Music in and for Bharathanatyam-A survey report (Part2)

Continued from Part 1

Music for dance-Discussion

Everyone surveyed expected dance recitals to be accompanied by good music, but interestingly, even at the onset, Soumya Tilak adds that “good music“ as an accompaniment would go on to mean “one that matches and complements the dance”. The respondents from within India placed a slightly higher expectation on the standards of music accompanying dance.

Singing the Song flawlessly is just a Bare minimum!

While the dancers are slightly more tolerant to singers who can flawlessly render the recital songs (as in repeat the taught song perfectly), the rasikas and expectedly, the musicians feel that that would be a bare minimum, as expressed in Rama Varma’s words, “that would at least be something”.

How is dance singing different from vocal concert singing?

While being specifically asked if dance singing required a different set of techniques as compared to vocal concert singing, the respondents came up with a variety of responses. An attempt will be made to highlight the important ideas.

Differential techniques for Dance Singing

“All said and done, the structure of a dance recital is not (and cannot be) the same as the structure of a music concert.”(Rajendra Kumar) We may see that music specially for dance existed even during the period of the Tanjore Quartette. (Lakshmi Ramasamy) There is a general consensus and agreement that dance singing requires a different set of techniques as compared to vocal concert singing.”

Some special requirements pointed out as essentials for dance singing include:

• Acknowledging that the dance is the prime subject of interest: Dance musicians should be good enough not to distract attention from dance, yet be a good compliment (Bhanumathi Krishnan, Aishwarya Ananth, Lakshmi Ramasamy, Padma Balakumar), and match their manodharmam to that of the dancers. (Manjari Rajendrakumar)
• Being observant: At a dance concert there is so much to observe, says Shantha.S. A dance musician as opposed to having his/her own flow in a solo (vocal) concert, he/she has to take the cue from the dance and the dancer. (S. Srinivasan) The dancers are able to articulate on this “taking-of-cue” aspect a little more which is explained in the portion on improvisation for dance.
• An understanding of the dance technique (nuances): in the singer facilitates perfect synchronization and apt accompaniment. (Manjari Rajendrakumar and Aishwarya Ananth)
• Need For Expressive Singing: Dance requires bhava and musicians in general stick to technique of music than the meaning of sahitya, sometimes even distorting intended meaning. (Madhana Raghavan, Lakshmi Ramasamy) Musicians require an ability to emote along with the dancer (Eternal student of Dance) and in turn through their music help the dancer emote. (Madhana Raghavan)
• Adapting to the kalapramanam for the dance recital: The kalapramanam that he has to follow for dance will be different from that of a vocal recital. (Kavitha Ramu) The need for more expressive singing as pointed out in the last point and the predominant use of pada varnams, padams and javalis require the singer to sing at speeds slower than they would at a music concert. The kalapramanam must facilitate an aesthetic use of angika and satvika abhinaya. For those musicians who accompany budding dancers there may arise occasions to subtly and imperceptibly alter kalapramanam.
• Be adept at nadai variations:  A lot of mathematical/rhythmic variations in the nritta part/thattimetti parts will make it important for a dance musician to be talam and nadai perfect.(Anupriya)
• I would probably add neat pronunciation to the list.

It should be noted that the respondents do not feel that these aspects are not necessary for concert singing, but are facets that specially go into making a dance singer successful.

Raga sketching for dance recitals

All respondents believe that it would definitely be ideal if the accompanying musician could appropriately sketch ragas before the song. One rasika points out that a raga outlining ahead of the songs, even if short, makes the presentation more complete and helps the rasika and the dancer shift easily into the mood of the next piece. Another rasika, points out that ready-made instant 2 line ragas (esp the beginning nattai) with the same repetitive phrases can be such a pain. Why don’t they experiment enough to create another 2-line pattern in nattai he asks.

Improvisation for dance

The topic of improvisation and creativity seems to invoke a lot of reflection. One rasika points out that “a musician who sings exactly the same way on any 2 given days is consistent alright, but boring and is not much better than a CD!” This is more important in the dance circuit as repetition of items is a regular feature. Putting up a similar idea in nice words Nrithya Pillai says “(they need to) know how to sing for sancharis- how to sing the same line differently several times without boring an audience.” This should definitely be a point to consider when the dancer is presenting a 30+ mins varnam built on sancharis. Sometimes the pallavi is repeated more than 20 times and it definitely requires some talent in the musician to keep away the auditory boredom that can easily step in if appropriate variation is not attempted. You definitely wouldn’t want somebody to say “padinathaye thenja record mathiri padinduirrukan” quips a rasika and that could in turn mean that all the hard work of the choreographer and dancer in building up the sanchari may get lost. Lakshmi Ramasamy feels that “while elaborating during the sancharis, the singer must be able to hit the right sthayi and retain it for as long as it is needed. Kavitha Ramu on a similar vein says “the singer has to understand to look at the dancer while singing which will help her/him decide where she/he has to provide an emphasis and where he/she has to be subtle.”

Hamsa Venkat also points out that the musician’s stance should be tailored to suit the particular program – (The need to sing just the song or elaborate on a raga and improvise) “depends on the needs of the dancer, if a dancer only wants to present readymade items then there may not be much need (for improvisation or singing a raga)” This situation may be associated with less traditional venues for performing.

Challenges posed to the dance Musician

“(In) concert singing, the musician can have a vision, and let his/her creativity present this vision, for dance singing it is the dancer’s vision and the singer gives shape to this vision with their musical creativity”, opines Hamsa Venkat. In a way, the singer is restricted to an extent by the arrangement of the dance ponders Sumi Krishnan. “(Though) they (dance musicians) are part of the support staff and their first duty is to ensure that the dance programme is a success … singing for dance is in no way inferior”, declares Rajendra Kumar. Passionate Dancer (assumed pseudonym) and Lakshmi Ramasamy see that dance singing can be a challenge to the musicians, just as Asha Ramesh opined. “The vocalist has to follow the dancer, adapt the singing according to the expressions and stories told by the dancer and enable the dancer to react to the music as well… yes, it is very challenging!”(Passionate Dancer). Staying with technique, simultaneously complimenting the dance and the dancer, keeping track of the required number of repetitions, patching flaws of dancer and other musicians, yet proving their skill is the challenge to the dance musician says Lakshmi Ramasamy.

Jayakamala Pandian, daughter of Guru Sri. Swamimalai Rajaratnam Pillai, sums it up saying “singing for dance and concert singing are two different areas and one can specialize in both, like how [the] same dancer can perform two different forms of classical dance forms like Bharathanatyam and Odissi or Kuchipudi and Bharathanatyam. Concert singing needs expertise in Alapana, kalpana swaram, niraval, Ragam Thanam Pallavi and so on. Singing for dance needs expertise in sanchari singing, which can be compared with niraval and perfect coordination with the dancer and the nattuvanar. Also the dance singer should know to control his creativity, follow the dancer with restriction besides proving his artistry.” And above all the musician needs to carve a niche to establish himself/herself in the field. Seems like asking for quite a lot from the dance musician!

Dance For Musicians

• Professional Musicians averse to accompanying Dance Recitals!

The general response among the respondents conveys a fair degree of agreement with the statement (an average agreement score of 7.8), the rasikas strongly agreeing with the statement compared to musicians or dancers. Lakshmi Ramasamy says “it depends on the individual musician”. This perception is also higher among Indian respondents. Elsewhere, the lack of opportunities, make musicians more open to collaborations and exploring other venues.

 “Unfortunately, most of the popular musicians today do not consider dance musicians as part of their clan. This attitude must change,” says Rajendra Kumar, an informed rasika. While it may be ego issues that play a role in a few cases, it may be a realization that they may not justify the manodharma of dance in most cases. Restricting their creativity may be impossible to few musicians (all from anonymous rasikas). “A concert musician feels uncertain (while accompanying a dance recital) because he/she is not in control, (while) the dancer is. If they understand the two different roles as a dance musician and concert musician they can’t be matched.” says Hamsa Venkat.

• Attending dance recitals improves abilities of a musician?

Lakshmi Ramasamy suggests that for those carnatic musicians wanting to attempt singing for dance, it may be helpful to attend dance concerts “to learn to bridge the gaps”. Respondents quite agree that attending dance concerts will improve the musician’s artistic sensibilities. Predictably the dancers agree very strongly with this opinion. Rajendra Kumar agrees with Sri VPD and points out that not many musicians can be seen attending dance concerts. A prominent vocalist in an interview responded that it was not the lyrics of Krishna Nee Begane Baro that helped her bring the vision of Krishna to the audience, but it was rather the gift of the raga. I might have to disagree with that to an extent. Though it could have been her personal experience I would like to recall the words of Mr. N. Pattabhiraman (as quoted in Sruthi, Jan 2009) “Each Kriti contains the genetic code, the DNA imprint… of the particular image of the raga in which it has been created… It is not correct to say that a raga has only one image; in numerous cases, the great vaggeyakars have shown us that a raga has more images than one within its scalar framework, that it has different images when looked at from different angles. The composition, with its sahitya bhava, its basic mood(sthyai bhava) acts as a medium of refraction… I would appreciate it better if the performer presented just one image of the raga, the image that is in conformity with the sahitya bhava of the selected krithi”. This delicate balance of kalpita and kalpana elements may be visualized easily by students of music if they attended, once in a while, good dance recitals, where the emphasis is on the intended bhava and rasas of the compositions presented.

I have two related links to those who are interested in this area.

‘Carnatic musicians and Naatya’ by V. P. Dhananjayan: A response- http://www.narthaki.com/artindex.html

Making music for dance – http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2009/11/06/stories/2009110651430600.htm

 PS: Most, if not all, of the responses used the masculinine pronoun “he” ( I reduced the gender bias by adding in the he/she in the above report) while referring to the singer. I am not reading or concluding anything here!!! 

• • Is an aptitude or knowledge of carnatic music essential to dancers?
  • Can CD replace live music accompaniment?

 The responses to these questions will be discussed in part 3 of the series.

 * data from 27 survey forms used and quotes from a few personal conversations have been used

Filed under: Arts, Australia, Bharatanatyam, Bharathanatyam, CD, Carnatic Music, India, Malaysia, NRI, Padam, Prince Rama Varma, Rasika, UK, USA, academics, artists, choreograhers, do's and don'ts for dancers, learning , Aishwarya Ananth, Jayakamala Pandian, Kavitha Ramu, Lakshmi Ramaswamy, Manjari Rajendrakumar, Rajendrakumar

Music in and for Bharathanatyam- A Survey report (Part 1)

“Geetham vaadyam tathaa nrityam, trayam sangeetham uchyate” – Sangeetha Ratnakara

What’s the scene and perception today?-  A survey report

Introduction

Asha Ramesh, a carnatic vocalist trained under Sangeeta Kalanidhi D. K. Jayaraman was hosted on Jaya TV’s Kalaimalar, their morning talkshow. Now a part of Smt . Ranganayaki Jayaraman’s (saraswathi Gana Nilayam) family, she accompanies dance kutcheris in Chennai and in US where she currently resides. She described her experiences as a dance musician. She mentioned that her Guru wasn’t very happy when she mentioned to him that she was considering accompanying dancers! She believes dance music dosent deserve the step-child treatment it currently receives and believes singing for dance can be an intellectual challenge.

Sri. V.P. Dhananjayan in his book “Beyond Performing Art and Culture – Politico-Social aspects’ ” vehemently regrets the current compartmentalisation of dancers and musicians. He says,” I have a problem with Carnatic musicians who do not attend any Bharatanaatyam performances.  I do not know whether they have a superiority complex or whether they feel that they cannot enjoy a Bharatanaatyam performance. If a musician cannot understand or enjoy a Bharatanaatyam performance, I am sorry to say that they are not a “Sangeetagna”. He has also in a response to a comment on the article said “since publishing this article a couple of years ago, the situation has improved for better.” (As quoted in Narthaki.com)

Bombay Jayasri in her recent interview to Sruti recalls how her early dance training at Rajarajeswary Natyalaya at Bombay helped her accompany Leela Samson’s dance recital

Objectives of the Survey

Inspired by the above, we set about doing an article about Music in and for Bharathanatyam for BN & WWW. We planned to look at the general perceptions regarding music in and for dance among dancers, musicians, teachers and rasikas.

Methodology

A questionnaire was randomly emailed to few dancers, musicians, teachers and rasikas who had interacted with BN and WWW on previous occassions.Sydhwaney.com also hosted the questionnaire on their website and replies posted as comments on their website was also used for collecting data. It should be said at the outset, this study may at best be considered a pilot study since n (the number of respondents) is small and no systematic attempt was made to correlate the surveyed proportion of musicians/dancers/teachers/rasikas to what would be a general representative of people in attendance of a dance recital. But nevertheless this small survey would reflect existing expectations and perceptions in the group surveyed.

The survey questionnaire included a total of 9 questions relating to:-

1. What qualities are expected of a musician accompanying a dance recital? (4 ques)
2. Dancers need for music knowledge/appreciation-(2 ques)
3. Does an appreciation of dance improve skill sets of a musician?(1 ques)
4. Do professional singers feel comfortable accompanying dancers? (1 ques)
5. CD as a substitute for live orchestra (1 ques)

Most of the answers needed the respondents to ascribe a numerical value in the space provided at the end of the question/statement.The respondents were asked to rate their responses to a question/statemenr on a scale of 0- 10 , with 0 meaning you strongly disagree and 10 meaning you strongly agree 

0________________________________________10

strongly disagree                                      strongly agree

 For eg, if they strongly felt that good music accompaniment was necessary for a dance program they would perform/attend they score it 10

 A few optional open ended questions were included and the respondents were also given an option to add related information as they deemed fit. The questionnaire was sent initially to a dancer, rasika and musician to verify the face and content value and aptness of the survey material. Modifications suggested were incorporated. The data collection was done between Oct 25th and Nov 8th, 2009.

Observations:

The  demographics of the responses

A total of responses from 26 respondents are used in this survey. Their classification as dancers, musicians, dance teachers and rasikas are based on their voluntary recommendation appropriate to their current situation. There are a few who definitely belong to 2 classes and we placed them in what we considered was the most appropriate. 54% of the respondents were either dancers or dance teachers, 34% rasikas and 12% were musicians, which is so because of the nature of visitors to this blog. Nevertheless it should be noted that this may not be very different from the actual attendees of a dance concert itself, where the audience consists mainly of dance students, dance teachers, rasikas (a major component being family and friends of students/dancers) and very few musicians. But we may never see 12% of the audience being comprised of musicians!  Again because of the viewership pattern of this blog 42% of the respondents are from India and the rest of the responses came from subjects in USA, UK, Malaysia and Australia. It was also noted that the categories of musicians, dancers, rasikas and teachers were equally distributed among participants of the survey from India and abroad.

Comparison of responses among dancers, musicians and rasikas

Click on the image to view an enlarged version.

Comparison of responses from within and outside India

Click on the Imarge to see an enlarged version

These pictures might just give you an idea with regards to the responses. I believe they will make more sense along with the discussion that I am currently working on using the remarks from the survey.

Part 2- Discussions

Filed under: Abhinaya, Arts, Australia, Bharatanatyam, Bharathanatyam, CD, Carnatic Music, Chennai, Dance, India, KL, Kuala Lumpur, London, Madras, NRI, Performing Arts, Rasika, UK, USA, academics, artists, choreography, do's and don'ts for dancers, learning, leela samson, students , survey

Book-The Music of Bharata-Natyam

Book Title: The Music of Bharata-Natyam
Author/Editor : Jon Higgins

The present work is the inaugural volume of a continuing series on ethnomusicological studies of performance traditions of India published under the auspices of the Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology (ARCE) of the American Institute of Indian Studies. This volume looks closely at the music played in a traditional Bharata Natyam performance. The series editor is Shubha Chaudhuri. This edition is for sale within India only.

Product Details

• Hardback : 391pp, with cassettes
• Author/Editor : Jon Higgins
• Year of Publication : 1993
• Publisher : ARCE-AIIS/Oxford & IBH
• Language : English
• Product Dimension : 1.2 x 6.5 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight : 750 g
• ISBN Number : 8120407059
• Price Rs. 500

Table of Contents :

• Note on Transliteration Foreword: Rhea Padis Higgins
• Preface: Jon B. Higgins
  
• Preface to this Edition: T. Viswanathan
  
• Acknowledgements: Daniel M. Neuman
  
• List of Taped Examples
  
• PART 1: THE TEXT
  
  • Chapter 1: Introduction
    
  • 1. The Dance Tradition of Bharata Natyam
    
  • 2. The Music Tradition of Bharata Natyam
    
  • 3. The Relation of Music to Dand in Bharata Natyam
    
  • 4. Notations Adopted for the Transcription of Music and Dance
    
  • Chapter II: Alarippu
    
  • Chapter III: Jatisvaram
    
  • Chapter IV: Sabdam
    
  • Chapter V: Padavarnam
    
  • Chapter VI: Padam
    
  • Chapter VII: Javali, Tillana and Sloka
    
  • Chapter VIII: (Epilogue) : The Artistic Progression
    
  • Glossary Bibliography
    
• PART 2: NOTATED AND TAPED EXAMPLES
  
  • Notated Example 1-1: Two avartas of adi tala from Pantuvarali padam
    
  • Notated Example1-2: Two avartas of adi tala from Pantuvarali padam
    
  • Notated Example 11-1: Khandam alarippu: Recited Solkattus and adavus
    
  • Notated Example 11-2: Alarippu-Juxtaposition of three stages of reduction In parts B,C and D
    
  • Notated Example 11-3: Tiruppugal in svara notation with one stanza of text
    
  • Notated Example 11-4: Tiruppugal with one stanza of text, khanda capu tala
    
  • Notated Example 111-1: Jatisvaram-Pallavi in svara notation
    
  • Notated Example 111-2: Jatisvaram-Pallavi (Kalyani raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example 111-3: Jatisvaram-stamping, uccarippu and tirmanam with solkattus and adavus
    
  • Notated Example 111-4: Jatisvaram-Mora phrases from seven jatisvarams
    
  • Notated Example 111-5: Jatisvaram-Svara Section #1 with svara adavugal #1
    
  • Notated Example 111-6: Jatisvaram-Svara Setion #1 (kalyani raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example 111-7: Jatisvaram-Svara Section #2 in svara notation with adavugal
    
  • Notated Example 111-8: Jatisvaram-Svara Secton #2 (Kalyani raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example 111-9: Jatisvaram-Svara Secton #3 in svara notation with adavugal
    
  • Notated Example 111-10: Jatisvaram-Svara Secton #3 (Kalyani raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example 111-11: Jatisvaram-Svara Secton #4 in svara notation with adavugal
    
  • Notated Example 111-12: Jatisvaram-Svara Secton #4 (Kalyani raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example 111-13: Jatisvaram-Outline of a full performance of Kalyani jatisvaram (See taped example 111-10)
  • Notated Example IV-1: Sabdam Line 1 (Kambhoji raga)
  • Notated Example IV-2: Sabdam Line 1 (Kambhoji raga misra capu tala)
    
  • Notated Example IV-3: Sabdam Line II (Bhairavi raga)
    
  • Notated Example IV-4: Sabdam Line II (Bhairavi raga, misra capu tala)
    
  • Notated Example IV-5: Sabdam Line III (Natakuranji raga)
    
  • Notated Example IV-6: Sabdam Line III (Natakuranji raga, misra cap tala)
    
  • Notated Example IV-7: Sabdam Line IV (Surati raga) Notated Example IV-8: Sabdam Line IV (Surati raga, misra capu tala)
    
  • Notated Example V-1: Outline of Bhairavi padavarnam (mohamana)
    
  • Notated Example V-2: Varnam-tirmanam #1 (trikala, full version
    
  • Notated Example V-3: Varnam-tirmanam #1 (trikala), without tala markings
  • Notated Example V-4: Varnam-Pallavi-A in svara notation
    
  • Notated Example V-5: Varnam-Pallavi-A (Bhairavi raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example V-6: Varnam-tirmanam #2 (tisra nadai), full version
    
  • Notated Example V-7: Varnam-tirmanam #2 without tala markings
    
  • Notated Example V-8: Pallavi in svara notaion
    
  • Notated Example V-9: Varnam-Pallavi-B (Bhairavi raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example V-10: Varnam-tirmanam #3, full version
    
  • Notated Example V-11: Varnam-tirmanam #3 without tala markings
    
  • Notated Example V-12: Anupallavi-A in svara notaion
    
  • Notated Example V-13: Varnam-Anupallavi-A (Bhairavi raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example V-14: Varnam-tirmanam #4, full version
    
  • Notated Example V-15: Varnam-tirmanam #4 without tala markings
    
  • Notated Example V-16: Varnam-Anupallavi-B in svara notation
    
  • Notated Example V-17: Varnam-Anupallavi-B (Bhairavi raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example V-18: Varnam-tirmanam #5, full version
    
  • Notated Example V-19: Varnam-tirmanam #5 without tala markings
    
  • Notated Example V-20: Varnam-Muktayi svaras in svara notation, with sahitya and translation
    
  • Notated Example V-21: Varnam-Muktayi svaras with adavugal
    
  • Notated Example V-22: Varnam-Muktayi svaras with tatti mettu
    
  • Notated Example V-23: Varnam—Muktayi svaras (Bhairavi raga, rupaka tala)
    
  • Notated Example V-24: Varnam—three alternative rhythmic subdivisions of phrases in avartas five and six of the muktayi svaras
    
  • Notated Example V-25: Varnam

The book may be purchased from the source of this article at  http://www.scholarswithoutborders.in/item_show.php?code_no=EMU006&ID=1&calcStr=

Filed under: Arts, Bharatanatyam, Bharathanatyam, CD, Carnatic Music, Dance, Introduction, VCD, academics, adavus, books, choreography, learning, students

Orchestrated troubles…

A prominent dancer is getting ready for her program at a dance festival. The vocalist calls in saying she wont be able to make it “Family problems!!!”  The stunned dancer recovers and finds a student with whom she has to make do.

At this place, there are no violinists, the violinist is flown in from neighboring Country (Parents pay for the airfare and the fee). The lonesome Mridangist is supposed to make good the occasion!!! That escalated the arangetram costs people pronounce..

“Are we any less than the Silicon Valley fellows?” Why shouldn’t we expect a good pay?, questions a musician…

Why not CD?

Anitam Ratnam uses them! “High quality CD’s are way better than  “sumar” singing says a teen. A middle aged traditionalist says,” cha what is a dance program without live music”

I ask a talented dancer if the mallari wouldnt look a tad more refined if it was sung at a slighlty slower tempo..

“Akka, it was a commercial recording, they put in as many as possible for economic factors. If I made one to my own choreography a margam would cost me Rs. 30,000!” She sighs and adds who pays me for it though. This will do!

A student checks with her teacher if a commercial recording can be used for performance at school? Go ahead says the teacher, otherwise who would even think of buying those CD’s she quips. They look like Tollywood pieces she smirks because of the speed..

Current forums have suggested training/using upcoming carnatic musicians. One friend says, ” oh she flatly refused to sing for dance, dosent want to spoil her voice ! Even veterans are upset about their stint accompanying the dancers”

“My guru dosent give casettes easily and she dosent let me share them” sadly confesses a dancer to a friend afraid that would end their comradeship.

Well the problem is multidimensional alright..

Using of amateurs trained in carnatic music vocal/instrumental/mridangam seems like a good option as suggested in a few forums, at least where quality artists are unavailable or unaffordable for the particular event . But practice and relearning a few aspects may be necessary and should be taken in the right spirits.

So if you are are a trained carnatic musician(vocalist or instrumentalist) and would like to try accompanying dancers, please leave your  details here

1. Your name and age
2. City/Country of residence
3. Your specialisation (vocal/which instrument)
4. Your training details/how long have you trained/experience etc.
5. Contact email/website URL.

As Ashwini comments, “VDS Arts Academy” has a registry of upcoming musicians and dancers. You could try contacting them for suggestions at :

VDS Arts Academy
(Arts wing of Muthukrishnan Memorial Club),

20,IV Lane, Nungambakkam High Road, Chennai – 600034.

Phone: 044 – 28117485 / 24333746 / 28142359 / 94441 72342

e-mail: vdsartsacademy@yahoo.co.in

Filed under: Arts, Bharatanatyam, CD, Carnatic Music, DVD, Dance, India, NRI, Nattuvangam, Performing Arts, Rasika, VCD, artists, choreograhers, choreography, do's and don'ts for dancers, experiences, learning, students, talent, upcoming artist

Celebrating Indian Independence

I found these two videos that I really liked… Very short but rich in content.

Vande Mataram by Bombay Jayasri, Sowmya, Unnikrishnan and Sanjay!

And here is a classical instrumental rendition of the National Anthem..

Filed under: Arts, CD, Carnatic Music, India, Performing Arts, artists, choreograhers, choreography, experiences, students , Independence day, Jana gana Mana, National Anthem, Vande Mataram

An Online Degree program in Bharathanatyam

Alagappa Performing Arts Academy (APAA), in collaboration with the Alagappa University offers an online degree program in Bharathanatyam. Here is how they introduce their program…

“Bharathanatyam students spend years learning the art and perfecting the practice to perform the ‘Arangetram’ that can take from 5 to 7 years. If a student were to pursue academic studies during this time, they would be able to complete post-graduate collegiate education. However in the pursuit of learning Bharathanatyam, dancers are not awarded degrees or certifications for their accomplishments.

The (APAA), based in Escondido, California, USA has designed a novel academic curriculum in Bharathanatyam to demonstrate the repertoire of culture that is imbedded in the classical art of Bharathanatyam. In collaboration with Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu, India and leading artistes, APAA has developed a ‘Structured Learning Program’ in Bharathanatyam that enables a student to obtain a:

1. Certificate in Bharathanatyam (1 to 3 year duration)

2. Associate Degree (1 year after Certificate)

3. Diploma (1 year after Associate Degree)

4. B.A. Degree in Bharathanatyam (1 year after Diploma)

This unique degree program has been designed with specific coursework and practicals that a student has to successfully complete to get the respective certification. This is a pioneering effort that will be of great value to students. Effective detailed aids have been developed to enhance the learning process with a comprehensive review of the various aspects of Bharathanatyam that have been formatted in textbooks and interactive DVDs that vividly describe the precise execution of this art.

The program has been launched in the US, Malaysia, Canada, Denmark, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and is being launched in other parts of the world. Please visit www.bharathanatyamonline.com for more details and feel free to send your enquiries to info@alagappaarts.com.”

Filed under: Arts, CD, Chennai, DVD, Dance, Dance Gurus, Institutes, Introduction, Madras, NRI, Performing Arts, USA, VCD, artists, learning, program, promotion, students

Dancing for the Gods by Preeti Vasudevan

URL: http://www.dancingforthegods.org/

Dancing for the Gods is an interactive multimedia website dedicated to Bharatanatyam, one of India’s oldest and best-loved classical dance forms. This amazing project is the brain child of Preeti Vasudevan, a long time student of the Dhanajayans. She also holds a Masters in Choreography and Movement Analysis from London which equips her to scientifically analyze the technique of Bhartahnayam without losing on its tradition. This indeed is a unique presentation.

The Project aims to bring the art form to a newer, younger audience using the incredible learning potential of the Internet. Whether you’re a student of dance, a teacher….or you’re just interested in Indian classical culture, I think you’ll find lots to interest you here!

They have a wide range of activities, videos and animation that can be used in classroom situations. There is a moderated discussion board that allows interaction and discussion on topics in related areas .

There is a Demo for an overview of what’s on offer. Registration is free – so if you like what you see, you can sign up and participate in their forum, learn the technique and much much more.

Filed under: Bharatanatyam, Bharathanatyam, CD, DVD, Dance, Dance Gurus, Dhananjayan, Institutes, Introduction, Performing Arts, South Asian Dance, USA, VCD, artists, choreograhers, choreography, experiences, learning, students, talent, upcoming artist

Looking for an authentic CD on Padams and Javalis?

If you are looking for a recording of padams and javalis with an old world charm, here is something that will interest you…

T. MUKTHA – PADAMS & JAVALIS. (Excerpts from live concert Sept. 1999). CD. [Srishti's Carnatica. CAR CD 1082. Rs. 125].

Kuvalayakshiro – Gaulipantu – Misra Chapu (Kshetrayya)
Mosamaya – Ahiri – Misra Chapu (Kshetrayya)
Yarukkagilum – Begada – Misra Chapu (Ghanam Krishna Iyer)
Neyyamuna – Ghanta – Misra Jhampa (Kshetrayya)
Emi mayamu – Kambhoji – Roopakam (Pattabhiramayya)
Smarasundaranguni – Paras – Adi (Dharmapuri Subbarayar)
Velavare – Bhairavi – Adi (Ghanam Krishna Iyer)
Meragadu – Athana – Adi (Chinnayya)
Payyada – Nadanamakriya – Tisra Triputa (Kshetrayya)
Narimani – Khamas – Adi (Dharmapuri Subbarayar)
Parulanamata – Kapi – Roopakam (Dharmapuri Subbarayar)
Vagaladi – Behag – Roopakam (Tirupati Narayanaswami)
Marubari – Jhinjhoti – Roopakam (Dharmapuri Subbarayar)

Accompanists:

S. Sowmya – vocal support; Savitri Satyamurthy – violin; P. Ganesh – chitraveena; Umayalpuram Mali – mridanga.
Released by Srishti’s Carnatica under their ‘Parampara Vintage Classics series’, Padams & Javalis is a rich tribute to the legacy of Sangeeta Kala Acharya T. Muktha. The music of the padam-s and javali-s is of the highest order. Though recorded late in Muktha’s career, it provides a fine sample of the ‘Brinda-Muktha’ style of the Dhanammal bani.

Source: Sruti Magazine

Filed under: Abhinaya, Arts, Ashta Nayikas, Bharatanatyam, Bharathanatyam, CD, DVD, Dance, Dance Gurus, Padam, Performing Arts, Rasika, T.Muktha, VCD, artists, choreograhers, choreography, experiences, javali, learning, promotion, students, talent, titles, upcoming artist