News & Notes
Indian Performing Arts Convention 2023

Indian Performing Arts Convention 2023
An art immersion
The 12th edition of the Indian
Performing Arts Conference (IPAC) 2023, a brainchild of Aravinth Kumarasamy of
Apsaras Arts, Singapore, kick-started on 17 June 2023 with over 50 participants
and resources flown in from India. The conference featured week-long master
classes, workshops and lecture demonstrations by distinguished faculty, Bragha
Bessell, Rama Vaidyanathan, Ramaa Bharadvaj, Kapila Venu, Priyadarsini Govind,
VR Devika, Ananda Shankar Jayant, Embar Kannan, and Methil Devika.
An atmosphere of camaraderie and excitement enveloped the air as the AVAI theatre space opened its doors to the delegates of IPAC 2023. The inauguration session had interesting elements - an invocation, intelligently choreographed by dancer Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, interspersing a todaya mangalam with an alarippu, and a choral music presentation by nine vocalists from the Singapore Indian Orchestra and Choir (SIOC), conducted by Vicknesvari Vadivalagan.
After
Aravinth Kumarasamy, the visionary curator of IPAC gave a glimpse of the
exciting special events planned for the convention, students dispersed to their
classes.
The
special session of day one was a workshop, Finding Poetry in Nritta, by Shankar Kandasamy. Through experiential
wisdom, humour and sincerity, he captured the hearts and imagination of all.
The day ended with Strings of Gold, a charming violin ensemble
presentation at Esplanade Studio by young violinists and percussionists, with
music arranged and orchestrated by violinist Embar Kannan.
Master Classes &
Workshops
The master classes were
conducted by senior Bharatanatyam dancers Bragha Bessell and Rama Vaidyanathan.
The classes with the students were intense and aimed towards improving
technique. Rama Vaidyanathan taught the senior group of dancers Swati
Tirunal’s Ashta ragamalika composition, Pannagendra Sayana. Taken up in
the varnam format, Rama had intelligently choreographed it to encompass subtle
abhinayas and sprightly nrittas. With eight different poses at every Pannagendra
Sayana to describe Lord Padmanabha, her classes were a treat to watch. When
asked the students how they felt in her classes, all unequivocally agreed that
while all the movements looked so elegant and easy on their guru Rama, it was
challenging for them as core strength was vital. But in the end, they all
learnt it in less than four days and performed to an audience. Rama also taught
a ragamalika tillana to the intermediate group inspired by Kanda Sashti Kavacham.
Guru Bragha Bessell
taught two Swati Tirunal compositions – Chaliye Kunjanamo (a Hindi
bhajan set in Brindavana Saranga) to the intermediate group and a Malayalam padam
Dhanyayayi Njan (Navroj) to the senior batch. Bragha stressed the
subtleties in the narration which add to the abhinaya. Always remember who you
are speaking to and the context, said Bragha, as it changes how you express
your emotion. Sustaining the abhinaya, transitioning between two abhinayas,
when to smile and when not to were the challenging aspects while learning the
pieces, said students from both groups.
Attending dancer Priyadarsini
Govind's session on teaching abhinaya was an eye-opener to the aspiring
teachers who attended the session. 'Keep it simple' - was dancer Priyadarsini
Govind's dictum when it came to abhinaya. How do you teach abhinaya outside of
a composition? Priyadarsini said that she always felt the need for a structured
approach to teaching abhinaya that will help students in the long run. Thus was
born The Learning Ladder, a set of video modules created by her to
demystify the concepts of abhinaya using simple narratives and demonstrations.
Priyadarsini played snippets from The Learning Ladder to the
participants.
After a quick recap on
the concept of Shiro bedha, which was covered in her earlier session,
Priyadarsini Govind elaborated on the next module of Dhrishti bedha –
expressing or communicating through different eye movements. The Sachi
Drishti, where the eye is moved away from the centre and is often used in
portraying romance or love, was discussed in detail. Participants were
given simple narratives, which taught them to focus and trace with their eyes.
Participants then engaged in a role-play, where the importance of dialogues and
how to effectively use the voice to create subtle improvisations in the
narratives were taught. Shedding inhibitions and owning the
narrative/composition is the key to communicating effectively, stressed
Priyadarsini.
Dancer Ramaa Bharadvaj conducted a workshop on
"Approach to Choreography" to a group of experienced teachers from
Singapore, India and Sri Lanka. Ramaa shared her thoughts and experiential
insights drawn from her dance experiences. Her theme was how to create meaning
through organising the external space via shape, time, energy and movement and
accessing the internal emotional space. Singer-dancer Vaishnavi Anand supported
Ramaa on the vocals providing extempore musical improvisations.
The young and talented Mahati Kannan's session on the
practical aspects of Natya Sastra energised the participants. Mahati
mentioned how a combination of sthana, cari, and nṛitta hastas gives rise to a
whole movement and not a mere posture. Angas are the major limbs of the body
which include the head, chest, sides, waist, hands and feet. Upangas are the
minor limbs, which include the neck, elbows, knees, toes and heels. The upangas
of the face include eyes, eyebrows, nose, lower lip and chin. She took the
participants through the different Anga movements and demonstrated how to move
the various angas gracefully.
Day six of IPAC
witnessed the final workshop by Koodiyattam exponent Kapila Venu. Kapila conducted a serene yet intense workshop on
preparing your body for Koodiyattam. She took the participants through the
aesthetics of Koodiyattam, eye movements, posture, and voice modulation – how
to stress on some of the syllables while chanting, using the core and keeping
an erect back were all demonstrated. This served as a useful prelude to her
performance the next day at the Esplanade, where she presented the stunning Mahishasuravadam
- The slaying of Mahisasura.
Lectures
A memorial lecture instituted to dancer Lakshmi Viswanathan was a
fitting tribute by Apsaras Arts. The lecture by Gandhian scholar and arts
writer V.R. Devika on 'Nataraja and
the Cosmos,' delved into the deeper meaning and cultural significance of the
symbolism of the iconic Nataraja image and its connections to scientific theory
and philosophy. With meaningful references and visuals, she created a
distinctive garland of astronomy, art, sculptural creations, mythic stories and
temple rituals. Devika's presentation
highlighted the special relationship between the deities we revere and the
cosmos. Her theory of comparing the image of Nataraja to the Orion
constellation and the legends associated with Rohini, the star in the constellation
of Taurus, which is considered many lightyears closer to the Earth, was
fascinating to list.
Lunchtime talks at IPAC
2023 featured a
conversation with Thava Rani Mohan from the Bhaskar's Arts Academy on its
latest publication, Love for Dance, on the life of Singapore's dance
pioneers K.P Bhaskar and Santha Bhaskar.
In another lunchtime
talk, freelance photographer Suresh Easwaran gave a presentation on the
intriguing art form – Theyyam. Suresh's collection of photos brought to
life several forms of Theyyam including the Chamundy Theyyam, Gulikan Theyyam,
Pudiya Bhagavathy Theyyam, among several others. The video snippets and his
superb collection of photographs traced the journey of a Theyyam artist (deity)
from the four-hour makeup sessions to the fire play and the climax where the
artist transcends to become the deity itself.
Dance found Rukmini Devi
Arundale
Revisiting the life and
journey of Rukmini Devi Arundale was a much-needed topic, especially when
controversies abound in the social media space. Scholar and historian V.R.
Devika presented an interesting lecture on Rukmini Devi Arundale interspersed
with rare photographs and video clippings. Tracing Rukmini's birth on 29
February 1904, Devika spoke about Rukmini's father Neelakanta Sastri, who was
interested in Theosophy, mesmerised by Annie Besant's work, and moved to
Madras. Devika spoke about Rukmini's introduction and, finally, her marriage to
George Sydney Arundale, which faced severe criticism in the city.
Devika went on to
narrate the story of Rukmini meeting the famous dancer Anna Pavlova who nudged
Rukmini to learn dancing. There was a loud gasp from the audience when Devika
mentioned that Rukmini Devi started learning Bharatanatyam in her mid-twenties.
Devika recounted Rukmini Devi's tryst with guru Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai and
then finally the start of Kalakshetra under a thatched shed in the Besant
campus and then their eventual move to the Thiruvanmiyur campus. Devika said
Rukmini Devi's missionary zeal had borne fruits in several spheres, be it
Kalakshetra, her love for animals, and handlooms. Devika's talk was an
eye-opener to several on Rukmini Devi and her multifaceted interest in the
varied aspects of life and art that has made her a unique 'cult figure'.
Lecture Demonstrations
Colours of Music was a splash of musical hues
by violin exponent Embar Kannan who
had teamed up with the dynamically talented keyboard player Sathya. They
demonstrated how the keyboard could ignite emotional layering in varied genres
of music – from classical Carnatic to classical Western to film melodies. Their
masterful finale of Chinese music in Mohana raga left all wondering if they had
just heard a symphony orchestral presentation.
Thyagaraja Ramayanam by dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant and her student Neha
Sathanapalli was a garland to Lord Rama strung with musical compositions of
Tyagaraja, movingly sung and recorded by the late Sathiraju Venumadhav. The
pair led the audience through a gamut of emotions through elegantly
choreographed sections of key episodes from the epic. With her poise and
confidence, Neha completely held the audience's attention – not an easy task
while performing alongside the mastery of one's own teacher.
Kshetra specific
sancharis for traditional varnams was the topic dancer Rama Vaidyanathan chose for her
presentation. The varnam composed by vageyakaras, who lived during the Trinity
era, was taken up by Rama for her lec-dem. Rama took up a few
compositions to show how she weaved in the subtleties of the composition in her
sancharis.
Rama demonstrated the
anupallavi from Mohamana (Bhairavi) varnam, Nagarikamana tirunagaril
vasare bhoga tyagesa… Here she weaved in an interesting story, where Vishnu
meditated with Lord Siva on his chest. The inhalation and exhalation of Lord
Vishnu led to Siva's Ajapanatanam – the dance that emerges out of unuttered
prayer. Keeping the breath as the core idea, how the nayika unites with Tygaesa
spiritually and physically, was beautifully demonstrated by Rama in the
sancharis. Rama also demonstrated Sami nee rammanave (Khamas), where the
nayika describes the Brihadeeswara temple.
Rama's take home for the
students of IPAC was, be it a varnam or composition you are presenting, dancers
must research the historical background of when the composition was made and
why. Rama felt that if the composer had mentioned a particular deity/temple or
some interesting anecdote or legend in the composition, it is important that
dancers bring in that visual imagery in the choreography without losing the
character of the nayika or without losing the emotions the composer had
intended to convey.
Ninda Stuti
Ninda-Stuti - praise through a convention, used by poets,
which takes the form of a complaint or an outward criticism and inner praise.
Ninda-Stuti allows for a variety of emotions to be demonstrated through
abhinaya-expositions. Dancer Mohanapriyan
Thavarajah, in his presentation, demonstrated a variety of Ninda-Stutis
from Gopalakrishna Bharathi, Purandara Dasa, and Krishnakarnamritam. His
demonstration of the Dasar composition, which depicts an imaginary conversation
between Parvati and Rukmini was interesting to watch. Priyan's portrayal
of bhakti and his subtle jocular expressions made his session very
lively.
The last two sessions
for day five featured two captivating lecture demonstrations. The first was by
dancer Ramaa Bharadvaj who presented Movements and their meanings.
Two centuries ago, a French oratory coach, Francois Delsarte, developed a
demonstrable system of aesthetics in which body, mind, and spirit are not
abstract concepts but actual forces with particular corporeal locations through
which they manifest themselves. In an articulate and well-researched talk which
was laced with clever humour, Ramaa viewed Delsarte's concepts through the lens
of Indian dance, where sound, voice, breathing, and bodily movement are all important
elements. Delsarte's deep research into the behaviour of the body in different
emotional states, such as hand gestures with the thumb (whether open and held
straight or collapsed), head and shoulder movements, connecting each of them
with specific emotional states – is very close to Indian aesthetic concepts and
was fascinating to hear.
The final session was a
moving presentation by Bragha Bessell on Manmada Vilasam – Cupids Play.
Bragha's nuanced abhinaya seamlessly portrayed Manmata, the formless intoxicator
who churns and dwells in our hearts and is born from the mind. Bragha presented
her first piece Madano, a sloka from the Amarakosa set
thoughtfully to raga Vasanta (to signify the season of Manmata) and
Ratipatipriya (Rati, the wife of Manmata) by vocalist Vanathi Raghuraman.
Bragha transported the
audience to witness Manmata's army (moon as his umbrella, breeze as his
chariot, parrot or his horses as his vehicle, young maidens as his soldiers,
tender mango leaves- his sword, night –the elephants, cuckoo –the announcer,
peacocks- actresses, five flowers are his arrows, makara – his flag). The lines
Maran kanaigal tuvuran saramariyai was presented from the immortal Mohmana
(Bhairavi, Tanjore Quartet) to aptly portray his crew.
The sugarcane bow and pancha
banas (five arrows) of Manmata were described beautifully by Bragha through
Subbarama Iyer's Madapaiyale kadai yeigirai in Paras (Adi tala). Bragha
convincingly portrayed the nayika who confronts Manmata as he shoots his pancha
banas. With every gesture perfectly timed, Bragha demonstrated how Manmata
aims his arrows. To conclude, Bragha presented an excerpt from the Kutrala
Kuravanji. The narratives allowed for a variety of interpretations, where
she portrayed Vasantavalli, who laments after she misses her lord, Siva.
Kamala – The fragrance of a legend
The audience at IPAC was ever-ready to listen to Ramaa Bharadvaj's
lectures, and her talk on the evergreen dancer Kamala was no exception. Having
trained under Kamala for several years, listening to Ramaa, who spoke about
Kamala's life on and off the silver screen, was heartwarming. Watching the
video clips shown by Ramaa, the audience at IPAC, some 75 years later, still
viewed it with bated breath as Kamala executed the jati korvais in unimaginable
speed and punctuated it with reposeful adavus and sculpturesque poses. Kamala
had the magic ability to make any dance item appealing.
When Kamala, still a child, entered the scene, she came to be
recognised quickly as a dancer of extraordinary talent and skill. Her appeal
was greater because thousands of children, and vicariously their parents, could
identify themselves with her and aspire to follow in her footsteps. Listening
to Ramaa narrate anecdotes from the invaluable opportunity of observing her
guru at close quarters was exhilarating. Be it lessons on nattuvangam, costume,
or stage etiquette, Kamala believed in traditions. Here was a heartwarming
story of a guru who wanted to elevate her students with all that she could
give.
On the last day, Ramaa presented another delightful session of
laughter and learning through her Tarkka Paattu. Ramaa's solo act
combined dance expressions, singing, dramatic story-telling and fascinating
narratives about Tamil folk literature, all peppered with huge helpings of
humour. She presented interesting anecdotes supported by charming folk songs,
which she rendered with gusto, enlivened by engaging gestures and
expressions.
The last lecture at IPAC was by dancer Methil Devika on Mohini Attam, and she demonstrated the tala
structure, hastas used and how the dancer perceives laya. While internalising
her art well, Methil Devika's presentation had an intellectual and subtle
element.
Devika shared with the audience a video of her presentation at a
local temple in Kerala, depicting goddess Annapoorna, Bhadrakali and Mahisasura
Mardini. Devika, within a short span, put together this impromptu performance
using the prahara as the stage, the temple walls as her backdrop and live music
by temple musicians.
All through the ten full days of dance and music, IPAC 2023
brought to Singapore wholesome sessions, which renewed the enthusiasm of all
the participants. Apsaras Arts did a commendable job attracting students from
all the dance schools in Singapore, India and Malaysia.
(With inputs from Apsaras Arts Singapore)