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Saturday, September 22, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
NATYARANGAM CAMP- FROM DANCE TO DEVOTION
It
was the 26th of January 2012….
It
was 2.45pm: My dad dropped me outside Narada Gana Sabha where the bus heading
towards Thennangur village was waiting. Only then I and two of my other friends
realized that we were late!! As we entered into the bus we were having mixed
emotions of fear, excitement and expectations. For a few hours I spoke less
observed more and so did my friends. It was my first time to such a “dance
camp”! I had a look of the stalwarts seated along with the organizers in the
front seats and young and vibrant dancers behind, alongside us. We trio started
practicing some “thalams” which was supposed to be our homework. After a while
we all started introducing ourselves to each other and became comfortable. We reached
Thennangur and I felt a steady stream of blood gushing into my senses. As we
got down the bus we were allotted very simple yet largely cozy rooms at the
Lakshmi Bhavanam. Little did we know that there was a great and a tough time
ahead…. We freshened up and headed towards the main temple. The scent of the
gobar the non hustle bustle atmosphere of the city just reminded the strength
of India-“Villages”. The gates of the sanctum sanctorum opened. There was the
sublime and suave Panduranga bountifully adorned with priceless jewels and
colourful garments. Witnessing such a spectacular sight for the very first time
I felt hard to hold back my tears. With the head priest elucidating the
beauteous art and architecture of the temple, I started to capture the
marvelous paintings on my camera. Sri Krishnaswamy,Secretary Narada Gana Sabha,
later, while welcoming each and every one of us even briefed about the schedule
of the camp.
“Sathgurunadha
Gnanananda” (I could never afford to forget this chant!!). Talking about food…!
It was such a delicacy!I still am wandering about the secret ingredient in it!!
DAY
1
Yoga:
I woke myself up at the right time on the first day (courtesy: mobile
phone….that was used only for that purpose those three days). As our Yoga Guru
Mr.Suresh, taught us each Aasana from breathing exercise to the surya
namaskaram, he also explained us about the inner significance and the effect of
each one of them. The yoga session ended with little joint aches and muscle
pulls and not to forget to mention the beautiful yet simple Sharika who created
the awareness about each person’s Prakruthi(nature) as Vata, Pittha and kapha. The
Questionnaire really did help us discover our body and accordingly dietary
habits were advised. Breakfast then was a heavenly bliss!!I still couldn’t get
the secret ingredient.
Narasimhachaari
sir’s saathvika session kick started the camp with his quick wit and humor, the
aspect was beautigully rendered to us.
This
followed our dear CVC sir’s Angika session. It made me wonder as to no one else
could ever have the grip over Angika and Angshudham. He had also corrected my
“thadhi tha” and also many other minor flaws that we as dancers had. Vasanthalakshmi
ma’am (or vasantha “akka”) who still had the same charm and prettiness, still
afresh, could only be the right person to teach us “aharya” Abinaya.
Theoretically explaining the nuances of Aharya from the Natya Sastra, she threw
light upon those aspects. Janaki akka then went about reading out the list of
performers for the day. As my name was not on the day’s list, I volunteered to
compere for the performance.
Dr.Sudha
Seshayyan- A person who strikes a balance between the two polar ends –Medicine
and Literature. Citing examples from tamil poetry, she urged us to find
“spaces” and read in between the lines that made us wonder the scope of the
verses. “Yen thayum enakkarul thandhaiyum” was a line that we explored and I
was stunned when I learnt that even the word “Kandha” was no ordinary name but
had a deeper meaning. Then was the music session by OS Arun anna. He stupefied
all of us with his mesmerizing voice and his down to earth nature. We were
asked to do the sanchari for the pallavi of the classic Varnam Mohamaana with a
great sense of musical and thanam sync that was a tough task. Tougher was when
no one could manage imagining after a particular point. The homework sessions were also interactive
where we had raised doubts to Dr.Sudha about our “homework” song based on the
Ramayana.
As I
got myself ready clad in a saree, I was thrilled about holding the mike and
compere in front of stalwarts like CVC Sir and others. Two of us were the
masters of ceremony. Once the showcase got over, we proceeded to the temple for
“Dolotsavam”. I had witnessed such an event only on the television before. The
Lord with his consort was placed on the swing richly embellished. The aura of
the deities, the mesmerizing voice of OS Arun, the eager villagers around and a
dancing space that was only few millimeters away from the lord- What else would
a dancer need!!!I felt the complete surrender at that moment. No reviews, no
critics, and not a pinch of tension! Each one of us felt equal before the lord.
We danced for extensive range of songs from slow emotional padams to vivacious
Kolattam songs. Truly such a stress buster it was. Then again the tastiest
dinner! (It still kept me wondering about that secret ingredient!)
Day
2:
Yoga
sessions started off early in the morning…. We received worthy feedbacks
concerning our postures and other aspects of dance. He gave us suggestions
about the stamina aspects. After breakfast it was OS Arun Sir’s session again.
We discussed many songs from the fusion piece “Ka Ka Ka Thunga” which made our
imagination go wild but finally it turned out to be just a kathak bol. It was
then the time to experiment with our movements and adavus. CVC Sir again led us
through some jathis …the special one being the “dhalangu” jathi. In order to illustrate the need of aharya
abhinaya, Vasantha akka projected some excerpts from their productions so that
we may practically grasp the facets of it. The Narasimhacharis even proved
their grip in the laya aspect …Chari Sir being a good percussionist himself! We
had a short photo session with the whole group and broke for lunch! “Oru Kal
oru kannadi” (a song from a latest tamil flick)- even that wasn’t left
untouched as Dr.Sudha lead us through almost all faces of literature…from a
nursery rhyme to a great literature works where we had to find “spaces” to
bring out hidden meanings. Before the next session of OS Arun anna would begin,
we were ready to experience the musical journey he was going to take us
through! The thodi raga was handled by anna with high sense of beauty and
precision. Then was the time to showcase our talents….we three of us danced for
“Arabhimaanam” a ragamaalika for which we received good comments and few
corrections as well…
Well
then….Garuda seva was the next plan on our list. I was still in my dance costumes and headed
to the temple. Nadaswaram and Tavil vidwans
who toured wide internationally were playing for the lord. We gathered around
in front of the lord seated over the magnificent Garuda. Both of them shone in ultimate lusture and
that was an aesthetic treat to the eyes. The
dancing at one instant included CVC Sir, Chari Sir, Vasanth akka, Janaki
akka, village kids and myself holding hands in a circle and dancing to one of a
joyous folk number. What a moment it was to stand…rather dance alongside great
dancers and connoisseurs! I had the time of my life! Sathgurunadha Gnananandha!
Yes.. After another mouth watering dinner I went off to bed!
DAY
3
Yoga
sessions in the fresh air and the mild sounds of the morning chant in the
temples made our meditation experience not only healthy but religious as well.
We had to rush to a Lakshmi temple nearby for the Pada puja then breakfast…!
There was the poetry session that followed suite then the usual angika sessions
that took us through tricky and mindboggling adavus and jathis…. Then followed
a Valedictory function…where we received our certificates and had good
interactions among us! We all had our own photo sessions this time! After lunch
and our pack-up we went to the main temple for the Kalyanotsavam to witness the
marriage of the Lord! Each and every aspect was explained by the head priest
and with a heavy heart we had to leave from the beautiful village!! Angika,
Vachika,Aharya and Satvika abhinaya was given to us by means of a holistic and
a disciplined approach! As I sat near the window inside the bus waiting for the
bus to start off to Chennai I started to wonder as to what did the camp not
give us?! It gave us dance, music, poetry, positive vibrations, spiritual
outlook towards everything we do….and upon everything the delicious food….I
recognized that “secret ingredient” in the food as love…towards God and other living
beings that made the food as tasty as ever! And not to forget our own thinnai
discussions where we had a great time sharing our knowledge and discussing home
works! As I pondered upon these I joined my fellow members singing happily to
wide range of numbers forming teams and competing, to add even that bit of fun
element to make a complete trip! My first ever trip to Thennangur has given me
a lifetime experience and I wholeheartedly thank the Natyarangam committee for
selecting me as a worthy candidate to participate in this! Radhey Krishna!
Radhey Krishna!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
SCENARIO OF COLLEGES IN TAMIL NADU
“I heard that
you have admitted your son in this autonomous college. .. . . Do you think the
college is among the top twenty?” to which the other replied “yes yes! I heard
from that office person .The college is really great”….. one sunny afternoon I
happened to overhear the conversation in a bus stop between two parents. Well,
it was admission time then, and students were seen shuttling from college to
universities to institutes for higher education after their schooling.
Basically
degrees, here in Tamil Nadu , are provided by many kinds of educational
institutes-Deemed Universities, Affiliated colleges, Autonomous ones and private
institutes. Each one has its own pros and cons but the point here is to
overlook its negatives and extract the essentials. Students who luckily got
into the IITs and NITs have fewer problems when compared to others. One could
study the different varieties of colleges under some essential criteria….
*FACULTY:
Acquiring a
degree means acquiring the essential knowledge which corresponds to a good
teaching faculty which can considerably seen in deemed universities and
autonomous institutions whereas in Government ones, reports of lethargic staffs
have been highly reported. The students rarely make use of libraries due to the
fact that the faculty, in any kind of institution is expected to give away the
notes. This gives the students te least exposure to study beyond the scope of
the syllabus.
*FEE STRUCTURE:
Not everyone
is economically strong to afford to posh institutions .Deemed universities have
their own fee structures that would/would not be affordable to all. Government
allocated seats in various private colleges ensure that the studious lot though
economically backward could afford to study in a good private institutions (Both
arts and science/Engineering) Nevertheless, Government colleges have a nominal
fee structure and even scholarships would be provided to the ambitious ones.
*INFRASTRUCTURE:
The
infrastructure does matter when it comes to a college….Here many private
colleges boast about their “infrastructure” which eventually would turn out to
be false! The laboratories are found to be well equipped in private colleges
where the fees are collected high compared to the aided institutions. The
seminar halls and other facilities though available are found to be
inaccessible to students.
*REPUTATION:
As every commodity
has a “brand name”, so does a college or a University. Brand name matters a lot
when it comes to a respect for an individual in the society or recognition in
the place of work. When a person studies in a “well known” institution he feels
confident of himself. For this kind of respect and recognition, the students
choose to study or even forced to study in a reputed institution even if they
don’t wish to. People are looked down in Tamil Nadu if they don’t admit their
ward in a BRANDED institution, unlike in other south Indian states where they
respect a person whatever course he studies.
*PLACEMENT:
The ultimate
goal of any person who studies would be to settle down with a good job. Certain
companies offering a good pay package target only some colleges and most of the
students get placed. But one must not get deceived when the college boasts”100%
placement”. It lies in the hands of the student to fair well during the
interview. The colleges must take adequate care to see workshops are being
conducted that would teach the nuances of modern interview techniques. Placements
differ from college to college-whether an affiliated or a deemed one.
There
are many other elements too beyond these five broad categories. Even, Seminars
and Guest lectures are being organized just for a formality in many of the
educational institutions. The trend now in Tamil Nadu is that people go behind
lucrative names neither do parents give importance to their ward’s interests
nor analyze the college before admission . The definition of “college” has
admittedly changed over a decade. With number of private institutions offering
professional and non professional courses, the teaching methodologies must
evolve with it, emphasizing practical knowledge and encourage wide reading rather
pertaining to the book and syllabi.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
SMILE CARRIED IN EACH BREATH
Supraja the student of A.Lakshman delivered a
soothing recital that had worthy notables. Gentle expressions and vivid
footwork constituted the blithering pushpanjali
in Simhendra madhyamam raga. Varnam was executed with jubilant confidence
levels coupled with transparent flaws in the form of non-synchronous footwork.
The beauty of khamas was personified
by Sri.Srikanth’s mellifluous voice in the padham
“Theruvil vaaraano” with Supraja portraying the naayika’s longing for a single gaze of Lord Shiva at her. The tint of imagination and fascination brought
out the imaginative counterpart of the choreographer. The Kathanakuthuhalam Thillana though well executed with a neat ending showed
some drawbacks like the lacking araimandi
and her inability to complete the steps. In a nutshell Supraja made complex
to simple giving a beautiful crisp maargam
with a pleasant smile carried throughout.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
AN EXALTED STYLE OF DANCE
A neatly presented nritta coupled with geometric lines is the phrase that explains the performance of Divya.V.G. for the Indian Fine Arts society. Her commitment and sincerity towards the art form was evident from the way she carried herself throughout the khanda alarippu that kick started the repertoire. The Neelambari pada varnam elevated the recital with many intricacies like the rhythmic ethukkadai theermanam sans the sollukattu. When subtlety and grace marked the Abhinayaa aspect of the Varnam, non executable jathis at some places revealed her tiredness and the lack of stamina left the audience wondering whether “grace or fatigue?” She moved efficiently and fluently between araimandis to muzhumandis, without any superfluous moves. Then followed the javali well choreographed by Smt.S.Divyasena; moreover well presented. Divya drew a clear picture of the naayika’s mind be it the infantile acts to grab the hero’s attention or her possessiveness and it was an entertaining number. The Thillana set in Revathi was a perfect finish though there was a lack of stamina observed. The dancer’s costume drew interest to convention. Sri. Srikanth’s in depth vocal accompaniment, Sri.Haribabu’s vivacious and highly professional mridangam lent a helping hand to the recital that gave the audience “a feel good” factor to take home.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
TEAM PRAYATHNAM-Together Everyone (has) Achieved More!
The entrance of the Mylapore Fine arts club auditorium was
decorated with tiny pretty looking tots clad in pattupaavaadais possessing
lamps along with few others ready with the kolaattam sticks.(Well…it made me
wonder why was this arrangement made?!). The Chief Guests arrived and they
witnessed a unique welcome (by kids holding lamps and the others performing a
small piece of kolattam) to the Nritya Samarpanam, a celebration of
Prayathnam’s yearly milestones and events. Following the lighting of the lamp
by the distinguished guests there was a medley of performances by the toppers
of the YATNAM level exams (conducted by them) beginning with Chakkani thalliki
to which rhythmic kummi was performed by the students of Vani Kalalaya…. to the
neat perfect Bharatanatyam presentation by the students of Divyanjali, kolattam
by Kanagasabai dance school, kavadi chindhu by students of Smt. Sai Kripa thus
showcasing multifarious styles of dancing. A special performance by Subhashini,
a student of Smt. Sai kripa was an inspiration to all the other students with
her having cracked all the three levels of the YATHNAM exam with the highest
score. Then was the time for the performance by the two guest artistes for the
day, Sri.Shanmugasundaram and Sri.Rakesh, (teacher at Kalakshetra). The
performance started off with Misra Thriputa Alarippu, “thodi” jadiswaram and
the Kshetrayya’s padam rendered by Sri.Rakesh. The rhythmic Shankarashrigiri
and the devout Tulsidas bhajan, Sri Ramachandra kripaalu bhajamana by
Sri.Shanmugasundaram also was carried out with perfect blending of the moves
and expressions. The coordinated effort of their renderings choreographed by
the legends ended in a vivacious thillana. The record of the events from the
start of Prayathnam was summarized by Smt.Sreelatha Vinod in a well thought-out
fashion interspersing textual content with relevant clippings and video bits.
She even emphasized their interest in creating their own webpage and to get
active in facebook/blogging and even about releasing newsletters. Following
that the YATHNAM COURSEBOOK VOLUME I was released by Smt.Nandini Ramani (art
critic) and the first copy was received by Smt.Radha Krishnan (Principal,
Little Oxford Matriculation Higher Secondary School). The book contains all the
necessary study material required for the preparation for the YATHNAM exams.
Then was the turn of the VARNAMANJARI (Audio CD compilation of the legendary
pada varnams) to be released by Bhagavathalu Sree Seetharama Sharma
(Director-Kalapeetam) and the first copy of it was received by Smt.Nandini
Ramani. All were in praises for Sri. Srikanth Gopalakrishnan’s voice in the
audio CD that completely muted the audience when a small portion was played.
Bhagavathalu Sree Seetharama Sharma appreciated the integrated effort of team
Prayathnam whereas Smt.Nandini Ramani spoke on the exchange of traditions and
the astounding effort in the confluence of various traditions of Bharatanatyam.
Smt. Radha Krishnan meanwhile promised that her School would always be a pillar
support to the team and even urged the audience for a standing ovation. Kids
who eagerly waited to receive their certificates and gift hampers were in all
smiles when they received them (surprisingly in the most disciplined and non
chaotic conduct) from the guests. The teachers and also some exceptional people
who supported the Prayathnam in this endeavor were also honoured. Well! All’s
well that ends well….. The Nritya Samarpanam ended there with members of
Prayathnam, patting themselves for their good work. They now carry even a sense
of accountability for going ahead with the ongoing and future projects as
promised for which they always seek the blessings of the Lord Almighty and
legendary dance gurus! The effort continues……..
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