Singapore Night Festival does a remarkable display of a multitude of shows to illuminate the Bras Basah, Bugis (BBB) Art precinct including at CHIJMES, National Museum and Funan Mall.
Evoking the 9 aspects of Shakti within us. Whether as Durga, Lakshmi or Saraswathi. Reclaiming that power through worship or meditation; cleansing ourselves of our own demons within – the fears and insecurities that have supressed our strength.
Today is THE Day!
This re-launch of the docu-film “And Miles to Flow” is purely the brainchild of my dear US based friend Anita Kulkarni.
She is a unique mix of Architect, Singer and Arts Promoter through The Renu Forum for the Arts.
After a full nite shoot that ran into the morning (luckily for me I had won the trust and support of the all-men-crew who were members of the union especially the ones from Kerala!) one of the earliest female Kathakali artiste, did not turn up for the shoot! I had to step in and take her role as Damyanti! A role I had performed with my Guru in my mid-teens! My Guru’s signature role is as Hamsa, the golden Swan-messenger between the lovers – King Nala n Damyanti. He is remembered and celebrated for it. I got another chance to do it with him!
When I was shooting for “And Miles to Flow”, I wanted to show a slice of the simple life of a Guru – my Kathakali Guru, (Oyur Govinda Pillai Ashan) having his early morning dip in the river before going to the temple.
Later when I discovered his Starry Night with it’s bold strokes depicting the flow of the sky, I was in awe. And then the sunflower series. It was when I visited the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam that I got a real insight into his works and life, especially the love & support of his brother Theo. I recall thinking, we artistes could do jolly well with a Theo in our lives! That visit lead me to read the biographical book “Lust for Life” by Irving Stone. We are lucky to have this never-seen-before exhibition brought to Singapore. Walk into the mesmerizing world of this post – impressionist’s works. It will awaken one’s aesthetic senses and give new perspectives and may even provoke thought.
Art Musings
Artistes are often sharing their thoughts & feelings; agonies and ecstasies through metaphors.
The work commissioned by Singapore National Art Gallery and its Director Engene Tan was one such.
Gyani Arts, a leading gallery in Singapore celebrated their 20th anniversary with a spectacular array of paintings by 16 esteemed artistes to celebrate the life and works of Frida Kahlo the extraordinary painter from Mexico. The Mexican Ambassador’s speech on her life was indeed a passionate account.
Eyes are the window to the soul!
In Indian dance the use of eyes for expressing emotions is vital. To prepare a student to be able to do it effectively there are eye movements that are prescribed in ancient texts like Abhinaya Darpana.
Ghungroos are small bells made of brass with small iron balls inside. These bells are either strung together by cords or woven into a belt and they produce sounds of varying pitches depending on the metallic composition and its size. A dancer can wear anything between 50 to 200 bells knotted together.
India is the only country on this planet that can boast of having 8 classical dance forms! Each form is a perfect gem in itself.
Historically Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages in the world, had an outstanding influence on the intellectual and artistic lives of the people across India. It was in the medieval period that regional languages developed and with-it regional dance forms and other arts too developed.
All Classical dances developed out of folk dance. But classical dances began to be associated with spirituality whereas Folk dance continued to be celebrations of agricultural harvest or social gatherings like weddings, etc. – A celebration of Life.
Hand gestures or Mudras or Hastas are a delightful language in itself. Mudras are yet another tool of communication for a dancer. The fingers are used to flash and echo every conceivable emotion; where a dancer can make a lotus bloom in her hands or a bird fly off her fingers!
