In Sights
Sharing, Learning, Caring The 11th edition of the Indian Performing Arts Convention (IPAC) Singapore edition, curated by Apsaras Arts, which unfolded in September, and presented in collaboration with Esplanade Theatres on the Bay (Singapore), witnessed unique programs on music and dance for practitioners, teachers, students, researchers, scholars, composers, choreographers, and arts enthusiasts. Read on for glimpses from this event… IPAC 2022, a week-long intensive curated by Apsaras Arts Dance Company and convened by its Artistic Director, Aravinth Kumarasamy, and presented in collaboration with Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, opened to an eager group of students and rasikas awaiting an immersion in the arts, following a long period of forced gestation. The inaugural performance was a concert by Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, Patri Satish Kumar and HN Bhaskar titled Sringara. Through various compositions across ragams, rhythm and poetry, the artistes celebrated hues and shades of love through their music. Day 1 of IPAC began with masterclasses by the artistes – Priyadarsini Govind, Rama Vaidyanathan, Bragha Bessell, Anjana Anand and Mohanapriyan Thavarajah. The evenings, dedicated to lec-dems, opened with one by Bombay Jayashri Ramnath whose topic, Bhava in Singing, really set the tone for the events to follow. Jayashri emphasized the importance of music touching the soul. Technique, she said, “is merely a vehicle to achieve perfection in the art form where rasaanubhava is the ultimate purpose”. Session 2 was a presentation by Priyadarsini Govind titled Where Lyrics Dance. Priyadarsini outlined the journey of a composition from the word to the visual. She spoke about her long-term collaboration with musician, Rajkumar Bharathi who has composed music for her work over several years now. Adding his thoughts Rajkumar Bharathi said: “When I see lyrics, they speak to me along with the music. The music is set depending on the mood rather than a deliberate use of a traditional structure or the choice of a raga.” Day 3 of IPAC started with a masterclass on Bharatanatyam by Anjana Anand where she discussed the significance of Alarippu. She pointed out that it is a composition which introduces to the viewer the technique of Bharatanatyam in a nutshell and embedded within it are the spiritual and philosophical significance of Natya. The evening lec-dem was helmed by Shivangi Dake Robert whose subject was Play of Rhythm in Kathak. She was accompanied by Lalit Kumar on the tabla and Swarup Loganathan on the harmonium. Shivangi took the audience through various compositions in Teen Taal in both the Vilambit and Dhrut Kala. Day 4 began with a continuation of teachers training. Anjana Anand’s session dealt with the construction of a Jathi. She introduced them to the concept of Tala Dasa Pranans, Konakkol and Yati patterns which are the building blocks of a Jathi. Priyadarsini Govind furthered her sharing of abhinaya technique with a few lines from a composition where the teachers were able to apply the techniques learnt. The evening lecture demonstration was on Nayikas of different age groups. Anjana based her demonstration on a recently choreographed work Ula depicting women of different ages admiring the Lord taken out on procession. This session was followed by a surprise impromptu presentation by the faculty of IPAC. Bombay Jayashri sportingly sang a different song for each dancer ranging from Ganga to Krishna. It was an example of how a musician and dancer work together to communicate through sound and movement. Day 5 was the last day of teacher’s training, Mohanapriyan Thavarajah introduced the concept of Prayoga to the participants. Rama Vaidyanathan conducted a session on choreography for teachers of dance, in which she covered the different aspects of choreographing for both solo and group work. The evening lecture demonstration by Veena B Kannan on Ragam Tanam Pallavi in Vivadhi Ragas was the last music lecture demonstration for IPAC 2022 and it was a treat! Kannan spoke about the versatility of the Veena and the need for reviving interest in this bhava laden instrument. His ability to bring out the various gamakas through the instrument was a rasa filled experience. After a two-year break, thanks to the pandemic, the Intermediate and Advanced students returned to IPAC with renewed enthusiasm. Day 6 began with Anjana Anand and Mohanapriyan Thavarajah leading the students through Adavus and Prayoga before the main repertoire classes. Each batch then worked with the senior faculty Bragha Bessel and Rama Vaidyanathan on their respective Nrtta and Abhinaya compositions. The evening saw a packed Avai (performance blackbox) for two awaited lecture demonstrations by Dr Padma Subrahmanyam and Bragha Bessel Dr Padma Subrahmaniyam’s lec-dem was an eye-opener for many as she dealt with a very important topic, Interpreting Lyrics. Using myriad of examples from complex philosophical poetry, Shringara and even humor in poetry, Dr Padma unravelled the very essential aspects of dance and choreography through her lec-dem accompanied by live music by Dr Gayathri Kannan (Vocals) and Nellai Balaji (Mridangam). Bragha Bessel chose the topic, Goddesses in Love. She took the audience through a range of poetry from Sangam to Annamayya to Mirabhai. Each composition was the voice of the Goddess in love with her consort. Woven into two Shringara compositions, Shringara was Bragha’s trademark humour. The students continued their sessions with the faculty on Day 7. In the evening, Malavika Sarukkai gave a thought-provoking lec-dem on the topic, Creative Detailing. Taking examples from her work over the last few decades, she spoke about the creative process where music, lighting, poetry and music were woven together to create a production which communicated with the audience at many levels. Using traditional vocabulary, her work integrated ideas which inspired her as an artiste who is engaged with the world around her. Surupa Sen held a masterclass for students where the focus was Motivation and Application of Torso Inflections in Odissi. Students had an opportunity to try the various Mandalas and torso inflections specific to Odissi. For Bharatanatyam dancers, the Tribhangi and fluid movements of different parts of the torso were an eye-opener. The Esplanade Theatres performance opened with Mahati Kannan presenting Krishnaya Thubhyam Namaha,
Point of View
The Dynamic of the Abhinaya Bharatanatyam exponent, Bragha Bessell reflects on all things Abhinaya, how she learnt it from her guru, and how Abhinaya is also a constant work-in-progress Let me start with Abhinaya, the art of expression. Let me reflect upon how it was taught to me and how it is taught in the world today. Most of the time, I try to follow the method in which Bharatanatyam exponent, Kalanidhi Narayanan – Maami, as we would call her – taught us. She’d first have us explore the lyrics and its meaning and then move to understanding the character and the choreography thereafter. Having said that, sometimes some small adjustments need to be made. Maami always taught classes, one-to-one. When I was invited to teach at the Kalakshetra, I had to teach to a group of students, together. This meant that I had to re-envisage the methodology a little to be able to reach more students within a short span of time. The style of teaching a private class, one-to-one, needless to say, is more intense, immersive and personal. For a group class, the approach needs to be quite different. Time is also a factor and the possibility to monitor progress and performance is also often not the same. Having said that, I must add that we all must understand that the arts cannot be static. It cannot stand still. Society keeps changing all the time and the arts is a direct reflection of the society that we live in. So, change is the only constant. Over the years, there are many new innovative ideas that have come our way. We see so many collaborative works of art, and so many new dance styles, themed productions, research subjects, et al. What has also changed is the time and the luxury of time. Back in the day, we’d take a month or more to learn an item. Through the year, we would have only two or three individual programmes and a few group performances for our gurus in a whole year. This allowed us time to soak in learning, understanding, practising and absorbing the pieces that we learnt before we took them to stage. Today, youngsters have many more opportunities as far as performances are concerned and as a result, the process of learning has had to undergo a shift. They have had to speeded up the overall learning process which in many ways can hamper and reduce the time spent on learning and understanding items. There’s also little time for reflection and introspection, both of which are crucial. What is also important is to repeat and keep returning to pieces that one has learnt; in fact, I’d say that only by the art of repetition does one comprehend and discover the depth of each and every piece. There are a few items that I have been performing over the last four decades or so and every time I perform them, I’d say my response to it is different. You refine it until you capture its essence; and once you have tasted that essence, you want to keep striving to capture it in all its glory. Having said that, and having established that change is the only constant, I’d also like to say that the art of Abhinay is constantly a work-in-progress and one that reflects the times that we live in. For instance, a 40-year-old dancer should not dance the way a 20-year-old does or can. Her performance should be a reflection of what and who she is now; it should be a reflection of her experiences. With the artiste evolving, so does the audience. Thanks to social media and its powerful presence and permeation into our lives, audiences have also evolved a great deal and are well-informed so it’s crucial for artistes also to constantly think of ways to be able to connect with them. After all, the artiste and the audience go hand-in-hand. One hand cannot clap without the other. Similarly, an artist cannot perform without an audience. The main purpose of arts is Rasa. Whatever changes we face in the world, it’s important they do not disturb the aesthetic beauty of the art form nor the values that our gurus nurtured in us.
Portrait
Bharatanatyam artistes, Renjith and Vijna share their experiences of dancing together and working on productions for Apsaras Arts. An Interview… Having watched ensemble work at the Kalakshetra, what is your relationship with ensemble work? For us, it is the coming together of dancing bodies to showcase an idea of the choreographer. It is about building a team that is capable of effectively expressing the choreographer’s vision. The important aspect of an ensemble work is not about bringing forth the individuality and ego of each dancer, but to be united with each other so that justice is done in bringing forth the conceived idea. As artistes, who largely perform together, envisaging space for two, how do things change when it comes to an ensemble? The difference is, two dancing bodies to many dancing bodies in the given space, which leads to change in the energy of a duet to a larger group. The similarity would be, unity and co-ordination amongst the dancers. In an ensemble work, there is more scope to explore because of the presence of many performers. In my experience of creating duet works for ourselves, we lay a lot of emphasis on using each of our individual strengths without letting either of us be dominant. However, the success of the final output whether it is duet or group really depends on the artistic choices made by the choreographer. You have watched Apsaras Arts productions in the past; what are some of the striking features of their work? We appreciate the company’s excellent vision and striking ideas, when it comes to stage presentation. Aravinth Kumarasamy is a versatile artiste and his way of presenting the script and narration, facilitates ease in visualisation and execution for the choreographer/ music composer and other artistes who are involved in the creation process. We are always amazed and in awe of how they bring large scale dance productions to the audience. You have been associated with Agathi and Anjaneyam; can you first tell us about Agathi and how the choreography process was like? Agathi – I (Renjith) was the guest choreographer for this production. Firstly, the theme was very moving and educational. I was very impressed with the way Aravinth Kumarasamy narrated the script to me, since it helped a lot to envision the choreographic ideas with ease. It was also a great learning for us, as we got to understand in-depth, the challenges and hardships faced by the refugees. What about Anjaneyam? It’s considered such a mammoth production; what did it require from you as dancers-choreographers and how was the experience? Anjaneyam – I(Renjith) was the rehearsal director for this production and also choreographed a few sequences of this mammoth work of Apsaras Arts. I would call it the experience of watching a Broadway musical. It was my first time working with a huge group of varied artistes from the world of dance, music and stage craft. I will always cherish the experience, lessons and memories that were made while working for Anjaneyam. What are you currently working on? I am at present, re-visiting some of the earlier duet works with the hope to present them in a new light. Along with this, we also have some new themes in the pipeline.
Travel Diaries
A trip to the learning campus – Monash @ Melbourne, Australia for IPAC 2022, was for Apsaras Arts and its team, the possibility of learning and creating memories, aplenty After curating and convening the Indian Performing Arts Convention (IPAC) in Singapore annually for 11 years, it was exciting for Apsaras Arts to travel to Melbourne, Australia to present IPAC’s edition in Australia. Last year in 2021, through the pandemic, the Convention forayed into Melbourne as a hybrid event with in-person delegates meeting the faculty from India, virtually. It was very special for Apsaras Arts this year to have all the delegates and faculty arrive in-person at the Ian Porter Center for the Arts at the Monash University, Melbourne. For team Apsaras Arts it is like the opening of a new horizon to bring the 11-year- old annual Convention from Singapore across seas to an international destination. The team from Singapore consisting of faculty and artistes – Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, Seema Hari Kumar, IPAC manager Sanakri Elavalahan, volunteer Madumitha Abhirami led by the convenor, Aravinth Kumarasamy arrived in Melbourne, along with faculty from India – Rama Vaidhyanathan, Bragha Bessell, Lalgudi GJR Krishnan, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, performing artiste – Mandolin U Rajesh, and lighting designer Gyandev Singh, who were all welcomed at the airport by M Ravichandira, Apsaras Arts’ collaborator from Australia along with his team of volunteers. At the Monash University, Tom Gutteridge and his team began preparing for the Convention nearly three months ago, and on the opening day, it was all set to give the delegates and the faculty a week-long experience of IPAC filled with moments of fun, learning and memories. Every day, the sessions began with masterclasses from the morning and went on until the sun came down with a lec-dem helmed by artistes from Australia alongside visiting artistes from India and Singapore. From Thursday to Sunday during the weekend, the IPAC performances were presented at the state-of-the-art Alexandra Theatre. The IPAC 2022 Australia’s opening concert was Confluence. In a rare appearance on Australia’s stage, Indian star ‘Mandolin’ U Rajesh created magic with a collaboration across cultures and celebrated with his music, the confluence of musical traditions. In this exclusive Australian concert, ‘Mandolin’ Rajesh was joined together with a group of leading Australian musicians whose love of and engagement with India’s Carnatic music tradition goes back decades. Led by musical director Adrian Sherriff, together with Sandy Evans, Paul Grabowsky, Jonathan Dimond and Ravi M Ravichandhira, this virtuoso band had – leading upto the performance – worked intensively with Rajesh to create a unique concert experience. On the second day IPAC presented a double-bill of two Bharatanatyam performances from Singapore. With Seema Hari Kumar in Mohini and Mohanapriyan Thavarajah in Parama Padam, these performances were preceded by a music concert – The Five Gems of Lalgudi. It was a unique opportunity for the audience to listen to the extraordinary Lalgudi Pancharathna Kritis performed by an ensemble featuring vocalists from Melbourne, trained by Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi. It was truly an unmissable opportunity to watch this legendary production live in Melbourne in the intimate environs of The Count’s Jazz Club at Monash University. On Day 3, this violin-duo, Lalgudi G J R Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, brought to Melbourne audiences an afternoon of beauty, serenity and virtuosity. In their music, the audience experienced the richness of their repertoire and the brilliance of their improvisation skills, set against the backdrop of the weighty classicism. The gripping tête-à-tête between the siblings combined with the medley of ragas in the second half left listeners craving for more. The third day concluded with a performance titled New Dimensions to the Margam by Bharatanatyam exponent, Rama Vaidyanathan who presented a fresh set of compositions that she explored and those that went beyond the parameters of the Margam. Each composition reflected the inevitable phenomenon of how creativity and tradition go hand-in-hand. The presentation consisted of original dance choreography as well as an original musical score, showcasing the versatility and adaptability of the Bharatanatyam dance form. On the final day of IPAC Australia, the grand finale was a concert featuring IPAC delegates – artistes from across Australia. Presented by the Alexandria Theatre, Monash University, the performance was the culmination of a week-long dance intensive and a celebratory concert performance of iconic compositions of Indian classical music and of repertoire from dance. Delegates were mentored by visiting IPAC international faculty like Rama Vaidyanathan, Bragha Bessell and Mohanapriyan Thavarajah. For team Apsaras Arts, the trip to Melbourne was truly memorable; the opportunity to meet and interact with delegates who had travelled from Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Perth, joining their peers from Melbourne who had come in large numbers, this was indeed a special Convention. The visit also gave the team an opportunity to attend inspiring lecture demonstrations by Australian artistes – Dr Chandrabhanu, Anandavalli, Jayashree Ramachandran, and Ramnath and Gopinath Iyer. In addition, IPAC IPAC Australia also honoured the Lifetime Achievement Award – Natya Aachaaryamani – on veteran Bharatanatyam gurus, Dr Chandrabhanu and Shanthy Rajendran. in recognition of their contribution to the arts landscape of Australia. Every evening, the visiting faculty from India and Singapore also enjoyed enjoying delicacies at some of Melbourne’s finest restaurants that served a slew of cuisines from across the world. On the last day of the Convention, the team went to see the beautiful tulips at a flower show and to a farm to see Australia’s native animals.
Work-in-Process
Rice & Shine! In this month’s Work in Process section, we bring to you ARISI: Rice, an Apsaras Arts and Esplanade Theatres on the Bay co-production, that talks about the physical as well as symbolic significance of rice in many Asian cultural and aesthetic practices. Read on to know more about the thought, process and making of this production. Apsaras Arts presents ARISI: Rice, a cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary performance inspired by the grains of life, that links humanity across Asia. This work is inspired by the social, cultural and aesthetic practices borne by cultivation and consumption of rice in these regions. From birth celebrations to funeral rites, rice holds important physical as well as symbolic significance in many Asian cultures. This production has been worked across three countries – Singapore, India and Indonesia. In a shift away from epic storytelling, award-winning Artistic Director, Aravinth Kumarasamy has imagined the dance production as a beautiful imagery that intersects stages of rice cultivation with gestural rites and rituals in life stages, where rice is the principal ingredient. It has had three years of thinking and research and has been in the making for more than 18 months. In this production, dancers from Apsaras Arts share stage space with their traditional Balinese peers; the work also includes dance elements of the Balinese Kebyar Duduk, Kebyar, Legong and Joget Bumbung, choreographed by Professor I Wayan Dibia along with the company’s Resident Choreographer, Mohanapriyan Thavarajah. Together, they have re-imagined stories in the paddy fields and celebrate the life stages. This new work has enabled Apsaras Arts to once again collaborate with some of the best creative minds from the industry – Dr Rajkumar Bharathi, its Music Composer, Sai Shravanam as its Music Producer, Director, Arranger and Sound Designer, Mohanapriyan Thavarajah as its Choreographer and Principal Dancer, and Costume Designer, Prof I Wayan Dibia, Balinese Choreographer and Principal Dancer, K Rajagopal, Filmmaker and Director, Gyan Dev Singh, Lighting Designer, Wong Chee Wai, Set Designer and Lim How Ngean as its Dramaturge. The production involves musical collaborations with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra that melodically enhances the music score composed by Rajkumar Bharathi. Directed and produced by Sai Sharavanam, the production features an immersive soundscape created through live Chinese instruments (played by Singapore’s twenty five year old Chinese Orchestra) and leading award-winning Indian musicians such as Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, D Sathyaprakash, Naveen Iyer, Pratik Srivatsava and other eminent musicians. It additionally includes Balinese Gamelan and Kecak choric singing to echo and accent certain scenes. Fabrics for the costumes are from indigenous sources from India, Bali and Indonesia and designs have been inspired by rice cultures across Asia. Mohanapriyan Thavarajah has painstakingly imagined the designs to give a contemporary twist to these dance costumes, yet keeping their heritage and cultural identities intact. Script for the choreography has been adopted by various sources on rice cultivation and rice cultures. Dr Nanditha Krishna from Chennai, has been instrumental to share many insights into rice culture across India and Asia. Additionally, for the first time ever, Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director, Apsaras Arts, collaborates with critically-acclaimed film director K Rajagopal, who contributes another powerful filmic layer of stories from former farmer migrants who now eke an existence in developing foreign lands. Filmmaker Rajagopal has followed some of these younger generations in Singapore and back to their rice fields in Thanjavur, South India to tell these stories which are thought provoking in appreciating the big question of our lifetime – sustainability of Rice farming! ARISI: Rice will premiere on November 25- November 26, 2022 as part of the Kalaa Utsavam, Indian Festival of Arts 2022 at the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore
#iamayoungdancer
Vaishnavi Srinivasan and Shreya Murthy, get together to discuss their current state-of-mind and concerns that pertain to the world of dance and dancers In this edition of Aavartana, we decided to connect Vaishnavi Srinivasan (from Chennai) with Shreya Murthy (from Singapore) with each other, and let them have a candid conversation. Vaishnavi is a disciple of Roja Kannan and Shreya, who had her initial training at The Singapore Fine Arts Society, currently trains under Priyadarshini Govind in Chennai. When they met online – at the time we had this conversation, Shreya happened to be in Singapore – the two young dancers launched into a conversation, instantly, catching up with where they are in the now, segueing seamlessly to discuss concerns, and challenges that they contend with in the context of the world of dance. The dancers shared their experiences on how they juggled their time and energy between academics and learning dance and also discussed the possibility of taking a break from books and work to pursue dance full-time. Clearly, the duo seems like they are in a happy place, with dance occupying a significant chunk in their lives, than before. Shreya acknowledged the fact that moving base to Chennai has opened up her perspectives and possibilities in terms of dance. “Being constantly in an environment that gives you opportunities to watch performances, every other day, and to be able to think about dance constantly and almost be wrapped in that feeling is a new experience and one that’s truly enriching,” she said. Vaishnavi agreed with Shreya and together, the dancers discussed the possibility of continuing to dance, full-time or go back to academics. It’s obvious both of them are passionate about academics but nothing at the cost of dance. Amen to that! Next up, the dancers talked about how dance is evolving with the younger, more modern generation. They felt encouraged to see a variety of new ideas and subjects being presented in performances alongside neo mudras that are emerging to show modern technology. While love and pining are represented with scenarios from the modern world, they acknowledged that it would take a while for it all to gain acceptance in the dance world. They finally came to the conclusion that everything is possible if one is conscious of their tradition but tweaking it just a little to make it relevant to the world that we live in. The dancers then moved on to one of the eternal favorite topic of dancers – online vs offline classes and mediums of learning. Shreya talked about the potential of the online medium and how it has given an opportunity to dancers all around the globe to participate in workshops, view conferences and performances happening in Chennai. Vaishnavi said, “Online classes are great, when we have no choice.” She conceded that she learnt many new pieces and performed them too and was glued to her Zoom screen, every day during the years of the lockdown, but honestly, her memory of the items learnt online, she said was hazy and required constant revision, in comparison to the pieces she learnt, in person in a class environment. The dancers finally concluded with the discussion of their favorite performance in the recently concluded December Music and Dance season. Curious to know what they said? Watch this video!
Books Banter
A Life in Mohiniyattam Mohiniyattam exponent, writer and author, Bharati Shivaji on her book, Mohiniyattam: Its Art and Aesthetics, an in-depth conversation about Mohiniyattam and how it has influenced her life Can you start off by letting us into the genesis of the book, Mohiniyattam: Its Art and Aesthetics? The genesis of the book is tied to my multi-dimensional, intimate and exploratory journey with the art of Mohiniyattam, which continues to be an integral part of my being and identity. It has been a living experience of decades, which started by finding myself being entrusted with the task of re-structuring and evolving a beautiful art form and which went on to enrich my life in a multitude of ways including people, places and experiences that have come with it. Each contributed to and left an indelible mark on my life journey with this uniquely graceful art form. It needed a unique identity, and a major part of my life has been spent on creating one. I feel we both (the dance form and I) symbiotically grew together. There have been dream-like learnings and possibilities of exploration for me. The book is a natural culmination of collating and sharing this journey of love, learnings and growth with the readers. What, according to you, is the hallmark of the aesthetics of Mohiniyattam and how have you managed to capture the essence of it in the book? I tried to understand Mohiniyattam in relation to its ambient cultural scape – literary, sculptural and other native arts and traditions. It is very possible for each to influence the other and in the case of Mohiniyattam too, I saw connections. For example, some sculptures seemed to echo the Lasya mood of Mohiniyattam. No art is immune from surrounding influences. That said, I do believe that every dance form must develop its distinct identity, spirit and flavour – an aesthetic framework it can call its own. It shouldn’t be overly influenced by or restrict itself to necessarily following formats set by other styles. Initially, Mohiniyattam resembled Bharatanatyam a lot in its format. To me, the hallmark of the aesthetics of Mohiniyattam has been to have the dance form develop its unique, distinct identity, while being enriched and embellished by the rich artistic soil of Kerala. This has been the essence of my journey and this is what I have tried to express through my book. Performing Mohiniyattam is one thing; writing about it, quite another. What was the process of writing this book like and what was the rigour that went into writing it? I am more of a performer than a writer. For a performing artiste, I believe nothing speaks more than the performance itself. So, my primary focus and approach has been to work extensively on choreographies and exposition, rather than literary practice. I did study them though as part of my deep work with Mohiniyattam. Over several years, I have spent a great deal of effort and time in exploring the musical traditions, ragas and tala systems of Kerala and the surrounding ethos to build a musical and performance repertoire suitable for the mood of Mohiniyattam and present it with its own rich identity and vocabulary, visual and musical. Group choreographies and dance dramas were introduced too, exploring a gamut of themes (historical as well as contemporary) for the first time. This greatly helped popularize it to a much larger audience, including international. The process of writing this book was to capture the multi-faceted growth and explorations as they have happened over the years and the underlying thought process and efforts entailed therein. The book talks about your thorough research and meticulous approach to the revival of Mohiniyattam. Can you throw more light on that? Would you say that as a researcher, you continue to do whatever it takes to keep this form fresh and agile and relevant to the world that we live in? Re-structuring and evolving the art form has required extensive understanding and exploration of its past and present in context of the surrounding regional ambience, their impact, synergies and influences (not all necessarily serving growth of the dance style). All this, while working towards carving a distinct identity for Mohinyattam to stand on its own in the galaxy of classical styles, has involved patient and meticulous research and a multi-disciplinary approach. Theatre, music, other classical and folk art forms, sculpture, literary content, etc, were all needed to be deeply observed in the process. Kavalam Narayana Panniker, the great Indian dramatist, theatre director and poet, played a monumental role in initiating and introducing me to many aspects. He greatly enabled my journey, approach and understanding, and initially even composed a set of items reflecting the regional flavour. Coming to the second part of the question – yes; my continuing work and explorations speaks to that, I think. Would you say the book is also a personal take on the elements that were involved in reconstructing Mohiniyattam and how you went about doing that? Given the length and depth of this journey I have experienced with Mohiniyattam and all that I have shared with you and in the book, I would think so. As a practitioner of Bharatanatyam and Odissi in your early years, you took it as your life mission to revive Mohiniyattam. How has this form influenced/ transformed your life? I don’t consider it amiss to say that I am what I am today because of the dance form I have been associated with and to which I have willingly given a large part of my life. It forms a lasting and inextricable part of me, my life philosophy, thinking, practices and choices. We are intimately connected at a much deeper level and I am ever so happy for it. Why is documenting art forms as books crucial for a future generation? Documenting art forms allows for them to not just cater to the viewing audience but also for readership, study and research. Today, dance is taught as
COVER STORY
Master Weaver of Magic Raising a toast to Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director of Apsaras Arts, as he receives one of the most prestigious accolades for arts practitioners in Singapore – the Cultural Medallion… In the first week of December, Apsaras Arts Artistic Director Aravinth Kumarasamy, the man who needs no introduction to the Indian performing arts world, who wears many hats, multi-talented and multi-tasker, who believes god is in the detail and whose singular commitment to dance and to the world of the arts has resulted in a collective upliftment of the creation, production and expression of the arts in terms of ideas, innovation, form, expression – raising the creative bar of dance across the world – was conferred Singapore’s prestigious Cultural Medallion for 2022 in a stately ceremony held at the Istana, the official residence of the President of Singapore. From a recognition perspective, the Cultural Medallion – instituted in 1979 to recognise individuals whose artistic excellence, contribution and commitment to the arts has enriched and distinguished Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape – is unarguably the pinnacle accolade for arts practitioners in Singapore. What makes receiving this award just extra special is the fact that more than 30 years ago, Apsaras Arts’ co-founder Smt Neila Sathyalingam, hailing from Sri Lanka, was conferred the same honour. Neila Maami, as she was fondly known in the world of the arts, continues to be celebrated for her commitment to building Apsaras into a premier dance academy for classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam, for cross-cultural works with Chinese and Malay dance forms and for showcasing Singapore’s multicultural personality around the world. Hailing from Sri Lanka, in 1987, as a 21-year-old, Aravinth came to Singapore to pursue his dreams. Two decades later, Aravinth was hand-picked by Neila Maami to carry forward the rich legacy of Apsaras Arts that she had so fondly built. At that time, Aravinth was neck deep in the corporate world – managing a tech start-up with international employees across 15 countries. Aravinth took a massive pay cut and committed himself to the arts, to further realise Neila Maami’s vision. For over three decades now, Aravinth has creatively, with a sense of commitment and conviction, envisaged and nurtured this art form with his imagination and ingenuity. His artistic philosophy stems from his pursuit to enable the Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam, predominantly a solo art form, to transform into a fine and compelling ensemble-centric expression. His dream and desire to create, nourish and nurture a repertory company, a one-of-its-kind in Singapore and arguably across the world, in the space of Bharatanatyam. As a Singapore brand for Indian classical dance ensemble work, inspired by South East Asian narratives, raises a toast to the potential and the possibilities of Bharatanatyam, presented at international festivals and venues, flying the Singapore flag high. Much like the eclectic nature of his creations – to date, he has created and directed more than 35 original productions – that are diverse in form and content, Aravinth is a storehouse of many identities that inspire and influence each other. As an artiste par excellence himself, he is conscious of tradition but also cognizant of the dynamics of a rapidly changing global dynamics, where innovation and technology have vital roles to play. During the pandemic, Aravinth imagined and produced two digital CGI based one-of-a-kind dance films – SITA and AMARA – that pushed the creative envelope and have pioneered a way for a new possibility for the world of dance in exploring the digital space. Apsaras Arts’ latest production is Arisi: Rice that premiered in December at the Esplanade in Singapore, this mammoth production – stunningly visual – is an ode to rice, and in terms of expression, is collaborative in form and spirit. Featuring traditional Balinese dancers and Singapore Chinese Orchestra musicians alongside Bharatanatyam dancers and Carnatic musicians, the work is a visual documentary on the history, heritage and narratives of rice and its traditions from across the world. With a 360 degree vision for brand Apsaras Arts, Aravinth has championed industry development, and successfully curated and convened Indian Performing Arts Convention (IPAC) annually in Singapore since 2012 and in Australia since 2021. He is the proud recipient of several awards including Singapore’s “Young Artiste Award” by NAC (1999), “Bharata Kala Mani” (Apsaras Arts 2000), “Aryabhata” (India 2016), MCCY Award (2017), “Kala Ratna” (Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society 2019), “Natya Kala Upasana” (Bhaskar’s Arts Academy 2019) to list a few. Under his leadership, Apsaras Arts is possibly the most internationally travelled dance company in Singapore, regularly touring and presenting sell-out shows of original works in France, the UK, Australia, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka. Apsaras Arts dancers and musicians have toured to more than 40 countries, collaborating with leading dance companies, legendary dancers, choreographers, composers and presenters from the international Indian dance fraternity. “I have been blessed to work with many young creative minds at Apsaras Arts, and this recognition will inspire our team to strive towards our vision for excellence. I hope our collaborators, partners and audiences will support this younger generation of Singaporean artists to pursue their passion in the arts, making Singapore stand proud on the global stage,” says Aravinth. Aravinth Kumaraswamy also received the Kala Seva Bharathi award from Bharat Kalachar as part of their 34th Margazhi Mahotsav. This award was conferred to him on December 16, 2022 in Chennai, along with other artistes like Vani Jairam, Embar Kannan and Revathi Ramachandran.
In Sights
Marching into a New Year be like… It’s pouring performances, conferences and talks. Read this column for insights into what’s brewing at Apsaras Arts, recently… Apsaras Arts Dance Company was in Chennai during December 2022 – January 2023 attending the Margazhi season of music and dance, conference and performances. As part of our ongoing collaboration with the Sruti Foundation, Apsaras Arts presented the 2022 edition of Nritya Samrachana on Thillanas by Dr Sriram Parasuram and Priyadarsini Govind on two separate days – one on the musicality of the composition and the other on the the dance aspects of Thillana. Dr Sriram covered many aspects of the musical structure of the Thillana and its evolution across the decades and spoke about the various composers. He also shared many aspects of the Tarana in Hindustani music, all the while demonstrating several Thillanas and Taranas. Priyadarsini Govind shared various structures of the dance compositions of the Thillana in Bharatanatyam, demonstrated by two of her students, Apoorva Jayaraman and Shweta Prachande. She also shared video clips of Thillanas performed by legendary dancers including Kumari Kamala, both on stage and on the silver screen. The next highlight was a talk on the making of ARISI: Rice at the C.P Ramaswami Iyer Foundation in Chennai presented by Dr Nanditha Krishna. The event featured the core team – Aravinth Kumarasamy (Artistic Director), Sai Shravanam (Music Director, Music Arranger and Sound Designer) and Mohanapriyan Thavarajah (Choreographer, Costume Designer and Principal Dancer) who shared various aspects of ARISI:Rice. The event was well attended by a large gathering of leading dancers-choreographers, musicians, scholars and arts lovers. The company was featured in two leading festivals in Chennai, and had the opportunity to present two iconic repertoire productions – AMARA (at Vani Mahal) and NIRMANIKA (at the Madras Music Academy). Both these performances were well-received by audiences gathered in Chennai from across India and from other international cities around the world. More details in the Travel Diaries section. Upon our return to Singapore in mid January 2023, the Company had several performances including the annual Natarajar Anjali on the auspicious day of Thai Pusam and a performance for the annual Independence Day celebration of Sri Lanka at the High Commission in Singapore. The company mourned the passing on of legendary artiste, Lakshmi Viswanathan and held a memorial event for her at AVAI (at Apsaras Arts) that was attended by the arts fraternity of Singapore. Artists and rasikas from across organizations in Singapore were there to pay tribute to this legendary artiste who was very close to the Apsaras Arts family. Many long-time friends and long-term collaborators of Lakshmi Viswanathan from Singapore spoke at the event sharing their experiences of her, her art, and her remarkable personality. The speakers included Priyalatha Arun, Aravinth Kumarasamy, Akila Iyengar, Shantha Ratii, Lalitha Subramony, as well as Priyadarsini Govind and Rama Vaidyanathan who sent their messages online. Excerpts from Lakshmi Viswanathan’s performances in Singapore over the past 40 years were shared at the gathering. In February, the Company travels to Sri Lanka for the screening of the dance film, SITA, inspired by the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, that will unfold at the Lionel Wendt Arts Centre in Colombo and will include a talk by Aravinth Kumarasamy on the work and its making.
Point of View
A Roots Perspective As part of the Natya Kala Conference NKC 2022, Dr Avanthi Meduri, spoke about the Bharatanatyam trees of T Balasaraswati and Rukmini Devi. Here’s an excerpt of her talk on these roots/routes In 2019, Rama Vaidyanathan rang me and asked if I would like to speak about the transnational legacies of Balasaraswati and Rukmini Devi. Rama explained that the younger generation know very little about these legendary pioneers and a lecture focussed on these women pioneers would be useful to them. She also requested that I speak in my role as an ‘academic’ and bring international discussions about Indian classical dance into the NKC forum with a view to generate inclusive debate and discussion. Since I had been given a brief, I followed through and spoke – at the Natya Kala Conference 2022 in December – as an academic who has researched the modern, colonial, national, diasporic, and global history of Bharatnatyam in the three countries of India US and UK, where I have lived and worked in the last two decades. The legendary T Balasaraswati and Rukmini Devi, were born into what is known as the greatest generation, which is the Western demographic term for a cohort of people born between 1900-1924. In the 1930s and 1950s, the two dance pioneers constituted a roots-based cultural history and aesthetic pedagogy for 20th century Bharatanatyam that was grounded in Indian tradition, and spirituality. They gave this as a historical gift to five generations of dance students who learned Bharatantayam in the Silent Generation also known as Traditionalist Generation (1928-1945), the Baby Boomers Generation (1946-1964), Generation X (1960-1970s) the Millennial Generation (1981-1996) and Generation Z (1996-2022). Constituted self -consciously within the ideological worldview of Indian cultural nationalism in the 1930s, the roots approach manifests itself as a foundational paradigm for the classical arts of India and has been used creatively by five generations of dancers, dance teachers, and scholars in India and abroad. It is this transhistorical paradigm that was renewed in Natya Kala Conference’s (an annual dance conference of the Krishna Gana Sabha) 40th anniversary celebrations in radically innovative ways over five days in the last week of December. A roots perspective is evolutionary in orientation and traces cultural continuities between historical pasts and contemporary presents. The approach looks backwards to cultural pasts, ancient traditions, literature, rituals and aesthetic texts to describe and analyse contemporary Bharatanatyam. Cultural ancestry, lineage, tradition, heritage, authenticity and cultural continuities are hallmark features of the roots-perspective. Bala developed her roots-based approach as an insider to devadasi traditions and focused on tradition, spirituality and the hereditary musical traditions of her family. Rukmini Devi developed her roots-perspective as a Brahmin outsider to devadasi dance traditions. Unlike Bala, Rukmini Devi did not inherit the dance tradition, but she laboured to possess the tradition by learning Bharatanatyam traditionally with doyens Meenaskshi Sundaram Pillai and Gowri Amma and also by associating Bharatanatyam with the galaxy of hereditary nattuvanars and music gurus that she gathered in Kalakshetra. Together and individually, both Bala and Rukmini Devi created two Bharatanatyam banyan trees which came to be known as the Balasaraswati and Kalakshetra styles of Bharatanatyam. Unsurprisingly, the dancers downplayed the stylistic differences in their modern recreations and maintained that their dance styles were continuous with and like the traditional Tanjore style represented by doyens Meenakshi Sundaram and Kandappa Pillai respectively. By not focusing on their own innovations, both Bala and Rukmini Devi articulated two very different roots- based history and aesthetic pedagogies for 20th century Bharatanatyam. In this paper, I integrated the roots’ paradigm, with travel routes and the travelling history of Bharatanatyam. I showed how the branches from the Bharatanatyam banyan trees that Bala and Rukmini Devi nurtured within the institutional context of MMA and Kalakshetra extended out of the remit of the institutions, entangled with branches from other Bharatanatyam trees founded in India and abroad in the period from the 1930s down to the present. The spreading branches, forged through travelling student communities, created a global, social structure and system for the widespread dispersal of Bharatnatyam both within India and the world at large. It is not surprising that, it is only after the demise of the dance pioneers in the 1980s that scholars working in India, US and UK were able to articulate a modern, revisionary socio-cultural history for twentieth century Bharatanatyam. Interestingly, this revisionary history was articulated by focusing on the transnational legacies of Bala and Rukmini Devi. In this lecture, I described how this global modern dance history was articulated around Bala, Rukmini Devi and devadasi women in the 1980s and 1990s and discussed the new challenges and opportunities opened up by this new field of dance studies in India and the world at large. I believe that we need to engage seriously with this transnational history, which is inscribed in a thirty-year history, because it is part of the living, practicing history of twentieth and 21st century Bharatanatyam. Millennial generation dance students need to know this modern, global dance history if they wish to pursue Indian dance studies either in India, US, Canada, UK, Australia or the world at large. In conclusion, some questions… Is Bharatanatyam an appropriated tradition? When did this appropriation occur, in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1980s, or 1990s? Is Bharatanatyam a Sanskritized Brahmin tradition today? Have the Tamil roots of Bharatanatyam been invisibilized by the foregrounding of the Natyasastra historiography? What is the provenance of caste in the 20th and 21st century revival? Can caste be isolated as a single-issue or must it be seen dialogically in relation to class and gender? Should the cultural policy for Bharatanatyam and Indian classical dance be updated to reflect the changing aspirations of new generations of classical dancers wishing to make dance a profession and career both in India and abroad? I put forward these questions in the NKC platform in the hope that new generation dancers, dance teachers, academics, and scholars will engage these by taking seriously the social history of