The Natya Ballet Dance Festival 2018 by Natya Ballet Centre

The

NATYA

BALLET

DANCE

Initiative In Association with

SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

FESTIVAL

The Natya Ballet Centre 21, Bhai Vir Singh Marg Near Gole Market New Delhi 110 001 Phone : 011 2374 2568 Email : natyaballetcentre@gmail.com Website: www.natyaballetcentre.com

2018 30 NOV - 02 DEC

New Delhi In Association with Sangeet Natak Akademi

Festival Partner:

Sangeet Natak Akademi

Festival Supporters:

CINEDANS DA N C E O N S C R E E N

PANDIT BIRJU MAHARAJ

ASTAD DEBOO LEELA SAMSON MALLIKA SARABHAI

GOWRI RAMNARAYAN PRIYADARSINI GOVIND KATKATHA PUPPET ARTS TRUST

KORZO THEATRE

LEO SPREKSEL HARI & CHETHANA

VLOEISTOF DANCE COMPANY

ANURUPA ROY MAYA KRISHNA RAO VINAY KUMAR JYOTSNA SHOURIE

ARSHIYA SETHI JUSTIN MCCARTHY

SABA DEWAN SHARADA RAMANATHAN VIKRAM IYENGAR

ANITA CHERIAN MANJARI SINHA NAMAN P. AHUJA SAUMYA BAIJAL ANANYA CHATTERJEA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE CONFERENCE FOREWORD Pg. 02

DANCE DISCOURSES Pg. 21 -30

EXPLORING ‘DANCE IN THEATRE’

MASTERCLASS

Talk ‘MAKING THROUGH IMPROVISATION: WAYS THAT DANCE & THEATRE MAY MEET ON THE FLOOR’

ANANYA CHATTERJEA Ananya Dance Theatre, USA

SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI Pg. 50

Pg. 43 -44

Maya Krishna Rao

Discussion ‘EXAMINING THE PAST & PRESENT WORK OF ADISHAKTI’

CURATORIAL NOTE Pg. 04

Discussion ‘ALTERING IDIOMS OF ART & PERFORMANCE’ THE PERFORMANCES ‘MAHABHARATA’ by Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust

‘WE ARE WAITING AT THE BORDER’ by Vloeistof Dance Company

‘AYUSH’

A Korzo Theatre Production

‘AHAM SITA’

by Gowri Ramnarayan & Priyadarsini Govind

Pg. 07-18

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

Vinay Kumar & Dr. Anita Cherian

MEET THE LEGENDS ASTAD DEBOO

in conversation with Dr. Arshiya Sethi

PANDIT BIRJU MAHARAJ in conversation with Manjari Sinha

MALLIKA SARABHAI in conversation with Dr. Arshiya Sethi

LEELA SAMSON

in conversation with Naman P. Ahuja

Pg. 33 -40

Gowri Ramnarayan & Jyotsna Shourie in conversation with Saumya Baijal

Pg. 43 -44

EXPLORING ‘DANCE IN FILM’

Pg. 45 -46

Lecture Presentations ‘BAHUDA’ Vikram Iyengar

NATYA BALLET CENTRE

‘SRINGARAM’ Sharada Ramanathan

Pg. 52

‘O FRIEND, THIS WAITING!’ Justin McCarthy:

‘THE OTHER SONG’ Saba Dewan

Followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Arshiya Sethi

Pg. 43 -44

LOCATION MAP SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI Pg. 47 -48

PEOPLE & PARTNERS Pg. 52

FOREWORD Welcome to movement that is contemporary yet traditional. To dramaturgy that reflects the current state of society.

CURATORIAL NOTE With this second edition of The Natya Ballet Dance Festival 2018 we attempt to go beyond just dance to

To performances that deliver emotion and character with

showcase its various aspects inside and outside the

greater impact than words.

proscenium space and more importantly in the context

To interpretations that awaken new perspectives to age-old

of film and theatre.

stories. From the inside to the outside. From people to puppets.

The festival brings in bold and assertive performances and films that re-look and re-interpret conventional

From the stage to public spaces.

storytelling in the modern context and delve into a

From mythology to modernity.

deeper discourse on how art can push boundaries to

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s explore dance from the previously untold perspectives of film and theatre. Where dance becomes a reathtakingly powerful medium of narrative and social activism. And performances are an experimental mix of text, video, installation art and comedy.

mobilize social change. It aims to examine how dance and choreography evolve when they are allowed to re-write definitions of classical vocabulary and shift the performance from the traditional stage to other public domains and

Welcome to, The Natya Ballet Dance Festival 2018

formats that reach out to larger audiences. Radhika Hoon, Chairperson, Natya Ballet Centre & Nikita Maheshwary, Creative Director, Natya Ballet Centre

PERFOR MANCES

MAHABHARATA Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust NOV 30, 2018 | 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM MEGHDOOT I, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

‘Mahabharata’ is a contemporary re-telling of the epic that employs the Japanese technique of Bunraku masks and shadow theatre and elements of Chhau and Kalaripayattu. The performance explores the inner dilemma of fifteen prominent characters of the epic through a stream of consciousness narrative of their past and present motives. Does each character’s single minded and unquestioning loyalty to one belief system lead to the inevitable conflict? Was there ever a moment

PRESENTING THE MAHABHARATA. WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED. 07

when each of these characters could have averted war by choosing differently? Or are we doomed to make the same choices eternally?

THE KATKATHA PUPPET ARTS TRUST The word ‘Katkatha’ is a combination of two words - ‘Kat’ or wood, derived from the word Katputli or puppet and ‘Katha’ meaning stories thus coming together to mean ‘puppets and stories’. The trust focuses on presenting visual narratives

PERFORMERS

LIGHT DESIGNER

with non living material, the figure or doll at the centre of it.

Gunduraju Avinash Kumar Mohammad Shameem Vivek Kumar Anurupa Roy

Milind Srivastava

Katkatha is a journey towards expanding the definition of puppetry, evolving a discourse around it while retaining the urban Indian location of the company and the traditional Indian roots of the form.

DIRECTION AND DESIGN

MUSIC COMPOSER Suchet Malhotra

ANIMATION Atul Sinha

Anurupa Roy

CHOREOGRAPHY

Katkatha started as an association of like-minded puppetry

DRAMATURGY

Avinash Kumar

enthusiasts in 1998. The group was formed with the support

Gunduraju

of The Foundation for Responsibility of HH Dalai Lama. In

SCRIPT WRITER

PUPPET CONSTRUCTION

2008, Katkatha was registered as a Trust under the Indian

Anamika Mishra

Mohammad Shameem, assisted by Asha

Societies Act as The Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust. Anurupa Roy, the founder currently serves as the Managing Trustee of Katkatha.

WE ARE WAITING AT THE BORDER Vloeistof Dance Company DEC 1, 2018 | 6:30 PM - 7:15 PM MEGHDOOT I, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

HERE’S AN ACT THAT LITERALLY CROSSES THE LINE.

How fictitious is a border

thinking patterns and focus on

actually?

unexpected aspects of ‘borders’.

The capacity of borders in this

Four dancers, three mirrors and

changing world changes constantly. Boundaries are raised and are constantly

and confronts the audience making them ponder about real

broken down.

border experiences.

‘We are Waiting at the Border’ is

The Vloeistof Dance Company’s

a confrontational and intimate public space performance. The work engages with the audience and explores new ways to break

a huge glass plate challenges

boundaries, break down

widely toured, public space performance ‘We Are Waiting At The Borders’ premieres in India at the Natya Ballet Dance Festival 2018. 10

THE VLOEISTOF DANCE COMPANY Vloeistof is a collaboration started in 2000 by Swiss choreographer Anja Reinhardt and Dutch choreographer Yuri Bongers. Their performances and artistic interventions are a highlight feature of many festivals, theatres and public

CONCEPT

spaces. They have performed in China, Switzerland, Finland,

Yuri Bongers & Anja Reinhardt

France, Germany, Belgium and Canada.

SOUND DESIGN

Inspired by the beauty of the everyday, the performances aim to reflect on human behaviour in an urban, modern setting, bringing out absurd, funny, and poetic elements. The dance idiom itself is not the starting point, nor the aesthetic form. Dance is used to actively involve the

Jesse Koolhaas

PERFORMERS Rex Clemensia Ulrike Doszmann Keanu Sinnaeve Anja Reinhardt Bhakti Gandhi

spectators and encourage them to reflect on the reality in which they find themselves on a daily basis.

WATCH A MODERN WESTERN CHOREOGRAPHY ABOUT AN ANCIENT EASTERN PHILOSOPHY.

AYUSH A Korzo Theatre Production DEC 1, 2018 | 7:20 PM - 8:00 PM MEGHDOOT I, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

Inspired by the philosophy of Ayurveda, Ayush is a Kathak-based contemporary dance work led by famous Dutch director Leo Spreksel, in collaboration with eminent Kathak dancers Hari and Chethana. This experimental work explores the 3 doshas of the body and their constant balance and imbalance, strength and weakness - exposed, resonated and aligned.

LEO SPREKSEL Leo Spreksel has served as the Artistic director of the Korzo Theatre in The Hague, The Netherlands from 1994 - 2018 and has founded and curated the bi-annual CaDance Festival for contemporary dance and the The India Dans Festival – the largest Indian dance festival in Europe. He has been working in different areas of the arts combining a practice as dancer and visual artist before pursuing a career in

CHOREOGRAPHER

the artistic management of dance from 1990 onwards. Since then

Leo Spreksel

he has worked in the field of the Politics of Art at numerous

MUSIC COMPILATION

events. A Member of the National Council for the Arts, the

Peter Lemmens Leo Spreksel

National Foundation for the Performing Arts and the Council for the Arts of the city of Rotterdam. He was an advisory member of the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.

HARI & CHETHANA The highly acclaimed Kathak duo from Bangalore and The Artistic Directors’ of Noopur Performing Art Centre, Hari & Chethana

DANCER Hari Chethana Sirisha Irudaya Raj

LIGHT DESIGN Peter Lemmens

SCENOGRAPHY Leo Spreksel

have distinguished themselves as inspiring dancers across India and overseas. Sri Hari was honoured with a deputation by the Indian Embassy in the Netherlands. Hari and Chethana are ‘resident artists’ of Korzo Theatre and have performed in various prestigious festivals such as Hampi Utsav, Mudra Festival, Badami & Ihole Festival, Soorya Festival, Taj Mahotsav, Karavali and Virasat Utsav, BIAF and as well as many international cultural events abroad. 17

MEET SITA THE WOMAN IN THE EPIC. AND THE EPIC WOMAN.

AHAM SITA Gowri Ramnarayan | Priyadarsini Govind A JustUs Repertory Production DEC 2, 2018 | 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM MEGHDOOT I, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

“She will follow you like a shadow, always,” says King Janaka, as he gives his daughter Sita in marriage to Rama, Prince of Ayodhya. This famous image in the Ramayana pedestals Sita as a submissive satellite, ideal woman, perfect wife, paragon of inviolable chastity. But when her husband doubts her virtue, she asks, “Why do you say to me what even a petty man will be ashamed to say to his wife? I could not prevent Ravana from abducting me. But don’t you know that my heart is always with you? Is Sita the body, or is Sita the mind?” Blending dance, music and the spoken word, Aham Sita frames five crucial moments in the life of Sita. We also hear the voices of other women from the Ramayana - Urmila, Ahalya, Surpanakha, Mandodari – as their stories mesh into Sita’s saga. This exquisite Bharatnatyam based theatre production by director Gowri Ramanarayana is performed by the renowned Bharatnatyam maestro Priyadarsini Govind. 15

GOWRI RAMNARAYAN Playwright, theatre director, journalist, vocal

Subbulakshmi, Dr. Gowri Ramnarayan is a rare

SCRIPT, CHOREOGRAPHIC DESIGN & DIRECTION

amalgam of aesthetics and scholarship. Her witty,

Gowri Ramnarayan

thought-provoking, visually interesting plays make

DANCE & DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY

accompanist to legendary musician MS

original use of music, poetry, dance and painting. Founder and Artistic Director of JustUs Repertory, Ramnarayanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multi-lingual and multi-genre theatre productions have been staged in India, the US, the UK and in south Asia.

Priyadarsini Govind

LIGHTING DESIGN Venkatesh Krishnan

AUDIO PROJECTION Shweta Prachande

Her collaboration with front-ranking artists from allied disciplines like Priyadarsini Govind and TM Krishna, has evolved unique works of rich design and content. Dr. Ramnarayan has also translated plays by eminent Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar.

THE CON FERENCE Dance Discourses

MEET THE LEGENDS

MEET THE DANCING WHIRLWIND OF CHANGE.

ASTAD DEBOO in conversation with Dr. Arshiya Sethi DEC 1, 2018 | 10:30 AM - 11:50 AM MEGHDOOT II, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

Come, listen to the story of a man who became a phenomenon of Contemporary Indian Dance. Astad Debooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dynamic dance career spans 49 years, with performances in over 70 countries. Integrating the forms of Kathak and Kathakali, Astad has created a dance formthat is unique to him. Learn about his pathbreaking journey through contemporary Indian dance and the challenges and joys on his journey to being a pioneer of modern dance in India.

ASTAD DEBOO

DR. ARSHIYA SETHI

Astad Deboo describes his style as “contemporary in vocabulary and

Dr. Arshiya Sethi, is a scholar,

traditional in restraints.” His name is synonymous with Contemporary

commentator, administrator, consultant

Indian Dance, a style that he pioneered at a time when innovations in

and an activist in the field of art and

Indian dance were not welcomed.

culture. She did her Ph.D. from the

His performances are always dynamic and captivating. They include solo, group and collaborative choreography performances with other artists nationally as well as internationally. His stunning signature style is characterized by intense focus, concentration and technical virtuosity along with a distinctively Indian aesthetic of evoking rasa (emotion). “My style has evolved from energetic and entertaining” remarks Astad, “to minimalist and introspective, from the narrative to the abstract.”

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences IIT, Delhi. She has recently returned from post-doctoral attachment at the University of Minnesota, under a second Fullbright Fellowship. Dr. Sethi runs the Kri Foundation, that promotes art and activism in the social and development sector and the generation of knowledge on intersecting issues that looks at Dance and the Camera as an art form by itself.

Astad Deboo has worked towards providing a platform for Manipuri artists from India’s largely neglected Northeast. His humanistic social vision with the highest aesthetic standards has inspired his creative choreography over the past twenty years in his work with hearing impaired people— first with The Action in Kolkata, then in Chennai with The Clarke School for the Deaf ,and with the Kothavala School for the Deaf, Bengaluru. He has also worked extensively with street children through the Salaam Baalak Trust, New Delhi. Achievements, Accolades and Awards Padma Shri by the Sangeet Natak Akademi Life Time Achievement Award by The Krishna Gana Sabha

DISCOVER WHY THE WORLD MOVES TO HIS DHA DHIN DHIN NA.

PANDIT BIRJU MAHARAJ in conversation with Manjari Sinha DEC 1, 2018 | 12:00 NOON - 1:20 PM MEGHDOOT II, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

Participate in a candid conversation with the legendary and multi-faceted Pandit Birju Maharaj. Besides his mastery over Kathak, he is also a remarkable musician, percussionist, composer, teacher, director, choreographer and a poet. Constantly mastering new skills and experimenting with different integrations of dance and cinema, Maharaj ji has also composed and choreographed classical music and dance sequences for mainstream Indian cinema. Come hear him speak about his illustrious career and know why he is the heartbeat of the Kathak community.

PANDIT BIRJU MAHARAJ

MANJARI SINHA

Pandit Birju Maharaj is a legendary Kathak dancer. He belongs to an

Manjari Sinha is an acclaimed

illustrious family of dance masters of the Lucknow Gharana. His uncles

musicologist and classical

Shambu and Lacchu Maharaj, and his father Acchan Maharaj were all

music and dance critic

well-known Kathak dancers. He is the founder of Kalashram and

recognized both for her depth

continues to teach budding classical dancers.

and understanding of the

Birju Maharaj is a wonderful singer with a strong grip over, Thumri,

Indian classical arts as well

Dadra, Bhajan and Ghazals. He is also a talented poet, writer and

as her effortless command

musician who has composed many dance dramas like Gobardhan Leela,

over languages. Her articles

Makhan Chori, Malti-Madhav, Kumar Sambhav and Phag Bahar. He has

in English and Hindi on Music (Hindustani &

traveled extensively around the world and performed on thousands of

Carnatic), Dance, Art & Culture are regularly

stages.

showcased in a variety of leading journals and

Birju Maharaj has also choreographed and composed music films. He

periodicals. She gives lecture-demonstrations on

composed two classical dance sequence for Satyajit Rayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film as well

Indian classical music and dance in India and abroad.

as for the well-know Shatranj Ke Khiladi. He has choreographed a song for Sanjay Leela Bhansalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film Devdas, and for the beautiful dance number Mohe Rang Do Laal from the film Bajirao Mastani. Achievements, Accolades and Awards Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Padma Vibhushan Kalidas Samman National Award for Best Choreography for Vishwaroopam Soviet Land Nehru Award Sangam Kala Award Honorary Doctorate Degrees Khairagarh University and Banaras Hindu University The Nehru Fellowship 27

Manjari Sinha has a Masters in Sanskrit from Allahabad University, Masters in Music from Vikram University; Ujjain, Sangeet Prabhakar in vocal, tabla, sitar and has learnt Kathak from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad. She has been further groomed in the sitar under Guru Pt. Arvind Parikh in the lineage of Ustad Vilayat Khan.

MALLIKA SARABHAI in conversation with Dr. Arshiya Sethi DEC 2, 2018 | 10:30 AM - 11:50 AM MEGHDOOT II, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

SHE IS DAZZLING AND MULTIFACETED - A TRUE JEWEL OF INDIA.

Be it the screen, the stage or the podium Mallika Sarabhai has conquered them all. Be part of an insightful and candid conversation with the brilliant and beautiful Mallika Sarabhai - the choreographer, classical dancer, film maker, film actress, writer and social activist - who has been recognised and awarded across the world.

MALLIKA SARABHAI Mallika Sarabhai is a well renowned and multi-awarded classical dancer, choreographer, film maker, film actress, writer and social activist who has been recognised across the world. In constant demand as a soloist as well as leading her own dance company, Darpana she has been creating and performing both classical and contemporary works for over 40 years, now. An excellent exponent of Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi she first came to international notice when she played the role of Draupadi in Peter

Achievements, Accolades and Awards Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2000)- Creative Dance Padma Bhushan (2010) - for contribution to Performing Arts. French Palme D'or (1977) - The highest Civilian award in France Theatre Pasta Theatre Chevalier des Palme’s Academiques Honorary Director of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts for 40 years The Golden Star Award for the Best Dance Soloist, Theatre De Champs Elysees, Paris 1977 Best actress award (1975) - Meena Gurjari MBA from IIM Ahmedabad Doctorate in Organisational Behaviour from Gujarat University

Brook’s The Mahabharata for 5 years, first in French and then English, performing in France, North America, Australia, Japan and Scotland. Always an activist for societal education and women’s empowerment, Mallika began using her work for change. In 1989 she created the first of her hard-hitting solo theatrical works, Shakti: The Power of Women. Since then Mallika has created numerous stage productions which have raised awareness, highlighted crucial issues and advocated change, several of which productions have toured internationally as well as throughout India. In the mid 90s Mallika began to develop her own contemporary dance

DR. ARSHIYA SETHI Dr. Arshiya Sethi, is a scholar, commentator, administrator, consultant and an activist in the field of art and culture. She did her Ph.D. from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences IIT, Delhi. She has recently returned from post-doctoral attachment at the University of Minnesota, under a

vocabulary and went on to create short and full-length works which

second Fullbright Fellowship. Dr. Sethi runs the Kri Foundation,

have been presented in India and over 50 other countries.

that promotes art and activism in the social and development sector and the generation of knowledge on intersecting issues that looks at Dance and the Camera as an art form by itself.

A TEACHER WHO LOVES TO DANCE. AND A DANCER WHO LOVES TO TEACH.

LEELA SAMSON in conversation with Naman P. Ahuja DEC 2, 2018 | 12:00 NOON - 1:20 PM MEGHDOOT II, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI Join Leela Samson, as she talks about the unusual ideas, re-evaluations and insights that dance revealed to her as a performer, and her journey towards expressing these insights through dance. The Founder of the Spanda Dance Company she says, “Spanda was born out of a need to express myself in the multiple energies of more than one dancer, as against the solo option that existed and that I practice.”

LEELA SAMSON

NAMAN P. AHUJA

Leela Samson is a virtuoso performer and a sensitive interpreter of the

Naman P. Ahuja is a curator of Indian

nuances of Bharatnatyam. As a soloist, her seemingly understated

art, Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru

delineation conceals an inspired inner source and strong foundation.

University and Co-Editor of Marg

Leela received the impulses for her growth as a dancer from

Publications. He was curator of Indian

Kalakshetra, Chennai, where she was a student. She enjoys the

Sculpture at the British Museum in

reputation of being a dancer who has excellent form in nritya and

2001, and contributed to the exhibition

sensitive abhinaya. Leela has travelled extensively and performed at

and catalogue of Divine Presence: The

leading festivals of dance in India and abroad.

Arts of India and The Himalayas at

Leela has choreographed a body of work called ‘Spanda’ known for its

Casa Asia in Barcelona in 2003. He has curated a number of

innovations in Bharatanatyam. Now, twenty years since its inception

exhibitions on classical and contemporary art and is most

Spanda continues to enthrall audiences with its innovativeness in

noted for his critically acclaimed exhibition on The Body in

tradition.

Indian Art and Thought (2013). He recently co-curated India and

A writer inspired by dance, Leela has written ‘Rhythm in Joy’ based on

the World: A History in Nine Stories at the National Museum

the classical dance forms of India and ‘Rukmini Devi – a life’ published

and CSMVS. His studies on terracottas, ivories and small finds

by Penguin Viking in 2010, on the life of the legendary founder of

have drawn attention to the foundations of Indian iconography

Kalakshetra. As the Director of Kalakshetra she brought to the institute

and transcultural exchanges at an everyday, quotidian level.

an integrity and dynamism in teaching and performance as well as a widening of the academic scope of the dancer graduating from its portals. The latest production she is working on is ‘Avani– the river’. Achievements, Accolades Chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi (2010 - 2014) Chairperson, Central Board of Film Certification (2011- 2015) Director, Kalakshetra (2005 - 2012) Natya Kala Acharya Award in 2015. Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000 Nritya Choodamani Award in 1997 Padma Shri Award in 1990 Sanskriti Award in 1982 27

EXPLORING DANCE IN THEATRE

WHEN IT’S NO LAUGHING MATTER, SHE LETS COMEDY DO THE JOB.

TALK ‘Making through improvisation: Ways that dance & theatre may meet on the floor.’

MAYA KRISHNA RAO DEC 1, 2018 | 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM MEGHDOOT I, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI Lorem ipsum

Come, discover the ways in which dance and theatre meet,

Maya Krishna Rao, known for her witty and sometimes acerbic take

collide and flow into each other on the rehearsal floor.

on social issues, is an Indian theatre artist, stand-up comedian and

The lecture will also identify the inspiration and impact of

social activist. Her presentation takes us through ways in which, for

Kathakali - a dance-theatre form in itself.

her, dance and theatre merge into each other on the rehearsal floor. She is a trained Kathakali artist and is inspired by her mother Bhanumathi Rao, who was associated with Malayalam theatre in the 1960s. Rao’s plays are characterized by socio-political themes like ‘Om Swaha’, a critique of dowry, and Dafa No. 180, a take on the Indian rape law. Her 2017 play ‘Quality Street’, based on a short story by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie, received critical acclaim. Her solo-artist plays include ‘Ravanama’, ‘Are You Home Lady Macbeth?’, ‘Walk’, ‘A Deep Fried Jam’ and ‘Heads Are Meant for Walking Into’. Achievements, Accolades and Awards Recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2010), Director of the National School of Drama, New Delhi, (1985 -1990) Professor at the Shiv Nadar University, Delhi (2018) Degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Leeds. Associated with the Perspectives Theatre Company in Nottingham Associated with the Leeds Playhouse Theatre-in-Education Company

Discussion Examining the past & present work of Adishakti

VINAY KUMAR & DR. ANITA CHERIAN DEC 1, 2018 | 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM MEGHDOOT I, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

A conversation between theatre academician Dr Anita Cherian and current Artistic Director of Adishakti, Vinay Kumar on the oeuvre of Veenapani Chawla and the current work practices at Adishakti, Pondicherry and exploring the performative and conceptual aspects of the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent work, particularly, Bali, directed by Nimmy Raphel.

AN ODE TO THE CREATOR OF A GLORIOUS PARADISE FOR PERFORMERS. 29

VINAY KUMAR At 12 years of age Vinay Kumar, joined the

Anita E. Cherian is an esteemed academician whose

Communist Party’s Theatre Repertory

research interests are in the areas of cultural policy and

Company. In 1992 he joined Anghanam Theatre

cultural studies, cultural labour, literary history, theatre

in Chavakkad, Kerala. During this time he

history, and, performance studies. Her publications have

started learning Kalaripayattu. In January

appeared in journals such as Third Frame, Sangeet Natak,

1993, he first became part of Adishakti in

Interventions and The International Journal of Folklore

Mumbai. He later shifted with Adishakti to

Studies. She is volume editor of Tilt, Pause, Shift: Dance

Pondicherry. Here, he joined Veenapani Chawla

Ecologies in India, brought out by the Gati Dance Forum.

in her research on Koodiyattam, Kalaripayattu and the corelation between breath and performance. He has acted in Veenapani’s Impressions of Bhima, Brhannala and Ganapati. Kumar also assisted Veenapani in her endeavour to develop a physical craft for feeding the physical, vocal, and psychological expression of the actor based on traditional Indian knowledge. In 2008, Vinay collaborated with Lucia King, a painter and filmmaker from London, to create a film which he also performed in. Vinay plays the lead role in Bali, Adishakti’s latest production directed by Nimmi Raphel. Achievements, Accolades and Awards Amrish Puri Award (2008) Senior Fellowship in Theatre - Ministry of Culture (2012 - 2013) Directed Ionesco’s ‘Rhinoceros’ (2008) B.A in Theatre Arts, from the University of Calicut (1992). APPEX Fellowship, UCLA (1996) APPEX Fellowship, Bali (1997 )

ANITA CHERIAN

She has spoken at various forums in India and internationally. She was a plenary speaker at the International Conference for Cultural Policy Research held in Seoul, South Korea (2016). In 2012 she was the Principal Speaker, Monsoon Platform, Kobalt Works, Europalia and Bozar, Brussels. She has served on the curatorial committee of the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (2012), and has been a consultant to performance organizations such as the Gati Dance Forum. Achievements, Accolades and Awards Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University Assistant Professor in English at the Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi (2005-2016) Associate Professor in Literary Art, Creative Writing, at the School of Culture and Creative Expressions, Ambedkar University Delhi (2016 onwards)

ALTERING IDIOMS OF ART AND PERFORMANCES. Discussion

GOWRI RAMNARAYAN & JYOTSNA SHOURIE in conversation with Saumya Baijal DEC 1, 2018 | 4:50 PM - 5:50 PM MEGHDOOT I, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

Art has been beyond showcase. There is a purpose to it. It transforms as we do, asks questions, seeks answers. With ‘Altering idioms of art and performance’ we look to deconstructing this texture of art. Its alterations and its undying relevance.

GOWRI RAMNARAYAN Playwright, theatre director, journalist, vocal

She emerged as a cultural ambassador for India and her world tours were supported and sponsored by the Indo-Foreign Cultural Association, the Indian Embassy and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

accompanist to legendary musician MS

In1990 she established her own dance company The Jyotsna Shourie

Subbulakshmi, Dr. Gowri Ramnarayan is a

Dance Centre in New Delhi where she trains young dancers, many of

rare amalgam of aesthetics and scholarship.

whom have gone on to become well known soloists in their own right.

Her witty, thought-provoking, visually interesting plays make original use of music, poetry, dance and painting. Founder and Artistic Director, JustUs Repertory, Ramnarayan’s multi-lingual and multi-genre theatre productions have been staged in India, the US, the UK and in south Asia.

SAUMYA BAIJAL Saumya Baijal is a bilingual poet, writer and storyteller in English and Hindi. She is also the cofounder for the Delhi based street

Her collaboration with front-ranking artists from allied disciplines

theatre group Aatish. Her work focusses on

like Priyadarsini Govind and TM Krishna, has evolved unique works of

current gender definitions. She has also

rich design and content. Dr. Ramnarayan has also translated plays by

been an advertising professional and does

eminent Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar.

regular shows with Gurgaon ki AwaazGurgaon’s community radio - on language of

JYOTSNA SHOURIE

sexism in India. She has learnt Kathak and is a disciple of Jayashree Acharya.

An internationally renowned Bharatanatyam

Saumya’s poems are widely published and her Hindi stories have

exponent who has remained committed to

been carried by the Neelesh Misra Show. Her poems have also been

dance for over six decades Jyotsna Shourie

used as stimuli for translation at the University of Central Missouri,

learnt her art under the gurus of the Sri

by students studying creative writing. As a performer, she has

Rajarajeshwari Bharatanatya Kala Mandir,

recited her poetry at different festivals and public performance

Mumbai and humbly acknowledges the huge

spaces.

debt she owes to her Guru Sri K. Kalyanasunderam. Jyotsna has performed all over the country and across the world. 29

EXPLORING DANCE IN FILM

DR. ARSHIYA SETHI Dr. Arshiya Sethi, is a scholar, commentator, administrator, consultant and an activist in the field of art and culture. She did her Ph.D. from the

4 eminent filmmakers and artists present 30 minute lecture presentations on their award-winning films followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Arshiya Sethi. DEC 2, 2018 | 2:30 PM - 5:50 PM MEGHDOOT I, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

‘THE OTHER SONG’ Saba Dewan In 1935 Rasoolan Bai - the well-known singer from Varanasi recorded for the gramophone, a thumri that she would never sing again - Lagat jobanwa ma chot, phool gendwa na maar (My breasts are wounded, don’t throw flowers at me). This was a variation of her more famous song - Lagat karejwa ma chot, phool gendwa na maar (My heart is wounded, don’t throw flowers at me), however the 1935 recording, never to be repeated, faded from public memory and eventually got lost.

LISTEN TO THE STORY OF A SONG

More than seventy years later the film travels through Varanasi, Lucknow and Muzzafarpur in Bihar to search for the forgotten song. This journey opens a Pandora’s box of life stories, memories, half remembered songs and histories that for long have been banished

SABA DEWAN

into oblivion. It brings the film face to face with the enigmatic figure

Saba Dewan’s work focuses on communalism, gender, sexuality and

of the tawaif, courtesan, bai ji and the contested terrain of her art

culture. She has created a trilogy of films focusing on stigmatized

practice and lifestyle.

women performers. Delhi–Mumbai–Delhi (2006) on the lives of bar

To find the lost other song the film must understand the past and

dancers was the first film of the trilogy; the second being Naach

present of the tawaif and unravel the significant transitions that took

(2008) that explored the lives of women who dance in rural fairs. Both

place in late 19th and early 20th century around the control,

the films have been screened widely and have generated critical

censorship and moral policing of female sexualities and cultural

acclaim along with the third and final film of the trilogy - The Other

expressions.

Song (2009) about the art and lifestyle of the tawaifs or courtesans. She is currently working on a book that explores the social history of tawaifs in Banaras.

BEHOLD A SECRET RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POET AND THE PERFORMER. JUSTIN MCCARTHY Justin McCarthy is a musician and a

‘O FRIEND, THIS WAITING!’ Justin McCarthy A film by Sandhya Kumar and Justin McCarthy, supported by India Foundation for The Arts.

dancer. He plays both the piano and the harpsichord. Apart from solo recitals on the piano, he has worked with many vocalists and instrumentalists. On the harpsichord, he usually performs solo

Could a song be full of love, and yet banal and trifling? Such were the

pieces or duo recitals with harpsichordist

padams of Kshetrayya. A wandering poet-musician, Kshetrayya

Douglas Amrine. As a dancer, he teaches

wrote for devadasis, the dancing courtesans at the courts of the 17th

and performs Bharatnatyam both as a

century Nayaka rulers. His heart-rending, intense padams became

soloist and as a choreographer. Justin lives

the most cherished of the devdasis songs of love. ‘O Friend, This

and works in New Delhi.

Waiting!’ reflects on the entwined fortunes of the padams and the women they were written for, from the 17th to the 20th century, while dwelling in the performance spaces of temples and courts of the Nayaka period.

‘BAHUDA’ Vikram Iyengar Sound, light, rhythm and movement all come together in this audio-visual celebration of dance.The focus here is on the multiplicity of Kathak, its detailed precision in every minute movement as well as the overall beauty of its form. Bahuda was first conceived, choreographed and performed by Debashree Bhattacharya and Vikram Iyengar in January 2002. The two dancers perform before projected images of themselves. The

THE FILM THAT DANCES.

piece plays with the idea of bringing together two different methods of seeing – through the eyes and through the camera. These ‘ways of seeing’ open up myriad avenues of exploration. How does one watch, how does one experience, how does one apply a lens of viewing and a format of presentation differently? This experiment juxtaposes live dance and filmed dance within the film frame creating an interaction which blurs the boundaries between two very different audio-visual media, challenging both the dancer-choreographers and the cinematographer to create not just a film of dance or a dance that is filmed – but a film that dances.

VIKRAM IYENGAR Vikram Iyengar is a dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and performing arts researcher, manager and curator based in Calcutta. Trained in Kathak by Padmashree Smt. Rani Karnaa, he is a co-founder and Artistic Director of Ranan Performance Collective and initiator of The Pickle Factory – a hub for dance and movement practice and discourse. Vikram’s range of production work in India and abroad has brought together different kinds of performers and mediums in unusual theatre explorations, and performance collaborations. Since 2013, he has worked regularly with Indian contemporary dancer-choreographer Preethi Athreya. Vikram has taught Asian and Intercultural Theatre in the UK.

THE SAGA OF A DANCER WHO COURTED THE RULER AND RULED THE COURT.

SHARADA RAMANATHAN Sharada Ramanathan is film director and thinker and writer. Sharada has directed two features, and one documentary film. While her debut feature film Shringaram was on devdasis, Sharada’s second feature, Puthiya Thiruppangal

‘SRINGARAM’

(Twists of Fate), touches on the issue of child trafficking. Her

Sharada Ramanathan

documentary on Indian Classical Dance, Natyanbhava, supported by the Ministry of External Affairs, has also been

Sringaram has won three Indian National Film awards, two Tamil Nadu state awards, has travelled to over 10 international film festivals and has represented India in the Indian International Film Festival.

featured in several international film festivals. Sharada has been a member of several film-related juries including the Indian National Film Awards, the Indian International Film Festival of Goa and the International Film

Devdasis have occupied a position of privilege under the protection

Festival, Macau. Sharada is published by leading Indian

of the state and served as the main repositories of traditional arts,

newspaper and journals and international publications such

particularly dance and music since the 10th century. In this capacity

as The Hindu, and the Garimpo De Sulucoes, Brazil.

they often influenced the most powerful people of the time. In her directorial debut, Sharada Ramanathan refutes the idea of feminism as a western construct by illustrating how women of yore may have utilized the arts as a subversive route towards emancipation.

DANCE MASTER CLASS

COME LEARN THE DANCE OF TRANSFORMATION.

MASTERCLASS By

Ananya Chatterjea NOV 30, 2018 | 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM NATYA BALLET CENTRE

Be part of a masterclass by Ananya Chatterjea, a renowned choreographer from United States. This will be an intensive workshop on the Contemporary Indian dance technique, YorchhÄ , which brings together movement principles from Odissi, Vinyasa Yoga, and Mayurbhanj Chhau. Apart from the unique movement technique the workshop also focuses on how to blend gender based narratives effortlessly in a choreographic process.

ANANYA CHATTERJEA Ananya Chatterjea is the Artistic Director of Ananya Dance Theatre and is an exponent of Odissi and trained in varied Indian classical and folk traditions. Presently, Ananya teaches courses on the cultural politics of dance, the bodily production of knowledge, dance historiographies, and the choreographies of social justice art projects at the University of Minnesota.

Achievements, Accolades and Awards Awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for Choreography, Awarded the McKnight Artist Fellowship for Choreography Awarded the Bush Artist Fellowship. 29

CINE DANS DANCE ON SCREEN FESTIVAL The Indian Chapter

POINT TAKEN FILMS Cinedans – Dance on Screen Festival, Amsterdam is collaborating with The Natya Ballet Dance Festival to premiere a curated list of short dance films - ‘Point Taken’, for the first time in India. The ‘Point Taken’ films are an initiative of the Dutch Media Fund and the Performing Arts Fund, working in collaboration with public service broadcaster NTR and Cinedans.

CINEDANS – DANCE ON SCREEN FESTIVAL Cinedans – Dance on Screen Festival is unique in the Netherlands and in the world. The central focus of the festival is on dance film. Cinedans sees the ideal dance film as a true synthesis between the two media of dance and cinematography. In addition to a film programme full of shorts, documentaries, features and specials, Cinedans organises

The Point Taken films premiered at the annual Cinedans Dance on

readings, debates, laboratories, workshops and lectures for

Screen Festival in Amsterdam and were then broadcasted on

professionals and other interested parties.

national television by NTR. Following the broadcasts, the films were screened at numerous festivals and events around the world. 1. Dancin’ the Camera (2015) Director: Pieter-Rim de Kroon Tap Dance & Choreography: Marije Nie 2. She/Her (2015) Director: Sonja Wyss | Choreography: Cecilia Moisio 3. One False Move (2011) Director: Clara van Gool | Choreography: Ria Marks

In the ever-changing media landscape, creators are increasingly seeking different ways to tell their stories. New media and modern technology have entered the scene bringing new possibilities and insights. Cinedans closely follows these movements, and focuses on various forms of crossover projects and media installations that involve movement. Cinedans also organises Cinedans on Tour, travelling all over the world to screen selections from its film programme.

4. Spiegelingen (2011) Director: Marinus Groothof | Choreography: Dunja Jocic 5. Memory Lane (2010) Directors: Menno de Nooijer & Paul de Nooijer Choreography: Joost Vrouenraets

SCHEDULE

SATURDAY DEC 1, 2018

FRIDAY NOV 30, 2018

10:30 - 11:50

12:00-13:20

13:2014:20

14:30-15:30

15:40-16:40

16:50-17:50

18:0018:45

EVENING PERFORMANCE

MASTER CLASS*

MAHABHARATA by Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust, India

Ananya Dance Theatre, USA “Learning to blend gender-based narratives in a choreographic process.”

MEET THE LEGENDS

Astad Deboo Moderator: Dr. Arshiya Sethi

Puppetry, Kalaripayattu, Chhau

LUNCH

DANCE IN THEATRE

Pandit Birju Maharaj

LECTURE PRESENTATION

DISCUSSION

Moderator: Manjari Sinha

'Ways in which dance & theatre may meet on the floor’

‘Examining the past & present work of Adishakti’

‘Altering idioms of art and performance’

Vinay Kumar & Dr. Anita Cherian

Jyostsna Shourie & Gowri Ramnarayan

Maya Krishna Rao

BREAK

MEET THE LEGENDS

Mallika Sarabhai

Leela Samson

Moderator: Dr. Arshiya Sethi

Moderator: Prof. Naman P. Ahuja

LUNCH

EVENING PERFORMANCE THE DUTCH DOUBLE BILL from The Netherlands ‘WE ARE WAITING AT THE BORDER’** by Vloeistof Contemporary Dance ‘AYUSH’ by Korzo Theatre Kathak performance

Moderator: Saumya Baijal SUNDAY DEC 2, 2018

19:00-20:00

BREAK

DANCE IN FILM

EVENING PERFORMANCE

PRESENTATIONS ‘Bahuda’ by Vikram Iyengar ‘Shringaram’ by Sharada Ramanathan ‘O Friend, This Waiting!’ by Justin McCarthy ‘The Other Song’ by Saba Dewan

‘AHAM SITA’ by Gowri Ramnarayan, Priyadarsini Govind A dance-theatre performance by JustUs Repertory

Moderator: Dr. Arshiya Sethi

* Starts at 11:00 at Natya Ballet Centre, New Delhi **Starts at 18:30

CONFERENCE Dance Discourses, 10:30 - 18:00 01-02 DEC 2018

VENUE: Meghdoot Complex, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Mandi House, New Delhi

VENUE MAP

MEGHDOOT COMPLEX, SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI, MANDI HOUSE, NEW DELHI

> MANDI HOUSE CIRCLE

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KAMANI AUDITORIUM

SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI

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SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI The Sangeet Natak Akademi - India's national academy for music, dance and drama - is the first National Academy of the arts set-up by the Republic of India. Created on 31st May 1952 and became functional the following year, with the appointment of its first Chairman, Dr P.V. Rajamannar. The Akademi gives grants-in-aid for research, documentation, and publishing in the performing arts; organizes and subsidizes seminars and conferences of subject specialists; documents and records the performing arts for its audio-visual archive. The Akademi audio-visual archive is the largest in the country. It also maintains a reference library consisting of books. It also has a gallery of musical instruments in Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, where more than 250 musical instruments are displayed. The documentation unit, has collected and recorded works of maestros in the field of music, dance and theatre. The Sangeet Natak Akademi is presently an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and is fully funded by the Government for implementation of its schemes and programmes in the field of performing arts. 49

NATYA BALLET CENTRE Amongst the oldest dance institutions in Delhi, The Natya Ballet Centre actively works to promote, protect and celebrate dance. Through our work we seek to evolve a space where artistes can connect - share experiences, opinions and also start dialogues between their art and the public. Encouraging and fostering young talent is very important to us and our vision for dance as is preserving the culture of dance and encouraging its contemporary evolution. Our endeavours and projects are motivated toward this goal. We feel an immense sense of fulfillment to have supported artistes like Aditi Mangaldas, Manjari Chaturvedi, Navtej Johar and Daksha Seth to mention a few. Founded in 1960 by Smt. Kamala Lal, The Natya Ballet Centre initiated contemporary interpretations of our rich heritage of lore through a repertoire of Indian dance. In 1970s, he Centre, with an inspired team produced some legendary ballets. Our Ram-Leela ran for 25 years at Ajmeri Gate Ramleela Grounds and our Krishna-Leela performed over 700 shows in India and abroad. Over the years, the Centre continues to support and promote both established and upcoming talent as well build its own repertory of new performances, both contemporary and classical. The Natya Ballet Centre is proud of its legacy and continues to strive for excellence.

NOTES

NOTES PEOPLE & PARTNERS FESTIVAL DIRECTORS RADHIKA HOON CHAIRPERSON, NATYA BALLET CENTRE NIKITA MAHESHWARY CREATIVE DIRECTOR, NATYA BALLET CENTRE FESTIVAL ADVISORS HELEN ACHARYA DR. ARSHIYA SETHI FESTIVAL CO-ORDINATORS APARNA MALIK SARITA PURI SHHARYU VERMA CHOPRA PAWAN SHARMA MOHAN RAWAT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MILIND SRIVASTAVA VIDEOGRAPHY SANDEEP SALARIYA, FURRYTAIL PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY SANGEETA BANERJEE, ONE FRAME STORY DESIGN TEAM D&H BLURB NATASHA M MARTIS TEAM SANT RAM AMIT KUMAR MANISH KUMAR OUTREACH PROGRAMME: {explore X exchange} ASHOKA UNIVERSITY SHIV NADAR UNIVERSITY