Guru Bhakthi

Iam sure this term is outdated for this generation..

Beauty of gurukul system is that student completely surrenders to Guru and accepts that Guru knows it all and he/she will be the guiding light.

To some extent,my dance training so far followed this system.
I completely trusted my dance teachers..I never question back their intention..never ! I never ask them why didn't you teach me this or why am I not performing this time..I completely surrendered to my gurus.I tell myself that my teacher knows the best.She knows when am ready for that next milestone.Truth is they did know when am ready and they did push me to excel :)

But today I see the change in my own perspective.Whenever I enrol in workshops,dance courses,Iam forced to ask what will I be learning from this workshop,which package should I opt for , whats the per hour fee ? Is this "instructor" good ?

I sense more business/commercialization rather than true sense of learning art.
I see instructor as someone who provides value/service rather than "teacher"..

Concept of Guru bhakthi seem to fade away ..

Vande Mataram Video !

Empowerment through Dance !

Dancers should not only be passionate about art but also be compassionate towards needy people!
They should be the change agent in the society.

If every dancer ,who has experienced the inner joy and enlightment through dancing,volunteers to teach dance to not so priviledged children in nearby school or NGO,he/she is changing the lives of those children.

Dance is the greatest platform for self-expression.Why are we not ready to share this creative happiness? We need to believe in healing through dance.. Read the success story of dance therapy here !

If you are still not convinced , watch this !
Check out the young girls brimming with confidence!

Let India be the hub for Dance Movement Therapy !!

We need 20-20 in dance world !

I make an effort to attend most of the classical dance concerts happening in Hyderabad.

My observations :

1.Auditorium is filled mostly with bald head,walking stick and grey hair. WHY ?
2.Crowd cannot wait till the end when artists and musicians are felicitated.WHY ?
3.Younger generation become restless if a particular dance(say varnam) goes beyond 30 minutes. WHY ?

Who to be blamed ??

My Suggestions:

We need TWENTY-20 in the dance world.
How many of you have the patience/time to watch entire Cricket Test match or 1-day series ?
Fact is we are trading our life with TIME!! Make an impact faster!

Artist should :

• realise that you are buying the audience precious time.What do you trade in return ?
• understand this younger energetic generation better.Or else there will be no one to follow your art in future.

For how many years , can you express about krishna leela with gopikas,nayika worrying whether her nayak is with some other woman ?
OK.
Am not against any traditional items like varnam,padam,bhajan or javali.
Iam just suggesting , repackage it for this young generation :)

Show the audience little bit of everything.Everyone should take back something from your
performance.Everyone comes with "What is there for me ??" attitude.

• Show them fascinating techniques..demonstrate how they can fit the dance in their fitness routine..
• Show them knowledge..Express your opinions on a social cause..Raise your voice through dance !
• Show them devotion..lead them to spiritual path..
• Show them love..as love is a universal concept..
  
• Show them the rich heritage of Indian dances..Demonstrate from Natya Shastra..
  

As a dancer,I do understand the pain in pursuing ones passion in this city.
Rehearsal time clashes,non-availability of musicians and phew..number of traffic jams and the heavy RAIN !
But artists should think from audience perspective.

To attend a concert ,people plan their day(sometimes get excuses) and leave early from office.
Snail through traffic jams,pay for the tickets..just to see and learn from your performance.

Please dont disappoint them !!

Through your Innovation in dance, engage the young india !Draw them close to this wonderful art !

IT Revolution in Dance World

Art world meets technology !
I think websites,Online Videos completely revolutionalised the dance field.
I sincerely appreciate the people behind such great ventures :

http://onlinebharathanatyamacademy.wordpress.com/
www.narthaki.com
www.rasika.org
and many more...

Art is not for selected few..its for all ..
Anyone who is keen to learn these art forms, web world is the best guide..gateway to art !
But remember , it is no replacement for learning under gurus..

How does it feel to learn something new ??!!!

Rejuvenation !!

1-1234-1-2-1234-1-2-3-1234-5678-1-Clap-Clap
1-1234-1-2-1234-1-2-3-1234-5678-1-Clap-Clap
1-1234-1-2-1234-1-2-3-1234-5678-1-Clap-Clap

What am I blogging :P
Above is a Tihai(a footwork composition consisting of a long set of bols repeated thrice ) learnt in my kathak class!

I always wonder why kathak is totally different from south indian dances like bharatanatyam,odissi or kuchipudi. Reason is kathak was greatly influenced by persian dancers and mughals!
Complex Footworks,Energetic spins(Chakkars) fascinate me !

I realise that I have gone back to my childhood again..learning each and every step meticulously, memorising the Tihai's and hoping not to make mistakes infront of my teacher :-)
I love each and every moment of it !

Are you bored of your regular routine ? Do you feel you have become less productive/creative ??
Best way to cheer yourself up is to learn something totally new !!

Bring back your childhood within you !!
Rejuvenate yourself !

Dance Club Bits Pilani !!

If you are curious about what we do in Dance Club , BITS Pilani...
Please check the videos in my orkut profile !!
This is what we call "desert-dance" in Oasis :-)

My experience with Dance Club in BITS is very professional ..
When I think about the activities we do in club , its pretty much we are running a organisation of our own..

We have budgets allotted , nominate/elect Dance club Secretrary , Co-ordinator for each major show (apogee , Oasis inauguration) , Costume purchase (trips to make an economical shopping in Delhi) , Costume Designing(based on background colours) , number of trips to Nutan tailors telling them the difference b/w what we want and what he stitched, Incharge for each dance number , Lightz and Sounds Coordinator, Scheduled meetings , discussions ,practice sessions , allocation of practise rooms , CD players , Desktop/Laptop to get ideas by watching variety of videos , umpteem number of rehearsals , Run-throughs , Costume Run-through(making sure costume is not causing prob during lift , formation etc etc) , Feedback/Improvement session from Seniors,
ANC (all night canteen ) sessions to unwind our 4-5 hours of strenuos practice everyday , late night permission from girls warden , backstage preparations, props handling ,Final grand Show , C'not Treat after the successful show , waiting for comments from wingies , nears and dears about each dance...Dance club trip to some nice hill station .. and finally the post mortem session ..and election of Secretary and Co-ord for the next show...

ooohh...are not we a professional dance company already ??!!

Being a part of Dance club in BITS is indeed a great learning experience !!
Fun , Teamwork , Innovation , Creativity ..thats WE the club !!

For each one of us in DC , dance is the spirit of life !!

My dance journey...

After spending more than 15 years dancing , I cant imagine my life without dance..Dance means a lot to me ...In my own world , dance gives me the freedom to express !!
I can just be myself and do whatever my mind asks me to do !

George Bernard Shaw said "
Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it. " I am proud to be an Indian not because I was born here but because of the rich culture , arts and tradition that our Indian ancestors had given to the country..

I think each and every individual has a purpose in life ! I think my purpose is to cherish the rich heritage and promote it so that my next generation enjoys it !!

I would like to write little about my dance journey..Starting at the age of 6, I had great oppurtunities to learn classical dance from the great teachers and give remarkable number of stage performances during my school and college days !!

After graduating from college , I didnot have the oppurtunity and time to continue my passion for the past 2 years..Now Iam happy that I have set my priorities right and took enormous effort to revive my dance career..I feel as if I met my beloved one after two long years..

I gave my first performance in Yavanika, Bangalore on May 14 2006 for Commonwealth Parliamentary Assoc sponsored by Dept of kannada and culture.Iam grateful to my dance guru "Mrs Vijayanthi Kashi", the great kuchipudi exponent....

Iam excited to continue this great journey life long...