SEHER PRESENTS ANANYA DANCE FESTIVAL 2009

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} New Delhi : SEHER , oneof the premier organizations in the area of performing and visual arts, presents Ananya Dance Festival 2009 ; itsannual five-day classical dance extravaganza at Purana Qila which celebrates the beauty of Indianclassical dance forms and focuses on group choreography in particular. Thefestival begins from October 03, 2009till October 07, 2009 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m . daily . The eventis an annual feature by the Govt. of NCT of Delhi and SEHER and held inassociation with Sahitya Kala Parishad. The entry to the festival is free.   Sanjeev Bhargava, Founder of Seher & Festival Director ofAnanya Dance Festival says : “ In a world that is fast turning to western danceforms and an age where TRPs of reality television isgrowing, Seher’s motto has always been to preserve the Indian heritage andculture. AnanyaDance Festival, now in its eighth year, is onesuch attempt to showcase Indian classical dance in its pure form, packagedsleekly for the younger generation and first time enthusiasts of Indianculture. With Ananya, we have succeeded in democratizing culture byfirst taking classical dance into public spaces like monuments and parks, andsecond, by imparting it a mass appeal. The festival will feature onlychoreographed group performances to match the colossal size of the venue.”   While one the greatest achievements of Ananya have been todiscover budding artistes and establish their indisputable talent, it has alsomaintained high standards by featuring established seniors to perform at thisannual dance fest. With the audience always spilling over into the aisles atthe venue and even into the far off lawns at Purana Qila, Ananya Dance festivalis a much awaited event on Delhi ’scultural calendar   This year on October 3 ,the festival opens aptly with an Odissi performance by the veteran M adhaviMudgal who has created a special choreography after many years for thefestival. Madhavi Mudgal has wowedaudiences in India and abroad with her delicatepostures and strong rhythmic footwork that create the appeal of sculpturesquemovements. Her subtle abhinaya ,strong music knowledge and aesthetic sense add to the highly distinctivecharacter of her recitals. Says M adhaviMudgal: “We have worked on threedistinct pieces – one piece will be on the exploration of Orissa’s percussiondiversity brought out through abstract dance, second piece will be from Kalidas Kumarsambhavam which will highlightthe natya or dramatic element and thethird piece will be aninvocation to the sacred river Ganga .”   Another accomplished dancer whose dance is marked by extreme grace,radiant movements and expression with geometrical precision and technicalfinesse is Gopika Varma who willwith her group perform Mohiniyattam on October4. Says Gopika Varma: “We have chosen the theme – Sringara for our performance which wewill begin with an invocatory item - Choltekku on Kamadeva, the creator and preserver of Sringara ,followed by a composition of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal where the nayika narrates to her friend herexperience of first love. The scene will then move to the love triangle betweenLord Shiva, Goddess Parvathi and Ganga where Parvathi questions Shiva on hisamorous activity with Ganga . The choreographywill conclude with Jeeva, a dance number that symbolically shows the journey ofthe soul - the restless human form that transcends in the quest of knowledgeand realization and eventually leads to the attainment of the paramatma or the greater soul.”   On October 5 , the s ister-duoMonisa Nayak (from the Jaipur gharana and trained under Rajendra Gangani ) and MoumalaNayak (from the Lucknow gharana and trained under Birju Maharaj) will perform Nartan , a musical journey thatshowcases the varieties of music used in Kathak during old, medieval and modern times. In an attempt to link the monument of Purana Qila with the sensuality ofKathak, the two sisiters have created a specially synchronized performance. Monisaand Moumala Nayak say: “Our performance Nartan has been divided into three stages - Temple period, Court period and Stage period where each stage will describe how Kathakhas evolved as a comprehensive and expressive danceform. From the period it started in temple courtyards to the period when theroyal courts of the Muslim & Hindu kings of India started patronizing it and tothe current period where it has been elevated to the stage with othertraditional dance forms. The climax of thechoreography will be with a jugalbandi (duetrecital) of percussion and instruments and conclude with a bandish that portrays abeautiful synthesis of all that is best in the two distinct cultures belongingto both Hindu and Muslim periods of political rule and consequent social ethosof the Indo-Gangetic belt.” Monisa Nayak’s performance is marked by her perfect blending of rhythmicpatterns, footwork and varieties of spins along with her profound expressionwhile Moumala Nayak’s performance on the otherhand can be described as a n excellent blend ofsensuous movements and graceful footwork with absolute control on laya .   October 6 willwitness an avant-garde contemporary fusion by Astad Deboo and his troupe of eight PungCholom drummers of Manipur . Says Astad Deboo: “Ourperformance, Rhythm Divine, is a highly refinedclassical dance number characterized by the modulation of sound from a softwhisper to a thunderous climax.” Playful birth, abandoned sounds and anexcess of the mundane, Rhythm Divine’s eerily moving ritual on stage capturethe Manipuri idyll of a world that was before being swallowed up forever byanarchy and chaos. What follows is a visual poetry — the oriental music anddance of the drummers, slowly picking up the tempo with perfect synchronizationonce they beat the drums and Astad Deboo who complements them with emotingfingers, eye-brows and body.   The grand finale on October7 will witness Bharatanatyam danseuse Rema Shrikant make her debut in Delhi where she attempts to showcase the dance form as the most effective vehicle toaccess the realm of Hindu myth and scripture. The performance commences with arecital of Ganpati Vandana of Ottukkadu Venkata Subaaarama Iyer, followed by Shrusti Tandavam , the dance of creationand depiction of Shakti, the primordial saver of this vast manifestation. Thedance concludes with Subramaniaya Bharatiar’s mazhai or rain followed by a brisk tillana .     Special Highlight: A special seminar titled PRATIBIMB  (A reflection on Ananya Dance Festival); an insight into how thechoreographers who presented their work at Ananya retain the essential spiritof the classical form, while also being innovative and creative will take place on October 6 and 7 at Alliance Francaise deDelhi, 72, Lodi Estate, New Delhi from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The eminent panel of speakers will include MadhaviMudgal, Monisa and Moumala Nayak, Gopika Varma, Astad Deboo, Rema Shrikant and moderator,Sudha Gopalakrishnan. The seminar aims to create a dialogue between thechoreographers and the audience (young dancers, scholars, students anddance-enthusiasts) where the discussion will revolve around ‘classical’ dance intoday’s world with questions like h owdoes the choreographer engage with the grammar and vocabulary of classicaldance forms and codifications for a large audience; in a world of infinitechoices-cinema, satellite TV, jazz, salsa, bollywood- what does classical danceoffer that is more attractive than these other options; what are the limits offreedom for an artist, while attempting to be appealing and modern throughexperimentation and innovation in their presentation.     PROGRAMME (Featuring groupchoreographies)   Saturday,October 03, 2009: 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Odissi:Madhavi Mudgal & group ( Delhi )   Sunday,October 04, 2009: 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Mohiniyattam:   Gopika Varma & group (Chennai)   Monday,October 05, 2009: 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Kathak:Monisa and Moumala Nayak & group ( Delhi )   Tuesday,October 06, 2009: 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Contemporary:Astad Deboo (Mumbai) & the Pong Cholam drummers of Manipur   Wednesday,October 07, 2009: 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Bharatanatyam:Rema Shrikant & group ( Baroda )     SpecialHighlight: October 06& 07 October, 2009 :   Two dayinteractive seminar -  PRATIBIMB  (A reflection on Ananya Dance Festival) with the artistes of Ananya DanceFestival’ 09 will take place at Alliance Francaise de Delhi, 72, Lodi Estate,New Delhi from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  

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