The passions for and in our dance run deep and intense! As Bharatanatyam is a truly global phenomenon, opinions about 'purity', 'classicism', 'authenticity', 'creativity', 'contemporaenity' are swirling thick and fast around us. With the Indian media enjoying 60 years of almost uninterrupted freedom in what is now a more and more paranoid world, we at narthaki.com are beginning a series called ROSES AND THORNS. It will place in the spotlight one dancer / a dance production / dance performance / dance tour occurring anywhere in the world. The specific dance production or performance will be spotlighted on the site for the sheer volume of comments – both positive and negative that we receive in terms of phone calls and e mails. In all matters of expression, the column will advise restraint and decency even when some views are angry and vehemently outraged.

 

A response to Importance of arangetram Excerpted from the narthaki Discussion Forum featured in April, 2008

 

Knowledgeable reporters!  - Rukmini Vijayakumar, Bangalore  e-mail: raadhakalpa@gmail.com

 

Beware of touts with tall claims  - Ratikant Mohapatra & Rahul Acharya, Bhubaneswar

 

Humiliation at the Uday Shankar Dance Festival in Kolkata  - Probal Gupta, Bangalore  e-mail: probs_gupta12@yahoo.co.in

 

Culture vultures! A sorry state of affairs  - Padmaja Suresh, Bangalore  e-mail: padmajasuresh@hotmail.com

 

Musician rejected from ICCR upgradation by panel

 

Season quotes    Compiled by Lalitha Venkat

 

Chennai December season: What they say  - Compiled by Lalitha Venkat

 

Amplification is killing live music  -  Bruno Kavanagh      Responses Further Response to "Amplification is killing live music"   -  A Seshan

 

An anonymous letter to Rashtrapatiji

 

An experience that never was!  California's Kuchipudi Convention!   - Ramaa Bharadvaj, California  e-mail: info@ramaadance.org      Response

 

Ageism and Dance  (Excerpted from the narthaki Discussion Forum)

 

Earnest Clowns  …media and arts reporting  - Anita Ratnam, Chennai  e-mail: arangham@gmail.com       Irresponsible editing of dance article     Responses

 

Importance of arangetram  (Excerpted from the narthaki Discussion Forum)

 

Court injunction against the producers of the dance ballet JAYA JAYA DEVI

 

Boo Hoo Bruno!  ... and the politics of whining      Replies from Bruno, Ranvir and Anita     Responses from the audience and Narthaki readers

 

Dance arangetrams  (Excerpted from the narthaki Discussion Forum)

 

Season quotes: January 2008  Compiled by Lalitha Venkat

 

How blessed is the MAD-ras season for people in Madras?  (Excerpted from the narthaki Discussion Forum)

 

Talents and promoters  (Excerpted from the narthaki Discussion Forum)

 

Expressions: The season  Compiled by Lalitha Venkat

 

Musings: Dance, human gods and money!   (Excerpted from the narthaki Discussion Forum)

 

An open letter to janab MS Sathyu Sa'ab

The Kalakshetra controversy

Season talk  - Compiled by Lalitha Venkat

Highs and lows of Chennai January season  - Compiled by Lalitha Venkat

The Lotus Throne  - Anita Ratnam, Chennai  e-mail: arangham@gmail.com

Highs and lows of Chennai December season  - Compiled by Lalitha Venkat

The Great Dance Robbery - arangetrams in the diaspora    Recently, the Narthaki Discussion Forum has seen some thought provoking perceptions about lavish arangetrams, demands and expectations, greedy gurus and musicians, and over-ambitious parents in the diaspora.   We present to you the exchange of varied viewpoints and the many interesting suggestions that our readers have come up with.  November 26, 2006  Details

ARUDHRA 2006, the 10th annual festival of dance presented by Ponnambalam Academy of Dance & Music Trust    Tensions between Karnataka and Tamilnadu are now the stuff of legend. The film world, the water world and the arts world were always facing off in apparent readiness for battle. I distinctly remember the threat of pickets outside my dance performance at the Bangalore Habba a few years ago. Other Tamilandu artistes faced the same situation with Kannada artistes protesting the large contingent from outside their state and particularly from their neighbours!  However, I always loved the cultural atmosphere in Bangalore and the large turnout of artistes who attend all dance performances. Generous crowds, less back biting and a greater bonhomie among artistes and gurus were the envy of many of us in Chennai.     This recent spate of fireworks between Bangalore artistes has us all aghast! What really happened at ARUDHRA 2006? Who is to blame? Can such an incident be avoided in future? What is the relationship between organizer and artiste?  Read on and navigate carefully between the Roses and Thorns!   Anita Ratnam   November 3, 2006      A culture shock in Bangalore City!  - Anuradha, Sanjay, Shama and Surya  e-mail: dancetrioblr@yahoo.co.in     Unfortunate incident  - Sharmila Mukerjee, Bangalore  e-mail: sharmila_mukerjee@hotmail.com     Bangalore dance scene  - Veena Murthy Vijay, Bangalore  e-mail: v_veena2000@yahoo.com     Shell shocked  - Savitri Ganesan, Bangalore  e-mail: ganesan_savithri44@yahoo.com

'Ekaantha Seetha...A lonely furrow,' produced by Cleveland Cultural Alliance and choreographed by The Dhananjayans