The Artiste and the Wishing Tree

Movement is intrinsic to the body. It can be intuitive, responsive, explorative or all of the above. But in the noise of everyday existence, many of us lose the connect with this body and its intelligence. The responses of the body and the mind to the internal and external world and the play between body and mind can be baffling to many of us, let alone be acknowledged and assimilated. And therefore for raw movement to be refined into a language of communication- for movement to become an art form- is an act that in itself is mind boggling to many of us. Surely, only individuals with a meditative connect with self and environment could have translated a primordial response into a stylised medium of dialogue. But can entire languages and dialects be a construct of a few individuals? Can it be attributed to one preceptor?  We are looking at a river through time - one who has over centuries or even thousands of years charted a path for herself- a river that takes on different tastes, ...

  Uncle: Congrats dear child on your arangetram! Dancer: Thank you Uncle. Keep yourself free next weekend too Uncle. Uncle: Oh! wonderful, programmes already lined up? Dancer: No No Uncle. It's my student's Arangetram! Parent: I'd like my child to learn dance. Dance teacher: Sure. Arangetram package or performance package? Parent: Huh?? Dance teacher: Arangetram package is 1 lack: 10 months coaching+ Arangetram+ certificate (on letterhead) that can be used for college admissions. Performance package is 50K: 6 months coaching- I will skip some difficult steps+ 3 performances -Only side roles OK!+ certificate (not on letterhead) Dance class friend: All set for programme? Dancer: Almost ya. Dance class friend: Why almost? I thought you had practiced thoroughly. Dancer: Dancing is fine. I am yet to set up some people for clapping after I finish the trikala jathi! Friendly Neighborhood maami: Hi Suji, your daughter is learning dance is it? Suji: Yes Maami. Thattu ...

CONTRA is a series of articles that attempts to look at aspects of the performing arts that seem to be on opposing ends of the spectrum but in fact are related to each other more closely than we assume. Since we attempt to look at mostly intangible aspects of the performing arts in this series, with emphasis on dance, the subjective nature of such articles throws open a lot of questions for deliberation. We hope that these questions will ignite thought and discussion with our readers. We welcome your opinions, experiences and notes to share. The act of creating a piece can happen in silos or through collaboration. It can happen in solitude or in the buzzing milieu of crowds. It can happen within four bare walls or amidst the blinding colours of a flowery valley. It can happen with complete logistical support or with bare minimum essentials in place. It can happen during times of war or peace. This is not a debate or a pick-and-chose between these methods or circumstances of creation. T...

Sarath was 8 years old when he walked into his Aasan's (teacher's) school to learn Silambam. He took to it immediately and soon went on to invest his energies in learning the Parai and Thavil alongside Silambaattam. Over the years, Puli attam and Veedi Natakam drew him closer to this vibrant world where art meets technique and power meets aesthetics. But it wasn't until he was in college, that Sarath realised that hardly anyone realised the value of what he had come to love. Many didn't even know what these arts were because they had never watched it. It suddenly hit him that these art forms may indeed be dying in the public's mind. It was then that Sarath and a few friends decided to come together to set up "Aayutham - Kalaigalin Sangamam". This was a place that they had envisioned as a place of training, a place where they could all congregate and celebrate what they loved, a place where they could put together acts and take it then to the public. Silamb...

  CONTRA is a series of articles that attempts to look at aspects of the performing arts that seem to be on opposing ends of the spectrum but in fact are related to each other more closely than we assume. Since we attempt to look at mostly intangible aspects of the performing arts in this series, with emphasis on dance, the subjective nature of such articles throws open a lot of questions for deliberation. We hope that these questions will ignite thought and discussion with our readers. We welcome your opinions, experiences and notes to share. In the first of the series, I look at an aspect of performance that is often taken as basic. And another aspect of dance that is considered to be the bastion of the veterans. Every student has been told infinite number of times that REHEARSAL is at the core of a performer. While I will take a detour throughout this article to unravel the many connotations that this word takes on, for now, I leave it here with a simple definition: 'Practice or...

Coming back after a baby... these are loaded words- there are expectations that society sets on you, expectations that you set up for yourself and a baby that has its own agenda! Physically, mentally and emotionally, there is much to acknowledge and understand for all of us. I have given much thought to what it takes to find the perfect day with a 8 year old and a 18 month old in tow.  My 5 lessons to start with... 1. A perfect day does not exist: If you are wondering if my article is already over, it isn't. A perfect day has long been defined as one of perfect balance between work accomplished, hobbies well done and a cheerful day with family and friends... Ya- read that again. Now you know why a perfect day doesn't exist. If you still think otherwise, ask any new mom/mom-of-toddler!   But here are my sure-shot perfect days. Focus on gaining 10 minutes of a quiet mind everyday, 20 minutes of exercise and 30 minutes of cheerful kids! And then I would sneak in a 40 mi...

PC: Dr. Raghavendra While the previous articles looked at sustaining an artiste's livelihood in financially and emotionally telling times such as these, the focus of this article is on the importance we must give now- more than ever before- to cultivating support structures for ourselves. The attitude of the practitioner, the attitude towards peers, the attitude that we cultivate in the public and the attitude that society builds towards art and artistes- all feed into making the arts a sustainable profession. THAT is a large bucket of 'attitude'! But it is NOW or NEVER for the fraternity to think of what we can do to make this a better place to work, engage and sustain. It is indeed time for an Overhaul. A recent statistic indicated that an artiste was considered non-essential in times of crises. Artistes contested these claims with articles, stories, talks, creatives and more. But what this indicates is a gap between the public at large and artistes; that our craft cont...

An artiste's financial health has been much discussed over the last few months  in view of the Covid crisis. What has come to the fore more than ever before is the fact that this is a topic that has been brushed aside a bit too much for our own good. One of the reasons for this discomfort of discussing it has been a misinterpretation of the 'art and money' equation to mean:  'Art and money are not mutually navigable aspects. The worth of an artiste cannot be measured by money.'  What might have helped us would have been this interpretation of the 'art and money' equation: 'The worth of an artiste is beyond the wealth they possess. Their creative spark, pursuit, time and energy can not be undervalued against a paltry fee.'  The narrative that artistes must not seek money at the risk of being labelled 'business-minded' has done us no good. How do we then tackle this situation that we find ourselves in now? Not just a plain matter of paucity o...

A Pandora's box has been opened.  But instead, take a look at the curious cat  who went looking for a particular colour of yarn!  WHO AM I? What the 'Go Live' shows have done are to focus the spotlight on the disconnect between our lives and the make-believe stage personas we create. This is not to say that a disconnect is wrong. The disconnect has its place in our lives by creating a bubble where our songs and dance become a world unto itself. This is a disconnect that we revel in. When we enter the black-boxes and build in our minds the visuals we will create as performers, when these black-boxes get painted in colour, emotion, masks, facades, swords, stoles and more, the disconnect from our real life and real world is helpful, even enabling. In more ways than one, today, performances have been tailored to suit this ambiance. So now, to take the 'Live' and make it fit into a 'Go Live' is not as simple as it may seem. Content displaced from its usu...

Much has evolved with the format of the classical dance performance. From being essentially a solo performer's arena, it moved into group performances and dance ballets- with Gurus often presenting their disciples in a choreographed group performance. Over the years, both solo and group performances have thrived in their own ways and both formats are equally popular today. Within the framework of the 'Group', recent years have seen the rise of an interesting phenomenon- that of the collaboration. In decades gone by, collaboration between artistes was not absent- but was a rare occurrence. In recent years, both organisers and artistes themselves have been enthusiastic about encouraging collaborations. These could be between artistes from different schools of the same dance form or different dance forms completely. Collaboration could also be a one-time experiment or may grow into a long term association. Either way, collaborations seems to be an interesting confluence to ...

The current Covid-19 crises has taken the world by surprise- a nasty one at that. The pandemic has made it impossible to 'go back' to how we functioned.  It has compelled organisations to relook their relevance to society. Bankruptcy is not too rare any more. Debts are commonplace. Pay-cuts and lay-offs are shaking the corporate world from its very core. Staying afloat has come with its share of ruthlessness. People have realised that they are dispensable in the face of the number game- a harsh and cruel reality that is hitting every socio-economic section of society. The extent to which it affects each is of course different. Some of us stay safe by way of our privilege and economic standing. Much needs to be heard and seen of those who are struggling for a meal or the security of a home. In such an ecosystem, the role of the arts is being debated on several fronts. On one of those fronts are those who believe in the haven that the arts can provide in grim times such as...

"The only person to compete against is yourself." Heard this before? Surely, we all have- be it in high school academics, sprint practice or at dance class. And yet, there is a First place, second place, consolation place, or a rank probably at every juncture. As much as we reiterate in eloquent public speeches that there is room for all, that there is no need to be one up against another person, that individuality matters, the same speech may be followed up with a prize distribution ceremony - Best dancer award, best teacher award, best choreographer award, best accompanist award and the works. The tug-of-war between pursuing excellence by oneself versus being pitted against other individuals is puzzling. Idealistically speaking, there is no room for competition. Realistically speaking, it is competition that sieves through those in the room. So let's get real. What is the role of competition in one's journey of dance? Are we better or bitter from it? Does competi...