From the Bookshelf
The Making of a Guru: Kelucharan Mohapatra: His Life and Times “The Making of a Guru” by Dr. Ileana Citaristi attempts to recreate the story of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s lifetime achievements and to capture the flavour of the times which saw his genius talent radiate, capturing the hearts of hundreds who came under his spell. This book shelf suggestion is in remembrance of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, one of the key architects of the revival of Odissi dance on his 16th death anniversary on 7th April 2020. Synopsis The life story of Kelucharan Mohapatra, one of the main architects of the revival of Odissi dance, is intimately interwoven with important events of the cultural life of Orissa for the last sixty years. It is also the story of the development and recognition of the dance itself. From the early years of apprenticeship and struggle to the Padma Vibhusan award which he received before his death, Kelucharan’s artistic journey was one of the continuous dedication and search for excellence. For him dance was sadhana, teaching his dharma. From his gurus he imbibed the essence, the passion and poetry of Odissi and these secrets he shared with his students. A great dance, a brilliant choreographer, a patient teacher and above all, a humble person, Kelucharan’s wisdom and undemanding simplicity gave him a unique vision and child-like purity. The Making of a Guru attempts to recreate the story of Kelucharan’s life and achievements and to capture the flavour of the times which saw his genius blossom and his talent radiate, capturing the hearts of hundreds who came under his spell. About the Author Italian by birth, Ileana Citaristi has done her doctoral research on ‘Psychoanalysis and Eastern Mythology’. She came to Indian dance after years of experience in the traditional as well as experimental theatre of Europe. Ileana Citaristi was the disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, and has been living in Orissa, India, since 1979 in close contact with the Oriya people, their language and culture.She is the author of three books, The Making of a Guru: Kelucharan Mohapatra: His Life and Times (2001); Traditional Martial Practices in Orissa (2012); and My Journey: A Tale of Two Births (2015).
Apasaras Arts Chennai Season
Apsaras Arts at the Magical Marghazi Season, December 2019 Apsaras Arts continued its annual participation with performances in Chennai India in celebration of the most prestigious Marghazi (December Dance & Music Festival) season, that has been a ritual over the past three decades initiated by the Founders, Shri S Sathyalingam and Smt Neila Sathyalingam. During the past decade, Apsaras Arts has transformed its presence to become of the premier Performing Arts Company worldwide, and has been invited to present the company’s repertoire during this season at prestigious Sabha or conferences held at Chennai. December 2019 – January 2020 Apsaras Arts Dance Company was on tour presenting two of the iconic productions and a few other performances during a month long tour. The multidimensional purpose of performing in the evenings, attending sessions at the annual dance conferences Natya Kala Conference, witnessing the daily performances by the stalwart performers at the Madras Music Academy and Kalakshetra, were all part of this immersive experience during the season. The Apsaras Arts team also sneaked in visits to the studios of many leading dancers, shopping for costume materials and accessories amid their tight schedules. We are excited that we got the opportunity to present some of our Singaporean dancers to also perform at the prestigious platforms. ALAPADMA – The Louts Unfolds This repertoire production is one of the most popular works of the company. Premiered in 2015 presented by the Esplanade Theatres by the Bay for its Raaga series in 2015, ALAPADMA has been on many international tours including to several cities in India. Review of our production “ALAPADMA” on The Hindu, Chennai “Outside India, Indian classical art forms seemingly survive with more rigour. Dare I say that the Singapore-based Apsaras Arts Dance Company’s ‘Alapadma’ was a far more accomplished performance than anything I have seen on the Kalakshetra stage recently and few Indian dancers exhibit the perfection of the lovely young Nikita Menon who stole the show.” Please Click Here for full review ANJASA – Unravel the Wonders of The Buddhist Monuments of Asia. This production which premiered in Singapore in 2015, has seen repeat seasons in Singapore and several overseas tours to Bangalore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Kandy, London, Manchester and Liverpool. This time it was performed for the first time as part of Natya Kala Conference 2019 presented by the Krishna Gana Sabha convened by Rama Vaidhyanathan. Review of our production “ANJASA” on New Indian Express, Chennai “The dancers, each of them, had their own signature and managed to draw eyes even while being a part of an ensemble. Nikita Menon had my complete attention. It was a blessing to see Mohanapriyan Thavarajah bring exquisite form to his choreography as he joined the dancers in select acts. Given the high ideals of this production envisaged by Aravinth Kumarasamy, he hits every spot — from intrigue to familiarity — just right. With people around the globe still delighting in this work, five years since its debut, it is likely to come to your city again. When it does, drop everything to watch this and experience reverence in person.” Please Click Here for full review Solo Presentations Apsaras Arts presented Principal Dancer Mohanapriyan Thavarajah in a solo performance at the Narada Gana Sabha’s festival. Review of the Solo Presentation by Mohanapriyan Thavarajah by Dr Sunil Kothari for Narthaki. “His choreography is vibrant with athleticism and sensitivity by nuanced expressive elements of storytelling. He succeeds in creating new structures in Bharatanatyam form. Commencing his performance with a medley of Thevarams on Lord Shiva by saints Thirugnana Sambandar, Appar and Sundarar to the music by Dr. Rajkumar Bharathi, choreography by Sheejith Krishna, Mohanapriyan aptly evoked mood of bhakti during the Margazhi month. His choreography of Navarasa Varnam in praise of Goddess Meenakshi composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman was replete with sancharis for each rasa. Parvati’s expressions were well captured by him. The rasas found felicitous depiction with appropriate episodes.” Please Click Here for full review Apsaras Arts presented the following three solo works of Singaporean dancers which were developed as part of the Dance India Asia Pacific 2018-19. Mohini by Seema Hari Kumar Kamakshi by Madhuri Suresh Moonstruck by Nithyashree Nadesan These solo thematic works were created by the artistes under the mentorship of Priyadarsini Govind and Anjana Anand. Apsaras Arts’ Artistic Director Aravinth Kumarasamy was invited to be a speaker on the panel at the dance conference of Madras Music Academy and also moderated a panel discussion at the Natya Kala Conference. Apsara Arts team also presented a Lecture-Demonstration on the making of Anjasa, organised by C.P Ramaswami Iyer Foundation, Chennai. Review of the LecDem on New Indian Express “Short of making a visit and taking in the sites, the way we experience the monumental remnants of ancient history has remained the same for centuries — unquestioned school texts, impersonal tour-guide websites and perhaps a revelatory journal or two. But, for five years now, Aravinth Kumarasamy has been helping the world to indulge in the Buddhist marvels of South-East Asia through the exquisite medium of Bharatanatyam. The artiste’s fascination for architecture and practised expertise in setting a story to tune and dance find a perfect union in this production — Añjasa — Unravelling the Wonders of Buddhist Monuments. Having watched the sneak-peak demonstration of the performance, legendary classical dancer Padma Subrahmanyam remarked, “In one way, dance is also architecture. The architecture that the body creates; not through stone or cement but with the soul. And Aravinth has been able to bring the two arts together.” Please Click Here for full review The season 2019-2020 ended on a high note in January with a luncheon hosted by Apsaras Arts for all the Singapore based dancers and musicians who collaborated and contributed to the success of the season. It was definitely an immersive learning journey for our company dancers, performing, watching leading performers, attending the conferences and guided heritage tours etc. We look forward to continuing our learning journey during the future magical Marghazi seasons at Chennai.
My Memories of Neila Mami
“Vittuda Koodathu” meaning ‘Never give up’ was Neila Mami’s Mantra for life By Rhama Sankaran What were the principles, ideals and thought leadership of one of the most legendary and visionary dancer-choreographer-teacher and founder of Apsaras Arts, Smt Neila Sathyalingam? Rhama Sankaran, a board member of Loving Heart Multiservice Centre, Jurong, a Volunteer Welfare Organisation (VWO) and advisory board member of Apsaras Arts, gives a first person account of her observations, learnings and experiences in this rare blog.Mami was the unifying force during the launch of National Arts Festival in 1991 bringing together Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, Nriyalaya, Temple of Fine Arts and her own Apsaras Arts to produce a dance drama baed on the fusion of Indian and Buddhist theme. She had a tough time to get all the representatives from these major art institutions to agree to the production choreographed by Dr Padma Subramanyam of India. Mami worked tirelessly and used to conduct the meetings at the newly formed National Arts Council located at SLF building , Thomson Road. She also co- ordinated the Indian segment of the festival and made it as a unique blend of Indian art traditions by organising two other different events. ‘King Lear’ by French Director McRuvie staged in ancient Kathakali style and ‘Therukoothu’, reflecting an age old street theatre style of Tamilnadu, India. When Mami invited the Indian artistes to Singapore, she used to focus on 2 things. Getting them a good monetary reward and made them teach their dance traditions to the local students. She had an unique loving style of getting the remuneration demanded by artistes from even Government agencies as a mark of respect for their lineage and talent. I witnessed this selfless effort when artistes like Padma Subramanyam were invited. For Mami, the goal was clear. When she entered Singapore in 1974, she wanted the divine Indian dance form to reach the lower income families. She was determined to find a place for Indian art in the community centres, promoted by the grassroot agencies. Her aim was not just earning a place as an Indian dance teacher and artiste alone but to reach out to the multicultural audience of Singapore by developing a new generation of Indian dance teachers and dancers on all levels. With this noble vision she entered People’s Association as a choreographer and teacher in the early 80s. Mami took part in the Indian segments of the local festivals. Her productions made her popular with the other cultural art groups. Her dance production under the theme ‘Fire’ for the multi segmented cultural festival won her accolades from People’s Association and other art groups. She became successful in forming a children’s multicultural dance troupe and started flying around with these ‘Little Angels’ troupe. She could thus form and propagate the Singapore style of dancing in all National, religious and cultural events. Mami became the master choreographer of PA and took part in almost 15 Chingay parades. It created awareness and augmented the presence of Indians in the multicultural festivals. Mami, as a winner of Cultural Medallion Award inspired all those who wanted to enter the creative and teaching profession in Indian dance in the late 80s. They learnt just not the rhythm and expressions. But learnt the core values of Indian culture. Mami taught the way of dressing and choosing costumes. Mami herself was a stunning example when she walked around in Kanchipuram silk sarees and amazing regal jewellery. She was keen to maintain the wardrobe on her own. She trained the students as how to manage the costumes. She made them learn the basics of make up etc. I recall the moments of getting dancers from Mami at a short notice, sometimes just 5 to 6 hours with a ‘ready to dance’ mood and looks.She was an unassuming saviour suddenly when the performers didn’t turn up during the 48 days cultural festivals of temples. She taught a famous dancer of India how to dress up to dance when she was given an opportunity to perform in Singapore by Mami for the first time. She became popular as a film star later. Mami was a mentor to many. Mami’s pre production planning was very corporate in style. Not only the cost but technical aspects like lighting, sound effects, settings, costumes etc would be discussed in detail. Music and recording were very impactful always. When Mami was discussing the setting for ‘Kannagi’, a Tamil epic production with Ms Anita Rathnam I was there listening as a media person. I could imagine the grandeur of the show. Every aspect of it urged us to publicise it to make it as full house. Talking about Mami’s pre production planning skills, I would like to mention our meeting with film actor, Nazar, who was supposed to play the lead role in her ‘Sivakamiyin Selvan’.While the meeting was going on, Mami gave technical inputs on how to operate the lighting etc. It showed her extraordinary skills. The sequences appeared on the computer screen with her narration, proving her brilliant planning. Mami, through her tireless works acquired the media’s attention at Singapore. Beyond her talents as a dance use and teacher, Mami remains as a loving kind human being in our hearts. ‘Vittuda kootathu’ meaning ‘Never give up’ is her ‘Mantra’ for life.
Review Corner
Aavaratna News Letter April 2020 Edition Quintessence- An Odissi dance duet Performed on 21st March 2020 by Kalaivani Kumareswaran and Aarthi Subash Presented by Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore for its Raaga Series. Before the country was gripped with the cancellation news across all entertainment venues, the Odissi dance lovers got an opportunity to watch a captivating duet performance by two illustrious and beautiful dancers from Temple of Fine Arts, Kalai Kumareswaran and Aarthi Subash and choreographed by Guru Ratikant Mohapatra. The performance opened with one of the most familiar embodiment of duality- Ardhanariswara. As the dancers depicted duality, of Shiva and Shakti as opposing forces of Grit and Grace; they seamlessly delivered the message together in unison- as if they were one. The dance performance was inspired by the author Darlene Broke’s online magazine Grace and Grit project which is dedicated to raise and inspire strong, passionate women. While the opening left an indelible impact of this concept, what followed rest of the evening was a traditional repertoire that didn’t seem to have much relevance to the Grace and Grit project. As Odissi performances are rare treats for the Singapore audience, it was enjoyable to watch some of the most celebrated choreographies by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. “Ahe Nila Saila” – a song by Salabeg, a Muslim devotee of Lord Jagannath was performed by Subash; Hamswadhani Pallavi by the duo; followed by Shri Ramachandra by Kumareswaran and finally Mokshya by the duo. As a regular rasika of Raga series, we hope that seasoned dancers who are given this opportunity challenge themselves in presenting new thoughtful works that sets the example for the next generation of traditional dancers to not only execute what has been taught in class but to make it yours. From the backstage chatter, we understand that the production has multiple lessons learnt from business continuity perspective in the wake of COVID19. From live music to recorded music due to travel restrictions; from staging one show to repeating it twice due to social distancing measures; from ticket sales to technical support; the success of Quintessence was in its adaptive execution. Abhinaya- Musical Expressions of Dance Performed on 15th March 2020 by Vaishnavi Anand and Srividya Sriram. Presented by Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore for its Raaga Series. It was a novel attempt to present a Carnatic music concert using the content from various classical dance repertoire. Legendary composer-musician Dr Rajkumar Bharathi from India, who has been appointed by Esplanade to mentor Singapore based musicians as part of the Raaga Mentorship series, selected this repertoire for this performance and painstakingly trained the musicians for this presentation. With his experience and his eye for details, his mentorship made this experimental work an enjoyable experience. The concert featured a variety of items: Mallari (a temple processional music, which has been often adopted as an invocatory performance by Bharatanatyam dancers), two Jatheewarams and two Pada Varnams (one traditional and the other modern), a padam from the Mohiniattam tradtion, followed by an item in kuchippudi repertoire from its renowned Bhama Kalapam; and concluded with two thillanas of two composers of different eras. Kudos to the musicians who pulled off this dance music concert in the absence of a dancer who usually performs to the music played by the musicians. The selection of repertoire items, juxtaposing traditional compositions with modern ones, was an intelligent choice, in educating the audience in a delightful way. As most of the musicians in the team may not have had the experience of accompanying a dancer, the process of engaging the audience to visualise the dancer while listening to this concert, was clearly a challenge. We particularly missed the cross rhythmic interaction between the percussionist and the dancer, which is a predominant feature in any repertoire. Having Bhavani Prasad an experienced Veena artist from India as a guest musician enhanced the performance quality and aesthetics. Engaging a learned stalwart like Dr Rajkumar Bharathi for mentorship is refreshing. However, we hope Esplanade opens up this door for locally trained musicians to learn from the experts from India as part of the Raga series. Goddesses of Words- Angry Indian Women Performed on 15th March, 2020 by Grace Kalaiselvi The Angry Indian Women, is the second play in the Goddess of Words series featuring poems from Singaporean writers, Pooja Nansi and Deborah Emmanuel. Performed to a packed audience at the Play Den at Arts House as part of Textures 2020, the highlight of this performance was stories from personal experiences of the performers. The play featured three actors dressed in pure white who gradually turned red, as the vermillion smeared on the stage consumed them. This theatrical tool and others like use of gold masks, high stools, sharp lighting and flute effectively created subtle yet dramatic moments that both endeared and startled the audience. Many of the themes discussed by the actors empathised with the experiences of Singaporean women of Indian origin. Suppression of anger from childhood, treatment by others in the context of race, culture, sex were well executed by the three actors. The play sheds light on the deep emotions which manifest itself into anger, frustration, depression and dark humour. For some audiences, this play was illuminating, being unaware of the inner feelings of Indian women. Director, Grace Kalaiselvi used theatre to to convince the audience that their lives matter and the angry voices of the Indian Woman deserves to be heard. This work bears a deeper discussions across all members of Society, regardless of race, origin, culture or sex.
Remembering Neila Maami
Reflections of a dancer By Seema Hari Kumar I once had the privilege of joining Mr & Mrs Sathyalingam (Maama & Maami) on their customary visit to their alma mater – Kalakshetra during the Margazhi season, in 2005. Whilst Maama was immensely proud of the institution and readily took me around on a tour of the various cottages where he held memories, Maami raved about her memories of Guru Smt Rukmini Devi. Little did Neila Maami know then, that she would leave behind a comparable legacy at Singapore. Maami’s demise in March 2017 was, to many of us, untimely and unexpected. The days leading up to that and the many months that followed were gruelling for me, as I felt her stark absence and often battled within myself on how I could have sought a satisfactory closure with this suddenness. The opportunity came three years later when Apsaras Arts decided to inaugurate the “Remembering Neila Sathyalingam” Festival on her birthday weekend. The objective was to curate a series of programmes that would not just be limited to Maami’s choreography but also, showcase the evolutionary nature of Bharathanatyam with original new works. When Mr Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director at Apsaras Arts, approached Deva Priya and me to restage “Dvayam – Perspectives of Duality” at the inaugural festival, we had mixed feelings. This production was extremely special because when we staged it for the first time in 2011, we were premiering on a proscenium at the Esplanade Theatre Studio as a duo. But it didn’t come without the challenges of a normal production. Our founder, Mr Sathyalingam Maama passed away four days before the Show in 2011 and we paid a tearful tribute to him on stage. Maami never got to watch Dvayam and that became the only Apsaras Arts production she hadn’t watched before her demise. It may have been her divine wish to restage “Dwayam” again in 2020. Under Aravinth’s guidance, we worked on a refreshed perspective. While we retained a couple of the original items, we worked with Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, Resident Choreographer at Apsaras Arts on adding new choreographies. What completely surprised us was how Priyan’s choreography of the thillana aligned seamlessly to Maami’s original choreography of the pushpanjali that we performed on that evening. This speaks volumes of Maami’s vision into the future of this evolving dance form, that resembles the choreographies by a millennial choreographer. Post show, one of the audience members sent me congratulatory note and mentioned that while she has not met Maami before, she felt the presence of her gracious personality on that evening through the through the personal anecdotes of Mr Viswa Sadasivan, the chief guest and personal sharing by Mdm Som Said, as a close friend. At that moment, a realisation dawned on me- on how privileged I am to have received her blessings as a student.
Virtual Event Corner
By Vidhya Nair #STAYATHOMESG – Virtual Events Since April, Apsaras Arts team has participated, curated, hosted and contributed to several global and local virtual events. Here is a monthly round up of the past events and a quick update on the upcoming ones. Straits Times: #StayathomeSG A Dance Tribute was created, dedicated to Healthcare and Frontline Workers who have been working tirelessly to keep humanity safe from the current COVID-19 Pandemic. This was choreographed by Apsaras Arts’ resident choreographer Mohanapriyan Thavarajah featuring the company Bharatanatyam dancers as a tribute using the motif of the Flute to depict that melodious music can only be produced from one’s healthy breath. The dancers conveyed their gratitude for being able to stay healthy and for caring for those who have fallen ill during this pandemic. This message resonated and highlighted the healing quality of classical Indian dance as this video came to be featured as the Number 1 stay at home activity to do in Singapore’s daily – the Straits Times. Project Dorm: Singapore has over 200,000 Indian and Bangladeshi workers living in dormitories across the island with many of them isolated with little to do to occupy themselves. Apsaras Arts joined a movement created on Facebook @Project Dorm where creative content is being beamed to all these workers on their mobile phones. Several dance performance videos featuring entertaining semi-classical Bharatanatyam and Kathak and meaningful Tamil poetry like “Suttum Vizhi” by Mahakavi Bharathiyaar for solace and reflection have been shared as many of these workers miss their families back home and are coping with mental anguish and anxieties for their continued employment in Singapore. TWOgether: Aalaap Concepts and Apsaras Arts Collaboration Apsaras Arts and Aalaap Concepts conceived and collaborated to create “TWOgether” which featured 6 pairs of young dancers, one from Singapore and another from India, working together on a specific theme and presenting a duo presentation. This series was streamed live daily from 29th April to 3rd May 2020 on Instagram channel of Aalaap Concepts. Each “live” performance enabled a split screen experience for the audiences to watch the interaction between two dancers over a 30 min presentation. The paired dancers , were unknown to each other, but worked seamlessly to showcase concepts like duality while dancing to Bhakti Sringaram role playing as Meera and Radha; using theatrical-storytelling to portray characters from Indian epics; dancing to the bols & chulukattus to highlight the value of time-keeping across dance forms. Each performance was a unique presentation and was a challenge for these young dancers, as they adapted to the use of technology, cleared off space at home and learnt how to engage with a live audience who is virtually invisible. This initiative has helped the dancers develop out of the box thinking and learn how to execute digitally within a limited time frame. Here is a video link of the dancers sharing their personal learning experience: Samarpana for Arts and Wellbeing Samarpanaforartsandwellbeing has been running daily live performances with celebrated Indian Classical dance artistes. On April 30th, resident choreographer and principal dancer, Mohanapriyan Thavarajah was featured for an hour-long live performance. His program included a full-length performance that incorporates his signature technique with detailed storytelling and abhinaya. He presented three items and one of them was “Chinanchira Kiliye,” the famous love poem by Mahakavi Bharathiyar- where he explores the traditional relationship of a father with his daughter, highlighting key episodes of her development years culminating in her marriage and send-off. Priyan’s precise gestures draws attention to the nuances of the poetry which strike an unmistakable emotional chord with the rasika. Post-performance, Priyan shared his experience by saying, “Going live on this platform is actually not much different to a physical stage performance, I made my preparations in exactly the same way yet the spotlight seems even more through this medium because the audience feels closer to me. It’s an interesting kind of intimacy.” Milapfest In commemoration of International Dance Day, Aravinth Kumarasamy, Artistic Director of Apsaras Arts was invited to give a presentation on the role of costumes and set design in ensemble productions to a group of global attendees at the Milapfest, UK. In this session, he shared insights from “Angkor”, “Anjanejayam” and “Agathi”, three past Apsaras Arts productions. He described how bespoke sets were created and reused to depict a variety of scenes within a narrative and also the application of lighting techniques and digital mapping to create realism and build emotional connections with the audience. He also explained how the costumes were created with a blend of the aesthetics from the ancient kingdoms of Cambodia, Java and Bali through detailed research yet retained the fluidity needed to execute movement as prescribed within Bharatanatyam. This online presentation DANCE-A-THON was jointly organised by Sahapedia, Milap and #PuneCulturalMapping. Natya Katha “Natya Katha”, an initiative of dance through story-telling was the brainchild of Mohanapriyan Thavarajah to engage his teenaged dancer-students to explore application of dance through through self initiated research. The topic given was- Hindu Demi-gods. The students were self motivated and used innovative presentations and storytelling techniques via a live-Zoom platform to share their presentations with other young students and teachers of Apsaras Arts. Stories on Nandi, Garuda, Suka Rishi, Narasimha, Kamdhenu, Ragu & Kethu were showcased. The students used multi-media, props, video animation alongside slide presentations and delivered their stories with conviction and detailed research. Several created interactive quizzes and even demonstrated dramatic sequences of their demi-god stories applying their Bharatnatyam learnings. The students appreciated the depth of learnings from these characters and the role of abhinaya within their Bharatnatyam practice. Best Foot forward On April 29th, in celebration of International Dance Day- 20 young Classical dancers were featured under the age of 30 from around the world. Mei Fei Soo, student of Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, was selected to be part of this prestigious series. Mei Fei presented “Thodaya Mangalam” an invocatory item on the morning and did put her best foot forward!
The Art of Yakshagana
By Mohanapriyan Thavarajah From the travel diaries, here is a first person experience of witnessing the art of Yakshgana and tracing its origin at the Yakshagana village at Karnataka. Mohanapriyan Thavarajah fondly retells, “In the village, I witnessed not only tradition, art, hospitality but also love for humanity. The more I travel, the more I dance, the more I fall in love.” Yakshagana is a theater form of Karnataka (India) that combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form to depict stories of the Indian Hindu epics and mythology. This theatrical style, resembling Western opera, is mainly found in the Coastal districts and the Malenadu region of India. Yakshagana is traditionally presented from dusk to dawn. Yakshagana was evolved centuries ago as a theatre art and education to rural mass of India.The tradition of presenting a narrative through mime, gesture, dance, choreography, song, décor and music as a single Dance-Drama has its roots in Natya Shastra. Depending upon the song, actors compose appropriate dance movements followed by impromptu dialogues.Yakshagana has attracted people from all walks of life and all sections of the society irrespective of caste and religion. It is a befitting response for a form of art that upholds humanitarian values. Protected for hundreds of years in remote villages of Karnataka, it is now taking finer shape in the modern world. Yakshagna has mainly been classified into two forms namely Badagu and Tenku tittu (Styles) unique to northern and southern parts of the coastal regions respectively. The performing troupe is called Mela or Mandali which is a traditional repertory and travels from place to place. I had an amazing performance tour experience of travelling to Yakshagana village where the Yakshagana traditional art form has been practised for almost seven generations now. It was a day long trip from Singapore – Chennai – Mangalore to Yakshagana Village. It took four hours to drive from Mangalore Airport to reach this village in the interiors of Karnataka. The serene space of a Gurukulam gives the feel of the rustic experience of the olden days which is rare in today’s practice of Indian art forms. In the hereditary lineage, the art form of Yakshagana was initiated by Late Sri Keremane Shivarama Hegde in 1934. Shivananda Hegde is the sixth generation in the family lineage and the director of Sri Idagunji mahaganapati Yakshagana Mandali – a heritage institution in the village, that provides Gurukula training in Yakshagana. I recall that Sri Shivanada Hegde and his Mandali were invited to perform at the Esplanade theatre for the Kalaa Utsavam Indian arts festival in 2012. During that time I had just arrived at Singapore to work with Apsaras Arts on a children’s production commissioned by Esplanade theatre for the same festival. I was able to watch almost every show including the Yakshagana performance at the outdoors theatre. It was my first ever experience watching a Yakshagana performance. I was mesmerised by the performance and remember taking multiple photos and the sound of thundering applause from the audience in appreciation for the amazing performers. After seven years I was able to witness their performance once again at the Madras Music Academy as part of their annual festival in January 2020. Later, It was a great honour to receive an invitation by Shivanada Hegde to dance at his annual Yakshagana festival. The trip to Yakshagana village became very special as I was accompanied by the legendary Dr Padma Subramaniam, her nephew veena mastro Kannan Balakrishnan and our Artistic Director Aravinth Kumarasamy. After the day long trip we finally reached the village around 8.30pm. It was a buzzing festival with many line up of performances starting at sunset in an outdoor theatre setting. The natural smoke from herbs was kept to ward off the mosquitoes, but I hardly remember being disturbed by any insect bites as I was completely immersed into the performances throughout the night. On the second day we had the great privilege to witness an exclusive Yakshagana performance “Sita Aparahan” – the abduction of Sita performed by brilliant artists of Sri Idagunji mahaganapati Yakshagana Mandali proudly led by the director Sivanada Hegde. They performed in the presence of Dr.Padma Subramaniam, who was honoured that evening with a Lifetime achievement award. The performance was by the most celebrated artistes and they truly lived the Ramayana characters on stage. One of the best performances to remember not just because they are excellent artistes, but for their artistry in bringing drama, music, dialogue, dance and tala patterns together in one place. Dr. Padma Subramaniam had mentioned in her speech that they have performed truly a Bharatha Naatyam bringing out the core principles of Bharatha’s Natya Sastra in their Yakshagana performance. I was emotionally inspired and savoured every single movement that brought goosebumps and touched my senses in rasanubhava. Perhaps my mind and body was sated by the Kashayam – a medicinal herbal drink, which was served to the audience at the start of the performance. Apparently this drink is usually served to detoxify the body and good for health instead of hot chai or filter coffee. After the performance I was eagerly waiting to meet the artists to greet and thank them but they just disappeared to the green room for their prayer. Praying before and after performance has been their practice initiated by their forefathers and has been practiced by the generations of artists even till today. They would offer their crowns and instruments at the prayer to seek the divine’s blessings. This performance of Yakshagana reaffirms the faith that the traditional art forms of India continue to play an important role in keeping alive our rich legacy of storytelling, of epics, of maintaining the traditional form even as they are adapted to new ideas more suited to the contemporary milieu. As many we all know that India is a country that brings the diversity of culture, language and food. A team was dedicated to cook simple nutritious local food like
Sunday Spotlight Series
By Vidhya Nair On April 12th, Sunday, Apsaras Arts launched “Spotlight Series” for their students, teachers, parents and Devata partners on the video conference ‘Zoom’ platform. This series aims to provide interactive discussions on a variety of topics with expert speakers in order to create awareness and appreciation of the performing arts practice. The first session was on the topic of Margam or repertoire that is a followed by all the Indian Classicaldances forms. Over the 90 minute session, speakers Soumee De, Shivangi Dake, Mohanapriyan Thavarajah and Aravinth Kumarasamy, covered the basic content, similarities and differences of a repertoire among the four dance forms Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam. More than 60 dancers attended this inaugural session. The second Sunday Spotlight series featured eminent dancers from cities in India, Aditi Mangaldas from Mumbai, Priyadarshini Govind from Chennai and Ileana Citaristi from Bhuvaneswar, through the video conference platform. They offered their personal story about their relationships, learnings and blessings from their respective legendary Gurus. Aditi Mangaldas spoke of her two teachers, Smt Kumudini Lakhia, Pandit Birju Maharaj. Priyadarshini Govind narrated her memories of Smt Kalanidhi Narayanan and Dr Ileana Citaristi retold her story of learning from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. The three imminent teachers, transformned into their student lives and generously shared details of their relationships with the Gurus who had nurtured them over the years. They highlighted how their Gurus inspired their thinking and at the same time helped them develop their own interpretation and create their own unique practice. More than 70 dancers attended this session and asked questions that ranged from values, respect, openness, relationships and learnings about dance and life. In this latest edition of Apsaras Arts Spotlight Series, three internationally renowned dancers joined to share their dance journeys, shedding light on how they came to pursue Bharatanatyam and Odissi despite not being of Indian-descent. Dr Ramli Ibrahim, a Malaysian who received his Padma-Shri in 2018 shared how he created his own dance company, Sutra Foundation and the challenges he faces in creating multiple nights of sold-out shows without institutional funding but still considers his Malaysian multi-cultural identity as integral to his interpretation of Odissi dance. He spoke about his extensive travels within India learning from several eminent teachers and finding his own voice. This was echoed by Frenchman Dominique Delorme, who shared his harrowing first encounters in India from the funeral pyres of Varanasi and living in squalor conditions while learning Bharatanatyam. He spoke passionately about how he considers dance to be a natural instinctive calling and learning the techniques from eminent teachers like Padma Subramanyam and becoming mesmerised with the artform drew his lifelong admiration. The third panellist was Guiditta de Concini, from Bottega, Italy. Her introduction to Bharatanatyam came to her as an adult and mother of two and subsequent training introduced her to a number of Gurus like C Balagopalan and Leela Samson, who she shared embraced her wholeheartedly and accepted her without judgement or impediment and allowed her to explore her own artistry and she found her knowledge and application grow with various experimental works she was able to create and gain viewership in her hometown of Bottega. This session was attended by over 100 participants from around the world, including Japan, Australia, France, Italy, Malaysia, India and Singapore. Many of the participants were deeply inspired by this session remarking that they were embolden by these international dancers who overcame barriers and became names to reckon with and are performing without inhibitions or cultural barriers. Several rasikas shared that being able to engage with these acclaimed dancers through this online platform is making them look forward to head back to theatres post Covid19 lockdown and the knowledge they are reflecting on through these sessions is enhancing their appreciation for the deep aesthetics of Indian classical dance. To sign up for the upcoming Sunday Spotlight Series in May-June, look out for the Apsaras Arts Facebook page.
From the Bookshelf – May 2020
Bharatanatyam – The Tamil Heritage By Nritya Kalanidhi Lakshmi Viswanathan This book gives an overview of all aspects of the richness and beauty of Bharatanatyam through the ages with all that went to influence and shape the Art. The sections of this book is inspired by a book on ballet authored by ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn. Each chapter connects Bharatanatyam through the ages with early pastoral dances, with the ancient traditions of worship, celebrations of life, Temples and rituals, palaces and kings and patronage and so forth. This book published in 1984 was a product of the author’s research as a junior fellow of the ministry of Culture. The author has traced the roots of Bharatanatyam as a South Indian Art from time immemorial. Thus, each chapter connects Bharatanatyam through the ages with early pastoral dances, with the ancient traditions of worship, celebrations of life, Temples and rituals, palaces and kings and patronage and so on. Many references in old texts like the epic Silappadikaram, and Sangam literature, contextualises the art of dance in society in ancient South India. It takes the reader on a journey of discovery where dance finds inspiration in the old Bhakti poems of saints, the Shaivite and Vaishnavite Nayanmars and Alvars . One also finds the inspiration for sculpture and paintings as seen in ancient temples, linked to Bhakti literature as was the art of dance inspired by the passion of poets. The Cholas, Nayaks and Marathas who ruled Tanjavur left their influence on all the arts including dance. It paints vivid word pictures of the art of dance in the context of Royal dynasties and their patronage through the ages with the epicentre at Tanjavur. Dedicating four hundred dancers to his big temple- the Brihadeeswara of Tanjavur was the early Renaissance of all the arts effected by Raja Raja Chola. Sacred and secular aspects of the art of dance ruled the practice over centuries, with the focus on the dedicated artists, the Devadasis who were the torch bearers of the legacy of music and dance for centuries. Their role in temple and royal court is etched in the history of this art.This book gives an overview of all aspects of the richness and beauty of Bharatanatyam through the ages with all that went to influence and shape the Art. The decline of temple ritual dance and the royal palace patronage brings us to the modern re-christening of the dance as Bharatanatyam. The author has also shared her own experiences of being a student of hereditary Gurus. The chapters is inspired by a book on Ballet authored by the great ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn. About the author Lakshmi Viswanathan is a Bharatanatyam dancer steeped in the culture of TANJAVUR. She has performed in every major festival in India, and is a regular during the Chennai December season. She has widened her horizon in the field of art by not only performing in India and more than ten countries abroad in prestigious forums, but also uses her erudite scholarship to reach many people with her engaging articles in arts journals, newspapers and dance portals. Her insightful authorship of acclaimed books such as Bharatanatyam the Tamil Heritage, a biography of Bharat Ratna M.S.Subbulakshmi – Kunjamma Ode to a Nightingale, Women of Pride the Devadasi Heritage, and Kapaliswara Temple, have earned her a special place in the world of dance. She is currently editor of the prestigious Kalakshetra Journal. As mentor and teacher she has contributed to the training of students. Her choreographic works like Banyan Tree, CHATURANGA and other productions have been landmark artistic events based on new and original themes. Recently she premiered MY TYAGARAJA – the life of Bangalore Nagratanammal, a famous Devadasi artist , a dance theatre production. A respected artist of the renaissance of dance in India, she brings to her audience, a special amalgam of intellect, innovation and attractive poise. Many awards and titles have been conferred on Lakshmi, including the national Sangeet Natak Akademi award and the prestigious NRITYA KALANIDHI award from the Music Academy Madras recently with the great choreographer Mark Morris of New York as the chief guest.She received the prestigious KALIDAS SAMMAN award recently at the inauguration of the Khajuraho Dance Festival where she performed to an appreciative audience. Noted for her Abhinaya, Lakshmi makes her dance visual poetry with poignancy. Lakshmi Vishwanathan, a prime disciple of Guru Kanjeevaram Elappa Pillai, is an exponent of the Thanjavur style of Bharatanatyam. She is also a trained vocalist. She is the author of several acclaimed books: Bharatanatyam – the Tamil Heritage, Kunjamma – Ode to a Nightingale, Kapaleeswara Temple, Women of Pride -The Devadasi Heritage. Her film ‘The Poetry of Dance’ was commissioned by the Festival of India. The Mamallapuram Dance Festival started in 1991 was Lakshmi’s brainchild. She has served on several arts committees. She has served as Vice President of Music Academy (Chennai) and is a member of South Zone Cultural Centre.
Apsaras Arts is our second home
Interview of Ms Selvy Radhakrishnan and Ms Nagaletchimi Balasupramaniam By Aayushi Mehrish Early dancing years Starting her dance training at the age of 5, Ms. Selvy was introduced to dancing with a lot of encouragement by her elder sister, Ms. Rajeswari. Ms. Selvy says, “My first guru was Smt. Devi Maniam. After training under with her for a few years and another teacher named Raju, I stopped dancing for a long time. I used to do a couple of performances and then later came to Mami. I just had a basic knowledge of the art form until I started training under Mami, which started in 1985”. Ms. Selvy also mentioned how her cousin sisters, popularly known as Kesawan sisters (Jeyathi and Sugathi) encouraged her to perform until she joined the Singapore Dance company in 1978 under Madhavi Krishnan. But soon after, a few months later she left when she got married. On the other hand, Ms. Nagaletchimi (Ms. Naga), started dancing at the age of 5 because of her aunt (father’s sister) who nurtured a dream of seeing Ms. Naga as a dancer, when she grew up. She mentioned how it was difficult in the tester years to pursue a profession in dance as women were restricted from performing at public venues. She says, “My father always stopped his sisters to go and dance, but when I was born, my aunts were determined to make me a dancer and grow up to pursue what I really wanted to do.” She mentioned how she later joined Mami in Kallang CC in 1986 where she found her long lost friend, Ms. Vijaya Nadesan (currently Principal of Apsaras Arts) who was her classmate in the preschool years of training under Guru Muthulakshmi (who had relocated out of Singapore). Journey as Students of Smt. Neila Sathyalingam Selvy started her training under Neila Mami in 1985, after the birth of her second daughter in 1983 at the People’s Association (PA), Singapore whereas Ms. Naga joined Neila Mami for Bharatanatyam classes at Kallang CC in 1986 and subsequently at People’s Association in 1988. “I knew Mami as I used to invite her to judge for school arts events. I never knew that one day I would be a part of this company and Mami will be my guru,” says Selvy, remembering her evolving relationship with Mami. Soon after her calibre was recognized and she along with Naga were asked to be part of most productions – folk, contemporary and semi classical performances through PA and Bharatanatyam performances through Apsaras Arts. With extensive dance training and rigorous disciplined practices, both Selvy and Naga grew up to be senior dancers of the company. Soon Selvy started leading the PA group and Naga assisted her after her Arangetram in 1999, soon after which she started a class with 15 students in Kallang CC. Subsequently, known to many as Mami’s ‘leading hands’ backstage, they were trained to tie costumes, do makeup and prepare complex hair styles for all kinds of productions. “We both became coordinators with Mami. It became easy for her to handle all these things once we came on board to manage and she knew how our working style was. There was an interesting relationship between us and our guru. We never argued with her on anything and even if we did have a difference of opinion to do things differently, we would never go against her will.” Naga explained when asked about her relationship with their Guru and mentor, Smt. Neila Sathyalingam. Role as All rounders “We had the time. We were teaching part time in schools. So, we had a lot of time to spend with Mami.” Says Ms. Selvy who mentioned how Mami depended a lot on the duo because other dancers were mostly working and couldn’t commit. “I also got married and had a knee problem” mentioned Ms. Naga, adding to fact that they were the only ones who were available all the time which eventually built a strong bond. Later, in Apsaras, Mami started having a group called “Little Angels”. So Ms. Selvy and Ms. Naga, travelled with this group of Little Angels. “We had a lot of shows in different countries like Turkey etc. where we were handling all their costumes, makeup, hair do, taking care of the children, their accommodation, food etc.” says Ms. Selvy reflecting on memories with Mami to make sure that everything would be handled carefully. Mami eventually gave Ms. Selvy and Ms. Naga major responsibilities when she couldn’t physically handle the pressure. During that time, the number of shows were increased to 25-30 a month and sometimes even 40, leading them to arrange everything while Mami would supervise as she knew what best could be used for what productions. “Even when she is not around, her training and blessings remain with us, and we are still here to do everything we can.” Says Ms. Selvy while reflecting back to the golden times she spent with her loving Guru. Much do we know about their chemistry, Ms. Selvy and Ms. Naga developed a relationship which stands to remain unbreakable solely because of the path they were made to pursue. A path led by their Guru. “Our working style as a two-people team involved a lot of planning and precision. Even though Selvy aka is my senior, we never had this conflict of interest and would agree to each other’s thoughts and ideas to workout things in the best way. An understanding bond is what we developed over these years. This bond has helped us come so far where people can rely on us for all wardrobe related matters.” Ms. Naga explained when asked about brief insights with her memories with senior dancer Ms. Selvy. ‘With having both of you around, I can breathe.’ Said Mami as mentioned both by Ms. Selvy and Ms. Naga. All this while, the duo explained their heart touching moments when they realised their guru was watching them. Ms Naga says, “By the