Dhrupadaangi | Vadya Pallavi | Sheer Aesthetic Bliss
Tapati Chowdharie
The Statesman
11 May 2019
Tapati Chowdharie
The Statesman
11 May 2019
#Dhrupadaangi #VadyaPallavi
Friday, July 26, 2019
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Paraspar | When the dialogue became a discourse
A unique evening of soulful music and dance based on Krishna Consciousness was presented to mark Ashadhi Ekadashi in MAHAGAMI, Aurangabad, on 23 July 2018. The program named 'Paraspar' meaning 'to mutually reciprocate' showcased a spontaneous artistic dialogue between two artists representing two art forms - Parvathy Baul (Baul Sangeet) and Parwati Dutta (Odissi Nritya).
'Paraspar' was a humble offering by the two devoted artists -an offering immersed with music, dance, divine words and thoughts. The artistes dwelt in their own spaces while engaging in a subtle dialogue within, amongst them and beyond. We know that the Bauls are mystic minstrels (Muslim Sufis and Hindu Vaishnavs) from the Bengal region, who traveled and sang in search of the internal ideal. Odissi considered one of the oldest classical dances of India with its first reference in Bharatamuni's Natyashastra as 'Odra-Magadhi', was a dance offering in the temples of the medieval period. This mutual dialogue of the two traditions through the two artists brought forth the pious and sacred stream of bhakti and submission.
The program was in three parts; the first part had Odissi performance by Parwati Dutta, second part was Baul Sangeet by Parvathy Baul and the third brought both artists together in an artistic dialogue.
Beginning with an imaginative Jagannath Ashtakam in praise of Lord Jagannath, one of the forms of Krishna, Parwati Dutta moved on to Dashavatar showing the 10 incarnations of Lord Krishna by exploring the stage interestingly assigning different zones to different characters and avataras. This was followed by an involved abhinaya to an ashtapadi "Pashyati dishi dishi ...." from Jayadeva's Geeta Govindam. Dutta portrayed the virahotkanthita nayika through her contained yet intense abhinaya. The sancharis unfolded many layers and narratives along the central line. Sarpa Janana was a rare piece composed by Parwati Dutta which is a 'Ninda stuti' by Kavisurya Baladev Rath. This invocation of lord Jagannath as a snake began with depiction of a story where a bhakta is bitten by the snake in the temple premises. The lord is evoked with a feeling of agony and anger. The Odissi performance by Parwati Dutta concluded with a soulful rendition to Bengali song by Tagore on the eternal melody of flute laced with a lyrical Krishna Tandav that showcased the omnipresent Krishna.
In the next part, Parvathy Baul entered with her ektara and duggi singing with complete surrender of devotee to Krishna as Guru. The devotee says to Krishna, "While the whole world praises you, it accuses me of loving you. I take all those accusations as ornaments, while I rest only in you." The following song was about Ananda. It spoke about sadhak's journey to the city of joy (anand), which is above physical mind and physical body, yet within this body. Traversing the physical space and the sound space, Parvathy immersed one and all in her divine submission. Her next song about Kaali Krishna was a rare imaginative piece. Here, devotee is asking Kali to let go her fierce appearance, and stand in tribhanga like Krishna with Radha beside her; essentially praying to mother Kaali to take the bhava of Krishna. Her gentle and sublime dance moves punctuated by tinkling sounds of the nupura along with her singing on ektara created a mystic aura that left the audience immersed in the music.
Paraspar - The name of the presentation interestingly included the initial letters of both artists' names - Parvathy Baul and Parwati Dutta who came together in the energised artistic dialogue. Stories of Radha and Krishna have been sung since 10th century in Bengal invoking unconditional love. In the chosen narrative from Baul tradition, Radha prepares to receive Krishna but the night passes and He doesn't come. In despair she decides she doesn't want to see him anymore and avoids seeing anything black that reminds of him. Krishna instead spends the night with Chandravali; he remembers his promise to Radha the next morning and tries to come back to meet her. Radha now refuses to meet him and deploys her sakhi Brinde to stop Krishna.Finally she agrees and says, Krishna is within and everywhere, so life cannot be without him, and Brinde brings Krishna saying that he has to become the bhakta to understand the love of a bhakta.
The mutual dialogue along with dance, abhinaya, narration and rhythm sequences took the audience towards an emotional journey interspersed with narratives of Radha, Krishna and Brinde. The impromptu delineation by Parwati Dutta through abhinaya, rhythmic passages and cadences of movements after every section of the song-narrative of Parvathy Baul was a delight to watch. The mutual dialogue emerged as a discourse leading to the divine. Shivshankar on mardal, Manoj Desai on vocals, Hriday on sarod and Niranjan on flute provided a strong support. The presentation ended with chanting by Parvathy Baul of "Jay Jay Ram Krishna Hari" along with Parwati Dutta's internalized movements to the recitation of abstract utterances of Odissi dance. The Bhramari (spins) and Parikrama by the artists highlighted the crescendo of the performance finally merging together with a verse from Dnyaneshwari on the significance of the Guru.
Anand Nandi
September 7, 2018
September 7, 2018
A unique evening of soulful music and dance based on Krishna Consciousness was presented to mark Ashadhi Ekadashi in MAHAGAMI, Aurangabad, on 23 July 2018. The program named 'Paraspar' meaning 'to mutually reciprocate' showcased a spontaneous artistic dialogue between two artists representing two art forms - Parvathy Baul (Baul Sangeet) and Parwati Dutta (Odissi Nritya).
'Paraspar' was a humble offering by the two devoted artists -an offering immersed with music, dance, divine words and thoughts. The artistes dwelt in their own spaces while engaging in a subtle dialogue within, amongst them and beyond. We know that the Bauls are mystic minstrels (Muslim Sufis and Hindu Vaishnavs) from the Bengal region, who traveled and sang in search of the internal ideal. Odissi considered one of the oldest classical dances of India with its first reference in Bharatamuni's Natyashastra as 'Odra-Magadhi', was a dance offering in the temples of the medieval period. This mutual dialogue of the two traditions through the two artists brought forth the pious and sacred stream of bhakti and submission.
The program was in three parts; the first part had Odissi performance by Parwati Dutta, second part was Baul Sangeet by Parvathy Baul and the third brought both artists together in an artistic dialogue.
Beginning with an imaginative Jagannath Ashtakam in praise of Lord Jagannath, one of the forms of Krishna, Parwati Dutta moved on to Dashavatar showing the 10 incarnations of Lord Krishna by exploring the stage interestingly assigning different zones to different characters and avataras. This was followed by an involved abhinaya to an ashtapadi "Pashyati dishi dishi ...." from Jayadeva's Geeta Govindam. Dutta portrayed the virahotkanthita nayika through her contained yet intense abhinaya. The sancharis unfolded many layers and narratives along the central line. Sarpa Janana was a rare piece composed by Parwati Dutta which is a 'Ninda stuti' by Kavisurya Baladev Rath. This invocation of lord Jagannath as a snake began with depiction of a story where a bhakta is bitten by the snake in the temple premises. The lord is evoked with a feeling of agony and anger. The Odissi performance by Parwati Dutta concluded with a soulful rendition to Bengali song by Tagore on the eternal melody of flute laced with a lyrical Krishna Tandav that showcased the omnipresent Krishna.
In the next part, Parvathy Baul entered with her ektara and duggi singing with complete surrender of devotee to Krishna as Guru. The devotee says to Krishna, "While the whole world praises you, it accuses me of loving you. I take all those accusations as ornaments, while I rest only in you." The following song was about Ananda. It spoke about sadhak's journey to the city of joy (anand), which is above physical mind and physical body, yet within this body. Traversing the physical space and the sound space, Parvathy immersed one and all in her divine submission. Her next song about Kaali Krishna was a rare imaginative piece. Here, devotee is asking Kali to let go her fierce appearance, and stand in tribhanga like Krishna with Radha beside her; essentially praying to mother Kaali to take the bhava of Krishna. Her gentle and sublime dance moves punctuated by tinkling sounds of the nupura along with her singing on ektara created a mystic aura that left the audience immersed in the music.
Paraspar - The name of the presentation interestingly included the initial letters of both artists' names - Parvathy Baul and Parwati Dutta who came together in the energised artistic dialogue. Stories of Radha and Krishna have been sung since 10th century in Bengal invoking unconditional love. In the chosen narrative from Baul tradition, Radha prepares to receive Krishna but the night passes and He doesn't come. In despair she decides she doesn't want to see him anymore and avoids seeing anything black that reminds of him. Krishna instead spends the night with Chandravali; he remembers his promise to Radha the next morning and tries to come back to meet her. Radha now refuses to meet him and deploys her sakhi Brinde to stop Krishna.Finally she agrees and says, Krishna is within and everywhere, so life cannot be without him, and Brinde brings Krishna saying that he has to become the bhakta to understand the love of a bhakta.
The mutual dialogue along with dance, abhinaya, narration and rhythm sequences took the audience towards an emotional journey interspersed with narratives of Radha, Krishna and Brinde. The impromptu delineation by Parwati Dutta through abhinaya, rhythmic passages and cadences of movements after every section of the song-narrative of Parvathy Baul was a delight to watch. The mutual dialogue emerged as a discourse leading to the divine. Shivshankar on mardal, Manoj Desai on vocals, Hriday on sarod and Niranjan on flute provided a strong support. The presentation ended with chanting by Parvathy Baul of "Jay Jay Ram Krishna Hari" along with Parwati Dutta's internalized movements to the recitation of abstract utterances of Odissi dance. The Bhramari (spins) and Parikrama by the artists highlighted the crescendo of the performance finally merging together with a verse from Dnyaneshwari on the significance of the Guru.
Vidya Aranyam | Aurangabadkars welcome new a Gurukul in the city
TNN
Jun 20, 2019
With no dearth of performing art school in the city, Aurangabad welcomed another gurukul to their list. A news performing arts set-up was recently opened in the city. Vidyā-Araṇyam –a school based on Gurukul philosophy and inspired by Ravindranath Tagore’s Shanti Niketan saw its inauguration with cultural programme. The program commenced with an introduction by Guru Parwati Dutta, the director of school, who spoke about the Gurukul concept. After the introduction, a cultural program started with utterances of Sanskrit shloks by the students of Vidyā-Araṇyam. Students of the pre-primary division presented Ravindra Sangit ‘Phule-Phule’. The new building of the gurukul –Vihar, was inaugurated during this program. With the help of all the teachers and faculty staff of Vidyā-Araṇyam, the program saw great success.
TNN
Jun 20, 2019
With no dearth of performing art school in the city, Aurangabad welcomed another gurukul to their list. A news performing arts set-up was recently opened in the city. Vidyā-Araṇyam –a school based on Gurukul philosophy and inspired by Ravindranath Tagore’s Shanti Niketan saw its inauguration with cultural programme. The program commenced with an introduction by Guru Parwati Dutta, the director of school, who spoke about the Gurukul concept. After the introduction, a cultural program started with utterances of Sanskrit shloks by the students of Vidyā-Araṇyam. Students of the pre-primary division presented Ravindra Sangit ‘Phule-Phule’. The new building of the gurukul –Vihar, was inaugurated during this program. With the help of all the teachers and faculty staff of Vidyā-Araṇyam, the program saw great success.
Raining dance and music in monsoon
July 11, 2016
Renu Ramanath
The festival concluded with a scintillating Kathak recital by Parwati Dutta and team, from Mahagami Gurukul in Aurangabad. Beginning with ‘Om Namah Sivaaya,’ an invocation to the 12 Jyothirlingams, she based the second part of the invocation of Siva, on the adaptation of the original composition of raga Devgiri Bilawal, composed by the legendary singer Gopal Nayak at the Devigiri (Daulatabad) Fort near Aurangabad, in the 14th century. The second item was Taal Roop, delineating Jhaptaal, the time cycle of 10 beats. It had music and lyrics composed by maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj. ‘Shiv Vasanth’ was based on a Tulsidas poem, narrating the transformation of the entire universe when Siva, the cosmic dancer, was struck by the arrow of Kamadeva. Set in the line of the ancient genre of Dhrupad, the piece had intrinsic rhythmic patterns woven through crisp footwork.
For the solo abhinaya, Parwati Dutta chose the famed Swati Tirunal kriti, “Chaliye kunjanamo…” the beloved evoking her lover to visit the beautiful garden and to listen to the cuckoo. Celebrating the theme of monsoon, the next item was a classical Dhrupad composed by the legendary 15th century musician Tansen, celebrating the rainy season, and moving on to describe the Govardhan Leela, when Krishna heaved up the mountain to offer shelter to the people from the incessant rains. The next one was an emotive thumri, again celebrating the rains. The last one was ‘Nirjharineem,’ celebrating water, a dance tribute to the waterfall at the Ellora Caves near Aurangabad, called Sita ke Nahani. The item was based on Pandit Ravi Shankar’s composition of raga Tilak Shyam.
July 11, 2016
Renu Ramanath
 |
| Photos: Sreenath Narayanan (courtesy Navaneetham) |
The festival concluded with a scintillating Kathak recital by Parwati Dutta and team, from Mahagami Gurukul in Aurangabad. Beginning with ‘Om Namah Sivaaya,’ an invocation to the 12 Jyothirlingams, she based the second part of the invocation of Siva, on the adaptation of the original composition of raga Devgiri Bilawal, composed by the legendary singer Gopal Nayak at the Devigiri (Daulatabad) Fort near Aurangabad, in the 14th century. The second item was Taal Roop, delineating Jhaptaal, the time cycle of 10 beats. It had music and lyrics composed by maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj. ‘Shiv Vasanth’ was based on a Tulsidas poem, narrating the transformation of the entire universe when Siva, the cosmic dancer, was struck by the arrow of Kamadeva. Set in the line of the ancient genre of Dhrupad, the piece had intrinsic rhythmic patterns woven through crisp footwork.
For the solo abhinaya, Parwati Dutta chose the famed Swati Tirunal kriti, “Chaliye kunjanamo…” the beloved evoking her lover to visit the beautiful garden and to listen to the cuckoo. Celebrating the theme of monsoon, the next item was a classical Dhrupad composed by the legendary 15th century musician Tansen, celebrating the rainy season, and moving on to describe the Govardhan Leela, when Krishna heaved up the mountain to offer shelter to the people from the incessant rains. The next one was an emotive thumri, again celebrating the rains. The last one was ‘Nirjharineem,’ celebrating water, a dance tribute to the waterfall at the Ellora Caves near Aurangabad, called Sita ke Nahani. The item was based on Pandit Ravi Shankar’s composition of raga Tilak Shyam.
Paraspar | When Bengali baul songs met Odissi dance form
TNN
Sep 14, 2018
TNN
Sep 14, 2018
Art lovers in Aurangabad were in for some treat when Parvathy Baul and Parwati Dutta presented unique evening of soulful music and dance based on Krishna Consciousness. Presented by Mahatma Gandhi Mission, the program named ‘Paraspar’ meaning ‘to mutually reciprocate’ brought forth a spontaneous artistic dialogue between two artists representing two art forms – Parvathy Baul who sang baul sangeet and Parwati Dutta who performed Odissi Nritya. The duo put forth a awes-trucking performance that left the audience spell-bound.
The event that was open for all and took place at Rukmini Sabhagriha which saw a humungous response with the auditorium being house full. The audience were seeing immersing in music, dance and divine words put forth by the two artistes.
The event that was open for all and took place at Rukmini Sabhagriha which saw a humungous response with the auditorium being house full. The audience were seeing immersing in music, dance and divine words put forth by the two artistes.
G. S. Paul
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 14, 2016
The Hindu
On the last day Parwati Dutta, a renowned Kathak exponent known for her social activities in Mahagami, Aurangabad, enthralled the audience. Her choreography was noteworthy for the historical and legendary backdrop of Aurangabad. ‘Om Namah Shivaaya’, was an invocation to Siva in the Jyotirlinga (lingam of light) shrine at the place. The second part of it was performed to Devagiri Bilawal, a raga created by Gopal Nayak at the Devagiri Fort in Aurangabad in the14th century.
Rhythm is the core of Kathak and Jhap taal of 10 beats was taken to highlight the significance of this aspect in ‘Taal Roop,’ for which music composed by Pandit Birju Maharaj was used. The holistic effervescence of Kathak including gliding movements, pirouettes, footwork and silvery freezes was exhibited in a Tulasidas composition.
Two solos were staged by Parwati. The Swati composition ‘Chaliye kunjan mein’ in Brindavana Saranga as portrayed by the dancer was an index of her histrionic dexterity. In the second one ‘Rumjhum badariya barse’, she portrayed a vasakasajjita nayika whose longing for the beloved is elated by the rains. Various images of the monsoon were depicted through a composition of Tansen, performed as a group.
The concluding number ‘Nirjharini’ was a tribute to the grandeur and emotive richness of water drops in a waterfall near the Ellora caves adjacent to Aurangabad.
Srijan Teerth | Far removed from razzmatazz
Leela Venkatraman
Kathak with instant applause for its footwork and rhythmic ‘kamaal' has become so much the norm lately that the softer and more delicate shades of the dance form have been relegated to the backburner. However, Parwati Dutta performing with her group for the Music Academy Dance Festival was different. With her keen research-oriented mind, in ‘Vistaar,' by thematically linking scenes reminiscent of the Durbar culture in North India, which shaped Kathak aesthetics to a large extent, she brought to the fore the quieter and more subtly evocative aspects of the dance form.
The excellent sound tape for the dance provided by the dancer's intense involvement as director and guru of Mahagami Gurukul in Aurangabad, with top dhrupad and pakhawaj artists, coupled with inspiration from the Ellora sculptures, made the production unique. The initial twenty minutes with short items such as, ‘Savaro Rang Bheeji,' depicting Holi revelry woven round the Radha-Krishna theme, rendered by what appeared as students requiring more finish, left the modest audience undecided. The non-functioning foot mikes that made even the minimal footwork flourishes go unheard did not help the situation.
What followed was ‘Srijan Teerth' spanning 100 years in history. Starting with the sonorous Dhrupad in 10 matras contributed by Akbar's court, the production flowed to a ‘bandish' and ‘khyalnuma' in Raag Devgiri Bilaval, ascribed to Gopal Nayak at Devgiri court.
The first heavy tones of pakhawaj percussion in Chautaal were examples created by that musical-percussion genius of the Raigarh court, ruler Chakradhar Singh, whose interaction with both Lucknow and Jaipur gharana gurus along with his own famous onomatopoeic compositions led to a special Raigarh Kathak gharana. Compositions such as ‘Dal Baadal,' and his famous ‘Pancha Jyotir Ling,' and the Kavit, ‘Chandrabadani Mrigalochani,' were presented. Swati Tirunal's ‘Chaliye Kunjan Me' was also included though its links with Kathak are blurred.
Wajid Ali Shah's thumri emerged as the famous base for abhinaya in Kathak . Of this court culture was Maharaj Bindadin (from which family hails Pandit Birju Maharaj) whose Lakshana geet, ‘Nirtata Dhang,' was rendered.
Tansen court Dhrupads in Gurjari Todi dedicated to Empress Mriganayani of Gwalior followed by some mnemonic syllables chanted in ‘padhant' ended the recital. Soft gestures, controlled gaths and gaits and quiet ‘thata' postures with minimal footwork wizardry characterised this rare presentation, not quite understood by the audience conditioned to Kathak of rhythmic razzmatazz.
Leela Venkatraman
CHENNAI, FEBRUARY 02, 2012
The Hindu
 |
| Performance at Music Academy, Chennai |
Kathak with instant applause for its footwork and rhythmic ‘kamaal' has become so much the norm lately that the softer and more delicate shades of the dance form have been relegated to the backburner. However, Parwati Dutta performing with her group for the Music Academy Dance Festival was different. With her keen research-oriented mind, in ‘Vistaar,' by thematically linking scenes reminiscent of the Durbar culture in North India, which shaped Kathak aesthetics to a large extent, she brought to the fore the quieter and more subtly evocative aspects of the dance form.
The excellent sound tape for the dance provided by the dancer's intense involvement as director and guru of Mahagami Gurukul in Aurangabad, with top dhrupad and pakhawaj artists, coupled with inspiration from the Ellora sculptures, made the production unique. The initial twenty minutes with short items such as, ‘Savaro Rang Bheeji,' depicting Holi revelry woven round the Radha-Krishna theme, rendered by what appeared as students requiring more finish, left the modest audience undecided. The non-functioning foot mikes that made even the minimal footwork flourishes go unheard did not help the situation.
What followed was ‘Srijan Teerth' spanning 100 years in history. Starting with the sonorous Dhrupad in 10 matras contributed by Akbar's court, the production flowed to a ‘bandish' and ‘khyalnuma' in Raag Devgiri Bilaval, ascribed to Gopal Nayak at Devgiri court.
The first heavy tones of pakhawaj percussion in Chautaal were examples created by that musical-percussion genius of the Raigarh court, ruler Chakradhar Singh, whose interaction with both Lucknow and Jaipur gharana gurus along with his own famous onomatopoeic compositions led to a special Raigarh Kathak gharana. Compositions such as ‘Dal Baadal,' and his famous ‘Pancha Jyotir Ling,' and the Kavit, ‘Chandrabadani Mrigalochani,' were presented. Swati Tirunal's ‘Chaliye Kunjan Me' was also included though its links with Kathak are blurred.
Wajid Ali Shah's thumri emerged as the famous base for abhinaya in Kathak . Of this court culture was Maharaj Bindadin (from which family hails Pandit Birju Maharaj) whose Lakshana geet, ‘Nirtata Dhang,' was rendered.
Tansen court Dhrupads in Gurjari Todi dedicated to Empress Mriganayani of Gwalior followed by some mnemonic syllables chanted in ‘padhant' ended the recital. Soft gestures, controlled gaths and gaits and quiet ‘thata' postures with minimal footwork wizardry characterised this rare presentation, not quite understood by the audience conditioned to Kathak of rhythmic razzmatazz.
G. S. Paul
AUGUST 01, 2013
The Hindu
Parwati Dutta is on a mission to popularise Kathak and Odissi in rural areas and make such art forms accessible to the marginalised.
W hat makes Parwati Dutta an avante garde dancer is her ability to harness her passion for dance for the benefit of society. Mahatma Gandhi Mission Sangeet Academy (MAHAGAMI), of which she is the founder-director, is more than an institution that imparts training in Kathak and Odissi. The curriculum and activities of this two-decade old institution situated in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, have been ingeniously designed to awaken marginalised sections in the society, culturally. A revered guru, she has to her credit more than 1,500 disciples belonging to all age groups. Anubhuti, a unique art-awareness project, has touched several lives. The globe-trotting dancer is a member of the International Dance Council of UNESCO. In 1999 BBC produced a documentary on her highlighting her contributions to the society through the medium of dance. MAHAGAMI is perhaps the first ISO certified art organisation in the world. An ardent researcher, Parwati has been successful in salvaging many lost elements of Kathak and Odissi and also in enriching her choreographies using them.
Recently in Thrissur for a Kathak workshop and performance, organised by Navaneetham Cultural Trust, she spoke at length about her adventurous dance journey. Excerpts:
Beginning of the journey
I was born in Howrah and brought up in Bhopal. My parents, both engineers, were well disposed towards arts and culture. They exposed me to performances of maestros who frequented Bhopal. My passion for dance was so intense that at the age of three after watching a recital by Guru Birju Maharaj, I insisted on dancing with him! Going by my academic record, engineering was my natural option. I was set to go to the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to study computer engineering. All was set for my travel. But something pulled me back. I revealed my ambition to pursue dance to my mom. Her reply was a turning point in my life: “Parwati, decide what kind of life you would like to lead after six years”. So I took the bold decision to join the Kathak Kendra, Delhi and the journey was on.
As a student of dance in Delhi
Delhi threw open vast vistas before me. I became the favourite disciple of Guru Birju Maharaj. For Odissi, I had Madhavi Mudgal and Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra as my gurus. Delhi enriched my experiences with morning riyaz, exercises, performances and long tours abroad. I realised how the gurus imparted not only the intricacies of art but also inculcated in me their vision of art. Later in my career, this proved to be helpful to me. I was committed to rediscovering our hoary tradition. That commitment got a boost when I was selected to work as a research consultant at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts under the scholar Kapila Vatsyayan.
Into the realm of adventure
I received an invitation from the Mahatma Gandhi Mission Trust to open a gurukul school of dance in Aurangabad. Ignoring the advice of all my gurus to stay back in Delhi, I accepted the invitation. The rural environment was totally strange to me; but I accepted the challenge and opened classes for Kathak and Odissi for the people for many of whom Bollywood films epitomised Indian culture. For a woman of my age to live in a single cottage in a jungle-like place, was really an adventurous proposition. There was resistance from some political activists against teaching Odissi, which was not a part of the Maratha tradition. My cottage was ransacked. But the Gandhian in me was unfazed. I identified the cause of the resistance – absolute ignorance about our culture. So the solution was creating awareness among them. Braving teething problems, I embarked on activities that included training, dissemination, production, documentation, research, publication, educational outreach and social awareness. A stream of luminaries performed regularly at the annual Sharangadev festival. Named after the 13th century musicologist and author of Sangeetha Ratnakara, who lived in Aurangabad, the festival was a boost to glorify the cultural past of the region. Interestingly, MAHAGAMI is situated in a land that was the heartland of many traditions. Ellora and Devgiri Fort, where the first music concert was held during the Yadav period, are monuments of the glorious past.
Dance productions
Interdisciplinary workshops have created many novel productions, including Rangakriti, Kan, Srijan Teerth and Odissi production Punaravritta for which Dhrupad has been used. Varna Riti in Kathak is based on mnemonic language of Pakhawaj and Vadya Pallavi in Odissi, on the lyrical patterns of the mardal.
My shishyas
For my shishyas, I am a parent. I stitch their costumes, make them up for performances and also look after their physical wellness. A good number of them are recipients of scholarships and freeships from different agencies. Most of them have presented solo and group performances with me in all the major festivals in India and abroad. I bank on them for the awareness programmes regularly held in different places. rescue homes, military schools, orphanages, old-age homes and even in prisons. We have plans for more outreach projects; but there is a dearth of dancers who are prepared to serve in rural areas.
SUPARNA THOMBARE
Mumbai, 18 Sep 2018
Director Lubdhak Chatterjee delves into the art of recitation with renowned Kathak exponent Parwati Dutta.The film opens with the definition of various terms used commonly in music and dance like taal (rhythm that's evenly paced), lay (flow of duration) and bol (meaningful or abstract words), among others. And in the end is one that, perhaps, combines them all — Padhant — the central theme of the film. Recited by dancers and musicians during a performance to mark space, time, motion and direction through words, hand movements or the beat of the percussive instrument, Padhant is the art of reciting rhythmic syllables in Hindustani classical music and dance forms such as Kathak.
Director Lubdhak Chatterjee delves into this art of recitation with the help of renowned Kathak exponent Parwati Dutta. He sets the film in Dutta’s beautiful Mahagami Gurukul in Aurangabad. The setting — with sculptures, paintings, plants and aesthetic stone walls — provides a beautiful backdrop for a film whose core is performing art.
The film follows Dutta and her students as they prepare to stage a dance adaptation of Kalidas’s masterpiece Meghadootam.
Leisurely shots of the various nooks and corners of the gurukul take up most of the initial 15 minutes, setting up the stage for exploration of the subject. The cinematography is intimate, with some beautiful compositions and elegant camera movements that complement the dance its capturing.
While most of action unfolds indoors, a brief break comes in the form of Ellora caves, where Dutta and her group of dancers reconnect with the history of Padhant. Watch out for a solo performance by Dutta against the backdrop of the sculptures, with a beautiful play of sunlight and shadows.
While Chatterjee attempts to educate the lay person via this documentary, the viewer may be thrown directly into the deep end when it comes to comprehending the scope of the subject. It may be a little difficult to understand, with lots of Sanskrit and technical words thrown in. But you will definitely come out learning a lot more about the incomprehensible, but magical sounds and syllables, that form an important element in the expression of the emotions being conveyed in a dance performance.
Vaikhari, according to Hindu and yogic philosophy, is the last of four stages that sounds go through as they come to be perceptible and audible. Simply put, it stands for articulation or expression.
Chatterjee becomes a silent spectator and allows this artistic form to unfold in front of him. The director refrains from using voiceovers and interviews, which are the typical tropes of documentary filmmaking and opts to tell the story through Dutta's interactions with her students and colleagues, and the footage of rehearsals and dance performances.
This treatment makes Vaikhari an aesthetically pleasing film delving into things that may be incomprehensible on the surface, but have a magical and artistic language of expression within.
Monday, July 15, 2019
Nritya Gatha | All about dance
Manjari Sinha
Her passion to ignite uninitiated minds towards exploring and experiencing the rich cultural heritage of India, has benefitted children and adults alike.
Her creative inputs in cultivating the Mahagami Gurukul as a source of spreading this awareness, has won her, great admiration far and wide. The attractive cover and colourful illustrations of NrityaGatha, will draw children towards the book like love at first sight.
The book is written in such an interesting way that no child would like to put it down midway. The author has kept in mind the imaginative world of children, their cognitive abilities and creative energy.
The book gives a vivid picture of every dance form through captive visuals, simple narrative text and images that would let a child simply experience the dance. The book deals with various dance styles, namely, Kathak, Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohini-Attam, Manipuri, Kathakali, Sattriya and Chhau.
The story of each dance style starts with the historical and geographical introduction of its origin, then come the codified gestures, movements of limbs and the entire body that create different patterns in space like spiral through Kathak, waves through Odissi, triangles and straight lines through Bharatanatyam, circles through Manipuri and so on. There are also some mnemonics of each dance style.
All of this is linked with an anecdotal story that the children can relate to. Take the chapter on Kathak, for instance, that opens thus: "Once upon a time, a group of artists well-versed in the art of singing, playing instruments and dancing…weresweetly narrating divine stories. They were called Kathak."
Then the story moves on to Manu and Malti, two children, gifted with "Hastak", strong "Tatkar", fond of "Pheri" learning "Tarana" and so on, that the children reading the book can easily connect with.
Thus they are acquainted with the terminology and the mnemonics, "Tat Tat Thei…", written alongside the image of Malti, dancing Kathak. Then there is a short introduction of the dance form, such as, which part of India it is associated with, the costume, repertoire and accompanying instruments et al.
The story of all other dance styles are also narrated more or less on same lines. Thus, in addition to being informative and aesthetically rich, the book takes the young readers closer to the real experience of dance learning, practice and performance, filled with moments of joy.
This rejoicing goes hand-in-hand with learning the fascinating story of each dance form, familiarising them simultaneously.
The glossary at the end of the book deals with the technical terminologies of each dance style used throughout the book, explained in simple language.
The fascinating illustrations are done by Kunal Wagh, Kassandra Fernandes and Roma Kashelkar. Reasonably priced, the English book costs Rs.500 and the Hindi translation Rs 400 only.
The dancer-author, who has scripted and designed the concept, shares the secret of this wonderful idea: "After a long phase of thinking, reflecting and learning from the imaginative world of dance, I’m finally sharing this innovative and novel gift with all those kids, who love to dance, love to watch dance and love to know more about dance. Through this book I wish to share some basic information about the history, movements and speciality of each dance that can stimulate tender minds to know about the great Indian dance heritage and discover this creative world of movements, expressions and numerous stories retold through dance."
The good news is that after being translated into Hindi and Marathi, Nritya-Gatha is being made available in other languages too, so as to reach out to many more tender and creative minds!
Manjari Sinha
The Statesman, New Delhi
August 2, 2017
Nritya-Gatha:Stories of Indian Dance, is a fun book on Indian dance traditions, specially written and designed for children by Parwati Dutta, director Mahagami Gurukul, and published by the Mahagami Arts Research Foundation, Mahagami Gurukul, Aurangabad.
Nritya-Gatha:Stories of Indian Dance, is a fun book on Indian dance traditions, specially written and designed for children by Parwati Dutta, director Mahagami Gurukul, and published by the Mahagami Arts Research Foundation, Mahagami Gurukul, Aurangabad.
The author is a renowned Kathak and Odissi exponent, Guru and researcher, who is recognised as a thinker dancer and a dedicated art administrator.
Her passion to ignite uninitiated minds towards exploring and experiencing the rich cultural heritage of India, has benefitted children and adults alike.
Her creative inputs in cultivating the Mahagami Gurukul as a source of spreading this awareness, has won her, great admiration far and wide. The attractive cover and colourful illustrations of NrityaGatha, will draw children towards the book like love at first sight.
The book is written in such an interesting way that no child would like to put it down midway. The author has kept in mind the imaginative world of children, their cognitive abilities and creative energy.
The book gives a vivid picture of every dance form through captive visuals, simple narrative text and images that would let a child simply experience the dance. The book deals with various dance styles, namely, Kathak, Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohini-Attam, Manipuri, Kathakali, Sattriya and Chhau.
The story of each dance style starts with the historical and geographical introduction of its origin, then come the codified gestures, movements of limbs and the entire body that create different patterns in space like spiral through Kathak, waves through Odissi, triangles and straight lines through Bharatanatyam, circles through Manipuri and so on. There are also some mnemonics of each dance style.
All of this is linked with an anecdotal story that the children can relate to. Take the chapter on Kathak, for instance, that opens thus: "Once upon a time, a group of artists well-versed in the art of singing, playing instruments and dancing…weresweetly narrating divine stories. They were called Kathak."
Then the story moves on to Manu and Malti, two children, gifted with "Hastak", strong "Tatkar", fond of "Pheri" learning "Tarana" and so on, that the children reading the book can easily connect with.
Thus they are acquainted with the terminology and the mnemonics, "Tat Tat Thei…", written alongside the image of Malti, dancing Kathak. Then there is a short introduction of the dance form, such as, which part of India it is associated with, the costume, repertoire and accompanying instruments et al.
The story of all other dance styles are also narrated more or less on same lines. Thus, in addition to being informative and aesthetically rich, the book takes the young readers closer to the real experience of dance learning, practice and performance, filled with moments of joy.
This rejoicing goes hand-in-hand with learning the fascinating story of each dance form, familiarising them simultaneously.
The glossary at the end of the book deals with the technical terminologies of each dance style used throughout the book, explained in simple language.
The fascinating illustrations are done by Kunal Wagh, Kassandra Fernandes and Roma Kashelkar. Reasonably priced, the English book costs Rs.500 and the Hindi translation Rs 400 only.
The dancer-author, who has scripted and designed the concept, shares the secret of this wonderful idea: "After a long phase of thinking, reflecting and learning from the imaginative world of dance, I’m finally sharing this innovative and novel gift with all those kids, who love to dance, love to watch dance and love to know more about dance. Through this book I wish to share some basic information about the history, movements and speciality of each dance that can stimulate tender minds to know about the great Indian dance heritage and discover this creative world of movements, expressions and numerous stories retold through dance."
The good news is that after being translated into Hindi and Marathi, Nritya-Gatha is being made available in other languages too, so as to reach out to many more tender and creative minds!
PARASPAR | Focus on different facets of Krishna
Bhanu Kumar
AUGUST 16, 2018
FRIDAY REVIEW
THE HINDU
Parwati Dutta and Parvathy Baul focussed on Krishna Bhakti
In tune with the spiritual season of Ashada Ekadasi, ‘Paraspar,’ a soulful dance and music production based on Krishna Consciousness was organised by Mahatma Gandhi Mission at Rukmini Sabhagriha, Aurangabad. The programme was in three segments, Odissi by Parwati Dutta, Baul Sangeet by Parvathy Baul and Paraspar, mutual reciprocation — a spontaneous artistic dialogue between the two.
The opening Jagannatha ashtakam portrayed the facets of Krishna, his Brindavan raas mesmerising the gopis and gods alike, concluding with the majestic Puri Rath Yatra. The ten incarnations of Vishnu were featured in crisp, concise sections through Jayadeva’s ‘Pralaya Payodhi.’ Parwati covered the entire stage with dexterous movements and striking stances. Two disciples of Parwati captured the poses in ‘Vedanuddharate’ capsule and exited to a lilting tune, with impressive grace.
The next abhinaya piece was an ashtapadi from Geeta Govindam. “In all art arrangements you usually travel from one point to another but a sanchari is an artistic endeavour to expand each line, like swimming in an ocean,” said Parwati introducing the Ashtapadi. Lovelorn Radha sees Krishna everywhere, “Paschyati dishi dishi.” Her pangs were evocatively emoted by Parwati Dutta.
Sarpa Janana, a Ninda stuti, composed by 15th century Oriya poet Surya Baldeo Rath, depicted a story, where a bhakta’s son is bitten by a snake in the temple premises. The lord is evoked with agony and angrily compared to a snake. Parwati concluded with a Bengali Mangalgeet by Tagore, a soulful rendition on the eternal melody of the flute. Krishna Tandav showcased the omnipresent Krishna with Krishnanagar chant in the end, seamlessly overlapping the tandav.
Parwati’s performance brought to the fore her technical virtuosity and aesthetic sensitivity. Years of learning under various veteran gurus have shaped Parvathy Baul to a rounded artiste. She is poised to receive the Sangeet Natak Akademi award.
Clad in a humble sari, with a gopi tilak, rudraksh beads, and flowing matted locks, she was a symbol of surrender to the Supreme.
Playing the Ektara (one stringed instrument) with one hand, the duggi (percussion aid) with the other, and chilambu nupur (metallic anklets) while singing in high octaves with immaculate pitch and piety, she has carved a niche for herself in the male preserve of Baul. Parvathy Baul adds her own dohas (couplets) to the traditional repertoire. Her theatre experience, acting out the lyrics, song stories and explanatory speeches add to the transcendental communication. Her opening song was about a devotee’s complete surrender to Krishna as Guru. The whole world praises Krishna but accuses the devotee of loving him. “I take all these accusations as ornaments, while I rest only in you,” says the devotee. “Chalo mann anand bazaar mein”, is the sadhaka’s journey to the city of joy, which is above physical mind and physical body, yet within this body.
The next piece accosts Maa Kaali to stand like Krishna in a tribhangi, throw away her trishul and espouse a bansuri, replace munda mala with ban phool mala and gather gopikas around her.
Radha’s pangs
Paraspar, an artistic collaboration, deployed 10th century Radha Krishna poetry. Radha prepares to receive Krishna who does not come. In despair she vouches never to see him and shuns anything black that reminds of him. She even talks of tonsuring her head. She may even spurn her eye ball but can she shut out his image that rests there? Krishna remembers his promise to Radha next morning but Radha refuses to meet him and deploys her sakhi Brinde to stop him. Finally she agrees that Krishna is within and everywhere, so life cannot be without him. Brinde brings him saying that he has to become the bhakta to understand the love of the Bhakta. The presentation ended with a verse from Dnyaneshwari on the significance of the Guru.
Both the artistes, in this quest of an internal ideal, dwelt in personal spaces; subtle musical dialogue, underplayed yet intensely communicative, between them and beyond them.
The orchestra ensemble comprising of Shivshankar Satpathy on the Mardala, Manoj Desai on Vocal, Hriday Desai on Sarod, and Niranjan Balerao on Flute provided splendid and soothing support.
Bhanu Kumar
AUGUST 16, 2018
FRIDAY REVIEW
THE HINDU
Parwati Dutta and Parvathy Baul focussed on Krishna Bhakti
In tune with the spiritual season of Ashada Ekadasi, ‘Paraspar,’ a soulful dance and music production based on Krishna Consciousness was organised by Mahatma Gandhi Mission at Rukmini Sabhagriha, Aurangabad. The programme was in three segments, Odissi by Parwati Dutta, Baul Sangeet by Parvathy Baul and Paraspar, mutual reciprocation — a spontaneous artistic dialogue between the two.
The opening Jagannatha ashtakam portrayed the facets of Krishna, his Brindavan raas mesmerising the gopis and gods alike, concluding with the majestic Puri Rath Yatra. The ten incarnations of Vishnu were featured in crisp, concise sections through Jayadeva’s ‘Pralaya Payodhi.’ Parwati covered the entire stage with dexterous movements and striking stances. Two disciples of Parwati captured the poses in ‘Vedanuddharate’ capsule and exited to a lilting tune, with impressive grace.
The next abhinaya piece was an ashtapadi from Geeta Govindam. “In all art arrangements you usually travel from one point to another but a sanchari is an artistic endeavour to expand each line, like swimming in an ocean,” said Parwati introducing the Ashtapadi. Lovelorn Radha sees Krishna everywhere, “Paschyati dishi dishi.” Her pangs were evocatively emoted by Parwati Dutta.
Sarpa Janana, a Ninda stuti, composed by 15th century Oriya poet Surya Baldeo Rath, depicted a story, where a bhakta’s son is bitten by a snake in the temple premises. The lord is evoked with agony and angrily compared to a snake. Parwati concluded with a Bengali Mangalgeet by Tagore, a soulful rendition on the eternal melody of the flute. Krishna Tandav showcased the omnipresent Krishna with Krishnanagar chant in the end, seamlessly overlapping the tandav.
Parwati’s performance brought to the fore her technical virtuosity and aesthetic sensitivity. Years of learning under various veteran gurus have shaped Parvathy Baul to a rounded artiste. She is poised to receive the Sangeet Natak Akademi award.
Clad in a humble sari, with a gopi tilak, rudraksh beads, and flowing matted locks, she was a symbol of surrender to the Supreme.
Playing the Ektara (one stringed instrument) with one hand, the duggi (percussion aid) with the other, and chilambu nupur (metallic anklets) while singing in high octaves with immaculate pitch and piety, she has carved a niche for herself in the male preserve of Baul. Parvathy Baul adds her own dohas (couplets) to the traditional repertoire. Her theatre experience, acting out the lyrics, song stories and explanatory speeches add to the transcendental communication. Her opening song was about a devotee’s complete surrender to Krishna as Guru. The whole world praises Krishna but accuses the devotee of loving him. “I take all these accusations as ornaments, while I rest only in you,” says the devotee. “Chalo mann anand bazaar mein”, is the sadhaka’s journey to the city of joy, which is above physical mind and physical body, yet within this body.
The next piece accosts Maa Kaali to stand like Krishna in a tribhangi, throw away her trishul and espouse a bansuri, replace munda mala with ban phool mala and gather gopikas around her.
Radha’s pangs
Paraspar, an artistic collaboration, deployed 10th century Radha Krishna poetry. Radha prepares to receive Krishna who does not come. In despair she vouches never to see him and shuns anything black that reminds of him. She even talks of tonsuring her head. She may even spurn her eye ball but can she shut out his image that rests there? Krishna remembers his promise to Radha next morning but Radha refuses to meet him and deploys her sakhi Brinde to stop him. Finally she agrees that Krishna is within and everywhere, so life cannot be without him. Brinde brings him saying that he has to become the bhakta to understand the love of the Bhakta. The presentation ended with a verse from Dnyaneshwari on the significance of the Guru.
Both the artistes, in this quest of an internal ideal, dwelt in personal spaces; subtle musical dialogue, underplayed yet intensely communicative, between them and beyond them.
The orchestra ensemble comprising of Shivshankar Satpathy on the Mardala, Manoj Desai on Vocal, Hriday Desai on Sarod, and Niranjan Balerao on Flute provided splendid and soothing support.
Gearing up for World Dance Day
APRIL 19, 2018
FRIDAY REVIEW
THE HINDU
A 10-day event ‘Nritya Vishwa’ has been organised by Parwati Dutta
For the more than 120 students of Odissi and Kathak and Guru Parwati Dutta at the Mahagami Gurukul in Aurangabad, for the past 20 years, World Dance Day (April 29) has meant celebrating our heritage by exploring every aspect of dance.
This year, a 10-day long event ‘Nritya Vishwa’ is being organised.
APRIL 19, 2018
FRIDAY REVIEW
THE HINDU
A 10-day event ‘Nritya Vishwa’ has been organised by Parwati Dutta
For the more than 120 students of Odissi and Kathak and Guru Parwati Dutta at the Mahagami Gurukul in Aurangabad, for the past 20 years, World Dance Day (April 29) has meant celebrating our heritage by exploring every aspect of dance.
This year, a 10-day long event ‘Nritya Vishwa’ is being organised.
It will start on April 21 with an innovative Kathak production, ‘Ashta Prahar: Exploring the eight time-zones’ through Kathak in dialogue with raga, taal and kavya. To be presented by the Mahagami ensemble, it will trace a day’s course with the help of Kathak repertoire.
Conceptualised and choreographed by Parwati Dutta, the production revolves round a range of compositions, including Devi mantra, Khyal bandish, Marathi kirtan, natavari, tarana and chaturanga.
Abhinaya passages are woven in between pure dance compositions, each indicating a particular prahar. The journey of a day symbolically draws analogy with one’s journey in time; the last prahar indicates the last phase of life, which is depicted through a Tagore poem.
Talk and lec-dem
On April 22, 10 a.m., there will be talks on dance-related subjects: Dr. Jayashree Rajagopalan, Mumbai, on ‘Natyasastra - An underlining cultural link’; lec-dem corelating dance with painting and sculpture with reference to Ajanta and Ellora by Suhani Singh, Mumbai; Dance writing by Sandeep Dutta, Delhi; light design for dance by Parwati Dutta and Opportunities for emerging dancers.
Punaravalokan - Festival of Films on Indian Classical & Contemporary Dance is being organised on April 28 and 29.
The festival will be inaugurated by acclaimed filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
The festival, conceptualised by Parwati Dutta and Kunal Ray, is an endeavour to collectively assess our dance heritage and interventions made by various practitioners that have enriched the vocabulary of dance.
Conceptualised and choreographed by Parwati Dutta, the production revolves round a range of compositions, including Devi mantra, Khyal bandish, Marathi kirtan, natavari, tarana and chaturanga.
Abhinaya passages are woven in between pure dance compositions, each indicating a particular prahar. The journey of a day symbolically draws analogy with one’s journey in time; the last prahar indicates the last phase of life, which is depicted through a Tagore poem.
Talk and lec-dem
On April 22, 10 a.m., there will be talks on dance-related subjects: Dr. Jayashree Rajagopalan, Mumbai, on ‘Natyasastra - An underlining cultural link’; lec-dem corelating dance with painting and sculpture with reference to Ajanta and Ellora by Suhani Singh, Mumbai; Dance writing by Sandeep Dutta, Delhi; light design for dance by Parwati Dutta and Opportunities for emerging dancers.
Punaravalokan - Festival of Films on Indian Classical & Contemporary Dance is being organised on April 28 and 29.
The festival will be inaugurated by acclaimed filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
The festival, conceptualised by Parwati Dutta and Kunal Ray, is an endeavour to collectively assess our dance heritage and interventions made by various practitioners that have enriched the vocabulary of dance.
Jaladasamaye | Dance ensemble
JUNE 27, 2019
FRIDAY REVIEW
THE HINDU
A Kathak-Odissi natya production titled ‘Jaladasamaye’ will be performed by Mahagami Ensemble on June 30, 6.30 p.m., at Rukmini Sabhagriha, Aurangabad, to mark Kalidas Divas celebrations. Conceptualised and choreographed by Parwati Dutta, director, Mahagami, Aurangabad, this new production is based on Ritusamharam of Mahakavi Kalidas and will be a unique glorification of the Sanskrit language and poet Kalidas. Trained under stalwart gurus in both Kathak and Odissi genre, Parwati Dutta is known for her well-researched concepts, creative arrangement and high standard of training and group execution.
JUNE 27, 2019
FRIDAY REVIEW
THE HINDU
A Kathak-Odissi natya production titled ‘Jaladasamaye’ will be performed by Mahagami Ensemble on June 30, 6.30 p.m., at Rukmini Sabhagriha, Aurangabad, to mark Kalidas Divas celebrations. Conceptualised and choreographed by Parwati Dutta, director, Mahagami, Aurangabad, this new production is based on Ritusamharam of Mahakavi Kalidas and will be a unique glorification of the Sanskrit language and poet Kalidas. Trained under stalwart gurus in both Kathak and Odissi genre, Parwati Dutta is known for her well-researched concepts, creative arrangement and high standard of training and group execution.
ITI | Narratives in dance
OCTOBER 27, 2017
RANJANA DAVE
OCTOBER 27, 2017
RANJANA DAVE
THE HINDU
This edition of Nakshatra Dance Festival features a versatile range of group choreographies that draw on traditional performance practices
Ritusamhara, Kalidasa’s ode to the seasons. Life in Odisha. The saint poet Meerabai’s spiritual trajectory. The shared histories of music and dance in ancient and medieval north India. Assertive interpretations of modernity in classical storytelling. All these experiences, and then some more, are on offer at the 2017 edition of NCPA’s Nakshatra Dance Festival this weekend. Five renowned choreographers – Aruna Mohanty, Chitra Visweswaran, Daksha Mashruwala, Kumudini Lakhia and Parwati Dutta – will present new and old group choreographic work at the festival.
Excerpts:
Back in Maharashtra, dancers at the Mahagami Gurukul in Aurangabad are turning their attention to the past. Parwati Dutta, the gurukul’s director, corrals her research on older traditions of Hindustani music and her knowledge of kathak to make Iti. She particularly focuses on dhrupad, a genre of vocal music that is the predecessor of modern-day khyal singing in Hindustani music, and the pakhawaj, a percussion instrument used in the performance of both dhrupad and Kathak. Dutta has chosen dhrupad bandishes based on the poetry of Tulsidas and compositions ascribed to the Mughal emperor Akbar’s court musician Tansen.
Dialogues in dance
In Iti, Kathak as a language is placed in dialogue with dhrupad and pakhawaj. This allows the dance to unfold at the same pace as music, going beyond time-bound movement to focus on fluidity and lyricism as key qualities of movement. “Most of our vocabulary in Kathak comes from the sound of the pakhawaj. It has nourished the form and built a symbiotic relationship with it. Also, poetry gives us a vivid image of what was being danced in ancient and medieval times. Dhrupad is not just a manner of singing or composition; it is a philosophy of music that begins to define how you can start dwelling in the space. It would have been such a meditative experience for the artist to dance to the alaap (the improvised section of a raga) for a longer time instead of merely focusing on rhythm,” Dutta explained.
This edition of Nakshatra Dance Festival features a versatile range of group choreographies that draw on traditional performance practices
Ritusamhara, Kalidasa’s ode to the seasons. Life in Odisha. The saint poet Meerabai’s spiritual trajectory. The shared histories of music and dance in ancient and medieval north India. Assertive interpretations of modernity in classical storytelling. All these experiences, and then some more, are on offer at the 2017 edition of NCPA’s Nakshatra Dance Festival this weekend. Five renowned choreographers – Aruna Mohanty, Chitra Visweswaran, Daksha Mashruwala, Kumudini Lakhia and Parwati Dutta – will present new and old group choreographic work at the festival.
Excerpts:
Back in Maharashtra, dancers at the Mahagami Gurukul in Aurangabad are turning their attention to the past. Parwati Dutta, the gurukul’s director, corrals her research on older traditions of Hindustani music and her knowledge of kathak to make Iti. She particularly focuses on dhrupad, a genre of vocal music that is the predecessor of modern-day khyal singing in Hindustani music, and the pakhawaj, a percussion instrument used in the performance of both dhrupad and Kathak. Dutta has chosen dhrupad bandishes based on the poetry of Tulsidas and compositions ascribed to the Mughal emperor Akbar’s court musician Tansen.
Dialogues in dance
In Iti, Kathak as a language is placed in dialogue with dhrupad and pakhawaj. This allows the dance to unfold at the same pace as music, going beyond time-bound movement to focus on fluidity and lyricism as key qualities of movement. “Most of our vocabulary in Kathak comes from the sound of the pakhawaj. It has nourished the form and built a symbiotic relationship with it. Also, poetry gives us a vivid image of what was being danced in ancient and medieval times. Dhrupad is not just a manner of singing or composition; it is a philosophy of music that begins to define how you can start dwelling in the space. It would have been such a meditative experience for the artist to dance to the alaap (the improvised section of a raga) for a longer time instead of merely focusing on rhythm,” Dutta explained.
VARNAJAA | Sculpted with calligraphy and verse
Parwati Dutta uses poetry and script to choreograph an evening that showcases young and established dancers from Aurangabad’s Mahagami Gurukul
For Vividha, Dutta also worked with calligrams, where the arrangement of the word or the text offers a pictorial sense of its meaning. For the purpose of the work, she chose four calligrams, studying the similarities in form across the visual and performative dimension. She compared them to bandishes (compositions) in classical music, by tracing the idea of a line as abstract utterance and then translating these observations into dance.
In a nod to the literature of Maharashtra, Dutta concludes with Shabda-Dhyan, taking off from an abhanga (poem) by Tukaram that equates words to jewels. Dutta interprets Tukaram’s verse as a paean to spiritual surrender through the act of writing.
Vividha will be performed at the CIDCO Exhibition Complex Auditorium, Vashi, on July 8 at 6.30 p.m., entry free; more details at 9372093189
Parwati Dutta uses poetry and script to choreograph an evening that showcases young and established dancers from Aurangabad’s Mahagami Gurukul
JULY 07, 2017
THE HINDU
When Odissi and Kathak dancer Parwati Dutta moved to Aurangabad in the mid-90s, she did so with a sense of adventure. Accustomed to the hustle and bustle of New Delhi, a teaching stint in a mofussil dance school in Maharashtra seemed like an exciting interlude.
Twenty years later, Dutta is still in Aurangabad, where she heads the Mahagami Gurukul, an institution that propagates research and performance in the classical arts. Dutta and the students of Mahagami distil this trajectory of work into an evening of performance through the programme, Vividha this weekend.
Vividha will bring a third generation of Mahagami dancers to the stage, showcasing students in short pieces from Kathak and Odissi. By turning the spotlight on its youngest generation of learners, Vividha underlines Mahagami’s focus on the early integration of arts and mainstream education. In 2016, Dutta published Nritya Gatha, a picture-book on classical dances, simplifying the history and vocabulary of dance forms for young readers. Earlier this year, she also set up a gurukul-style primary school in Aurangabad’s Gandheli village, where the curriculum is geared towards dance and other forms of arts-based learning.
Creative integration
For Vividha, Dutta pays equal attention to the technical and expressive aspects of learning. She has sourced simple Sanskrit poetry that young learners can appreciate and interpret. One such poem, ‘Jalabindu’, sees the dancers addressing a drop of water, praising its omnipotence and asking for its protection. In the second half of Vividha, Dutta presents ‘Varnajaa’, a Kathak work inspired by calligraphy. Intrigued by the spontaneity and rhythm she sensed in the act of writing, Dutta began looking at practices of calligraphic writing across cultures. She started thinking about translating her observations into dance, most crucially Dutta wondered how the act of writing itself could function as an embodied experience.
Dutta started working on different dimensions of calligraphy, studying how the introduction of script recalibrated the ways in which knowledge was preserved through oral or spoken cultures. For Vividha, Dutta will use a legend from the Padmapurana, where Shiva, as he is dancing, turns utterances into script at the behest of sage Kanaka. As he dances, these utterances are captured in notation by Panini, creating the Shiva Sutras, a set of 14 verses that group the phonemes of Sanskrit.
This also served as a starting point for Dutta’s work for the parallels it drew between the acts of dance and writing. “Every akshara (letter) is a divine expression – Akaradevi, Ukaradevi and Makaradevi, coalescing as ‘aum’. That becomes an invocation. In the pure dance piece, I work with the ideas of bindu(dot), rekha (line), aakar (form) and kalpana (idea) as coordinates. These ideas remain the basis for any artistic, aesthetic or intellectual creation,” she says. Starting from these four ideas, Dutta then gradually linked them to each other, she adds, “I also look at utterances and their role in elaborating on the form. For instance, if the beat ‘dha’ represents a bindu, then ‘ta-dha’ is made up of two such dots. Thus, even across a temporal notion of space, the artist is creating calligraphic forms.”
Syncretic traditions
Inspired by calligraphic artist Achyut Palav’s series of Om and Allah paintings, which combine syllables of the two words, Dutta added a dhrupad by Tansen to ‘Varnajaa’. She was taken by the idea of blending syllables, and thus blending forms. This idea also finds resonance in Kathak’s syncretism, where the repertoire and the tradition are a blend of Hindu and Islamic traditions.
THE HINDU
When Odissi and Kathak dancer Parwati Dutta moved to Aurangabad in the mid-90s, she did so with a sense of adventure. Accustomed to the hustle and bustle of New Delhi, a teaching stint in a mofussil dance school in Maharashtra seemed like an exciting interlude.
Twenty years later, Dutta is still in Aurangabad, where she heads the Mahagami Gurukul, an institution that propagates research and performance in the classical arts. Dutta and the students of Mahagami distil this trajectory of work into an evening of performance through the programme, Vividha this weekend.
Vividha will bring a third generation of Mahagami dancers to the stage, showcasing students in short pieces from Kathak and Odissi. By turning the spotlight on its youngest generation of learners, Vividha underlines Mahagami’s focus on the early integration of arts and mainstream education. In 2016, Dutta published Nritya Gatha, a picture-book on classical dances, simplifying the history and vocabulary of dance forms for young readers. Earlier this year, she also set up a gurukul-style primary school in Aurangabad’s Gandheli village, where the curriculum is geared towards dance and other forms of arts-based learning.
Creative integration
For Vividha, Dutta pays equal attention to the technical and expressive aspects of learning. She has sourced simple Sanskrit poetry that young learners can appreciate and interpret. One such poem, ‘Jalabindu’, sees the dancers addressing a drop of water, praising its omnipotence and asking for its protection. In the second half of Vividha, Dutta presents ‘Varnajaa’, a Kathak work inspired by calligraphy. Intrigued by the spontaneity and rhythm she sensed in the act of writing, Dutta began looking at practices of calligraphic writing across cultures. She started thinking about translating her observations into dance, most crucially Dutta wondered how the act of writing itself could function as an embodied experience.
Dutta started working on different dimensions of calligraphy, studying how the introduction of script recalibrated the ways in which knowledge was preserved through oral or spoken cultures. For Vividha, Dutta will use a legend from the Padmapurana, where Shiva, as he is dancing, turns utterances into script at the behest of sage Kanaka. As he dances, these utterances are captured in notation by Panini, creating the Shiva Sutras, a set of 14 verses that group the phonemes of Sanskrit.
This also served as a starting point for Dutta’s work for the parallels it drew between the acts of dance and writing. “Every akshara (letter) is a divine expression – Akaradevi, Ukaradevi and Makaradevi, coalescing as ‘aum’. That becomes an invocation. In the pure dance piece, I work with the ideas of bindu(dot), rekha (line), aakar (form) and kalpana (idea) as coordinates. These ideas remain the basis for any artistic, aesthetic or intellectual creation,” she says. Starting from these four ideas, Dutta then gradually linked them to each other, she adds, “I also look at utterances and their role in elaborating on the form. For instance, if the beat ‘dha’ represents a bindu, then ‘ta-dha’ is made up of two such dots. Thus, even across a temporal notion of space, the artist is creating calligraphic forms.”
Syncretic traditions
Inspired by calligraphic artist Achyut Palav’s series of Om and Allah paintings, which combine syllables of the two words, Dutta added a dhrupad by Tansen to ‘Varnajaa’. She was taken by the idea of blending syllables, and thus blending forms. This idea also finds resonance in Kathak’s syncretism, where the repertoire and the tradition are a blend of Hindu and Islamic traditions.
For Vividha, Dutta also worked with calligrams, where the arrangement of the word or the text offers a pictorial sense of its meaning. For the purpose of the work, she chose four calligrams, studying the similarities in form across the visual and performative dimension. She compared them to bandishes (compositions) in classical music, by tracing the idea of a line as abstract utterance and then translating these observations into dance.
In a nod to the literature of Maharashtra, Dutta concludes with Shabda-Dhyan, taking off from an abhanga (poem) by Tukaram that equates words to jewels. Dutta interprets Tukaram’s verse as a paean to spiritual surrender through the act of writing.
Vividha will be performed at the CIDCO Exhibition Complex Auditorium, Vashi, on July 8 at 6.30 p.m., entry free; more details at 9372093189
VARNAJAA | Warp and weft of dance
This year Sarvam Foundation marched a step ahead when it underlined the inter-relationship of different disciplines like calligraphy, miniature painting and textile weaving with different classical dance forms. The three-day Parkaya Festival organised by the Sarvam Foundation at the Stein auditorium last week featured Kathak danseuse Parvati Dutta presenting calligraphic images through Kathak in ‘Varnaja’, Bharatnatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan presenting ‘Chitraavali’ of miniature paintings and the renowned Odissi exponent Sharmila Biswas presenting ‘Apara-Kaaya’ working out her Odissi dance production with the tribal textiles of Odisha.
The inaugural evening featured Aurangabad-based gifted dancer Parvati Dutta’s thoughtfully conceived, imaginatively choreographed and well researched production ‘Varnaja’, linking Kathak and calligraphy in an aesthetic way. Parvati wove her choreography through sound, idea, inspiration, form, movement, expression and harmony ~ the features around which the art of calligraphy revolves. The presentation comprised five segments ~ Akshar Dhyaan, Shabda-Roop, Om-Allah, Akaar and Shabda-Dhyaan. Opening with ‘Om’ the primordial sound (Naad) which is said to be the origin of the universe, she used “Nrittaavasaane Nataraja Rajo…..Shiva sutra jaalam” Shiva’s Cosmic Dance with crescent-like movements of the ‘damaru’ the Maheshwar sutras from which originated the ‘Aksharas’. The Pakhavaj player Sukhad Munde played and recited “aiun, rilrik, eong, eauch, hayavarat …..” from Panini’s Ashtaadhyaayee from where the script originated. Parvati danced to explain that the written form is thus created through consciousness of the metaphysical (adhyatmic), aesthetic (saundarya), structural (rachana), spatial (akasha), temporal (kaal) and technical (upayojana) considerations of the ‘varna’ (letters). In the care, concern and creativity with which it is written, the sign becomes symbol, the unmanifest is made manifest, and the form transcends the act of writing to become an act of spiritual dedication.
The evening saw the dance repertoire comprising the Thaat, Aamad, Tode, Tukre, Chakradaar, Pramelu, Gat-Nikaas, et al, of the conventional Kathak in all the five segments, as spontaneous as the calligraphy. “Namo Shabdaroope namo Vyom-roope…” came like the Kathak Abhinay, normally done on a Thumari. The calligraphic forms of Om & Allah displayed on the screen were woven into ‘Gat-Bhaav’ of birds and animals like the lion. ‘Aakaar’ continued with Pramelu, et al, to showcase, for instance, the flight of a bird. The concluding ‘Shabd-Dhyaan’ imaginatively transformed the mnemonics like “Dhaan Dhaa” into “Dhyaan Dhaa” leading the crisp, crystal clear foot work to a state of meditation.
With the most mesmerising musical wing support with Debashish Sarkar ~ vocal, Yogesh Shamsi ~ tabla, Sukhad Munde ~ Pakhaawaj, Sunando Mukherjee~ Sarod and Murad Ali ~ Sarangi; where each and every accompanying artist was an established soloist in his own right, Parwati Dutta’s ‘Varnaja’ left the audience spellbound.
http://www.thestatesman.net/news/101362-warp-and-weft-of-dance.html?page=2
The Statesman
21 Jan 2015
The Parkaya festival organised by Sarvam Foundation was a one-of-a-kind experience, says MANJARI SINHA
Sarvam Foundation, that endeavours to celebrate performing arts through collaborations and festivals, made its mark when it offered last year the unique concept of ‘Parakaaya’ that literally means ‘through the body of another’. The one of its kind Parkaya Festival became the talk of the town when the Odissi danseuse Maadhavi Mudgal presented a Bharatnatyam Varnam in Odissi style, the Kathak exponent Prerana danced to a Odissi Pallavi in Kathak and Rama Vaidyanathan, the Bharatnatyam diva, danced to a Thumari which belongs to the repertoire of Kathak. The concept became such a hit that the organisers decided to make it an annual festival.
The Parkaya festival organised by Sarvam Foundation was a one-of-a-kind experience, says MANJARI SINHA
Sarvam Foundation, that endeavours to celebrate performing arts through collaborations and festivals, made its mark when it offered last year the unique concept of ‘Parakaaya’ that literally means ‘through the body of another’. The one of its kind Parkaya Festival became the talk of the town when the Odissi danseuse Maadhavi Mudgal presented a Bharatnatyam Varnam in Odissi style, the Kathak exponent Prerana danced to a Odissi Pallavi in Kathak and Rama Vaidyanathan, the Bharatnatyam diva, danced to a Thumari which belongs to the repertoire of Kathak. The concept became such a hit that the organisers decided to make it an annual festival.
This year Sarvam Foundation marched a step ahead when it underlined the inter-relationship of different disciplines like calligraphy, miniature painting and textile weaving with different classical dance forms. The three-day Parkaya Festival organised by the Sarvam Foundation at the Stein auditorium last week featured Kathak danseuse Parvati Dutta presenting calligraphic images through Kathak in ‘Varnaja’, Bharatnatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan presenting ‘Chitraavali’ of miniature paintings and the renowned Odissi exponent Sharmila Biswas presenting ‘Apara-Kaaya’ working out her Odissi dance production with the tribal textiles of Odisha.
The inaugural evening featured Aurangabad-based gifted dancer Parvati Dutta’s thoughtfully conceived, imaginatively choreographed and well researched production ‘Varnaja’, linking Kathak and calligraphy in an aesthetic way. Parvati wove her choreography through sound, idea, inspiration, form, movement, expression and harmony ~ the features around which the art of calligraphy revolves. The presentation comprised five segments ~ Akshar Dhyaan, Shabda-Roop, Om-Allah, Akaar and Shabda-Dhyaan. Opening with ‘Om’ the primordial sound (Naad) which is said to be the origin of the universe, she used “Nrittaavasaane Nataraja Rajo…..Shiva sutra jaalam” Shiva’s Cosmic Dance with crescent-like movements of the ‘damaru’ the Maheshwar sutras from which originated the ‘Aksharas’. The Pakhavaj player Sukhad Munde played and recited “aiun, rilrik, eong, eauch, hayavarat …..” from Panini’s Ashtaadhyaayee from where the script originated. Parvati danced to explain that the written form is thus created through consciousness of the metaphysical (adhyatmic), aesthetic (saundarya), structural (rachana), spatial (akasha), temporal (kaal) and technical (upayojana) considerations of the ‘varna’ (letters). In the care, concern and creativity with which it is written, the sign becomes symbol, the unmanifest is made manifest, and the form transcends the act of writing to become an act of spiritual dedication.
The evening saw the dance repertoire comprising the Thaat, Aamad, Tode, Tukre, Chakradaar, Pramelu, Gat-Nikaas, et al, of the conventional Kathak in all the five segments, as spontaneous as the calligraphy. “Namo Shabdaroope namo Vyom-roope…” came like the Kathak Abhinay, normally done on a Thumari. The calligraphic forms of Om & Allah displayed on the screen were woven into ‘Gat-Bhaav’ of birds and animals like the lion. ‘Aakaar’ continued with Pramelu, et al, to showcase, for instance, the flight of a bird. The concluding ‘Shabd-Dhyaan’ imaginatively transformed the mnemonics like “Dhaan Dhaa” into “Dhyaan Dhaa” leading the crisp, crystal clear foot work to a state of meditation.
With the most mesmerising musical wing support with Debashish Sarkar ~ vocal, Yogesh Shamsi ~ tabla, Sukhad Munde ~ Pakhaawaj, Sunando Mukherjee~ Sarod and Murad Ali ~ Sarangi; where each and every accompanying artist was an established soloist in his own right, Parwati Dutta’s ‘Varnaja’ left the audience spellbound.
http://www.thestatesman.net/news/101362-warp-and-weft-of-dance.html?page=2
SRIJAN TEERTH | Journey through Glorious times : Sounds from seven forts
The classical dance festival Ananya at the exotic Purana Qila showcased the vibrancy of contemporary creativity in the Indian dance
Utpal K Banerjee
Utpal K Banerjee
Hindustan Times
17 October 2006
The neon-lit ramparts of the old Fort, with every niche and cornice illumined tastefully, provided a wonderful backdrop to the Aurangabad-based troupe of Parwati Dutta. Here was a recapitulation of some of the finest melodies and rhythms created by the practitioners of yore around the fortresses and citadels that their kings and Nawabs occupied and had their crunchy walls reverberate with sweetest songs and dances. What a lovely idea!
Srijan Tirth begins with a leisurely Dhrupad composition by Tansen in which he addresses Emperor Akbar in Agra Fort. Set in raga Mian ki Malhar, the master’s own creation Shuva Muhurat, the dancers’ anklets resound into the corners of the sprawling space. The production flows into another panegyric Bhagya Vidhata, Tum Hi Ho Sukhadata. It is a Bandish and Khayalnuma, set to raga Devgiri Bilawal created by Gopal Nayak at Devgiri Fort, Aurangabad, “We held our first musical concert there,” declares the danseuse.
It is now a sonorous rendition of Pakhwaj and its intricate Padhants- sans any melody, but with a reverberating Shiva Stotra, the favorite of all Pakhawaj-players – that comes through with the group’s finely-eteched hand-gestures and footwork. The compositions are the handiwork of Raja chhatrapati Singh at Bijna Fort. An exquisite Padam follows, which was created decades ago by the king Swati Thirunal Fort,- emphasisting the Alap Ang. Bandish by Raja Chakradhar Singh of Raigarh Fort is the fifth fort highlighted.
Pandit Bindadin Maharaj, ancestor of Birju Maharaj’s family, takes the viewers north now with a perennially favorite Ashtapadi: Bahe Pawana Sukhada Shital…… created in his Awadh habitat. The concluding serenade is another Dhrupad by Tansen set to raga Gurjari Todi, Says Parwati,” Some musicologists aver thet the this special melody was dedicated to Empress Mriganayami of Gwalior Fort,
Who was herself a great artist,” Does one savour the faint aroma of a romance there?
Adds Parwati helpfully, “Mine is a dance-journey that re-discovers the glorious times of royal patronage to art. Spanning a period of a few hundred years, we cull out references of many traditions created or sustained in this interregnum in the field of dance, music, percussion and literature. Our sojourn weaves together creations of three great artists and three great artist-monarchs. Our dance-delineation sequences the ethos of that by-gone era through the vision of each artist.”
The finale was Varna Riti, chants of mnemonic syllables. The Padhani of the abstract language of the tala system was treated as equivalent to the utterance of holy chants: Jaya Govinda Jaya Gopala: and danced with ecstasy, making it the best treat of the evening. Explains the director,”the syllables are not numerical arrangement of mnemonics on a time-scale, but find a deep connection to the sacred chants of our traditions. We’ve attempted to make our rhythmic Padhants on the Pakhwaj to transcend the cerebral, seeking the spiritual.”
Srijan Tirth begins with a leisurely Dhrupad composition by Tansen in which he addresses Emperor Akbar in Agra Fort. Set in raga Mian ki Malhar, the master’s own creation Shuva Muhurat, the dancers’ anklets resound into the corners of the sprawling space. The production flows into another panegyric Bhagya Vidhata, Tum Hi Ho Sukhadata. It is a Bandish and Khayalnuma, set to raga Devgiri Bilawal created by Gopal Nayak at Devgiri Fort, Aurangabad, “We held our first musical concert there,” declares the danseuse.
It is now a sonorous rendition of Pakhwaj and its intricate Padhants- sans any melody, but with a reverberating Shiva Stotra, the favorite of all Pakhawaj-players – that comes through with the group’s finely-eteched hand-gestures and footwork. The compositions are the handiwork of Raja chhatrapati Singh at Bijna Fort. An exquisite Padam follows, which was created decades ago by the king Swati Thirunal Fort,- emphasisting the Alap Ang. Bandish by Raja Chakradhar Singh of Raigarh Fort is the fifth fort highlighted.
Pandit Bindadin Maharaj, ancestor of Birju Maharaj’s family, takes the viewers north now with a perennially favorite Ashtapadi: Bahe Pawana Sukhada Shital…… created in his Awadh habitat. The concluding serenade is another Dhrupad by Tansen set to raga Gurjari Todi, Says Parwati,” Some musicologists aver thet the this special melody was dedicated to Empress Mriganayami of Gwalior Fort,
Who was herself a great artist,” Does one savour the faint aroma of a romance there?
Adds Parwati helpfully, “Mine is a dance-journey that re-discovers the glorious times of royal patronage to art. Spanning a period of a few hundred years, we cull out references of many traditions created or sustained in this interregnum in the field of dance, music, percussion and literature. Our sojourn weaves together creations of three great artists and three great artist-monarchs. Our dance-delineation sequences the ethos of that by-gone era through the vision of each artist.”
The finale was Varna Riti, chants of mnemonic syllables. The Padhani of the abstract language of the tala system was treated as equivalent to the utterance of holy chants: Jaya Govinda Jaya Gopala: and danced with ecstasy, making it the best treat of the evening. Explains the director,”the syllables are not numerical arrangement of mnemonics on a time-scale, but find a deep connection to the sacred chants of our traditions. We’ve attempted to make our rhythmic Padhants on the Pakhwaj to transcend the cerebral, seeking the spiritual.”
Twists and taans in time: A bunch of Mumbai Kids learn classical dance through fun and games
Shubha Sharma, Economic Times Bureau
Jan 21, 2012
The class of frisky seven-year-olds cracks up as the teacher clasps his hands together, and twists his face into a scowl. "Sir, are you being naughty?" asks a little one, cheekily. The teacher draws his face in and lets out a harsh, "Sit down." This time, he's the one who's playing. The anger isn't for real, but it has its effect. The class is stunned into a momentary silence.
For children hooked to Harry Potter, Kolaveri and Dance India Dance, the mysteries of Indian mythology, the bols of a Kathak routine and the sinuous moves of a Manipuri Raas Lila were a revelation. And no less exciting. Nearly 70 Mumbai children were bundled up into two rooms at National Centre for the Performing Arts, where over two days, they were exposed to classical Indian dance forms: Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak and Manipuri.
The children learnt the basic principles of each dance form, of abhinaya or expression, of nritta or rhythmic dance steps and mudras or gestures, in a language they understood best - fun and games. And like all children, they were full of questions. "What's a rasa?" "How do you show bhayanaka (fear)?" Every double-speed taal sequence was followed by collective gasps. And each of the nine rasas, or moods, the basis for all human expression, was performed with spontaneous interpretations.
But how do you communicate to seven-year-olds abstractions like soul, rhythm, or the language of dance?
Parwati Dutta, a Kathak and Odissi exponent, took the children through the finer points using animal movements. They explored everything from the fluttering of a butterfly to the buzzing of a bee and the flapping of an elephant's ears. Minute differences in eye, hand and leg movements were studied. "One child didn't want to do the movements in a single direction. He asked if he could move around, feel the space around him. An entire jungle was soon created, and the kids loved it," says Dutta.
"This was not the usual dance class, with structured instructional sessions. We wanted to give them an exposure to a rich dance heritage and make them feel the dynamics and beauty of every style," she says. Squats, jumps and arm movements were thrown in for good measure. Sanjib Bhattacharya, the Manipuri teacher, had the class do cartwheels. This was freedom and unadulterated fun - squeals filled the classroom. Towards the end, one boy screamed to his friend, "Twenty times!," and the session simply rolled on.
This, explains Dutta, is more than just a hook for children. It is the essence of Indian dance. "While the body is taught to be disciplined and students are taught to pick up gestures and the language of dance, they are also encouraged to be imaginative. It's all about enthusiasm."
At times, the enthusiasm spun out of control. At the end of the two-hour sessions, if anyone was drained, it was the instructors. "Grade 2, settle down," "Shh, please hear us..." were regular admonitions. All of which fell on deaf ears, of course.
Jan 21, 2012
The class of frisky seven-year-olds cracks up as the teacher clasps his hands together, and twists his face into a scowl. "Sir, are you being naughty?" asks a little one, cheekily. The teacher draws his face in and lets out a harsh, "Sit down." This time, he's the one who's playing. The anger isn't for real, but it has its effect. The class is stunned into a momentary silence.
For children hooked to Harry Potter, Kolaveri and Dance India Dance, the mysteries of Indian mythology, the bols of a Kathak routine and the sinuous moves of a Manipuri Raas Lila were a revelation. And no less exciting. Nearly 70 Mumbai children were bundled up into two rooms at National Centre for the Performing Arts, where over two days, they were exposed to classical Indian dance forms: Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak and Manipuri.
The children learnt the basic principles of each dance form, of abhinaya or expression, of nritta or rhythmic dance steps and mudras or gestures, in a language they understood best - fun and games. And like all children, they were full of questions. "What's a rasa?" "How do you show bhayanaka (fear)?" Every double-speed taal sequence was followed by collective gasps. And each of the nine rasas, or moods, the basis for all human expression, was performed with spontaneous interpretations.
But how do you communicate to seven-year-olds abstractions like soul, rhythm, or the language of dance?
Parwati Dutta, a Kathak and Odissi exponent, took the children through the finer points using animal movements. They explored everything from the fluttering of a butterfly to the buzzing of a bee and the flapping of an elephant's ears. Minute differences in eye, hand and leg movements were studied. "One child didn't want to do the movements in a single direction. He asked if he could move around, feel the space around him. An entire jungle was soon created, and the kids loved it," says Dutta.
"This was not the usual dance class, with structured instructional sessions. We wanted to give them an exposure to a rich dance heritage and make them feel the dynamics and beauty of every style," she says. Squats, jumps and arm movements were thrown in for good measure. Sanjib Bhattacharya, the Manipuri teacher, had the class do cartwheels. This was freedom and unadulterated fun - squeals filled the classroom. Towards the end, one boy screamed to his friend, "Twenty times!," and the session simply rolled on.
This, explains Dutta, is more than just a hook for children. It is the essence of Indian dance. "While the body is taught to be disciplined and students are taught to pick up gestures and the language of dance, they are also encouraged to be imaginative. It's all about enthusiasm."
At times, the enthusiasm spun out of control. At the end of the two-hour sessions, if anyone was drained, it was the instructors. "Grade 2, settle down," "Shh, please hear us..." were regular admonitions. All of which fell on deaf ears, of course.
21/09/2016-25/09/2016
Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts
Bengaluru
Report on Kathak Workshop Date:
Bengaluru
Report on Kathak Workshop Date:
21st to 25th Sept. 2016
Venue: Seminar Hall, IGNCA SRC Campus
IGNCA SRC, Bangalore in association with Gramsci Foundation organized a five day Kathak Workshop between 21st to 25th Sept. 2016 by Guru Dr. (Smt.) Parwati Dutta, renowned Kathak Dancer and Director, Mahagami Gurukul, Aurangabad shared some of the unique and exquisite nuance of the dance form. The participants from various dance schools across the city enriched themselves undergoing the training by the ablest Guru with learning several core aspects that Kathak dancers spread across five days. They were exposed to Bandish (traditional compositions), Ginati Ki Tihais and Parmelus, Dhrupad and Singing styles and several ‘Chals’ also obtained importance during the workshop. Participants were issued with the certificates during the valedictory ceremony of the workshop.
NRITYA-GATHA: A DANCE EXPERIENCE WORKSHOP BY PARWATI DUTTA
FEBRUARY 4, 2017
SANSKAR SCHOOL, JAIPUR
NRITYA-GATHA: A Dance Experience is an attempt to ignite young minds towards this rich and vibrant world of Indian Dance Heritage through improvisational sessions focused of creating forms through the body and telling stories and legends through these forms.
FEBRUARY 4, 2017
SANSKAR SCHOOL, JAIPUR
NRITYA-GATHA: A Dance Experience is an attempt to ignite young minds towards this rich and vibrant world of Indian Dance Heritage through improvisational sessions focused of creating forms through the body and telling stories and legends through these forms.
16 October 2011
Anup Arora
On the 5th October Parvati Dutta and group from Aurangabad brought an amalgam of seven dance forms- Odissi, Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam and Kathakali.
Parvati Dutta is a versatile kathak and odissi dancer. She is also a Guru and director of the Mahagami Gurukul, Aurangabad. She has been the disciple of Pt. Birju Maharaj (kathak) and Smt. Madhavi Mudgal (odissi) and has also received guidance from Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.She has performed in India and abroad.
The performance began with Nirgeet, an attempt to showcase the dance vocabulary of the ancient period. It revolves around the rituals performed in the ancient times to appease the Gods and pacify the demons .Nirgeet comprised of abstract utterances, melodic and rhythmic patterns coupled with symbolic gestures and motifs. These beats and chants were enunciated by the dancers in each of the seven forms of dance and were beautifully executed. The culmination was in “Sageet’ in praise of Lord Shiva. The verses praised the Lord as the one who resides in the Kailash Parvat, has the moon as his ‘mukut’ or head dress and snakes as his ornaments. The seven dancers enacted the verses in their own vocabulary.
The next composition was titled, ‘Sannidhi’ or flowing together. The seven holy rivers of India were symbolically represented by the seven dance forms: Narmada by kathak, Kaveri by bharatnatyam, Sindhu by kathakali, Godavari by kuchipudi, Yamuna by Manipuri, Ganga by odissi and Saraswati by mohiniattam. Each dancer performed verses on each of the rivers. Every dancer showed the flowing of the river individually and then together into each other. The river Yamuna is associated with Krishna Leela, particularly the ball game on its shores and then the vanquishing of Kalia Naag. Ganga resides in the hair of Lord Shiva and is called Shankar Mauli. The blending of the rivers in the form of dance, music and verses held the audience spell bound. The performance ended in ‘Shankha Dhwani’ and ‘Aarti’. Parvati Dutta conceptualized the presentation and performed the odissi portion with extreme poise and grace.
This is what the nation requires: Rather that ‘Apni dhapli apna raag’, one dhapli one raag and total blending of all interpretations.
Sannidhi | Dance like a river
Jan 18, 2012
Jan 18, 2012
Surekha S
MId-Day
Sannidhi, (which means flowing river), a dance production to be held at the NCPA, will showcase the seven classical dance forms of India as they merge together to create a performance that will not just highlight the differences between them but also portray the beauty and uniqueness of each style
Sannidhi, (which means flowing river), a dance production to be held at the NCPA, will showcase the seven classical dance forms of India as they merge together to create a performance that will not just highlight the differences between them but also portray the beauty and uniqueness of each style
About eight months ago, seven renowned dancers, each representing an Indian classical dance form, received calls from Kathak and Odissi dancer, Parwati Dutta about a proposal for a collaborative production.
Dutta presented each with a concept note, a rough music composition, the taal (number of beats) of the performance as well as the mudras that would be used. Last August, these seven dancers met for the first time under the same roof in Aurangabad.
After a rigorous ideation and practice session that lasted 10 days, Sannidhi was born. The first performance of Sannidhi was in Delhi in October. This will be the production's first performance for Mumbai's audiences.
"Sannidhi is based on the concept of the seven sacred rivers of India. Like the rivers, each dance tradition flows with time and decides its course of journey. With Sannidhi, I wanted to do a representation of our dance heritage each dance form will be showcased to depict a river," shares Parwati Dutta.
So, while Mohiniattam and Kathak take on the roles of Saraswati and Narmada, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali flow like the Kaveri and Sindhu. Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Odissi will depict the beauty of Godavari, Yamuna and Ganga, respectively.
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"I wanted to highlight the nuances of each Indian Classical dance form and also point out what binds them together. So, I conceptualised Sannidhi. A few months later, with the seven dance forms, I choreographed another piece the Nirgeet," adds Dutta.
Nirgeet is a concept from the Natyashastra, which looks at the ritualistic aspects of preparation before a performance including philosophical, mental and emotional preparation. The performance on Friday begins with the Nirgeet and progresses to Sannidhi.
"Every Indian Classical dance form is based on the Natyashastra. So, while the dances differ, there are similarities too," says Mohiniattam dancer, Sujatha Nair adding, "In the last few months, we have learnt a lot from each other; it has been an enlightening journey. It feels like family, now."
According to Bharatanatyam dancer, Pavitra Bhatt, the important part is that each dance was given an equal status: "The choreography is such that the original style of each dance is retained. Yet, it appears as if all the forms are coming together beautifully.
This is reiterated by Manipuri dancer Sanjib Bhattacharya who adds that each style has its own beauty and keeping the purity alive, the dances come together in harmony. "You can see the similarities in the movements yet witness the uniqueness in each style," he says.
"The audience can see a slight difference in the grammar of each dance and the gestures used in each form creates a beautiful design in temporal space," says Dutta. "Even the music used is a blend, and has Carnatic extensions to Hindustani forms," she signs off.
Sannidhi, (which means flowing river), a dance production to be held at the NCPA, will showcase the seven classical dance forms of India as they merge together to create a performance that will not just highlight the differences between them but also portray the beauty and uniqueness of each style
Sannidhi, (which means flowing river), a dance production to be held at the NCPA, will showcase the seven classical dance forms of India as they merge together to create a performance that will not just highlight the differences between them but also portray the beauty and uniqueness of each style
About eight months ago, seven renowned dancers, each representing an Indian classical dance form, received calls from Kathak and Odissi dancer, Parwati Dutta about a proposal for a collaborative production.
Dutta presented each with a concept note, a rough music composition, the taal (number of beats) of the performance as well as the mudras that would be used. Last August, these seven dancers met for the first time under the same roof in Aurangabad.
After a rigorous ideation and practice session that lasted 10 days, Sannidhi was born. The first performance of Sannidhi was in Delhi in October. This will be the production's first performance for Mumbai's audiences.
"Sannidhi is based on the concept of the seven sacred rivers of India. Like the rivers, each dance tradition flows with time and decides its course of journey. With Sannidhi, I wanted to do a representation of our dance heritage each dance form will be showcased to depict a river," shares Parwati Dutta.
So, while Mohiniattam and Kathak take on the roles of Saraswati and Narmada, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali flow like the Kaveri and Sindhu. Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Odissi will depict the beauty of Godavari, Yamuna and Ganga, respectively.
"I wanted to highlight the nuances of each Indian Classical dance form and also point out what binds them together. So, I conceptualised Sannidhi. A few months later, with the seven dance forms, I choreographed another piece the Nirgeet," adds Dutta.
Nirgeet is a concept from the Natyashastra, which looks at the ritualistic aspects of preparation before a performance including philosophical, mental and emotional preparation. The performance on Friday begins with the Nirgeet and progresses to Sannidhi.
"Every Indian Classical dance form is based on the Natyashastra. So, while the dances differ, there are similarities too," says Mohiniattam dancer, Sujatha Nair adding, "In the last few months, we have learnt a lot from each other; it has been an enlightening journey. It feels like family, now."
According to Bharatanatyam dancer, Pavitra Bhatt, the important part is that each dance was given an equal status: "The choreography is such that the original style of each dance is retained. Yet, it appears as if all the forms are coming together beautifully.
This is reiterated by Manipuri dancer Sanjib Bhattacharya who adds that each style has its own beauty and keeping the purity alive, the dances come together in harmony. "You can see the similarities in the movements yet witness the uniqueness in each style," he says.
"The audience can see a slight difference in the grammar of each dance and the gestures used in each form creates a beautiful design in temporal space," says Dutta. "Even the music used is a blend, and has Carnatic extensions to Hindustani forms," she signs off.
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