathanatyam for children and Sathy and daughter Mohana gave her the background music support. Over the years, my mother, Mrs Sharada Shankar an accomplished violinist, also came forward to join Sathy, Mohana and their troupe in their Carnatic music recitals at various venues in Singapore. The way Neila started in the arts scene was gradual, a step-by-step move up the ladder. She started classes at Cairnhill Community Centre and then at Tanglin Community Centre. I remember when the Minister for Law & Member of Parliament Mr E W Barker came for an event there to present certificates to performing children, he commended her on her work at Tanglin CC. It was a step into her future work with People’s Association. At Cairnhill CC, she moved towards inter-ethnic work collaborating with other leading dance veterans, Mdm Som Said and Mdm Yang Choong Lian. This resulted in the formation of Little Angels – a multiracial children’s dance troupe. Neila wanted the children to participate in a folk-dance competition in Europe and she needed help with the funding. I’ve always believed that it is easier to seek a small amount of funds from a larger number of donors than one large amount from a single donor or sponsor. I managed to help her achieve this and we sent them to Europe. They came back winners and that was a significant feather in her cap and inter-ethnic dance became her mainstay. This is an important criterion for the Cultural Medallion (highest culture award by National Arts Council which Neila Satyalingam received in 1989) She built a little fraternity there and also at the Kamala Club on Moulmein Road (near the Indian Association). She was appointed as People’s Association’s choreographer while based at Cairnhill CC and received much needed support from them. She had an innate talent to link the artforms and the ability to respect and get along with the other ethnic group champions. They were like sisters – not commonly seen. It was not competition at all. It was them, coming together, moving up hand in hand, benefitting each other so that none were left behind. Their contribution was in the right direction. When the National Arts Council was formed (in 1990), I was nominated to be a Council Member along with Prof Bernard Tan, Brother McNally. Mdm Kay Kuok. Mr Robert Lau and other leading community arts champions under the leadership
Radhika and Muddupalani Intertwined, Sthree and Churning Waters
Priyadarsini Govind and Dr. Priya Srinivasan (A version of these articles were printed on The Hindu in 2020) Which other woman of my kind has felicitated scholars with such gifts and money?To which other women of my kind have epics been dedicated?Which other woman of my kind has won such acclaim in each of the arts?You are incomparable, Muddupalani, among your kind. In this three articles, Ms Priyadarsini Govind, a national and international award winning Bharatanatyam dancer and artist based in Chennai and Dr. Priya Srinivasan, a dancer/ scholar from Melbourne Australia discusses the inspiration behind their collaborative works that were staged in 2018-2019 as part of the Sangam, Performing Arts Festival of South Asia and Diaspora held at Dancehouse, Australia. The first article explores marginality in relation to patriarchy in the work of the acclaimed devadasi Muddupalani from the 18th century and how it informed their performance: “Radhika and Muddupalani.” The second article looks at violence against women stemming from sexual repression in Indian society due to the collusion of various forms of patriarchy in our intercultural project: “Sthree.” In the final article, the authors continue to explore questions of marginality from their perspectives through the intercultural work: “Churning Waters.” Through research and performance exchange the collaborators were able to find cultural differences and similarities including the idea that Indigenous Australians and Indians had been exchanging ideas for thousands of years evident in DNA, animals, coins, dances, songs and Dravidian languages present in Indigenous cultures. Read more… Article 1: Radhika and Muddupalani Intertwined Which other woman of my kind hasfelicitated scholars with such gifts and money?To which other women of my kind haveepics been dedicated?Which other woman of my kind haswon such acclaim in each of the arts?You are incomparable,Muddupalani, among your kind. So begins the Radhika Santwanamu an epic, erotic poem by the devadasi Muddupalani, who dared to write about female desire in the mid 18th century. We came across the “Radhika Santwanamu” by Muddupalani at different moments in time at different spaces across the globe but united by our need to understand how women have played with power and survived. PS: I came across it in 1996 in Los Angeles in a writing class as a fragment when Susie Tharu and K. Lalita published small sections in their larger work “Women Writing in India Part 1 and 2” and wrote that the devadasi Bangalore Nagarathnammal published the poem in full with the recovered coda (above) in 1910 that named Muddupalani as the rightful author of the work. The work was censured, banned and destroyed in 1911 by British colonial authorities who did not want to read women writing about their sexuality and desires. It was also in 1996 I encountered the hybrid and appropriated history of our form (in Avanthi Meduri’s unpublished dissertation) which stopped me from dancing Bharata Natyam publicly for the next 12 years in order to understand this complex history.I sat with the work for many decades wondering when and how it should be presented, under what circumstances and who had the right to present this work- in what form? As more and more sections began to be translated, we had the complete work in English by Sandhya Mulchandani in 2009. We began seeing how women’s bodies and voices continue to be silenced around the world I felt it was time to start to engage seriously with Muddupalani’s text because of its continued relevance in today’s world. PG: I came across it in the 1990s when V.A.K. Ranga Rao brought it to my attention as a unique piece of writing by a woman, a devadasi whose work had survived the test of time. I returned to it when Priya Srinivasan brought it to my attention. The complex characters in the poem: Radhika and Ila (two women) and their love for Krishna caught my imagination. A love triangle with a twist in that Radhika marries Krishna to her own niece, Ila in an effort to retain her hold over Krishna. It was interesting to interpret the multilayered character of Radha- by giving him away did she think she could keep him? But when things go beyond her control what is her reaction? What about the man’s role? Has society changed since then? Where does this inspiration for Muddupalani comes from? To what extent is it autobiographical? I was also curious about the reason it was banned as it was no more licentious than many other male poets. Perhaps the most powerful aspect of this work to me as an artist, is the concept of a woman revealing both her most vulnerable moments and her greatest strengths with equal candor and courage. PS and PG: Together we decided to rework the poem taking only small sections of it. The collaboration occurred between us (Priyadarsini Govind and Dr. Priya Srinivasan) with Uthra Vijay (carnatic singer / composer), Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi (violinist/composer), Ching Ching Ho (Director/ dramaturg) and Dr. Philipa Rothfield (philosopher and dance writer) in Melbourne in November 2019 as part of the Sangam: Performing Arts Festival of South Asia and Diaspora held at Dancehouse (the home of contemporary dance in Australia). Using performative methods of Carnatic music, Bharata Natyam, spoken word and literary readings, our intention was to represent the devadasi Muddupalani and the characters in the Radhika Santwanamu but to analyse the 18th century text from our perspective as 21st century artists. Fragments of the history reveal that Muddupalani was a consort in the court of the Thanjavur ruler King Pratap Singh. Increasing evidence also suggests that her grandmother (not by blood) the great devadasi Tanjanayaki was also his consort. This is a history of women who have no claim on the King and therefore had to negotiate power accordingly. Muddupalani’s work was being written during the transformation of the East India company from a trading company into a military power and King Pratap Singh was negotiating his own power. All this gives the composition and the author a unique place and voice in history. How she deals
Apsaras Arts hosts a book launch on “Temple Dance of Apsaras: A Dancer’s View of the Angkor Wat” authored by Mohanapriyan Thavarajah
By Meenakshi Palaniappan “I’ve always seen my role in the world of Bharatanatyam as that of the ‘Rasika’, and this book is an especial treat for me. After all, I’ve watched lovely productions by Apsaras Arts surrounding Angkor Wat, loving every one of them – Glimpses of Angkor, Angkor- the Untold Story, Anjasa and most recently their virtual production, Amara, based on the bas relief of Banteay Srei. Then, I’ve travelled to Angkor Wat as a university student and marveled at the beauty of the place itself, quietly wandering along the corridors of time in the majestic temple. Finally, above all, I am a Literature student at heart, and books are always my refuge. Mohanapriyan Thavarajah’s book, about a dancer’s journey exploring Angkor Wat, gives me the opportunity to marvel at the timeless in a time of intense change, and I can’t wait to delve right into it,” says Meenakshi Palaniappan regarding the book launch event held on May 14th 2021 at the Asian Civilisation Museum. Read More… It was a lovely evening to celebrate art and its posterity, in a time of change and uncertainty. Just that afternoon a slew of new guidelines had been announced, requiring us to keep our distance from one another. It was a balm to sit in the auditorium of the Asian Civilisations Museum to witness the launch of a book that sought to close the distance instead, across cultures, space and time. Indeed, as the world reels from the relentless onslaught of a germ, it is precious relief to disappear into the world of architecture and dance, brought to the fore through words and photography, truly no mean effort by dancer-writer Mohanapriyan Thavarajah. The evening started with a short film relating a dancer’s journey to find out more about Khmer art and dance through the study of the amazing Angkor Wat. It was powerful to hear how the tides of time and art worked to get us to this point, to this lovely book. As I understand it, the journey began in 2013, when Priyan was involved in an Apsaras’ production based on the gorgeous sculptures of Angkor Wat. He was so fascinated he went on to do more research about the connections and pathways through history that led to the construction of this amazing temple and how it stands testimony to the culture and dance of the time. What struck me most about the book was the intricate tapestry woven through history, cultures, mythology, dance and sculpture. I’ve always seen my role in the world of Bharatanatyam as that of the ‘Rasika’, and this book is an especial treat for me. After all, I’ve watched lovely productions by Apsaras surrounding Angkor Wat, loving every one of them – Glimpses of Angkor, Angkor, the Untold Story, Anjasa and most recently their virtual production, Amara, based on the bas relief of Banteay Srei. Then, I’ve travelled to Angkor Wat as a university student and marveled at the beauty of the place itself, quietly wandering along the corridors of time in the majestic temple. Finally, above all, I am a Literature student at heart, and books are always my refuge. Priyan’s book, about a dancer’s journey exploring Angkor Wat, gives me the opportunity to marvel at the timeless in a time of intense change, and I can’t wait to delve right into it. The book launch event, held on May 14th 2021 at the Asian Civilisation Museum, opened with a welcome address by Ambassador Mr K Kesavapany, Chairman of Apsaras Arts, followed by the publisher’s address by Mr Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director of Apsaras Arts. Guest of Honour, Mr Kenny Ting, Director – Asian Civilisations Museum unveiled the book alongside the author, Thavarajah and publisher, Kumarasamy. The first signed copies of the book were presented to the special guests and partners, Dr Ma Swan Hoo, Board Member, Indian Heritage Centre; Mr Paul Tan, Deputy Director, National Arts Council, H.E Mr P Kumaran – High Commissioner of India to Singapore; Mr David Pandarakannu, Programmer, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay; Mr Rajesh Boddu, whose beautiful photographs are featured in this book. The event, moderated by Ms Seema Hari Kumar, Senior Company Dancer and faculty concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms Vidhya Nair, International Development Director.
Master of Arts: A Life in Dance
By Tulsi Badrinath Master of Arts: A Life in Dance Male dancers provoke extreme reactions-Who wants to watch hairy sweaty men dance half-naked? or Oh, they are so effeminate. Must be gay! or They would not find a job anywhere, thats why they have come to this field. The author, who learnt dance at a very young age, could never reconcile this prejudice with the dignified image of her handsome guru Dhananjayan, recognized as a manly and powerful Bharatanatyam dancer. Curious about the boys from low-income families who followed their heart and dedicated themselves to dance, in a field where money and fame are not always guaranteed, the author presents their struggles to make their mark in this field. Weaving the story around her guru, and recounting the romantic story of how Dhananjayan met his wife Shanta, it considers whether his success depended on his being one half of a dancing couple. It also narrates the stories of many other male dancers like Navtej, Satyajit Dhananjayan and Anand, each of whom brought their unique perspective to this dance. About the Author: Tulsi Badrinath After acquiring a BA in English Literature from Stella Maris College, Madras, Tulsi Badrinath graduated with an MBA from Ohio University, USA. Returning to India, she worked for four dreary years at Standard Chartered Bank before quitting her job to pursue her twin passions – writing and dance. Her background in management helps her provide corporate executives with cross-cultural insights while interacting with them through the medium of dance. She is the author of two works of fiction, Man of a Thousand Chances and Meeting Lives.
Remembering Rukmini Devi Festival 2020
By Vidhya Nair The annual Remembering Rukmini Devi Festival is held in the last week of February-early March to coincide with Smt Rukmini Devi’s birth anniversary which is February 29th. I was privileged to attend the festival in 2020 [ my last trip overseas before the pandemic hit!]. The ambience at Kalakshetra at this time of year is unique, the weather is still cool and pleasant and unlike the Margazhi season, you get to meet and engage with many Chennai residents especially the young students and industry stalwarts. There was an eclectic programming of both music kutcheris in Hindustani and Carnatic featuring Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons and Sanjay Subramaniam in concert. I attended the latter to get the experience of watching this vocalist with a strong following and fanbase. It was a packed auditorium and many students took their place on the stage where he delivered, with his excellent team of musicians, rare Tamil krithis which enthralled the audience. Many were familiar with the compositions and joined in putting talam or had their eyes closed in reverence to the music. Sanjay was a tour-de force performer with his masculine voice and command of the stage. I understood fully why he had so many fans. There was also a very engaging Villapattu performance as part of the opening ceremony in the morning. Beautifully spoken Tamil and the tongue-in-cheek humour was memorable and play on Rukmini Devi’s name and attributes were cleverly done. The other highlight show I witnessed was a ” presented by Sheejith Krishna, P T Narendran, Shijit & Parvathy Nambiar along with the Sahardaya Repertory. The attendance for this show featured all the who’s-who of Bharatanatyam from the Dhanajayans to Malavika Sarukkai, to Mythili Prakash. It was an electric performance which featured many of the signature poses, expressions and characters well associated with each of the dancers now household names themselves. There were ecstatic howls and screams of joys by many of the youngsters who sat at the front of stage and gallery upstairs. It was clear this was home turf and with the brilliant live musicians, you felt transfixed. An experience only possible at the Rukmini Arangam. Several nights also featured the Kalakshetra classics with episodes from the Ramayana presented in dance-drama. The space has a divine energy that transports you into the magical world of storytelling in its purest form and despite the large crowds that filled the Arangam, the easy chairs and high ceiling ventilation supports a relaxing and engaging evening. I also enjoyed the simple canteen food and the shop which featured their handmade Kalamkari collection, traditional dance sarees and a wonderful array of Kalakshetra publications. I left with a few copies of books by Rukmini Devi herself and other writings on the history of this famed institute.
About Exposure, Experience and Experimentation: Interview with Monica Sharma Menon and Dayanand Menon
By Vidhya Nair VN: Tell us about your background individually and together? MSM: I’m a 3rd Generation Singaporean of Punjabi descent. I have a younger sister who’s married and settled in Sri Lanka and my mother’s extended family still live in Medan, Sumatra where my mother is from. Dayanand is from a Malayalee-Menon family. As Singaporean Indians, I see that we have a shared history so even the diversity in our cultural nuances is easily accessed. My father was always interested in the arts and culture since he was young. My paternal grandfather was close friends with Dr Chotta Singh [ medical doctor and founder of the Ramakrishna Sangeeta Sabha – the first Indian Orchestra of Singapore] who ran a small clinic in Serangoon Road. Coincidentally, he was also known to the Menon doctors who ran Lily Dispensary & Clinic [ incidentally part of Dayanand’s extended maternal family]. My father used to perform with the Indian Music Party singing Hindi songs at Malay and Indian weddings in the late 1950s. He was also part of the Singapore Indian Film Arts and Dramatic Society and in 1964 was one of the judges for the saree queen contest which took place at the then brand-new National Theatre. [ Located on the slope of Fort Canning Park and River Valley, this was the first and largest theatre built in 1963 and demolished in 1986 to make way for building part of an expressway] DM: My parents came from Kerala. Mother from Palghat* and father from Thrissur. It was just me and my elder brother. In Singapore, I was born in the Moulmein Rise area and subsequently lived in Whampoa Drive from 1973-74, a few blocks away from Monica but we never knew each other then. The Whampoa Canal divided our area. We lived a simple life, no luxuries and went to neighbourhood schools. My father worked with the Royal British Airforce and my mother was a homemaker. It was a traditional Malayalee home but we brothers spoke in English. In retrospect, our family setup lent itself to us growing up with mastery in the English language although we lost out culturally as compared to our contemporaries. My parents were generally introverts and I only learned more about Amma’s early life post her death in 2015 where I was told that she was a vibrant youngster and extremely talented. Following her father’s lineage, she was often involved in theatre and performed on stage in her younger days. My parents weren’t active in the community and were relatively unknown but we were happy as private people. I was part of my primary school band, had an ear for music but I could never read the score. I think I was artistically inclined and took part in school plays but it was not nurtured or encouraged at home. I later trained to be a teacher then went on and studied in Canada. Upon my return I started with some relief teaching, which is how I met Monica at Towner Primary school. Later, I worked in the Big 4 Audit firms and today, I run my own accounting practice. * Dayanand’s maternal grandfather – K P Apukuttan Menon lived in Singapore from the early 1920s and worked as a court interpreter during British rule, raising his 5 children here before returning to Palghat, Kerala. He was a performing member of Dr Chotta Singh’s Ramakrishna Sangeeta Sabha orchestra playing the jalatarang in 1940 and was the founding President of Indian Fine Arts Society (later SIFAS) in 1949 serving 2 terms. When K P Bhaskar arrived in Singapore from Ceylon in 1952, it was K P A Menon who met him at the docks and arranged for him to teach dance to students at Kamala Club while he was in transit to go onward to Australia. This connection was made by K P A Menon’s elder brother K P Keshava Menon who was the High Commissioner of India to Ceylon and had met K P Bhaskar and helped him with his Australian visa. K P Bhaskar eventually stayed on in Singapore and formed Bhaskar’s Academy in 1952. K P K Menon lived in Singapore from 1925-1948, practiced as a barrister & was involved in the early formation of the Indian National Army and was also incarcerated by the Japanese in Singapore. He returned as a nationalist war hero to India and continued to be editor of the Malayalam newspaper he founded, Mathurbhumi till his death. His only son, the last King of Palghat M S Varma lived in Singapore to be a centurion, left for Calicut at the age of 102 and died in his niece’s home in Calicut in 2015.] VN: Monica, how did you come to become Maami’s student? MSM: My father believed that having an extra activity outside school was essential and my sister and I came to be sent for Sunday dance classes in the recreation centre at Farrer Park with K P Bhaskar in the late 1970s. After two years, my father felt we was not progressing and transferred us to Kamala Club to learn under Madhavi Krishnan. However, she eventually relocated to Australia and we went in search of another teacher. My father had heard of Mrs Neila Sathyalingam sometime in 1978, and had gone to Tanglin CC to meet her. So, on advice from his friend, Mr Ramachandran, who a was a fellow vocal & percussion, my father then enrolled us at Kamala Club, where Neila Maami had moved and this was ideal as it was close to Whampoa Drive where we lived. I began learning from Maami from 1981 and was her student for almost 36 years till 2016 before she took ill. While I took short breaks, during exams and my wedding and childbirth etc, I always went back to her for classes after that. VN: Share with us the role Mami played in your lives? MSM: I’ve come up with 3Es that epitomises what Mami did. Exposure, Experience and Experimentation. Reflecting back,
Nritya Kalanjali – a Bharatanatyam Arangetram
By Vaidehi Bodhankar Apsaras Arts was proud to present a live Bharatanatyam performance after a long spell in collaboration with Global Indian Cultural Centre (GICC) at the GIIS Auditorium on 27 June 2021. Vaidehi Bodhankar, 16 presented a unique repertoire which included 5 pieces in traditional original choreography. She performed the Keerthanam “Anandha Natamaaduvar Thillai” by Rukmini Devi Arundale and Abhang by Rama Vaidyanathan and Thillana by Kiran Subramanyam. Her teachers from Apsaras Arts include Seema Hari Kumar (this is her first student’s arangetram) Mohanapriyan Thavarajah and Gayathri Chachithanandar who ably taught and trained Vaidehi to deliver a self-assured and confident performance brimming with expressions and dance rigour. The arangetram was well attended by friends and well-wishers including Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris- Punggol, Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Mr & Mrs Atul Temurnikar, Chairman and Co-founder of GIIS, Chairman of Apsaras Arts and GIIS Board Member, Ambassador K Kesavapany and Chairman of IAEC-Siglap South Community Centre Chairman, Dr Uma Rajan. Many guests remarked on the well-executed and organised program. A live audience also watched and give their feedback online. Aravinth Kumarasamy in his address mentioned the importance of the passing down of tradition and dance heritage through youngsters like Vaidehi and he acknowledged her bright future in learning and going beyond the first step she has just embarked with her milestone of an arangetram. Minister Edwin Tong also encouraged the learning of traditional arts and the vital role of culture in the betterment of our society.You can watch the performance here
A Quest for Dance – The Life and Times of Singapore Dance Pioneer K P Bhaskar
By Dr Wong Chee Meng, N Nedumaran This autobiography written in the voice of K P Bhaskar (1925-2013) and posthumously published in 2015 is an important read in the Indian performing arts space of Singapore. K P Bhaskar is the first Singaporean dance pioneer in modern Singapore and his contributions towards the propagation of dance outside of India is noteworthy. The book chronicles his early life in Kerala and how he came into contact with various dance forms especially Kerala Nadanam and Kathakali. His journey from Kerala to Madras to Bangalore to Ceylon and finally Singapore makes for riveting reading and provides historical context on the intertwined relationship between celluloid-dance-music which K P Bhaskar witnessed. He also names many individuals who helped and hindered him in his pursuit for dance and critiques his own community for their failings to support the arts magnanimously. The book should have had more photographs of his performances and greater insight on the continuation of his legacy and succession. There are many insights on his role and the Singapore approach to forge cultural identity through performing arts. The book raises important questions about the relationship between artistes, art companies, community and government. This is a must read for all Indian arts practitioners especially in Singapore.
NAVADISHA 2016
An opportunity to network with the Indian Dance Fraternity from the Northern Hemisphere By Aravinth Kumarasamy For the past two decades and more, I have been attending the Natya Kala Conference in Chennai, and a few other such international dance conferences in India and Singapore, in addition to the many ASEAN conferences in Thailand, Indonesia, Canbodia and Vietnam. It was a different experience to attend an Indian dance conference organised by a diaspora community in a western city – Birmingham, UK. The UK hosted a high-profile summit dedicated to Asian dance in May 2016, as one of the largest gatherings of artists, organisations, pundits, policymakers, funders and fans of dance from around the world gathered under one roof for Navadisha 2016. Produced by New Dimensions Arts Management in partnership with Sampad, Navadisha 2016 (meaning ‘new directions’ in Sanskrit) posed crucial questions designed to stimulate, steer and secure the future of British Asian dance as part of the UK’s ever growing dance landscape. It also celebrated many of the breakthrough achievements and exciting developments in and around the sector during the fifteen years since Sampad’s seminal conference Navadisha 2000, which helped to blaze a trail for a new generation of dancers and practitioners, sparking pivotal insights and actions across a variety of fronts, from artistic to organisational and political to structural. Navadisha 2016 attracted a line-up of 65 speakers, presenters and panellists from 25 cities in 12 countries and more than 150 registered delegates. It was a rare and valuable opportunity for dance practitioners, teachers, students, academics, agencies, programmers, venues, promoters, investors and policymakers across the arts sector. The three day programme covered a range of topics – from artist development to international collaboration, and contemporary factors that were shaping South Asian dance creation and distribution. It also highlighted models of excellence and innovation, and explored new ways of working. I was invited as guest presenter at the conference and had the opportunity to share about the work we have done inspired by South East Asian narratives. Apsaras Arts had an exhibition booth which attracted many delegates to come over and learn more about the Bharatanatyam based ensemble productions of Apsaras Arts Dance Company, Singapore. It was a great opportunity to network and meet up with many dance personalities from UK, Europe and USA in Birmingham. Though many of the presentations were UK centric and being practitioner of Indian classical dance based in Asia (Singapore), it was interesting to learn the term “South Asian Dance” being widely used at the conference by most speakers. It was also an eye-opener to see some of the contemporary works being experimented by UK based Indian dancers. The key-note speakers Shobhana Jayasingh, Akram Khan and Mavin Khoo raised a few thought provoking questions. Please see following links to read these keynote speeches presented at the conference Shobhana Jayasingh and Akram Khan I would say it was one of the most memorable dance conferences I have attended and many follow up conversations and collaborations were created at this event for Apsaras Arts.
Interview with Radha Vijayan – Driven by passion and devotion, a celebrated musician reflects on his life’s journey
By Vidhya Nair VN: Tell us about your family background – family members & growing up years in India? RV: I was born and raised in Chennai. Around the time of my birth, my father was already a well-known celluloid-film hero – Madras Kandaswami Radhakrishnan, known professionally as M K Radha. His father, my paternal grandfather who was a lawyer, Kandasamy Mudaliar was an avid theatre-maker and had ambitions for my father to be a leading actor. In the 1930s, he was one of the earliest theatre directors to present Shakespeare plays in Tamil. It was my grandfather’s script for “Sathi Leelavathi” [based on S S Vasan’s (who founded Gemini Studios) novel of the same name, also based on an English novel] which became my father’s debut film in 1936. The story explores themes of temperance, social reform, Gandhian concept of selfless service and the plight of labourers. The film was a hit and my father became an overnight star and he remained so for the next twenty years resulting in him receiving the Padma Shri in 1973 and a colony in Teynampet, Chennai named “M K Radha Nagar” in his honour. Incidentally, my father’s debut film was also the debut of M G Ramachandran (MGR) who also went on to become a leading actor and politician recognised and highly regarded around the world. They belonged to the same theatre group – MGR, his brother, M G Chakrapani, my father so it was like a family. Many of the actors of that generation came to be known in my home as members of our own family – we called them Chittappa & Mama. MGR Chittappa, Shivaji Chittappa, NS Krishnan Mama, Thangavelu Mama, Balaiya Mama was how I would address them. A well-known film my father acted in was “Apoorva Sagodharargal”in 1949 where he played the double role of look-alike brothers produced at Gemini Studios in Tamil, Telegu and Hindi simultaneously which had Nagendra Rao as the villain and P Bhanumathi as the female lead, who also sang most of the songs. The two brothers my father played in the film were Vikramasimhan & Vijayasimhan. I was born during the making of this film, that’s how I came to be named Vijayan after this film character and professionally, I came to be known as Radha Vijayan. I was the youngest of 8 children and 1957 when my father had a heart-attack and it became difficult for him to continue acting. My late eldest brother, an engineer became the backbone of the family and helped raise us all. One of my sister’s married film actress, M S Santanalakshmi’s son, M D Seetaraman and another sister married E V Saroja’s brother, E V Rajan, film producer. Some of my siblings has passed and rest are based in Chennai. I myself married Usha, daughter of Karukurachi P Arunachalam – famed Nadaswaram [ acclaimed for the timeless classic “Singara Vellan” track, a breakthrough hit for S Janaki in the 1962 film “Konjum Salangai”]. I have only one daughter, Abhirami. and I have a grandson, Aryan who is now a 10th grader. VN: Tell us about your learning experiences with music in your younger days? RV: From a very young age, I had a great passion for music. As a child, when I would go with my father for his film shootings, the moment I saw the assembled orchestra, I would be seated with all the musicians, watching them intently. I was a self-taught guitarist, by listening I came to imbibe the melody and techniques. There was not much encouragement from my mother’s side because they were familiar with the film and music industry. If there was a recording, you had wages otherwise nothing. Guitar unlike today was not known widely in the 1960s when I was a youngster but Manikavinayagam, my cousin (son of Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai – famed Nattuvanar and Bharatanatyam guru) had a very old hand-made guitar at home. I used to spend time after school at his home and he gave that guitar to me. I restituted that guitar – stringed it and practiced on it much to my mother’s unhappiness who was keen I focus on my academic studies. E V Saroja noted my playing and bought me my first electric guitar. I learned both Western & Carnatic tunes by listening. The lyrics didn’t matter and I practiced regularly. Then it came to a standstill as I didn’t have a teacher but many who heard me felt I had potential. It was a friend, Krishna who recommended me to Dhanraj Master who accepted me earnestly as knew my father who was the star of that film, Chandralekha (1948) where Dhanraj Master had performed for the soundtrack of the film, This was a historical period film, then the most expensive film of its time, distributed internationally and today considered an Indian classic. I was 12 when I started learning with him and at 13, I performed my first concert in school. He would get me to write out notations, taught theory and I also picked up skills in piano as well which aided my keyboard playing later. It was at this time I met my best friend, Sadanandan who became the lead guitarist for Iliyaraja. We used to practice for hours together, often the guitar pieces of S Philip, the leading guitarist in filmdom and I dreamed of meeting and playing with him. I was able to achieve this dream finally in the 1980s. I also completed my classical guitar studies from Trinity College of Music, London and Indian Classical music under Karnataka Vainika Gana Vidyalaya and my interests broadened to include rock, pop, blues, country, jazz and fusion music. As I was a gold medallist in my degree program, I was easily recruited by a leading petrochemical company, music became a part-time activity. In 1965, I got to perform guitar in my first recording for a theatrical film. VN: You began to work with Indian music directors from the 1960s onwards. Share with us