THE BHAVAN PROSPECTUS 2019 - 20

PROSPECTUS 2019 - 20 THE BHAVAN 4a Castletown Road, West Kensington, London W14 9HE 0207 381 3086 / 4608 | ww.bhavan.net

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Ltd | Registered Charity no. 312879 | Company Reg. Number 1090630

EMBRACE DREAM

BELONG

OPEN DOOR

CULTURE

Step inside and discover the beauty of Indian arts.

REFRESH

BELIEVE SPIRIT

RENOWN

LEGACY

Unfold your body and mind to the wisdom and beauty of Indian arts.

UNFOLD

QUALITY CELEBRATED BLISS

CAPTIVATE

ENLIGHTEN CALIBRE

VIRTUOSO

TALENT

GIFT

HERITAGE

DISTINGUISHED

ENCHANT

LIGHT

EDUCATE

PRESTIGE LEADING

EXCELLENCE The venue of choice to experience and learn from the best Indian teachers and artists.

Stop the clock and be spellbound by artists from the East.

Where the students of today become the Gurus of tomorrow

WELCOME The Bhavan is a unique place to learn and is the largest centre for Indian Arts and Culture outside of India.

We are deeply committed to promoting the beauty and history of Indian Arts and helping all our students achieve their full potential.

Whether you are aiming to be a performer, teacher or are just learning for fun, we will help you pick the right course for you from across the 120 classes we hold each week. This prospectus provides information about our Open, Diploma, Post-Diploma and Advanced courses. Some of our language courses lead to GCSE qualifications.

We pride ourselves on producing highly-skilled practitioners who are also well-rounded and critical thinkers. All our programmes are led by an exceptional faculty of professional teachers from around the world who are working in the industry as performers, teachers and researchers.

Your time at The Bhavan will be enhanced by the many visiting teachers and artists as well as by our collaborations with world-leading teaching institutions in the UK and abroad.

There are over 800 students at The Bhavan and you will be part of an international family which includes teachers and alumni who have shaped Indian Arts and Culture across the world for decades. In 2019, The Bhavan is delighted to celebrate its 40th anniversary at its home here in West Kensington.

Importantly, as well as promoting and developing Indian Arts for the whole community, you will be embarking on a journey of discovery within yourself.

I look forward to meeting you.

Dr M Nandakumara Executive Director

JOIN OUR FAMILY We promote the traditional values of values of discipline, creativity and community and our classes are suitable for all ages and abilities.With classes for music, dance, history and languages all under one roof, and there is a fantastic opportunity for synergy.

You can enrich your learning and creative understanding by engaging with over 100 performances, workshops, lectures, and exhibitions at our venue throughout the year.

You can meet and connect with a dynamic and stimulating network of world-class performers, teachers, and artists.

You can thrive as a performer and a creative thinker through the many in-house and external performance opportunities provided as a part of the course structure.

Last year, our students were invited to perform at the Indian High Commission, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Kensington Palace, The Southbank Centre, The National Theatre and on BBC Radio3.

You can develop your professional approach to your craft with specially focused talks on the business of performing covering topics such as access to funding, health, collaborative working and working with other genres.

Avail of our on-site specialist archive that houses numerous texts and translations on Indian artistic, cultural and philosophical subjects.

Join our prestigious alumni including Nina Rajarani MBE (Vice-Chair of the Classical Indian Dance Faculty of the ISTD), Pirashanna Thevarajah (mridangam player for Anoushka Shankar), Mayuri Boonham (Artistic Director and choreographer of ATMA Dance), Dr. Vena Ramphal (dancer, choreographer, TV broadcaster, writer and founder of the Centre for Yogic Living) and many more.

‘Never has a place felt so much like home to me as the Bhavan has and never did I dream I would be able to learn dance so authentically in the heart of London from the very best teachers.’ - JANAKI MEHTA Alumni Post Diploma in Kathak and Bharatanatyam

OUR COURSES Bharatanatyam | Kathak | Odissi | Kuchipudi Karnatic Vocal | Hindustani Vocal | Bengali Music Sitar | Tabla | Karnatic Violin | Mridangam | Hindustani Flute | Vina Karnatic Music Theory | Art History Sanskrit | Hindi | Tamil | Bengali Yoga LEVELS OFFERED : Diploma | Post Diploma

DANCE

BHARATANATYAM Delve into the oldest and the most loved classical dance tradition of India – Bharatanatyam.

With a rich history traversing through the Devadasi tradition in temples and court patronisations, Bharatanatyam boasts of a legacy evolved over 2000 years.

“My life’s purpose is to keep the fire of Bharatanatyam burning and to inspire dancers to take on its creative magic.”

– PRAKASH YADAGUDDE (Course Leader)

KATHAK The word ‘Kathak’ is derived form the Sanskrit word ‘Katha’ meaning story, and ‘Kathaka’ meaning one who tells a story. It is a graceful, utterly absorbing dance style.

Over the centuries, Kathak has blossomed into several Gharanas At The Bhavan we teach the Lucknow Gharana.

“Kathak is a multi-dimensional experience that encourages you to understand the concepts of mind, body, space and time. It shapes your state of being and offers a soul-searching vessel through dance, which takes you beyond the physical to the meta-physical. If you surrender yourself, the journey is nothing short of finding the Almighty.”

– DHIYA ARORA, DEEPIKA KATHRANI (Course Leaders)

ODISSI With its origin in the temples of Odisha in the Eastern coast of India, Odissi is known for its lyricism, sculpturesque movements, and astounding grace.

“The visual beauty of Odissi dance reminds of the dancing sculptures, and stories reflected in movement create a unique experience both for the performer and the audience.”

– KATRINA RUTE (Course Leader)

KUCHIPUDI Rooted in the dance – drama tradition, Kuchipudi is named after the village Kuchelapuram or Kuchilapuri in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.

Learn the art whose history can be traced back to 1st century B.C I tell timeless stories , stories of tradition and stories of today, I heal and I provoke and question what’s not right, and most importantly- through it I pray. Dance is my home, my peace, my love and my life.”

- ARUNIMA KUMAR (Course Leader)

MUSIC HINDUSTANI VOCAL A relatively modern genre, Hindustani music has evolved from India’s ancient musical tradition as adapted and modified by Mughal and native Indian influences.

This happened during the 12th and 13th centuries when North India came under Mughal rule. This style uses typicalNorth Indian Musical instruments such as Sitar and Tabla, giving it a completely diferent flavor than that of Karnatic Music

“Seeing the transition students go through from young, untrained, raw voices to well-groomed polished performers gives me infinite happiness.”

– CHANDRIMA MISRA (Course Leader)

KARNATIC VOCAL One of two sub-categories of Indian Classical Music, Karnatic (South Indian) music is the ancient music of India. Although improvisation plays an important part, a substantial part of Karnatic vocal music consists of pre-composed songs which can have several verses.

Nearly every performance of a Karnatic music composition is unique in that it embodies elements of the original composer’s vision, as well as an individual performing musician’s interpretation of that vision.

“Performing and teaching for me represents meditation, prayer and love, all in one – it’s my life’s greatest joy.”

– SIVASAKTHI SIVANESAN (Course Leader)

BENGALI MUSIC Bengali Music gained immense popularity in tandem with its creator, the learned Rabindranath Tagore who composed over 2000 songs collectively known as ‘Rabindra Sangeet’ merging prose and poetry with lyricism. Tagore’s music emulates the tone of Indian classical ragas mixed with a poetic flair.

“My aim is to create good singers in the UK, who have a deep understanding and knowledge on Bengali & Indian music history.”

– SAJALI ROY (Course Leader)

KARNATIC MUSIC THEORY (A compulsory course for all Karnatic Vocal students) A course in Karnatic music theory covers a wide range of fundamental elements that are essential for achieving an understanding of this music. These include the development of notions of scale, pitch, interval, notation and the identification of ragas.

The course progresses to cover the work of specific composers as well as seminal theoretical works such as the “Natya Shastra” (an ancient treatise on the performing arts by the Indian sage Bharata Muni), as well as the uniquely South Indian classification system of musical scales known as the “Melakarta”.

YOGA

IYENGAR YOGA Iyengar Yoga gets its name from B. K. S. Iyengar, who developed this as a variation to Hatha Yoga and continued practising it until his death at the age of 95. While providing all the standard benefits of yoga, Iyengar places a huge emphasis on alignment in the performance of posture (asana) and breath control (pranayama).

The development of strength, mobility, and stability is gained through the postures. It is strictly alignment-based, and instructors focus on getting the pose just right and, if necessary, using numerous props to do so.

ASHTANGA YOGA Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic yoga method created in the mid-20thCentury in K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. Ashtanga teachers lead students through a set sequence of postures concluding with a final relaxation. Ashtanga Yoga works in various ways and can be a meditative, spiritual practice for some while for others it is pure physical exercise. The Ashtanga system might look very physical but it has a strong philosophical foundation in the ancient text known as the Yoga Sutras, compiled by the Indian sage Patanjali who, around the year 200 CE, synthesised and organised yoga knowledge from older traditions.

DATES TO REMEMBER

TERM DATES AUTUMN 14th Sept 2019 – 15th Dec 2019 SPRING 4th Jan 2020 – 8th April 2020 SUMMER 18th April 2020 – 9th July 2020

EXAMS Theory Exams – 11th & 12th July 2020 SUMMER SCHOOL 2020 18th July – 9th August 2020

FEATURED CLASS

SITAR The sitar is South Asia’s most famous plucked string instrument, the first one to be widely heard and recognised in the West through the performances of Pandit Ravi Shankar in the 1960s and on songs by bands such as The Beatles, The Doors and The Rolling Stones.

Learn the art of the Sitar whose name comes from the Persian word ‘Seh’ (three) and ‘Taar’ (strings).

“Right from my childhood, I was surrounded by beautiful music, from Vilayat Khan to Ravi Shankar.

It was as though it was destined to be my passion.”

– SANJAY GUHA (Course Leader)

INSTRUMENTAL

FEATURED CLASS

TABLA The Tabla is North India’s most popular percussion instrument for devotional as well as classical music, and even popular and folk music.

The playing technique involves extensive use of fingers as well as the palm to create different sounds.

“As a child, there was a time when I used to practice non-stop for nine hours a day, and so I have never needed to write anything down – the music is a part of me, the Tabla is part of me.”

– RAJKUMAR MISRA (Course Leader)

FEATURED CLASS

KARNATIC VIOLIN The European-style violin has found a natural home in the classical music of South India where it is now an indispensable part of a vocal, instrumental or dance performance. It is tuned differently from the Western violin and played using an entirely different technique to suit the needs of Karnatic music.

“I love the rich history and unbeatable melody of the violin – it’s what drives my passion for the instrument.”

– BALU RAGURAMAN (Course Leader)

FEATURED CLASS

MRIDANGAM Literally meaning “body of clay”, the Mridangam is one of India’s most ancient drums which originated in South India. It remains the leading percussion accompaniment for Karnatic music – vocal and instrumental as well as for all South Indian Classical Dance styles.

“Teaching and performing are like my two eyes, how can I love one more than the other?”

– M BALACHANDAR (Course Leader)

VINA Often referred to as “The Queen of Instruments” in Karnatic music, the vina is one of the very few ancient instruments to have retained its exalted position in modern times. One of India’s oldest musical instruments dating back to at least 1500 BC, the vina strings can produce pitches in a full three-octave range and is depicted with the image of Saraswati, a mythological Hindu deity.

FLUTE (Hindustani) The bansuri (or bamboo flute) is an ancient wind instrument made of a single hollow shaft of bamboo with six or seven finger holes. Essentially a folk instrument, it is now considered a fully-fledged classical instrument, owing mainly to maestros such as Pannalal Ghosh and Hariprasad Chaurasia. Deeply entrenched in the pastoral tradition of the cowherds of North India, it is most importantly known as the instrument of Lord Krishna.

“I was introduced to a wave of Indian sounds during the seventies which was when I found the Indian flute – and that’s when my lifelong passion began … It is the most perfect instrument.”

– CLIVE BELL (Course Leader)

LANGUAGES

TAMIL

HINDI Hindi is the most widely spoken language of the nation and understood by Urdu and Pashto speakers,as well as speakers of other Indian languages.

The Indian film industry has played a vital part in the propagation of Hindi, utilising it in a version known as Hindustani which incorporates many words from Urdu and Persian.

One of the longest surviving classical languages in the world, Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken by the Tamil people of South India as well as the Tamil diaspora in Sri Lanka.

The official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, as well as of Sri Lanka and Singapore. As of 2004, Tamil was legally granted status as a classical language of India.

SANSKRIT The language of ancient India as well as the primary liturgical language of Hinduism.

Sanskrit has a documented history of more than 3000 years making it one of the oldest in the family of Indo-European languages.

Derived from the root ‘samskr’, meaning that which has been made perfect, it is the predominant language of most works of Hindu philosophy, Buddhism and Jainism.

BENGALI An Indo-Aryan language and the second most widely spoken language in India, Bengali (or Bangla) is native to the Indian region of Bengal as well as being the official national language of the present-day state of Bangladesh. It has a millennium-old literary and folk heritage tradition.

THEORY

ART HISTORY (Modular course) Art is the footprint that humanity leaves behind, through which we can understand and empathise with the lives and lifestyles of generations gone by.

To understand our present better, a knowledge of History is vital. Art History gives us that understanding that will widen our perceptions.

In our modular Art History course, we will take you through the Art and architecture styles of various periods of India’s rich spiritual and cultural history.

‘Student involvement in concerts, departmental and cultural functions form another huge area in Bhavan which I feel I enjoy immensely and where our teacher always encourages us to participate as it enriches our learning, confidence level and takes us further.’

- SHAHNAZ SADULLAH Bengali Music advanced level

OPPORTUNITIES As a part of our student family, you will not only undergo in-depth training in your chosen field but could also perform on stage at The Bhavan and many world-class venues.throughout the UK and abroad.

We teach our students to become the teachers of tomorow and are building an extensive outreach programe through which students can share their love of Indian Arts with school-children across London.

Last year we held our first art exhibition of work by Bhavan students and organised workshops and talks on career development for students, parents and the wider audience..

PLANNING YOUR VISIT

Nearest Tube Station • West Kensington station – District line • Baron’s Court –District and Piccadilly line PARKING • There is on-street, paid parking between 09:00 and 17:00 Mon-Fri. Parking is free during the weekends and outside of these hours.

ACCESSIBILITY • Our building is fully equipped with step free access and lifts throughout the building.

• For performances, we have an induction loop in the auditorium • Our auditorium is equipped with (2) spaces for wheelchair users along with a companion seat each.

FOR THE KIND ATTENTION OF ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS: In the circumstance of an absence of a Course Leader, classes may be taught by senior students who are accomplished and trained by the course leaders to handle the class.

‘Whilst at university in London, I was living on my own, away from my family.

I felt very disconnected with my culture.

During that time when I first came to see the Bhavan, I fell in love with all the different Indian arts that were being taught there and I wanted to be a part of it’.

- ARCHNA PATEL Kuchipudi advanced level

The Bhavan 4a Castletown Road West Kensington London W14 9HE 0207 381 3086 / 4608 ww.bhavan.net

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Ltd | Registered Charity no. 312879 | Company Reg. Number 1090630