Whirlwind of dance and music...

The last three days have been a wonderful whirlwind of dance and art. I was a guest of the Kalabharathi Foundation and attended their 2014 National Dance and Music Fest. I saw classical dancers and troupes from all around India. I got to meet them, have dinner with them, and have wonderful conversations about their art, my study, and our shared love of classical dance. I got to meet local dignitaries, a whole host of local art and dance lovers, and some very accomplished Gurus. The cherry on top, I was on local TV. HA!

It was an amazing three days. My deepest thanks to Aparna, my wonderful teacher. To the whole Kalabharathi family that took such good care of me. They fed me with dinners, escorted me with transportation, and all around hospitality. Such wonderful people, such hard work, I am greatly impressed by this festival and all the hard work that went into arranging it. It was, for me, the experience of a lifetime. Hearty thanks.

 Day 2 had a wonderful local Kuchapudi dancer - Geetha Padmakumar. She had such amazing elegance and grace. She was a delight to watch. Kuchapudi is a South Indian dance form similar to Bharatanatyam, but originates in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It has similar line, but is less angular. There is a different posture associated to Kuchapudi, it is well known for their dances with water jugs, and on tin plates. Geetha's performance was an absolute pleasure to watch.

     

The second performance was an amazing Kathak dancer from Mumbai named Adithi Bhagwat. She danced Jaipur style, a style I had not seen before. This style was energetic and graceful. Her performance was commanding and she lead the audience through her pieces. He grasp of fast footwork was amazing. 

Adithi was wonderful to talk with she has a fun-loving personality. She has toured the world and danced quite a few times in the USA. She is a well known dancer and actress. She has been a regular actress in an Indian serial (soap opera) as well as some Maharashtran movies. She is currently working on a fusion performance with a Flamenco dancer from New York and was in Cochin for rehearsals for that as well. Quite a lady. I am glad I got the time to chat and laugh with her over dinner. 

 



Day 3 was also a delight. There was a very famed Kerala playback singer, Sithara. She was singing Ghazals, which is a Hindustani form of music. That is a North Indian art style and is sung mostly in Hindi. In the South, Carnaic music is the classical form that most musicians study, that is done in local languages or Sanskrit. In recent years the cross over to studying both Hindustani and Carnatic music is becoming more mainstream, here in the South of India. I love Hindustani music, so it was a treat for me to hear it here in Kerala. Sithara also did a Ghazal in Malayalam (local language of Kerala), I thought that was amazing.

The second act was a very good Odissi dance troupe from Bangalore. The troupe was lead by teacher Mahulita Mohapatra. They were fantastic. I love watching Oddisi dance. Their command of posture and balance is amazing, as well as the beautiful hastas. Was a great treat to watch.

I will soon post videos, but be patient as the internet is slow here and uploads take some time.

WOW. Such and amazing experience meeting all these people. I felt so welcome and inspired by their art and passion. These last three days have also been time off from my dance practice. I feel lazy. Back in the studio today to work my muscles and finish cleaning up my adavus. Tomorrow I start learning a Padam. Very excited for this next phase.



Namaste,
Christy