indian classical dance

Music as a Common Vehicle

by sritheartist

This week we have a guest post on the blog by Badrinarayan Murali a Journalism graduate from Ryerson University. These are his thoughts on a recent program I was a part of hosted by Gaanavarshini School of Music in Mississauga, Ontario. Hope you enjoy this departure from the norm!

Sandhya Srivatsan created school of music called Gaanavarshini in 2006 as a way to impart her knowledge of Carnatic music, a South Indian form of classical singing, to young Mississaugans. On May 8, she and her students celebrated the school’s ten-year anniversary at the Maja Prentice Theatre by presenting “Sangeeta Kala Utsav”, a three hour program of the songs and dances of South Indian culture and Indian film music.

Srivatsan, the show’s artistic director, gave brief explanations in between pieces to help the audience make connections between different art forms and their respective impacts on many Indian films’ musical scores. Some of the featured instruments of the show’s orchestra included the violin, the veena (a long stringed instrument), the mridangam (a double sided drum) and cymbals.

Srivatsan and her students presented traditional pieces from the Carnatic Music composition repertoire. Shradha Ganesh, an emerging artist in the Indian film music scene who attends the regional arts program at Cawthra Park Secondary School presented Bollywood film music that has been inspired by Carnatic Music. Another featured performer of the night was Srivatsan’s daughter, Sridaya. She performed six Bharatanatyam pieces, one of the traditional South Indian classical dance forms. Bharatanatyam as a dance form is used to tell stories from Hinduism; Sridaya chose her pieces for this performance based on the importance of the accompanying music. Sridaya’s pieces were choreographed by her dance teacher, Anuradha Jagannathan, who was also a member of the show’s orchestra.

The audience consisted of many people who were both familiar with South Indian culture and those who were not. One of the sponsors of the event, Kala Narayanan from Eurojets was pleased with the turn out at Sangeeta Kala Utsav. “I was spell bound by the performances. I am sure a lot of sincere coaching and patience was required to bring the students to that level of singing,” says Narayanan. “Equally note worthy was Sridaya’s dance performance with absolute confidence and poise.

 

For Sandhya Srivatsan, this was a night of celebration and education.

“This event was an artistic journey highlighting the symbiosis of Carnatic music with dance and other art forms,” said Srivatsan. “It was appreciated by all demographics in the audience which made this a gratifying experience.”

Follow Gaanavarshini on Facebook and Instagram @Gaanavarshini!

Follow Badri Murali on Twitter @BadriMurali

The South Asian Identity in North America

by sritheartist

There’s a lot of cultural identity that is saved like a time capsule by families that move from their motherland to a new country. Specifically in Canada, this can be seen by the rampant South Asian immigrants who have made the voyage either through ships in the early 19th century or by modern British Airways flights in the early 2000s. While the motherland grows in a globalized world, it is often the generations that grow up as immigrants that hold on to cultural roots.

As an Indo-Canadian I have found myself sandwiched between Carnatic music lessons at home and being expected to know the Top 40 songs to be accepted in school. I am not alone in hiding my artistic talents in order to not draw attention to myself – the unspoken truth is that it’s easier to pretend that all the hours we spend learning Bharatanatyam and Carnatic sangeetham don’t exist. The Tamil movies and Bollywood movies I’d watch on weekends would not be brought up in school either. We have to blend in and hiding our heritage means we won’t have one more thing which makes us different from the norm.

Of course, as we grow into young adults and start to embrace our talents, our Non-Indian friends start to look upon us admiringly. They may have given up ballet at the age of nine, or stopped piano lessons before they left grade five. Once we are older, we realize that it is better to be different than to be like everyone else – we have more to talk about and share.

Establishing a South Asian identity is so very important in Canada. Recently, I’ve been volunteering my skills in Social Media and Content Creation at the International Film Festival of South Asia, Toronto (IFFSA) to explore the film-making spectrum of the arts. This experience has opened my eyes to a whole new world of film business. This week, before the Official Launch of the festival, I was working on gathering the materials with the other volunteers to create the booklets and website content. In this process I got to read the stories of what inspired directors to share a vision. It could be something as simple as a walk outdoors where someone gets an idea or a social issue they feel passionate about.

The leads at IFFSA are some of the most passionate and fun people I’ve ever met. They aren’t necessarily filmmakers or actors themselves but they saw the need for South Asian representation in media and created a platform for budding talent. The IFFSA events bring all aspects of the subcontinent together – as we know there are several sub-cultures within South Asia that unfortunately are not always brought to light. The festival occurs during South Asian Heritage month, highlighting our  unique identity which hopefully creates a sense of cultural pride within the younger children in the community. I’m definitely looking forward to Festival Week (May 19th – May 23rd) and performing at IFFSA Toronto’s Fest in the Park to offer a little bit of Tamil Nadu heritage!

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The Social Media team with Rajiv Nayan, director of the Award Winning Mithila Makhaan

You might ask me what an Indian Classical Artist like myself has to do with Film-Making.

It’s simple really.

We are all artists who want to tell a story – it’s just the different mediums we choose.

 

Chidambaram

by sritheartist

Bharatanatyam heritage is synonymous with Thillai Sthalam – Chidambaram. Home of both Nataraja and Govindrajan, this is one of the 108 Divyadeshams for Vaishnava followers as well as a prestigious temple for Shiva devotees. Some of the oldest parts of the temple are dated to be older than 3,000 years. Particularly, Nataraja, the form that Lord Shiva takes in his Cosmic dance is the patron God for all dancers and the idol at this temple is renowned.

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One of the grand entrances to the temple.

If you recollect my blog post covering Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam’s workshop in Toronto, you would remember that her research was focused on sculptures from temple walls, and she discovered  a system of poses called karanas. One of the major temples which contributed to Dr. Subrahmanyam’s research is the Chidambaram temple, hence I was insistent on visiting the temple before I left the country.

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Sridaya Srivatsan (me), doing what every dancer does next to a dance sculpture.

I visited Chidambaram close to the end of my trip to India; I traversed the landscape of South India moving from place to place and having no consistency to speak of. I am not going to glorify my travelling experience, as I was exhausted by the time the car pulled in front of the temple due to erratic sleep and body fatigue. However, setting foot into the temple premises, hearing the priests chanting around a homam (sacred fire) and the echoes cascading off the ancient stones instantly awakened my senses. The scent of jasmine in the air, the sound of devotees talking, older women gossiping about match making people in their families and my feet blistering while walking barefoot on the stones at noon – ahh yes, the atmosphere of a South Indian temple.

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A panel of sculptures behind the Sivakami sannidi

 

As I approached the inner sanctum where the idol of Lord Nataraja is housed, I could feel the heat of the day melt away. The architecture of temples were so brilliant even thousands of years ago—the materials used in construction as well as the intelligent design that channeled the air flow provided shelter and refuge from the sweltering heat which the area experiences. The tranquility I experienced gazing upon the form of Lord Nataraja illuminated by oil lamps and a small shaft of sunlight is incomparable. I haven’t been one to indulge in religious fervour but there is something intrinsically powerful about that moment in Thillai Sthalam for a dancer.

A unique aspect to the temple is the Nritta sabha where there are unique poses of Lord Shiva from the mythological story where he won a dance competition against Kaali. There, in front of the dwajastambham (Temple flag) you can see the outline of the inner sanctum where the idol is housed from a distance and artists can offer their talents to the Lord. As I did the traditional namaskar that Bharatanatyam dancers perform before and after dancing, I recognized the privilege I held by being able to stamp my feet on this holy ground. Dancers since the creation of the temple have offered their art and I was finally about to do so. If these pillars and stones could speak, what stories would they tell us? Who were the great dancers who were the designated devadasis to the temple years prior?

As I walked around the temple premises observing all the intricate carvings, the experience of actually dancing before the Lord of Dance himself left me feeling light and spiritually uplifted. I no longer felt travel worn, hungry or perturbed by daily annoyances. Of course such a feeling doesn’t last much longer than the hours of the visit, but now whenever I think back to my trip to Chidambaram I am filled a sense of serenity. I think I can conclude that Chidambaram isn’t merely a place on a map, but instead an experience.

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Call for Action on Collaboration

by sritheartist

I have noticed a trend in the artistic community, whether it be in India or in North America. When people are talented and interested in being ambitious with their genetic gifts there’s a discomfort in sharing that with others. There are many like-minded individuals talented in similar ways but there’s a fear of sharing, giving and collaborating. I recently described it as everyone having a piece of the world’s most beautiful puzzle, but thinking that our piece is the best that we are going to get. However, if we combined our puzzle pieces we could create a wonderful tapestry together.

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I completely understand the fear of losing something when collaborating. It is a cut throat industry to be in, where you have to be seen at all the opportune events and it’s scary to share that opportunity with others because you worked hard to get to where you are. But really, instead of trying to battle amongst ourselves, it is possible to succeed together because really no two talented people are really comparable. Every artist, singer, dancer, photographer and designer has their own strengths that can move an audience. Instead we need to band together and stay a strong unit.

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We can achieve a lot together. We can appeal to the organizations that lack an understanding of traditional arts to not just invite good performers for 15 minutes of stage time. We can help our photographer friends by actually paying them or trading services and lead by example to others. We can encourage local talent on our annual dance or music school days by inviting a few of them to perform alongside our very own students. We don’t need to be intimidated by talent, but inspired by it. The thing about artists is that we try to feed our souls through our art and are afraid of being known as “sell-outs,” but at the same time if we don’t try to stand up for what is rightfully our remuneration we are selling out to the establishment. And we must rise above that.

Below you can see the work of my fellow Toronto-based dancer, Yalini Rajakulasingam who collaborated with Jananie Baskaran, a photographer. I truly hope I can work with them in the future and expand upon the inspiration behind their photoseries.

Additionally, my friend Rokhsan who I met quite accidentally at an art exhibition in India is the physical embodiment of a collaborator. She helps bring attention to quite a few campaigns and helps her artistic friends out. I am constantly learning how to be a better human thanks to Rokhsan and I am very privileged to be a part of the circle of friends whom she helps. You can give us a helping hand by checking out her GoFundMe page – I can assure you that Rokhsan is an individual made of more heart than anyone else I know and this campaign will only bring the best of arts and culture to a city near you!

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I thank you all for your continued support and for stopping me when you see me to tell me you enjoyed the latest blog post. As long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing!

The Female Energy

by sritheartist

For those who know me, it doesn’t take long to realize I am all about equality and empowerment. Yes, you may even label me as a word everyone seems to be afraid of these days – Feminist. It is but natural that some of my personality would leak into this blog, leading to a crossover of Feminism and Art.

 

Such a crossover occurred when I attended a Bharatanatyam workshop by Smt. Vidhya Subramanian at Hyderabad a couple of weeks ago! After a stunning performance at CCRT to celebrate Hema Arangam’s first anniversary, Vidhya akka was at location ready to teach bright and early the very next morning. We started the day with warm ups and yogic stretches. Vidhya akka is known for her agility and speed in movement and explained that “Yoga is very important for dancers because it connects the mind to the body.”

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The attendees of the workshop arranged by Hema Arangam with the lovely Smt. Vidhya Subramanian (center)

Finally when the time came to start learning an item, we were excited to hear that we would be learning a piece from Vidhya’s repertoire the previous night. Jai Durge—a hindi bhajan adapted to Durga ragam. Durga, or Kali as she is also known is one of my favourite symbols as far as Hindu mythology is concerned. She is empowered, at once a force of destruction and creation, famed for being a dark-skinned beauty and conquering demons. This goddess, famed for being deadly and beautiful has always struck me as the epitome of my Feminism.

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The Left hand Mudra depicts a Lion (you can imagine the wild mane), and the Right hand Mudra depicts a whip. Durga is depicted as the one who rides a Lion as her vehicle. Talk about fierce.

Here are some of the lyrics translated for you:

Jai Durge, Durgati pariharini

Victory to Durga, the remover of sorrows

Shumbha vidarini Mata Bhavani

Remover of evils/ demons, our Mother

Adhi Sakthi Parabramha Swaroopini

The Primordial energy, the Ultimate form

It’s really wonderful that the Indian arts still find a way to communicate stories from the scriptures to the next generation. The piece that Vidhya Subramanian taught begins with a choreographed conversation and battle between the demon Mahisha and Goddess Durga that can be found in the Markandeya Purana (Vedic Scripture). In an act of arrogance, Mahisha received a boon that he could only be destroyed by a woman. When he sees Goddess Durga, believed to be the Ultimate energy, he scoffs at her unable to believe that she could defeat him. As they battle using various weapons, finally Durga kills him with a spear to his neck, a scene immortalized by many sculptures and paintings in India.

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Captured on a temple wall during my trip to Chidambaram, here is a sculpture of Kali/ Durga. The invaders may have chopped her arms off, but her power transcends all!

The primordial energy—the energy of creation is understandably exhalted in the female form. Womanhood is marked by moments of pain, strength and endurance. The story of Durga, dated to Vedic times is indigenous to the cultural history of India which is ironic given the current situation in the country. With female foeticide still happening in India (and not just the rural areas either), dark-skin shaming, acid-attacks on women who would *dare* to spurn a man… with politicians answering “boys will be boys,” when asked to comment on increasing sexual assault, it is indeed a paradox when the very same men in power pray to their Goddesses to get their seat in politics. It then becomes exceedingly important that the female energy in the form of Durga remains relevant and contextualized in the 21st century.

It is important to mention that Smt. Vidhya Subramanian has worked on projects such as Aham Sita that bring a modern perspective on ancient mythology by giving a voice to the female characters. When hearing Vidhya akka speak about such projects, I felt a kinship grow and look forward to more artists using traditional art to address current issues. In terms of learning, I appreciated Vidhya akka explaining the meaning and intention behind every movement. I find that within our generation, it is becoming increasingly rare to find people with a knowledge of Sanskrit, so it is extremely vital that as students we at the very least record word-for-word translations. She was patient and made sure that all students present understood the meanings and gave personal attention to each individual’s queries. When we had a Q&A session she had a lot of stories to share about her experiences learning from her Vadhyar Sri Swamimalai Rajarathnam Pillai, and touring with my Guru Smt. Anuradha Jagannathan. It is always wonderful to see how people who learned from Vadhyar speak with such fondness about his individualistic teaching style. Vidhya akka shared a sentiment that I have heard from my Guru as well – that Vadhyar was one of the last nattuvanars who designed pieces with the student’s strengths and weaknesses in mind.

It was a true delight sharing these experiences with Smt. Vidhya Subramanian and my new friends in Hyderabad. Jai Durge!

8 Things I learned from doing Outdoor Photoshoots

by sritheartist

I am finally back in Canada and I am really grateful for some of the unique opportunities that came up while I was away. I had the chance to do a couple of outdoor photoshoots for the first time and while I am no super-model to be giving any advice I thought I’d share some tips.

  • Work your angles. This takes exercising some vanity in front of the mirror. It’s better if you have a few ideas of poses you want to do and understand how your body looks. Work to your strengths. Fix your posture and hand gestures as though you were being pulled up by a puppeteer. Most importantly, shift your body from being straight in front of the camera/mirror to being 45 degrees, and 90 degrees away. See what suits your desired pose best!

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  • Practice your different smiles. Again, this will engage some of your vanity, but I guess it’s a good thing we are all getting accustomed to taking empowering selfies! The thing is, sometimes your natural laughter or natural smile might be too wide and reflect too much light off your teeth. The irony is that your close-lipped, unnatural smile ends up looking more natural on camera and your genuine mirth can look insincere. Also remember how your makeup has been applied – if you go too overboard with your facial expressions and have dramatic makeup on at the same time it can be too much.

  • Stretch before you do the photoshoots and after. Doing photoshoots may seem like its easier than actually performing on stage. In some ways, yes it is. But remember you are required to hold your pose while the photographer adjusts his lights and level of flash. And you can’t let the strain show on your face! Because we aren’t models by profession this is probably the hardest part of the job. All those early lessons in adavus come handy in holding aramandi and muzhumandi!
  • Think about your makeup before the day of your photoshoot. My friend over at Drishti Photography (IG: @drishtiphotography) told me that natural light in India can be harsh and wash you out. She advised me to make sure my makeup is bold, because subtle makeup won’t photograph as well – it’s a good thing Bharatanatyam makeup is striking to begin with! She also said something that all photographers will remind you of – don’t face the sun directly because it will hurt your eyes.

 

 

  • Chose the people you work with wisely. Going back to Point 3, yes it’s difficult to hold your concentration and your pose at the same time. This means that who you have around you should be chosen wisely. People that purposefully make you laugh a lot are fun to have around on most days, but hysterical laughter doesn’t photograph too well (refer to Point 2). It’s good to have someone around to arrange the pleats of your outfit, make sure your jewelry is in the right place and encourage you. Complete silence isn’t great either, so have someone supportive around who will make you feel confident!
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The Muscat Sunset. This isn’t a green screen, this is real life!
  • Use the natural space around you to its fullest. I had a lot of fun working with both professional and amateur photographers because no one stopped me from climbing up on rocks and bring out my inner wild-child. If you have family around, be prepared for a lot of tsk-ing and gasps—but don’t let it stifle your creative ideas. And remember, it’s sometimes easier to grab footholds while climbing up, but harder when coming down!

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    At Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Hyderabad is famous for its dry air and rocky terrain.
  • Trust your photographer. Don’t be that person that stops them all the time to find out how the shot went. They can make magic on Photoshop happen so trust them! Stopping every five minutes will cut into the creative flow. Instead, if you really have an idea in your head talk to them about it before the shoot starts. Communication is key in almost everything! I was really lucky to have Michael Monteiro Photography at Hyderabad, because he was incredible at using the location and understanding exactly what I wanted.
  • HAVE FUN! It’s a privilege to have access to talent, costumes and jewelry. It’s become a necessity to constantly self-promote yourself no matter what field you’re in, so yes you go ahead and take every opportunity to strike a pose and capture your moment. Remember you love to dance and you know you look like an ethereal supernatural being!