tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:16:40 +0000OdissiBharata NatyamIleana CitaristiSwapnasundariVilasini NatyamBooksContemporary DanceFilmsKathakKuchipudiNrityagramAditi MangaldasAttakkalariAvinash PasrichaDance festivalsHealth and fitnessJayachandran PalazhyKalakshetraLeela SamsonMohiniattamPadma SubrahmanyamRagini DeviSattriyaSujata MohapatraAnwesa MahantaBrigitte ChataignierChhauDance jewelleryDhimsaDominique DelormeEventsGitanjali KolanadJaya Rama and Vanashree RaoKK GopalakrishnanKalanidhi NarayananKalpana RaghuramanKaranasKathakaliKutiyattamMaharisManipuriMythili PrakashRama VaidyanathanRukmini DeviSobha NaiduSubodh PoddarUrmila SathyanarayananVS Muthuswamy PillaiVedantam Lakshminarayana SastriVedantam Satyanarayana SarmaVempati Chinna SatyamYamini KrishnamurtyYogaWritings on Indian classical dance and the performing artshttp://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Isabel)Blogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-1070447599414658619Sun, 06 Mar 2016 09:47:00 +00002017-11-24T02:22:01.281-08:00Ileana CitaristiOdissi Well-known Odissi dancer Ileana Citaristi’s third book My Journey: A Tale of Two Births is an autobiography and memoir which tells the story of her coming of age during the student movement in Europe, her artistic journey which led her to India, and chronicles her experiences and achievements as a dancer, performer, choreographer and author. The subtitle alludes to Citaristi’s life beforehttp://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-my-journey-tale-of-two.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-5957455424562992596Thu, 25 Dec 2014 15:25:00 +00002014-12-25T07:27:55.776-08:00Bharata NatyamNrityagramOdissi A fellow dance friend was dismayed when her teacher told her she was going to the US for a series of summer workshops and would be away for two months. “Not to worry,” her guru assured her, “we can continue our classes via Skype.” I thought of a musician friend in Calcutta who holds regular Skype lessons with his students in Europe, and reflected that this new trend in ‘tele-teaching’ http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2014/12/experiences-of-traditional-gurukul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-3981499063397941980Tue, 16 Sep 2014 08:51:00 +00002014-09-16T01:51:44.020-07:00Events http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2014/09/upcoming-workshop-with-birju-maharaj-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-7753246756417243268Thu, 28 Nov 2013 08:03:00 +00002014-01-03T11:35:49.129-08:00Dhimsa One year ago I was travelling in Andhra Pradesh researching a travel article on Visakhapatnam. I decided to take a day trip to the Araku Valley organised by Andhra Pradesh Tourism which involved a long and scenic train ride. I watched transfixed from the train window as rice paddies, rolling green hills and brilliant yellow fields of mustard plant flowers flew past. This region in the Eastern http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2013/11/dhimsa-dance-in-araku-valley.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-5543597261954536877Fri, 06 Sep 2013 06:42:00 +00002013-09-05T23:56:46.859-07:00Aditi MangaldasContemporary DanceKathak Aditi Mangaldas is one of the biggest names in Kathak today and needs no introduction to Indian dance enthusiasts. Known for her virtuosity and innovative choreography which takes a strong foundation in classical dance and blends it with a contemporary sensibility, combined with a refined aesthetic sense for stage and costume design, her productions have received critical acclaim across thehttp://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2013/09/aditi-mangaldas-premieres-her-latest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-2148378761656140823Sat, 15 Jun 2013 09:47:00 +00002017-10-08T00:39:42.302-07:00BooksFilmsIleana CitaristiMaharisOdissiRagini Devi Above: Shashimani in 2011. (Photo by Sandrine Da Costa) UPDATE: Shashimani passed away on March 19, 2015. You can read her obituary in the New York Times at this link. The Maharis were the temple dancers who performed for Lord Jagannath in the Jagannath temple in Puri, Orissa. Dating back to the 12th century, the Jagannath temple is an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus. This http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-last-mahari.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-6021205225732816909Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:40:00 +00002013-03-14T22:08:31.101-07:00SwapnasundariVilasini Natyam Last year I had the opportunity to travel to Hyderabad and witness the temple rituals performed in the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple during its Brahmotsav celebrations. The experience was a very special and unique one because this is the only temple where dance is performed as part of worship today. In the following article I tell the story of how dancer Swapnasundari was able to reinstate and http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-revival-of-dance-as-temple-ritual.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-351619482757780898Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:42:00 +00002012-02-15T09:38:12.681-08:00BooksGitanjali KolanadKalakshetraKalanidhi NarayananLeela SamsonThe title promises to titillate. And it does. But this collection of nine short stories by Gitanjali Kolanad is not only about a young woman’s coming of age but also a candid glimpse into the world of a dancer. The stories are based on her experiences living in the Madras of the 1970s where she studied Bharata Natyam at Kalakshetra, and later during the 1980s when she returned to India as a http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2012/02/gitanjali-kolanads-sleeping-with-movie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-313720860501346009Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:33:00 +00002013-10-24T07:20:13.182-07:00FilmsIleana CitaristiNrityagramOdissiSujata Mohapatra Documentary filmmaker Sandrine Da Costa’s latest project takes a look at the history and evolution of Odissi, the classical dance from the state of Orissa. I had the opportunity to collaborate with Sandrine on this project last July. We travelled around Orissa visiting dance schools and meeting gurus and dancers, as well as dance historians, musicians and art critics. This 2.4-minute ‘teaserhttp://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/11/upcoming-film-odissi-from-temples-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-3003480136710343125Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:01:00 +00002013-11-05T07:05:23.715-08:00Anwesa MahantaChhauIleana CitaristiKK GopalakrishnanKutiyattamSattriyaSwapnasundariVilasini Natyam India has an incredibly rich cultural heritage. There are hundreds of performing art forms, including theatre and drama, dance, martial arts and musical traditions, both classical and folk. Some of these traditions are better known than others, and as a result, are given more opportunities to be showcased. While there is a proliferation of performances of dance forms like Bharata Natyam, Kathakhttp://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/10/preserving-traditions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-9090033348212524415Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:56:00 +00002011-11-30T21:54:41.939-08:00Avinash PasrichaJaya Rama and Vanashree RaoKuchipudiRagini DeviSobha NaiduVedantam Lakshminarayana SastriVedantam Satyanarayana SarmaVempati Chinna SatyamYamini Krishnamurty(Above: Sobha Naidu by Avinash Pasricha)2850 dancers. 200 gurus. 11 minutes. This was the recipe for history in the making. When on 26 December 2010, 2850 kuchipudi dancers of all ages performed an 11-minute thillana in a stadium in Hyderabad, they created a world record. This was the largest group performance of kuchipudi, a historical event which was included in the Guinness Book of World http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/09/kuchipudis-long-journey.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-6241405064163441118Sun, 10 Jul 2011 16:37:00 +00002011-11-30T21:57:45.428-08:00KuchipudiSwapnasundariVilasini NatyamIn a previous post, I wrote about the launch I had attended of Swapnasundari's book on Vilasini Natyam. This is a dance form which she has spent years learning, researching and documenting. In a recent e-mail interview, she told me more about her artistic journey and the origins and revival of Vilasini Natyam.You have had an interesting journey as a dancer. While most dancers devote their lives http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/07/interview-with-swapnasundari.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-942939718694691618Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:28:00 +00002017-10-08T00:20:05.926-07:00Avinash PasrichaEarlier this month, the renowned dance photographer Avinash Pasricha was in Bangalore for a workshop and exhibition organised by local Odissi dancer Kshama Rau. Over the past fifty years, Avinash Pasricha has captured images of almost all of India’s greatest musicians and dancers. He has contributed his photographs to several books on dance, often in collaboration with dance historians Sunil http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/06/in-eye-of-photographer-avinash-pasricha.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-1123898315850746554Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:03:00 +00002011-06-24T10:44:05.856-07:00Aditi MangaldasBharata NatyamDance jewelleryKathakOdissiRama VaidyanathanSujata MohapatraBedecked and bejewelled: Shobana modelling Prince Jewellery's temple jewelleryFrom the rakkodi on the crown of her head, to the nupura adorning her feet, the classical dancer is literally bejewelled from head to toe. Jewellery is an essential part of the dance costume. It adds sparkle to a dancer’s appearance and enhances the visual effect and aesthetic appeal of her dance, invoking rasa in the http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/06/dance-jewellery-trend-towards-minimal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-9099382969820739395Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:38:00 +00002019-07-26T01:15:05.246-07:00Dominique DelormePadma SubrahmanyamVS Muthuswamy Pillai Image source: The Hindu This year during the prestigious Madras Music Academy dance festival, a foreigner was among the distinguished dancers to perform during the festival. This was Dominique Delorme from France. He was actually supposed to perform during the previous year’s festival but had to back out because of a serious injury. There are very few non-Indians who are invited to perform http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/03/last-disciple-interview-with-dominique.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-3385263710121070104Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:32:00 +00002011-06-24T10:24:57.228-07:00KaranasPadma Subrahmanyam(Image Source: The Hindu)As part of the 2010-2011 music and dance season, the Music Academy Madras ran an interesting lecture series every morning during the second half of December. On December 21st, renowned Bharata Natyam dancer and scholar, Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, presented a one-hour talk on the karana sculptures of the Brihadeeshwara Temple in Thanjavur (Tanjore).She introduced her lecture http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/03/karana-sculptures-of-thanjavur-temple.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-2031955730595600551Sat, 05 Mar 2011 12:48:00 +00002011-12-11T04:59:01.908-08:00BooksSwapnasundariVilasini NatyamWhile I was in Chennai in December, I had the opportunity to attend the book launch of Swapnasundari’s book on Vilasini Natyam. Vilasini Natyam: Bharatam of Telugu Temple and Court Dancers tells the story of this dance tradition which was once performed in the temples and courts of Andhra Pradesh and other Telugu-speaking regions of South India.Bharatam is a generic term which refers to the http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/03/vilasini-natyam-dance-tradition-revived.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-6963887846134600025Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:36:00 +00002011-01-26T19:16:41.812-08:00AttakkalariContemporary DanceDance festivalsJayachandran PalazhyTraces by CcadoO, South Korea & Attakkalari, IndiaEvery two years, Bangalore witnesses a one-of-a-kind celebration of contemporary dance. An initiative of the Bangalore-based Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, the 2011 edition of the Attakkalari India Biennial is set to start on Friday 28 January and will continue until Sunday 6 February, offering performances, a platform for young http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2011/01/attakkalari-india-biennial-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-3432184882929320103Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:21:00 +00002011-11-30T22:03:06.467-08:00Dance festivalsDecember is here and this means the Season is about to begin! For two months (or more) the city of Chennai (Madras) will resonate to the sounds of Carnatic music and dancer’s ghungroos. For fans of Carnatic music and Indian classical dance, this is the place to be! I’m including below a short guide for those who are thinking of attending the Season for the first time.Background:Every winter, http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2010/12/guide-to-chennai-december-season.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-3873656302381681110Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:44:00 +00002012-02-10T01:40:21.714-08:00Brigitte ChataignierFilmsMohiniattamBrigitte Chataignier’s evocative and atmospheric film, La Danse de l’Enchanteresse – co-produced with Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Kerala’s famed film director – is a visual ode to the classical dance from Kerala, Mohiniattam (which literally means ‘dance of the enchantress’). The absence of dialogue provides a hint of mystery and the brilliant imagery and exquisite music speak much louder than http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2010/11/la-danse-de-lenchanteresse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-5664205941781786927Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:34:00 +00002011-11-30T22:09:41.579-08:00Subodh Poddar“The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web."— PicassoThe inspiration suddenly came to artist Subodh Poddar during a dance performance in Mumbai in December 1988. Four great dancers: Birju Maharaj, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sanjukta Panigrahi and Sonal Mansingh were all http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2010/10/subodh-poddar-artist-inspired-by-dance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-8413430302181095225Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:36:00 +00002011-11-30T22:05:54.246-08:00Bharata NatyamMythili PrakashMythili Prakash is one of the fastest rising stars of Bharatanatyam today. She has toured internationally presenting her own original choreographic works and is a regular performer during the Chennai December Season. Her complete commitment to dance led her to take the big decision to move from her native Los Angeles to Chennai three years ago, and her career has taken off to new heights ever http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2010/10/mythili-prakash-complete-commitment-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-320823063764042576Sat, 16 Oct 2010 05:01:00 +00002011-11-30T22:17:10.637-08:00Health and fitnessUrmila SathyanarayananYogaDance makes great demands on a dancer’s body, especially South Asian dance forms such as Bharata Natyam which is characterised by the araimandi or demi-plié position, and vigorous stamping of the feet, both of which place great strain on the knees, hips and lower back in particular. Traditionally, dance training in India has not included a warm-up routine. Dance classes would usually start with http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2010/10/yoga-benefits-for-dancers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-2973733892776595335Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:23:00 +00002010-10-21T04:19:17.378-07:00AttakkalariContemporary DanceJayachandran PalazhyKalpana RaghuramanWhen we’re confronted with an abstract work of art, be it a painting, a sculpture or a dance performance, we often don’t know what to think of it. We don’t understand it. So often we don’t like it. This is because we tend to like what we know.When we’ve been conditioned to think or see things in a certain way, we find it a challenge to appreciate something we’re unfamiliar with. We feel we have http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-watch-contemporary-dance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8092294803527615207.post-362998998627913590Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:52:00 +00002011-11-30T22:11:32.287-08:00Bharata NatyamKalakshetraLeela SamsonRukmini DeviLeela Samson, a former student of Kalakshetra who had the privilege of studying directly under Rukmini Devi, is one of India’s best-known Bharata Natyam dancers. She taught for some years at Kalakshetra and toured all over the world as a member of its dance troupe. She is also a respected teacher, choreographer and writer.I had the opportunity to meet with her following her recent performance in http://a-sacred-space.blogspot.com/2010/10/leela-samson-love-for-beauty-life-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Isabel)10