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Behind all these manifestations,
Is the one radiance
Which shines through all things
The function of art is to reveal this radiance
Through the created object

- American mythologist Joseph Campbell
In the TV series THE POWER OF MYTH

Anita R Ratnam

In the shadow of a brutal war still continuing in the Middle East and its consequences spreading across the globe, I share my monthly musings. To be honest, it feels strange to talk about "dance", "performance", "culture" and the Arts when all we see and read is more and more bloodshed and devastation in the news cycles. And to think that I transited through the now damaged Dubai airport on my way home from South America barely 4 days before the mayhem began!

My personal thoughts about the value of the live arts in the current "theatre of war" seem almost  puerile against the bombardment of heritage buildings and precious architecture that we are seeing  crumble before our eyes. Perhaps this is the very contradiction that should be a sobering reminder of what really matters in our lives.

March started with a flood of dance performances. It felt like a wave of excess after my sabbatical in February. For eyes like mine, who have seen so many performances across the world for 50 years, it needs something very special to make me focus and sit up.
Fortunately, some dancers did make me smile in admiration.

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Anita Ratnam
anitaratnam.com





Bharata Kalanjali and Kaladham presented JHARNA festival’s 5th edition on Feb 21, 22, 28 and March 1, 2026 at Teach auditorium, Chennai.
Photos: Iyappan / A4medias









FROM THE ARCHIVES


The non-traditional Traditionalist
- Padmini Ravi
Summer of 65. My father had just died. I was 9 years old, scared and sad. I joined Sarasalaya mainly to overcome my sadness. Thus started my journey with Teacher, K.J Sarasa.

K. N. Dandayudhapani Pillai Baani
- Hema Rajagopalan
K. N. Dandayudhapani Pillai was born on July 14, 1921 at Kaaraikaal and belonged to a family of musicians.




BIRTHDAY WISHES
Parvathy Ravi Ghantasala: April 7
Nandini K Mehta: April 8
Madhur Gupta: April 8
Mythili Kumar: April 10
Renjith Babu: April 14
Usha RK: April 15
Shanmugha Sundar: April 15
VP Dhananjayan: April 17
Ambika Panicker: April 20
Swarnamalya Ganesh: April 22
Uma Dogra: April 23
Uma Sathyanarayanan: April 24
Aruna Mohanty: April 25
A Janardhanan: April 25
Pritam Das: April 26
Sonal Mansingh: April 30

QUOTE
People come to see beauty, and I dance to give it to them.
- Judith Jamison





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