In-Sights for Aavartana
Our In-Sights section of Aavartana is our platform to share the many events, initiatives and happenings in the world of Apsaras Arts. We are looking forward to 2022 and all the many things it has to offer and we are hoping to make the most of it all. So, here’s a lowdown on events brewing, in-house. We begin our year – not a matter of coincidence, at the onset of the year – with Maargam, a presentation by the senior company dancers of Apsaras Arts Dance Repertory. The presentation will feature items from across dance styles – Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi – showcasing at the Kallang Community Club, Singapore. Our Nadopasana series that is our endeavour to remember our founder, Shri S Sathyalingam, with a performance titled Swara Stories – From my Music Classroom by Chitra Poornima Sathish in collaboration with Bombay V Anand (violin) and Ramanan Thiruchittampalam (mridangam) on January 29th at 7.30pm on the AVAI platform. On February 6, we are gearing up to present the first edition of the Indian Performing Arts Convention (IPAC) Symposium on Bharatanatyam in Singapore at the Esplanade Theatre Studio that will also unfold, digitally. Our exciting line-up includes the Convenor’s Keynote address by Aravinth Kumarasamy; Innovating Bharatanatyam Choreography that includes Re-imagining Alarippu by Sreedevy Sivarajasingam mentored by Priyadarsini Govind and Exploring Trikala Jathis by Lakshmi Krishnan mentored by Sheejith Krishna; Bharatanatyam Pedagogy in Singapore, a research paper presentation by Roshini Pillay Keshavan; Perspectives go Abhinaya that includes Exploring Padams by Vardhini Subramaniam mentored by Bragha Bessell demonstrated by Madhuri Suresh and Seema Hari Kumar; Choreography Design for Ensemble Repertoire that includes Designing Dance Vocabulary for Bharanatyam Ensemble works at Apsaras Arts Company by Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, demonstrated by Company Dancers of Apsaras Arts; Millennial Adavus by Dr Apoorva Jayaraman and Shweta Prachande, mentored by Priyadarsini Govind; Panel Discussion on Audience Experience of Bharatanatyam featuring panelists Sri Ganesh Lakshminarayan, Jayashrree Govind, Vidhya Nair, T Dharmendra, Vidhya Venkat, moderated by Seema Hari Kumar; Composing Music for Dance, a conversation with Dr Rajkumar Bharathi with Chithra Poornima Sathish; Approach to Contemporary Dance, a conversation between Akram Khan and Mavin Khoo. Under the umbrella of our annual Neila Sathyalingam Festival, to mark the birth anniversary of Neila Maami, on February 8, on Avai, we present Kadambam, a dance bouquet offering by the Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi students of Apsaras Arts Academy. On February 12, as part of the same festival, we are privileged and proud to present Dr Apoorva Jayaraman and Shweta Prachande, disciples of Priyadarsini Govind, in an exclusive live performance in Singapore titled Anvaya, that will unfold on AVAI. Ten years ago, we premiered a beautiful production titled Nirmanika at the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. The production had an overwhelming response and we are so excited to have re-visited it and present Nirmanika Re-Imagined on February 26. With a new cast and with new segments, the production unveils itself as a re-envisaged version of its old. We can’t wait to share it all with you!
In-Sights
A detailed overview of the IPAC Symposium curated by Apsaras Arts that celebrated all things that matter to the world of Bharatanatyam. The IPAC (Indian Performing Arts Convection) by Apsaras Arts, held in the month of February, was the coming together of artistes, scholars and students all under one roof and enabling them to share their knowledge and soak in an artistic ambience and experience, in-person. This day-long symposium consisted of lec-dems, book readings, masterclasses, dance residencies and performances enabling the students to be mentored by senior artiste and creating work thereafter under their guidance. The main focus of the symposium, held on February 6 at the Esplanade Theatre Studio, Singapore, was the next generation of dancers who are keen to explore arts and artistry. The symposium began with exploring innovation in Bharatanatyam Choreography and comprised of two sessions – Re-imagining Alarippu by Sreedevy Sivarajasingam and Exploring Trikala Jathis by Lakshmi Krishnan, mentored by Priyadarsini Govind and Sheejith Krishna respectively. Sreedevy Sivarajasingam, a Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer, underwent training at the Singapore Fine Arts society. The founding member of Omkar Arts, Sreedevy is a popular performer and teacher, having staged numerous shows in and around Singapore. Her session at IPAC was very interesting, in which she explored three Alarippus in Misra Jathi Jampa Talam in Tisra Nadai, the usual Tisra Eka Talam Alarippu and finally an Alarippu in Pancha Nadai. Each one was unique in its own way. While the first explored the rhythmic patterns, the second was an interesting exploration of the three energy points of the body and the final one was on unravelling the Panchakoshas. Lakshmi Krishnan, a senior Bharatanatyam teacher at Temple of Fine Arts, Singapore, is a passionate artiste who has been involved in creative work and keen on bringing innovations to dance. Her session at IPAC explored different permutations and combinations with which one can approach a jathi as well as adavus. She also put forth ideas with which one could create different choreographies with the same jathi. Roshini Pillay Kesavan, a dancer trained at SIFAS, and later under Neila Sathyalingam, kept the audience in attention while she talked about The Evolution of Bharatanatyam Pedagogy in Singapore. She shed light on the custodians of this ancient art form, the evolution, transmission and preservation by the traditional artistes and also on how this pedagogy has been applied to Bharatanatyam instruction in Singapore. Another interesting session was The Perspectives of Abhinaya, which focussed on exploring padams based on emotions and reactions. This session was presented by Vardhini Subramaniam, demonstrated by Madhuri Suresh and Seema Harikumar, mentored under the guidance of abhinaya exponent, Bragha Bessell. The whole idea was depicted via the padam Kaaranam Keettu Vaadi, in which two different types of heroines explore the underlying emotions and reactions to the song. Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, Principal Dancer and Resident Choreographer at Apsaras Arts Dance Company, shared his experiences of creating group work in the Company, specifically in extending the dance vocabulary to ensemble productions for specific themes. This has been his journey in the Company over the years, working on various group productions, including themes relating to South East Asian narratives. Millennial Adavus: Exploration of Bharatanatyam Adavus was a refreshing session on how to reinterpret the traditional adavus without losing their intrinsic structure. The ‘newness’ in the adavus in the millennial world, was brought to fore from the personal experiences and learnings of Apoorva Jayaraman and Shweta Prachande. They are being mentored under Priyadarsini Govind, and are artistes in their own right. For any art form, the audience too plays a great role in encouraging the art as well as the artiste. This too was discussed in a panel discussion on the topic, Audience Experience of Bharatanatyam. The panel included five members of the audience, Vidhya Nair, Vidhya Venkat, Tharmendra Jayaraman, Sri Ganesh Lakshminarayanan and Jayashree Govindh. Various topics pertaining to what the audiences observe in a performance was deeply discussed. This session was moderated by Seema Hari Kumar. Composing Music for Dance, a very relevant topic in the current scenario, was discussed by Dr Rajkumar Bharathi and Chitra Poornima. Needless to say, this exchange between the two artistes was interesting and thought provoking. Exploring Contemporary dance by Indian Classical dancers Mavin Khoo and Akram Khan was one of the highlights of IPAC. The two dancers inspired many young and aspiring dancers of the audience, with their energetic exchange on the topic of contemporary dance. They discussed the importance of conviction of artistic choices and the notion of trajectory in performances. Lastly, the symposium comprised a showcase performance by the dancers of Singapore Fine Arts. They performed the Dvijavanthi Thillana, which was choreographed by Rama Vaidyanathan.This particular Thillana, a composition of Balamurali Krishna, was choreographed with much thought and attention to detail. Rama Vaidyanathan says that she tried to keep the melodic phrases of the raga intact and at the same time, tried to capture the free-spirited nature of the legendary artiste in this Thillana. Overall, IPAC Symposium was a gratifying experience, for both the curators, the artistes and the audience.
In-Sights
Back to where it all began, a round-up of Apsaras Arts this season In May, after a two year long hiatus, Apsaras Arts returned to India, easily one of its destinations and its Mecca – of sorts – for dance – and tour three Indian cities with Parama Padam, an Apsaras Arts production featuring Principal Dancer and Resident Choreographer of Apsaras Arts, Mohanapriyan Thavarajah. The excitement began in Mumbai at NCPA (National Centre for Performing Arts) and what an opening it was! The audience in Mumbai responded with curiosity and warmth allowing Parama Padam and its deep philosophy to engulf their senses. This performance also marks a first for Apsaras Arts in Mumbai and Aravinth and Apsaras Arts were honoured to present this show to a full house and wrap the performance with a standing ovation. “The experience will always remain close to our hearts,” says Aravinth Kumarasamy, speaking of the visit to Mumbai, “We truly loved working with an extremely professional team at NCPA, and with its dance director, Swapnokalpa Dasgupta. This is one of the destinations and venues we will not forget for a long time. We really enjoyed being able to connect with different audiences across age groups and experience levels and a host of eclectic rasikas. The mix was truly invigorating for us as artistes.” Equally exciting was the possibility to present and share Parama Padam in Chennai. The opportunity to engage with the dance fraternity in Chennai was truly special and Aravinth avers he is very grateful to all the dancers and scholars who took time off their schedules to watch this production and share their valuable feedback on it. “It was a very warm feeling to see everybody in person, connect with them,” says Aravinth. The Chennai premiere also marked the launch of Mohanapriyan Thavarajah’s book, Temple Dance of Apsaras – A Dancer’s View of Angkor Wat – and to do so in the presence of a host of dancers with Dr Padma Subrahmanyam as its Guest of Honour was truly a privilege. The first copy of the book was received by historian and speaker, Dr Chitra Madhavan. From Chennai, Parama Padam travelled to Bangalore’s Bangalore International Centre (BIC, for short) and that too happened to be the possibility of Parama Padam premiering at a new venue in the garden city of India. “To present work to an audience which had a mixed demographics – from young dancers and non-dancers and to receive a standing ovation was very exciting,” Aravinth says. “We were very happy to be back in the cosmopolitan city of Bangalore to meet our old friends there and also to make some new friends.” Before traveling to India, Parama Padam toured Sri Lanka in three cities and was presented yet again in Singapore. “It has been very exciting to travel with this production especially after the pandemic,” Aravinth says, “We first traveled to eight cities in France with it and then to Sri Lanka and Singapore and then India. It has brought back the much-needed positivity and hope and helped us feel the joy of performing dance to a live audience.” In Bangalore, Team Apsaras Arts, visited two premier dance institutions – Nrityagram and Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, understanding their mission, and watching their ongoing dance rehearsals. Aravinth also had the opportunity to re-connect with Apsaras Arts’ favourite collaborators, Dr Rajkumar Bharathi and Sai Shravanam, who are both talented artistes in their own right. Together, they are getting ready for a wonderful new work that is set to premiere in November. “Sticking with our interest and enthusiasm on collaborating with South East Asian cultures, countries and traditions, this time we are going to work for the first time with another part of South East Asia exploring another dance and music form,” Aravinth says. During this visit to Chennai, Apsaras Arts team presented copies of their two publications “TEMPLE DANCE OF APSARAS” authored by Mohanapriyan Thavarajah and “METAMORPHOSIS” compiled by Vidhya Nair to key artistes and institutions – including to Dr Vyjayanthimala Bali, VP Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan, Revathi Ramachandran, Director of Kalakshetra Foundation, Dr S Soumaya Vice Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Music & Fine Arts University. Icing on the cake was to have The Hindu daily of Chennai, publish a front cover article titled “Tracing the close connection between Indian dance and Southeast Asia – Singapore-based Apsaras Arts is a key partner in this cultural alliance” on the Apsaras Arts initiatives and collaborative works with Southeast Asian artforms in its Friday review section, which was published during this visit to India. This article can be read via https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dance/tracing-the-close-connection-between-indian-dance-and-southeast-asia/article65463569.ece Apsaras Arts’ annual highpoint Indian Performing Arts Convention (IPAC) is round-the-corner – September 3-11 in Singapore, September 19-24 in Melbourne, Australia. “This is the first time after the pandemic that we are having an in-person session,” Aravinth says. The event will also have an online edition and showcases a new line-up of performances, lec-dems and webinars. “Most importantly,” Aravinth adds, “we are going to welcome for the first time, legendary artistes for the masterclasses and we are eagerly looking forward to welcoming back our regular faculty members too.” Registrations for IPAC will open in July . stay tuned!
In-Sights
Vidhya Venkat shares her observations on Apsaras Arts performance space Avai, and in India, also performances by visiting international artistes and Singapore based artistes. Gibran “I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion and it is the spirit “ – Khalil Gibran, The Prophet We were treated to an evening of wisdom from Khalil Gibran. While we have been used to dance and vocal concerts in Avai, this was a very good break from that. Excerpts from The Prophet were narrated by Ramesh Panicker who conceptualised this show. He was accompanied by Azrin Abdullah on the Arabic Oud, a lute-like stringed instrument. The setting was reminiscent of an Arabic tent and Gibran’s works were shared in the way of storytelling. Three days fully sold out and we were all treated to some inspiring words from Khalil Gibran – looking forward to more of such programs. The performance was the brainchild of Audrey Perera and produced by Passion Purpose and Apsaras Arts. Balinese Classical Dance Performance We watched a beautiful performance of Balinese dance by Prof I Wayan Dibia and Geok Ensemble Dancers on July 16, 2022, at Avai. Aravinth Kumarasamy Artistic Director mentioned in his introductory speech that the Natya Sastra is the root and then we have the many beautiful manifestations of this text and that evening we saw one of the most beautiful manifestations. As Prof Dibia detailed, there are so many common elements in these dance forms. We saw Aramandi, Chowk, Tribhanga and also an amazing display of the Sthayi Bhava of Vira rasa, something which we don’t come across so much. The eye movements were almost hypnotising- diagonal, side and down. And finally, Prof Dibia ended the show with his solo – The masked man. As he rightly said, the challenge is to bring the mask alive and I think he did just that. Costumes were so detailed and so beautiful, each one of them. When asked for advice to budding dancers, Prof Dibia said, “Learn physical movements first and then learn how to use energy on them. You then move on to the norms and ethics of the dance form, spiritual contemplation and philosophy of the dance. Dancing is about love and when you dance with love, it comes from the heart.” I came away with this message in my mind, a thought which must echo in every dancer’s heart. A huge world of learning and research opened up for me. A befitting first anniversary for Avai ! And awaiting many more. Aaradhana for Nadopasana concert series remembering S Sathyalingam. Hindustani performance of Aaradhana was presented at AVAI at Apsaras Arts featuring Shibani Roy (vocals) and Debashis Adikari (harmonium) from SIFAS and Lalitkumar Ganesh (tabla) from TFA, Singapore. Shibani performed a good selection of ragas and very delightful ghazal. Sparsh – The Touch A Kathak performance by Amprapali Bhandari as part of Darshana series on 2nd July at Avai. Amprapali started the evening with a traditional choreography in Teental. This was in the traditional Jaipur Gharana that blends abhinaya with nritta. She covered the veer rasa, bhakti rasa and shringara rasa. We then journeyed into the monsoon season. The sky is changing colouras though being robbed of lifeAs thunder rolls, lightning strikesThe sky splits in halfDrop after dropThe rain arrives The above verse from Ritusamhara started the next piece. The human being is as complex and multilayered as the monsoon. Rather than only focussing on the colours and rainbows, we must learn to accept all parts of ourselves. This piece which was choreographed by Amrapali herself talked about the multi dimensions of human emotions – passion, anger, love and surrender. She had approached the choreography in a contemporary style with just a sarangi playing in the background. It was very refreshing and new. AMARA: India Tour August 2022 Apsaras Arts Dance Company presented the world premiere of the live performance of AMARA, Dancing the Stories of Banteay Srei in India for the celebration of Nirthyodaya’s 80th anniversary and for India at 75, at the Kalakshetra Foundation. Banteay Srei is unique among Cambodia’s famous sacred buildings. It stands out from other ancient Angkorian temples with its petite size, the pink hue of the hard, red sandstone from which it is made, and the intricacy of its exquisitely sculpted wall relief carvings of motifs, figures and scenes from the Hindu Mahabharata and Ramayana epics. Built by Khmer courtiers in the 10th century, Banteay Srei was originally named Tribhuvanamaheshwara, and its surrounding town named Isvarapura, both in dedication to Lord Shiva, though the temple venerates both the gods Shiva and Vishnu. Later on, it was dubbed Banteay Srei or Citadel of Women in Khmer, perhaps in tribute to the plethora of enchanting female devatas (deities) adorning the temple’s walls as well as the life-sized sculptures of yogini (sacred women) found within its compound. See these ancient figures and scenes from the Hindu epics come to life and listen as the yoginis unravel mystical stories of the sacred temple in this exhilarating dance production. AMARA is by Singapore’s Apsaras Arts Dance Company, established in 1977, by Shri S Sathyalingam and Smt Neila Sathyalingam, Alumni and former faculty at Kalakshetra Foundation, India. Apsaras Arts is the inaugural recipient of Stewards of Intangible Culture and Heritage award by Singapore’s National Heritage Board in 2020. The dance company has been led by award winning artistic director Aravinth Kumarasamy since 2005. AMARA at Nrithyodaya Honoured to have been presented at the three-day festival celebrating Nrithyodaya’s 80th anniversary at the Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai. The festival was curated and presented by dance doyenne Dr Padma Subrahmanyam. AMARA performance was presided by N Murali, the president of Madras Music Academy, and leading dance legends Priyadarsini Govind and Shobhana. AMARA at Kalakshetra Foundation Blessed to have had legendary dance gurus, VP Dhananjayan, Shantha Dananjayan, Dr Padma Subrahmaniyam, Lakshmi Viswanathan and Kalakshetra Director Revathi Ramachandran who were present to
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,
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.
In Sights
IPAC 2023 – What is in store for Singapore? Read on to know all about the sessions at IPAC Singapore 2023, in detail in the words of Artistic Director of Apsaras Arts, Aravinth Kumaraswamy IPAC 2023 is back in Singapore for the 12th year in a row from June 17 to June 25, 2023. The objective of IPAC has been the coming together of practitioners and sharing of experiences, watching curated performances, getting to know off-stage and off-class practices and creating residency opportunities for aspiring creative artists. IPAC will also host a series of lecture demonstrations and talks at Avai, performance space at Apsaras Arts. The convention features a variety of topics covered by Dr S Sowmya, Embar Kannan, Rama Vaidyanathan, Bragha Bessel, Dr Methil Devika, Ramaa Bharadwaj, Dr VR Devika, Dr Ananda Shankar Jayant and Mohanapriyan Thavarajah. This year, we have new faculty members Ramaa Bharadwaj and Dr Mythil Devika who will be handling many workshops and lecture demonstrations. We are excited to have our old faculty members coming back to IPAC with new ideas and curriculum for the masterclasses and they would be presenting exciting lecture demonstrations, specifically curated for IPAC 2023. IPAC 2023 will present Masterclasses in both Carnatic vocals from June 17 to June 20, 2023 and Carnatic violin on June 10 and June 11. The Bharatanatyam masterclasses will be from June 17 to June 23. Both music and dance will have a segment for teachers’ training too. IPAC will also feature two different classical forms of dance – Koodiyattam and Mohiniattam – both from the state of Kerala. We are also very excited that our music offering is also growing in strength. This time we have two showcase performances as music concerts. The showcase performances at Esplanade include Strings of Gold by Embar S Kannan, an ensemble of Carnatic violins, featuring Singapore musicians; Samavaya: A Euphonic Co-existence by Niranjan, which is a blend of Carnatic music, Jazz, Blues, funk and pop by musicians from various backgrounds; Mahishasura Vadham by Kapila Venu, the slaying of Mahishasura, the classic tale of the slaying of Mahishasura by the Goddess Devi, told through Koodiyattam; Skanda Rasam by Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, inspired by Lord Murugan, and explores the mythology of the divine being through Bharatanatyam and Anaavaran where Dr Methyl Devika presents an original mix of abstract and representational Mohiniattam sequences Stay tuned to our social media handles as we unravel all that’s in store at IPAC 2023!
In Sights
Looking back at IPAC The Indian Performing Arts Convention (IPAC) 2023 forayed into its 12th edition this year and was held between June 17 and June 25, this year. IPAC featured week-long Masterclasses, lecture demonstrations and performances by distinguished faculty from India. Read on for a summary of what it entailed… The Convention began with an invocation by the students of Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, followed by a sharing by Artistic Director of Apsaras Arts, Aravith Kumarasamy, wherein he introduced the Convention and what’s in store. With careful thought and planning, IPAC featured Masterclaasses for dance and music that were curated for practitioners and teachers across different levels in the arts. The lecture demonstrations too straddled an array of subjects and were presented with clarity and conviction by the presenters. Bharatanatyam exponents, Rama Vaidyanathan and Bragha Bessell conducted Masterclasses for Intermediate and Advanced levels of dance practitioners while Priyadarsini Govind and Ramaa Bharadvaj held sessions for aspiring teachers on methods and techniques of teaching and choreographing for dance. The inaugural day workshop was conducted by Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer-teacher, Shankar Kandasamy who worked around the theme of Finding Poetry in Nrtta. There was also a special workshop by Koodiyattam exponent, Kapila Venu on how to prepare the body for Koodiyattam. This was a truly insightful session and also allowed participants a good understanding of the basics of Kootiyattam. VR Devika, Ananda Shankar Jayant and Methil Devika also presented lecture demonstrations as part of IPAC. IPAC also had space dedicated for music and two Masterclasses – one on vocals and another on violin – were conducted by Dr S Sowmya and Embar Kannan respectively. For a complete coverage on IPAC Masterclasses and lecture demonstrations, read this article featured in Sruti. The highlight of IPAC, as always, is the showcase of performances by artistes, every evening and this year too it was grand and meticulously planned by the Artistic Director of Apsaras Arts, Aravinth Kumarasamy. Bharatanatyam dancer, writer, educator and storyteller Ramaa Bharadvaj reviewed three performances that stood out in this series of evening showcases… Here are some key highlights from her observations… Koodiyattam exponent Kapila Venu’s Mahishasuravadham premiered on Day one, June 23, 2023 of IPAC. In Ramaa’s words, the Esplanade- Theatre on the Bay, turned silent as they watched Kapila breathe life into the character of Devi and transform into a Devi herself. It was a moving performance and the audience gave the performance a standing ovation. The second best performance according to Ramaa Bharadvaj was Mohanapriyan Thavarajah’s Skanda Rasam, a solo work on Lord Muruga. In Ramaa’s words, the true flavour of Skanda rasam was evident right from the decorations of the theatre to the backdrop of the stage, in the dance, the costume, aesthetics and the music. In total, everyone was soaked in the fervour of Muruga. Aravinth Kumarasamy’s story narration in between the pieces added effect and edge to the already splendid performance. Anaavaran, Mohiniattam exponent, Methil Devika’s performance also stole the hearts of the audience. Her performance comprised a six-part presentation of carefully chosen pieces depicting a variety of emotions. Devika’s brilliance as a dancer, choreographer, performer and musician came across very clearly in her performance, said Ramaa Bharadvaj. IPAC at the Esplanade – Day 1 (Mahishasuravadham – The slaying of Mahishasura – Kapila Venu)By Ramaa Bharadvaj One of the highlights of the IPAC experience consisted of the professional showcase performances presented by Apsaras Arts in collaboration with the Esplanade Theater. Curated carefully by Aravinth Kumarasamy, this year, there were three events that acted like three crowning ‘kalasams’ to the IPAC temple tower. Here I share my experience of each evening in three parts. PART 1 of 3: June 23, 2023: “MAHISHASURAVADHAM”:The first day of IPAC’s Showcase performance at Esplanade began with the booming sounds of “mizhavu’ and ‘edakka’ drums bringing not only ‘God’s own Country’ to Singapore, but the goddess Herself. Petite in form but massive in energy was Kapila Venu as she presented the slaying of Mahisha in Kerala’s Koodiyattam style. The daughter of the legendary exponent G. Venu, Kapila is the ideal torchbearer of her father’s legacy. She depicted Mahishasura’s fierce encounter with Devi through deliberately controlled and highly stylized gestures, radiating a mesmerizing intensity. Finally, as Devi drinks over and over from the wine goblet and rises in intoxicated ferocity to behead the ‘asura’, the audience watched Kapila’s fearsome transformation in reverential silence.The Natyashastra speaks of the success or ‘siddhi’ of a performance as being of multiple kinds. Of these, the ‘dhaivi siddhi’ or divinely blessed success is said to elicit stunned silence from spectators. Kapila’s performance had that effect on the audience, but only for a brief moment; for soon the entire theater jumped to their feet to acknowledge her marvelous mastery, with a sustained ovation. As for me personally the effect continued long after I walked out of the theater and joined my colleagues at a restaurant for dinner. How does one walk up to a goddess and tell her she was spectacular? Finally, when I did tell her how I felt she laughed sweetly, and we became friends. That’s right! I befriended a goddess!I’ll see you tomorrow with my views on the second performance, when a warrior god manifested onto the Esplanade theater!– Ramaa Bharadvaj (July 11, 2023) IPAC at the Esplanade – Day 2 (Skanda Rasam – Mohanapriyan Thavarajah )By Ramaa BharadvajOne of the highlights of the IPAC experience consisted of the professional showcase performances presented by Apsaras Arts in collaboration with the Esplanade Theater. Curated carefully by Aravinth Kumarasamy, this year, there were three events that acted like three crowning ‘kalasams’ to the IPAC temple tower.In this writing, I share my experience of each evening in three parts.PART 2 of 3: June 24, 2023: “SKANDA RASAM”: When Mohanapriyan Thavarajah chose to devote his solo evening’s work to Lord Skanda, that beauteous God must have been pleased, for as it turned out, this second evening of Esplanade showcase fell on the exact day of Sashti, most sacred for Skanda worship, but