#iamayoungdancer
Two dancers, from Singapore and Chennai, exchange notes on all things that matter to the world of young dancers A conversation between Singapore-based dancer Janani Arunkumar and Chennai-based dancer Kavya Ganesh, began with the two dancers exploring the notion of the term #iamayoungdancer. While Kavya expressed that it is an interesting space to be in as a young dancer, where one gets to define one’s own art, she felt it could be considered “a phase in one’s life”. Janani added that for her, being a young dancer meant “a phase in your dancing career where you figure out what to present, choreograph and the time to integrate learning into performing and choreographing”. Speaking of the pandemic and its aftermath, the dancers agreed that there was an urgent need during the pandemic to “create one’s own pieces which, in turn, also created a culture of young dancers creating their own work”. The conversation then shifted to the subject of grants and commissions; how they are available but don’t provide enough financial backing and the struggles of each artiste in this sphere. In Singapore, Janani shared information about the NAC (National Arts Council) which supports organizations and individual dancers as well but often there is a question on the audience’s mind about whether they need to pay to watch the work of a young dancer. Both dancers had their own points of view on this matter. Kavya felt that as dancers, one has to create demand not at the cost of commercializing or diluting the art form. “This means,” she said, “the viewership needs to be increased by making the form accessible to a really large group of people. Classical dance has that power to connect even with a layman and its potential really needs to be harnessed. The minute the viewership increases, it translates to ticket sales and that attracts financial funding.” Janani felt that as dancers, if one has the freedom and power to integrate what is learnt and presented, the audience will naturally enjoy and relate to it. “As young dancers, this is something one must strive to do,” she said, “The important thing to note here is that entertaining doesn’t mean that the classical form needs to be compromised. The misconception that the classical form can’t reach people needs to be dispensed with.” The responsibility of a young dancer, both the dancers believed, is “to connect with the next generation. With awareness and time and more sustained campaigns (like Pay for the Arts), this is bound to happen. This will also help in making the profession in itself more sustainable thereby reducing the need for dancers to overwork and compensate their finances with multiple jobs.” Speaking of the dance community in Singapore, Janani noted that the support within the community of dancers in Singapore is “very good, as they collaborate, work with each other and involve students from different schools to participate in a production”. The duo also discussed the positives and negatives of social media. While the world of the internet and its many possibilities have helped to connect dancers from across the world with each other, especially during the lockdown, the perils of social media can just not be ignored. “One needs to remember the platform also projects people in a different light and one can’t take everything very seriously on this platform,” Kavya added. Amen to that!
Books Banter
Of Triumphs & Turmoils Acclaimed Bharatanatyam artiste and the senior-most disciple of Dr Kanak Rele, Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam exponent, Deepak Mazumdar, shares his thoughts on Dr Rele’s new book, ‘Me and my Mohini Attam’. “I am extremely delighted and feel fortunate that I am living during the era of the legendary danseuse and my guru, Kanak Rele ji. I feel very special, as I was guided to meet my guru through the divine message of Sai Baba. It is Baba who led me towards her and she too happened to be his devotee. I met her when I was 18 and my journey began to learn the true spirit of ‘Dance’ -D – divine; A – art; N – nectar; C – commitment; E – elevate. The journey was simple, as I had no other goal, but to follow the path of this unknown world, untouched by the glitter and glamour of the modern world. In her, I saw a gamut and reality of life. She was a granddaughter, daughter, mother, sister, wife, grandmother, an academician par excellence and above all the greatest guru who took me in her arms and made me what I am today. I grew up with every aspect and emotion of life rooted in culture. This biography – Me and my Mohini Attam- is a true reflection of the upheavals she faced in her journey; the sacrifices that she had to make to achieve the accolades, name and fame and establish an institution, making dance a part of every aspirant’s life. All credit goes to her for having taken dance to University level for the benefit of the generations to come. Nalanda has become synonymous with her name. I, being her senior most disciple, feel privileged along with my colleagues and her distinguished disciples to add a page of praise to the legendary doyenne. The biography is an insight into the turmoils and triumphs of Kanak ji. From her birth in the Divecha family, to her marital bond filled with love and mutual respect into the Rele Parivaar, to which, she is the matriarch now. The book envelopes Kanak ji’s early steps into dancing, her love for dance, her initiation of Nalanda upholding the sanctity of Indian classical dance at the Mumbai University, equating it with any other degree in the nation, her role as an Education Director, which she holds till today, a role model grandmother to her grandchildren, being an administrative head, a doting mother and mother-in-law… the biography covers her life from all perspectives. Furthermore, the array of experiences shared by all her students who share anecdotes and her daily doses of encouragement, which they all experienced in their own special ways, makes the book an encyclopedia of encouragement for every artist facing challenges or simply wisdom from the Connoisseur herself. The book is definitely one that every artist should not just read but rather try to emulate the sincere dedication towards a meaningful goal into their own lives.
COVER STORY
Let’s Talk Conservation Two young and talented Bharatanatyam artistes, Mahathi Kannan and Manasvini Ramachandran, share their interest, journey in working with the tangible and intangible in the arts… An interview Qus : What has been your fascination with the idea of heritage? When did you know that you wanted to study it formally and pursue a career – of sorts – in it?Mahathi: I consider it a blessing that I was able to grow up in an environment which induced in me a love and interest in anything heritage-related. My revered Guru and grand-aunt Dr Padma Subrahmanyam is the one who cultivated in me a special interest in temples and sculptures. I initially wanted to pursue archaeology but later I found my leanings specifically towards art history. I got an opportunity to do my Masters in art history from the National Museum Institute, New Delhi, which gave better structure to my perception and study of the subject. That has, since then, opened new possibilities for me to apply that knowledge to my dance as well.Manasvini: My family hails from a village called Korukkai in the Thanjavur district. Migration to the city happened two generations ago with no connection to our roots. To re-establish our connection, we drove down to the village as a family and came across a 11th CE chola temple which was neglected. Dr Nagaswamy made a visit to the temple and read the stone inscriptions. After pestering mama as a ninth grader, he taught me the chola grantha script. Dr Nagaswamy introduced me into the realms of art, history, and archaeology. I have always leaned toward Indic culture and heritage but never actually thought I would make a career out of it. It was in my MFA (Bharatanatyam) that a world of possibilities was opened up to me by Dr Padma Subramanyam (Akka) and the faculty of SASTRA university. Being a student of arts and science, both being vastly different from each other, I’ve always wanted to tread a path in between the two. I found conservation to be a beautiful blend of the two and saw this as my calling. Qus : As an artist, does it help that you have the heart-for-the-arts? How does empathy add value to the work that you do?Mahathi: It definitely does help! Empathy helps develop sensitivity. In my understanding as a student of art history, that sensitivity is important to recognise and understand the nuances and sentiments behind works of art. However, it is also important to maintain a certain amount of objectivity since facts of history also need to be taken into consideration. It is this balance that I am trying to develop in my approach towards art history as a subject and art as a whole.Manasvini: To work on an object, it is important for a conservator to understand it from different perspectives. Beyond an understanding of how it was made, the materials used, and the techniques employed in the making, a conservator must understand why it was made and its significance. Any artist understands the purpose of art better than a person who cannot appreciate art. My professor used to insist that we first look into the artwork before actually finding out what issues it has. Being a dancer surely helps me understand this nitty gritty better. Qus : Can you break down the work that you do or plan to pursue in the space of heritage and conservation of the arts?Mahathi: I must admit, I am not extremely active in the art history space but I do try to do my bit in sharing whatever knowledge I have gained and continue to gain through my page Shilpakatha. It is a humble venture through which I simply would like to share the joy I experience in art, specifically Indian sculpture. Studying each sculpture that I post about involves quite a bit of work for me, since I feel I have a responsibility of sharing knowledge in the most authentic, honest manner. For instance, when I am looking into any legend associated with a deity or a temple, I try to go into the source(s) of the legend such as the Itihasas and Puranas. Reading up the original texts with their translations and correlating them with the iconography of a sculpture. This is my most favorite part of the whole process. It is such an amazing learning experience and this is the experience that I try to pass on through my posts on Shilpakatha.Manasvini: Simply put, conservation is the process of helping to see historic or art objects better and making them last longer. Every object when created has a life span until it perishes. It is for the conservators to help prolong the life of this object. As conservators, we take a very clinical approach to our objects to make sure that the treatment administered is appropriate as once done, it is hardly reversible. A conservator draws a condition report with a visual glossary of the deterioration patterns. While doing this, she also understands the making of the object, its history and significance. The object is then imaged using different radiation sources like Ultra-Violet (UV) and Infra-red (IR) rays which are great investigative tools in understanding conservation. Treatment for the object is chosen based on the deterioration patterns and materials employed are conservation grade materials. This step will involve cleaning, mending, lining and retouching depending on what is best and necessary for the object. Qus : Talk to us about the tangible and the intangible in the arts?Mahathi: I find art history to be a very unique blend of the tangible and intangible aspects of art. We study temples, sculptures and artefacts, all examples of tangible heritage. Yet, for me, the takeaway is so much more than simply the physical form. For me, studying a work of art allows me to see beyond the physical and into the metaphysical and the spiritual. In other words, it allows me to go from the tangible to the intangible.
From the Desk
We can’t believe half a year is gone and what a year it has been – filled with a renewed sense of promise, hope and the possibility of live performances, the joy of meeting people, in-person, sharing and soaking in work, collectively. We, at Apsaras Arts, are conscious of the legacy of the arts while we explore the possibility of finding a sense of the inventive within it. For us, the arts have been a liberating journey, allowing us to find space, freedom and ways to express the world around us through this beautiful dance form that we now call Bharatanatyam. This edition, we raise a toast to the idea of arts conservation as our Cover Story features two extremely talented young artistes, Mahati Kannan and Manasvini Ramachandran, who are dancers, arts and heritage conservationists and curators. In a Q & A format, the duo share their personal stories, interest and journey in working with the tangible and intangible in the arts. Our Interview section covers a crisp interview with Bharatanatyam artiste, Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala, an artiste based in Chennai, with whom, we at Apsaras Arts, share a special connection with. In our #iamayoungdancer section, Janani Arunkumar from Singapore and Kavya Ganesh from Chennai, exchange notes on all things that matter to the world of young dancers. A conversation between these two young dancers is important because it allows us insights into what and how the future of dance is poised to be. Our Point of View section features Mohinittam exponent, Dr Tara Rajkumar, who sheds light on the journey of Mohiniattam but also leaves us feeling a sense of hope and positivity for its overall future. Work-in-Process in this edition is an interview with Artistic Director, Aravinth Kumarasamy of Apsaras Arts where he deep dives into the creative process of Amara, a work that premiered in Singapore, recently. In our Book Banter section, acclaimed Bharatanatyam artiste and the senior-most disciple of Dr Kanak Rele, Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam exponent, Deepak Mazumdar, shares his thoughts on Dr Rele’s new book, Me and my Mohini Attam. Travel Diaries this edition is anchored by Chandigarh-based lighting designer, Gyandev Singh who brings to life his experience of touring Parama Padam through cities and the sights and sounds of Sri Lanka And finally, In-Sights allows us insights into our own return to India, the response we received and the strong sense of connection we share with Chennai, and India, at large. We have a hectic few months ahead of us and we are happily busy with our work. We would love to hear your feedback about Aavartana . what would you like to see in it? How can we make it better for you? Do send in your suggestions and feedback to aavartana@apsarasarts.com
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!
Interview
Moments like these… Acclaimed Bharatanatyam artiste, Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala shares why working with Apsaras Arts and Aravinth Kumarasamy has been a blessing in her life. Please talk to us about your association with Apsaras Arts and Aravinth Kumarasamy? My association with Apsaras Arts and Aravinth began about 20 years ago. I was very busy then with a hectic performance career. One of those times, Aravinth’s mother watched my performance, and wanted to get in touch with me. I came to know through my mridangist, Nellai Kannan that someone in the audience had liked my dance very much and wanted to talk to me. I didn’t know who it was. Many years passed… And then, once when we were in an ABHAI meeting many years ago, Aravinth came to see Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, Padukka as we call her. I was introduced to him and that is when he said, my mother used to love your performance and always wanted to talk to you. I was thrilled. It was like a reunion of sorts. We began a conversation and I visited Singapore and that is where it all began. Aravinth invited me to collaborate on his project – The Heroiens of Raja Ravi Varma. He structured it for me and lent me great support in terms of choreography. I felt a lot of comfort with him. The production turned out beautiful. And there has been no looking back, since. We are like family. Bonding with Apsaras Arts and Aravinth has been a great blessing for me. What was it like to collaborate with Apsaras Arts on the heroines of Raja Ravi Varma? All the dancers who were a part of the production were well-trained and disciplined. The costume designing was done by Neila Mami ( Neila Sathyalingam) and later by Mohanapriyan and Aravinth. They have a very good sense of aesthetics and bring nuance to their productions. I had a lot of fun in their company. It was a very friendly environment. They are all very sincere, hard-working and confident people in general and I must say that I learnt a lot being with them. We exchanged views, thoughts and a lot on the choreographic process. Tell us about how it was to present Apsaras Arts and Priyan’s solo at your prestigious Kala Pradarshini festival? The production on Raja Ravi Varma was first premiered in Singapore by Apsaras Arts at the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay in 2011. This premier season of 3 shows was well received. Later, I invited them to perform this as part of the Natya Festival by my dance company, Kalapradarshini. I still remember we had a packed audience and many from the Chennai dance fraternity were present. Aravinth also introduced me to other dancers and teachers in Singapore. I had the opportunity to present one of mt iconic production “Ucthithialagam” working with the Kesavan Sisters and their students at Bharatha Dance Academy in Singapore. Mohanapriyan also performed a solo for the Kalapradarshini festival, with Aravinth on the nattuvangam. This was one of his early solo performance in Chennai. Mohanapriyan and I performed together for the Brahmakumaris in the presence of all the Matajis and the then for the Governor of Tamilnadu. We did the Geethopadesam in which he was Krishna and I was Arjuna. It came out very well. We also performed another program, Krishna Madhuryam at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. So this association has been going very steadily to this day. Mohanapriyan is a wonderful choreographer and beautiful dancer who you can keep watching for hours. Apsaras Arts has groomed him very well. What are some of your strong impressions of Neila Sathiyalingam Maami? Neila mami was a great humble soul. She was a wonderful guru with a motherly touch. That love was always visible in her eyes. She showered a lot of love on everyone. Honestly, you cannot say she is no more, as she is still living inside us. Her eye for beauty and creativity was inspiring, she could recreate the costumes and adornments painted by Raja Ravi varma, to dress the dancers, as if the painted heroines came alive. As a senior veteran choreographer and guru, Neila Mami encouraged me and also was humble to let me choreograph on her students. She introduced me to senior dancer Roshni Pillay Kesavan in Singapore and I had the opportunity to work with her in choreographing the role of Damayanthi for the Raja Ravi Varma project. We used to meet her every time she visited Chennai. For all this, I should thank Aravinth, who takes great pains to come and visit me every time he is in Chennai. He is able to connect with so many people. In terms of artistic values, what are some of the things you think Apsaras Arts productions stand for? To witness one of their productions, I flew to Singapore. The stage, the sets, the music, the choreography, the dance… It was a live show and I wish I could watch it all over again. The ballet was truly mind-blowing. Dr Rajkumar Bharathi had composed the music which was wonderful. It looked like I was in the heavens and watching this production.
Spotlight on Mohiniattam
Dr Tara Rajkumar introspects on Mohiniattam then, and now and comments that with aspiring young dancers practising and researching this dance form, Mohiniattam is all set to shine It is now more than half a century since I first delved into the dance art of Mohini, the proverbial Vishnu Maya. The enchanting illusion of Lord Vishnu, all prevailing, is often depicted in Hindu mythology as a powerful beacon of beauty, grace, and enchantment. Mohini then becomes a divine force to reckon with, destroying evil and restoring peace on earth. When defining Mohiniattam the aim of the dancer should be to try and capture at least that desirable element of the Lord and embed it in the dancing and storytelling. Yet, beyond mythology, reality sadly speaks of another truth. Mohiniattam was rather desolate in the immediate post-colonial past. The dance and its practitioners were shamed into disownership and destitution. A cultural resurgence and re-establishment through the 1930s and 1940s all over India took root in Kerala as well. In the deft hands of the visionary poet Mahakavi Vallathol, the Kerala Kalamandalam was established. The revival of Kathakali and the performing arts of Kerala was propagated with care and deep commitment. Mohiniattam too was given a new lease of life. Dominated by Kathakali in its own home and by Bharatanatyam outside it, Mohiniattam languished, and progress was slow in the first few decades. Many of the gurus who choreographed for Mohiniattam were primarily teachers of Bharatanatyam and watered down their advaus to suit the wide stance, soft footwork, and undulating movements central to Mohiniattam. This resulted in a less than exciting and lacklustre repertoire and Mohiniattam was often referred to as the poor cousin of Bharatanatyam. Fortunately, Mohiniattam has gained immensely through the astute, exemplary, and extraordinary work of a few pioneers who have made major inroads and added invaluable facets which have lifted this style as a major Ekahara lasyanga form to emerge from Kerala. For example, the work of Padmabhushan Kanak Rele in the late 1960s and 70s highlighted the strength of abhinaya, the powerful signature of the theatre arts of Kerala arts and its seminal role in realising the potential of Mohiniattam. The genius of Kavalam Narayana Panicker provided a whole new dimension with his emphasis on the Sopana style of music and its bearing on Mohiniattam performances through the expansion of the Mohiniattam repertoire. The pioneering work at the Kerala Kalmandalam was defined by two fine gurus Chinnammuamma and Kalyanikutti Amma. Their parampara/lineage has sustained the Mohiniattam style, its growth and evolution through the decades. Learning Mohiniattam from guru Smt. Kalyanikutti Amma in the mid-1960s was a great blessing for me. Over the decades I have worked hard to build my repertoire with deep research and actively developing choreographies that mirror the growth of the dance style. Every decade is marked by a few additional practitioners who leave their mark on enhancing the dance form. I also had the unique good fortune and opportunity to study the sopana mode of music from the edakka maestro Njaralathu Rama Poduval. My years of intense training in Kathakali, the Kerala tala systems and sopana music and the intrinsic knowledge gained through this experience was invaluable and essential for the evolution and growth of my Mohiniattam repertoire. The leading practitioners emerging from the main schools of Mohiniattam have rich legacies to protect and enhance. Every committed dancer has the responsibility to stay true to pedagogy while at the same time enhancing one’s own performance through theoretical and practical research. The past two years of COVID isolation come with a silver lining. The phenomenal reach through internet technology became the unexpected saviour by linking like-minded artists towards an international awakening and coming together. This is benefitting the performing arts, emerging artists as well as the gurus, and provides a powerful window into the world of Mohiniattam and the Kerala theatre arts. Among the bright, aspiring young dancers, there is a healthy number researching Mohiniattam and working towards their postgraduate degrees. This augurs well for Mohiniattam which is all set to shine. It was 1973, just a year after I came to London, the city which was quite the centre of the arts world. I received a gift parcel from the eminent dance historian and critic, late Padma Shree Dr Sunil Kothari, Sunil Bhai, who had encouraged me in the 1960s in India when I was striving to develop a complete repertoire in the Mohiniattam style. His gift was the March 1973 issue of Marg on Mohiniattam with his message dated 6 July 1973: “To Tara Rajkumar with best wishes and wanting her to take off further from this number and enrich the style further”. My efforts were drawing accolades and starting to find success when I left India for England. The respected dance and music critic Subbudu gave me a memorable send off by putting me on the cover of the well-known Tamil magazine Dinamani Kathir in September 1971. From then, I have never looked back. Presenting and dancing Mohiniattam all over Britain, Europe, and later in Australia, I have had the privilege of growing with the style, adapting and enhancing the presentation for largely non-Indian audiences. I was privileged to start the first schools for Mohiniattam in Britain in the 1970s and Australia in the 1980s. Those were early days with fewer Indian diaspora interested in the classical performing arts. Running a Mohiniattam school in Melbourne with a large number of students from many different ethnic backgrounds and presenting numerous arangetrams were ground-breaking. We worked with a pioneering zeal to take Mohiniattam and Indian performing arts to prestigious festivals and venues across Australasia. Monash Asia Institute, Monash Performing Arts Centre and the Music Department at Monash University allowed me to foster several collaborations and courses. Thirty years on, it is fantastic that the Indian Performing Arts Convention (IPAC) is bringing the performing arts of India to Melbourne and specially at Monash University later this year. The writer, recipient of Medal of
TRAVEL DIARIES
Of lights, tours, board games and Sri Lanka Chandigarh-based lighting designer, Gyandev Singh, brings to life his experience of touring Parama Padam through cities and the sights and sounds of Sri Lanka Parama Padam The game of Snakes and Ladders- Touring Sri lanka- The pearl of Indian Ocean Since its premier back in 2019 in Singapore, the performance of Parama Padam has had many successful shows. This thematic production gives an insight into the ideas behind the Vaishnavites game of the same name which teaches the core moral values of human life. Copied later by the British (naming it snakes and ladders), this board game has a hundred squares which are replete with snakes and ladders. The ladders in the game represent good virtues and the snakes indicate vices. Ladders take you up as the good deeds take us to heaven, while the snakes bring you down as a cycle of rebirths. The final goal is to reach Vaikuntha or heaven. My collaboration with Apsaras Arts – Mohanapriyan and Aravinth ji – was particularly interesting because it was a play between technology and the human body. The intersection between the dynamics of the body having a dialogue with lights and both parties intruding into each other’s spaces, creating a dance of its own kind, bordering between chaos and harmony. Between the spontaneous and the computed. It was an experiment to empower the digital, the computed to find its own spontaneity and intuitiveness and become an independent co-player in the performance. We were very excited to take Parama Padam to Sri Lanka because of two reasons. First, it is the country of birth for both Aravinth ji and Mohanapriyan. And secondly, we wanted to see how the production would do in smaller less equipped auditoriums. And to break the general misconception that this production was tech heavy and could not be done in less equipped auditoriums. In our minds, it was important to share this theme with people of Sri Lanka, even if it meant we had to alter and redesign a few parts. The tour first started in Jaffna, north of Sri Lanka. Being an area torn apart during the bloody civil war, the audiences resonated with the theme of the production, which was, how to escape the snakes of deceit, greed and ego to reach the 100th block, the place of moksha. We performed at the NCOMS auditorium, which has been a center of Tamil art and culture in Sri Lanka for decades. What was really heartfelt was that this performance was organised by the dance teaching community of Jaffna. All the ladies came to watch the performance in beautiful sarees. I remember, during the performance the electricity went away but none of the audience moved out of the auditorium. They were transfixed, almost as if they were dancing with Mohanapriyan themselves.It was really fulfilling to receive all the love and appreciation from the audience. After that we were invited to perform at the opening of the Jaffna Cultural Centre. This center is a state of the art eleven storey building interestingly funded by the Indian government. I was happy that India was contributing to the development of art and culture in Jaffna. The performance was attended by many distinguished guests from India and Sri Lanka like the Indian foreign minister, and many Sri Lankan Cabinet ministers. It was an honour for all of us at Apsaras Arts to be performing at the opening of such a grand and prestigious arts center. The next performance was at the Jaffna University. Mohanpriyan even conducted a workshop on dance and I gave a talk on lighting design in classical dance. It was so refreshing to have young energies to come and participate in these interactions. The performance was held at the university hall which was a rather small stage with no lighting bars at all. I spent an evening redesigning the lights. We hung some lights on the projector screen, some on side stands made out of isles from the art department and some on the floor. At the back I put some lights vertically on four stands. This surprisingly gave a beautiful effect for the climax of the show. Many Students of dance, theatre and the arts came to watch. All faculty members of the University were also present including the Viceroy. It is always satisfying to have a full house and they all loved the performance. We got a standing ovation for about seven minutes. They all loved Mohanapriyan who was absolutely fabulous with his energy and soulful abhinaya. Then we travelled to Colombo, the country’s capital. Our performance was going to happen at the Lionel Wendt theatre. A theatre with a very distinct old world charm about it. A 600 seater hall with great acoustics and amazing sight lines. It had wooden chairs with cane mesh. Not the plastic ones, but an actual cane mesh. Also, The place looked like it was run and maintained by passionate people who were genuinely interested in promoting the arts. I saw the country’s first lighting dimmer which was the size of an almirah! A few days before the performance, we got to know that there would be a curfew in the city. This was because of the protests against the economic crisis that the country was facing. It was inspiring to see even women and children, joining in the protest saying, enough is enough!, things would have to change now. But we, along with our colleagues at the Lionel Wendt Centre decided that we will not leave without performing here. During a collective crisis like this one, art is the only thing that grounds the people and reminds them about their innate human nature of love and understanding. We wanted to do our bit too. We decided to postpone our show for two days till things settle down. The people who had already bought tickets were informed about the shift and were given the option of either watching the performance
Work-in-Process
Monuments, architecture, music, costume, lighting and imagination intersect in this production called AMARA by Apsaras Arts. An interview with its creator, Aravinth Kumarasamy Aravinth, what was the genesis of this production? When it was born, how did it develop? What is the kind of research that went into this? In 2013, I had conceptualised a dance theatre production ANGKOR – An Untold Story which was based on the historical details and events on how this grand monument in Cambodia was built by the Khmers. As part of the research for this production, we had also studied, researched and visited Banteay Srei, a smaller and earlier monument to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. A brief description of this monument was included in the narrative of the production of Angkor. In 2020, during the lockdown due to the pandemic, we decided to work on a digital dance film using CGI technology, and at that time, we decided to tell the stories carved on the walls of Banteay Srei through dance and music. The earlier research done was handy and further details of the monument were researched. Banteay Srei has some interesting details which inspired us to write lots of stories, like the following: The Jewel of Khmer Architecture: Due to the miniature size of the structures, uniqueness of the tiny details, and exceptional refinement of the sculptures, it is popularly admired as a ‘Precious Gem’, or the ‘Jewel of Khmer Art.’ Can you give us an insight on the Aharya abhinaya, especially for this production. Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, worked on creating a Cambodian inspired costume, accessories and hairstyling of the dancers. The dancers take on the role of the yoginis who were celebrated in this temple, hence we gave them an appearance of divine Cambodian demi-gods. The challenge was to create all the costumes in Singapore itself as we could not travel to India or to any international destination due to the pandemic. Singapore had all the required Cambodian fabrics, however, we had to get tailors who make regular sari blouses to make dance costumes. Mohanapriyan spent many hours sitting alongside the tailors to get this done for their entire cast of eight dancers. What about the music? Why is the music of Amara unique? Were there lyrics specially written for the theme? Dr Rajkumar Bharathi and Sai Sharavanam created the original music score and got it recorded in Chennai working remotely and online with me. This was the first time where we were not in the studio to discuss, or be present when the music was being recorded. Rajkumar Bharathi created exclusive compositions for Amara which resonated with the beauty of the monument and the secrets it held within. How have you drawn parallels with the Khmer regime and the Indian subcontinent? This attempt to identify connections and linkages is crucial to the work of Apsaras Arts, right? I have been inspired by the diverse cultures of Southeast Asia and its roots with Indian culture and Hindu concepts and legends. Amara is also along the line of our exploration at Apsaras Arts to bring cultures together . Banteay Srei contains details of bas relief carvings on many Hindu stories, which Amara brings to life through dance. My two favourites are: Mohanapriyan has done a wonderful job of choreographing these stories and the cast of dancers brought each carving alive through their dance. How has the architectural beauty of Bantaey Srei been captured in this production? What is Apsaras Arts’ fascination with capturing architecture onto stage in the form of dance? Monuments have been my fascination for a long time. In 2010, my journey started exploring architecture through the production Nirmanika, then Angkor, followed by Anjasa and then with Amara. Each of them brings out different aspects of the architectural marvels of the monuments. In Amara, the audience sees the bas reliefs come alive.