Tag Archives: Dance

International, Photogallery

Creating young artists at Bali Art Centre

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View from outside

Taman Budaya or Bali Art Centre is a prime example of how traditional art forms should to be preserved. Built in traditional Balinese architecture this is a centre of learning and also a centre of excellent performances. It motivates young Balinese people to learn all the forms of traditional Balinese performing arts. Bali Art Center grooms young ones in traditional Balinese arts- dance, theatre, music, painting and lot more.

A scene from Mahabharata at Bali Art centre

A beautiful complex run by public money is a very sincere attempt to preserve the traditional forms of art. Interestingly, all these classes are completely free of cost for the children. Such art centres encourage them to learn and perform and thus keep the traditional art forms alive by transferring them to the next generation… A way to learn for all such societies!

Even the bridges inside campus have artistic designs

In Islamic Indonesia the Hindu majority Bali is fascinating example of co-existence of cultures. Equally fascinating are the attempts to preserve art and dedication among the young ones to learn.

Here is a photo journey of this excellent centre:

Kids striking poses in their training schedule-

rigorous training is quite hot!
Notice the name of the arena! An Indian feeling! Where gems are being polished!!

Amazing beauty! Read: Sea on Fire: Sunset at Bali Beach

Bali art centre campus is big and beautiful
Young student practicing theatre
While some learn sketch and painting….
….and many others learn traditional musical instruments

Art centre for wedding shoots? Read: From the Bali album- Royal attires for pre-wedding shoot!

Students are also assessed for there progress, when they perform on stage whatever they have learned
Time for some rehearsal before the show
Confident looking trainees for their evaluation

Bali has lot more to do. Read: White water rafting in Bali

Multi purpose open theatre with traditional architecture
Everything designed tastefully

When there are so many students around, then they ought to be hungry.  So there are plenty of options for them, like these ones-

A lady selling street food
Parents need to kill time as well, while kids are busy in training
A lot of options to eat
Young trainees having some refreshment in the interim

Moving in to Bali! Read: Bali from the sky- few captures

Besides imparting training, Bali art centre also preserves many artefacts and paintings.

Collection of Art pieces

This video is from such a class inside the centre, where young ones are learning the art of playing the traditional musical instruments.

Another video of kids taking training in Balinese dance. Such is the dedication that while watching this performance, you will feel as if you are viewing a stage performance, not a training class.

Have you been to Taman Budaya or any such art centre anywhere else? Please share your experiences in the comments section below.

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India, International, News

New Zealand celebrates Diwali with a Bollywood twist

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Diwali is not only celebrated in India but in many parts of the world and New Zealand left no stone unturned to have one of the best Diwali celebrations last weekend. Visitors were greeted with Bollywood dance moves, traditional music, authentic curries and a chance to enjoy and experience traditional and contemporary Indian culture.

New Zealand Police perform to Bollywood songs Munni Badnaam Hui and Chalti Hai Kya 9 se 12. Photo: Arthur Machado – Tourism New Zealand

Almost fifteen thousand people attended the annual Indian festival of lights at Christchurch. A group of six New Zealand police officers performed to famous songs of popular Bollywood Actor Salman Khan, such as Munni Badnaam Hui and Chalti Hai Kya 9 se 12. They also had a dance battle with an established dance group – Bollywood Dreams for which they underwent rigorous practice for two months.

39 Irish Step Dance group performing to Bollywood song – Slow Motion Angreza, from the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Photo: Arthur Machado – Tourism New Zealand

The celebrations had other dance performances – one of which was 39 Irish Step Dance group and the other by Latin American Group – LatiNZone.  They performed on several trendy Bollywood songs which were received with immense appreciation by the Indian community present.

Latin American dance group performing to Bollywood songs. Photo: Arthur Machado – Tourism New Zealand

On asking about the festival and the varied performances, Thomas Shaji Kurian, Chairman of Diwali organising committee and Indian Social & Cultural Club (CHCH) Inc, said, “The main focus of the celebrations is to ensure a seamless Indian cultural & Bollywood, food and Arts and Crafts experience to the wider community in Christchurch. Even in India (being so large with many different states with a diverse tradition) we do not get to see so many cultural and traditional performances under one roof and therefore this is a cultural treat even for the Indians. We also endeavour to involve the wider community to engage with the cultural and Bollywood performances. The popularity of the event built over 11 years has largely helped with roping in the wider community performance groups to engage with the festival.”

Indian community in New Zealand celebrating the Diwali festival. Photo: Arthur Machado – Tourism New Zealand

A range of Indian food from 18 stalls kept hunger at bay, including south and north Indian dishes and traditional street food. Indian crafts such as lamp painting and Rongoli art works using coloured rice and flour were popular, as was the chance to dress up in traditional Indian clothing. Diwali celebrations concluded with firework displays, food stalls with assorted Diwali sweets, savouries and herbs, stalls offering henna paintings and people celebrating the conquest of light over darkness.

You can watch a video of the performances on my YouTube channel by clicking on the link below-

New Zealand in nutshell:

Tourism New Zealand markets New Zealand to the world as a visitor destination. In the year ending July 2017, 3.66 million international visitors arrived in New Zealand: an increase of 9.5% on the previous year. International tourism is New Zealand’s largest earner of foreign exchange, pumping over $14.5 billion into the economy and directly employing over 188,000 people.

Visa procedure: One may forward their application to the TT office in Mumbai or Delhi, which will then be directed to Immigration New Zealand. A visitor visa for New Zealand is processed within 15 working days.

Airline connections: Connecting flights to New Zealand are available on Singapore Airlines/Air New Zealand, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines with stop-overs in their respective hubs.  New Zealand’s international gateways are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Domestic services: You can fly between all New Zealand cities and most major towns using domestic air services. Air New Zealand and Jetstar are the main providers. Their services are complemented by regional airlines, charter companies and scenic flight operators.

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International, News

Wanna shake a leg! Head to Brussels!!

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brussels_dance1Between 1st February and 31st March, join the movers and shakers of Brussels and share with them the creativity of the capital of dance! BRUSSELS, DANCE! is an original initiative by cultural venues to celebrate the vitality and effervescence of a capital city. Recently and spontaneously, artists from all over Europe, especially contemporary dancers, have settled down in Brussels.

For this second edition, twelve Brussels venues – from the Dutch speaking and the French speaking communities – in collaboration with Visit Brussels, have combined forces to bring more attention to the dynamism of the choreographic scene in Brussels. For two months, BRUSSELS, DANCE! will present a programme of contemporary dance that emerged from the capital. The venues range from alternative spaces yet to be institutionalised to the more established big venues, giving audiences plenty to choose from. Our ambition is to bring new audiences to contemporary dance as well as make regular dance attenders circulate more between venues.

brussels_dance2There is also a 2 months long programme of choreographic interventions in public spaces, with the support of Promotion de Bruxelles and in partnership with STIB (Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company). Everybody in Brussels will have the opportunity to discover and to be surprised, by the creativity of today’s artists. A free pass, that can be found in every partner venue, will give access to discounted tickets to any BRUSSELS, DANCE! show programmed by any of the partner venue.

India, Photogallery

Celebrating Dance – A photo essay

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Its World Dance Day today. And on this special day I am presenting a photo essay of a very special performance. I have written a little bit about it before. I am sharing these photographs for the first time. It was a truly scintillating performance by Dr. Yashoda Rao Thakore a well known Kuchipudi dancer. But this is a rare public performance of Devadasi dance hitherto a dance by courtesans either in temples or in royal courts. For the first time, Devadasi dance has been presented and recognised as an individual classical Indian dance form.

Here in this performance the dancer is actually sitting in the whole dance and narrating the story by just her facial and body expressions. That’s also a rarity for an Indian classical dance. The way Yashoda Rao Thakore puts it is really mesmerising. Here, the story is actually about the courtesan and her lover.

Go and flip through all slides, you will love it.

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Here is also a beautiful video of the performance from my channel. Visit my channel for more such videos of travel and events-

This is a bold Padam- few couplets. Padam was actually the treasure of the Telugu Devadasis. Many poets have been known for their padams, mostly of shringar (praising beauty erotically) in nature. This particular padam has a common nayika whose profession is to entertain. A guy comes to her and she asks him, “have you lost your way! Do you know what I am worth?” She castigates him and ask him to go to the lady, he was with the other day who lives round the corner. She says to him that you dress well and you try to touch me but you are not my class of customer. She further says, “you want to say something to me than give me a bag full of (gold) coins, you want to say a second word than give me another bag of coins.” The guy starts singing and the lady says, don’t make the drama. She says, “its dusk and I have to shut the door, its time for my permanent customer, Lord Parthsarthy Krishna to come. So you please go.”
This story is expressed in this beautiful expression of Devadasi Dance by Dr Yashoda Rao Thakore.

India, Photo Of The Day, Photogallery

Photo of the day – The light within!

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The beauty of this photo is also the character itself. Sonali Mahapatra is performing Oddissi at Khajuraho festival of dances 2015. An accomplished dancer, Sonali lost her major hearing power due to a medical negligence when she was just five. But she never let that come as a hinderance in her commitment to learn dance. She can’t listen to swara and hence now uses a hearing aid and dances by listening to just the beats of the taal.

DSC_1141

India

Spring in Khajuraho – The Dances

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One of the premier dance festivals of India, Khajuraho festival of Dances is organised every year during springtime for last 41 years by Ustad Alauddin Khan academy of music and art under the aegis of ministry of Culture, government of Madhya Pradesh. Khajuraho Festival of Dances is organised at UNESCO world heritage site of Khajuraho in the premises along the western group of temples.

Kathak duet by V. Anuradha Singh and Rajendra Chaturvedi on 24th February 2015.  V. Anuradha Singh is best known for the introduction of Sufiyana Kathak style of dance. See some snapshots and a video of the dance.

Devadasi dance by Dr Yashoda Rao Thakore at Khajuraho festival of dances (2015) was perhaps the biggest achievement of this year’s dance festival. This was perhaps the first time that Devadasi dance was performed as an independent classical form of dance at any national platform. Yashoda Rao Thakore is a famous Kuchipudi dancer and has written a thesis on ‘Temple of Songs of Andhra Temple dancers’. Her delightful performance here in few images and a video.

Beautiful Manipuri Dance by Progressive Artiste Laboratory of Tiken Singh at Khajuraho Festival of Dances, 2015. Here the team is performing Raas Sankirtana or Nupa Pala. Poorvrang of a Natyashastra is Sankirtana. “Sankirtana: Ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur” was also inscribed on the Representative List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2013. Sankirtana originated from south but was revived in east by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Now it is an integral part of a Manipuri Dance.

ps: Don’t miss the last two minutes of this video!

A beautiful performance of Vasant Raas in classical Manipuri Dance by Progressive Artiste Laboratory of Tiken Singh at Khajuraho Festival of Dances 2015. This performance is about Radha-Krishna raasleela. See the movements, truly enjoyable.

India, News

Goa Beach Grind from Nov 14 to 16 at Candolim

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Beach GrindCandolim beach to host dance and music feast

Goa’s home grown Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival ‘GoaBeach Grind’ will be held this year from November 14-16 at Candolim beach. A strong lineup of 13 DJs of international fame would dish out the best electronic music for music enthusiasts and the festival this time would be bigger, Fransisco Miccky Pacheco, CEO of organising company Bresources Events Pvt Ltd said. He said that EDM lovers from places like NCR Delhi, Mumbai, Bangaluru, Pune, Jaipur, Gurgaon and Noida have already become the early birds by grabbing tickets.

Beach GrindThe organisers have already began promoting the festival in various metropolis. “We are having events happening at all the major cities. The crux of event is that we want to give pure EDM without pinching pockets of the music lovers,” Pacheco said. Among star performers, the event will have ‘The Girlfriend Experience’ starrer Sasha Grey, Michael Gazzo, Bjorn Akesson, Evelin Scavo (official DJ for Playboy magazine), DJ Flynn, Jaz Von D, Thomas Gold, Rae, Matt Nash, Diamond would be performing. The organisers will also present local talent of global repute — DJ Ryan Nogar and DJ Jay.

Beach GrindGoa’s Biggest, Grooviest, Swankiest, EDM Fest

This Grind is termed as Goa’s Biggest, Grooviest, Swankiest, EDM Fest. Started just last year organisers claim to give India it first Electronic, Live Dance Music Festival. An unparallel experience, on a suave Goan beach. The grind had many firsts including a moving stage , 360 degree lighting and mind blowing 3d fire show, besides some of the best DJ’s in the world like Hard Rock Sofa, Tatva Kundalini and many more performing chart topping sets. Held in May last year event featured few of Worlds Coolest and Hottest DJ’s including HARDROCK, DJ DIAMOND, DJ ROBERT K, DJ MAX HARDCASTLE, TATVA KUNDALINI, DJ KAY MIKADO, DJ NASH and DJ RYAN BECK. There were also live bands Live Bands like TIDAL WAVE, A 26, ZEDDE and ALCATRAZ.

Other adventures on the sidelines

Beach Grind
Beach Grind

When you are done jumping  to the music, an adrenaline pumping activity awaits you; BUNGEE JUMPING! A first of its kind for any festival , this is your date with your bold side. Your legs are fastened to an elastic rope, and you are made to jump off a height. This is an adrenaline pumping activity and an experience of a lifetime. The festival will also facilitate fun rides on motor boats , banana boats etc… on the shores of the pristine Candolim Beach. This is your chance to sport your summer wear and enjoy like the Goan’s do. But check beforehand as because of some accidents recently, there is a ban on watersport activities in whole Goa.

Goa Beach Grind will host a unique flea market, with exquisite products from across the world. If you wanna indulge in retail therapy, Goa Beach Grind is your place to be. It has also created a home away from home for you. These living spaces, called Cabanas are cozy little tents which will help your body unwind. At the venue world cuisine will be served.

India

Traditional dance of Garhwal- Jhora at Waan

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Jhora at WaanTraditional folk dance at Waan during Nanda Devi Rajjaat Yatra 2014. Last inhabitated village on Rajjaat route towards Bedini Bugyal, Waan is famous for its Latu temple. Latu is considered to be brother of Goddess Nanda Devi. Here onwards Latu leads the Yatra till Homkund.

The video here is of traditional ‘Jhora’ in Nanda Devi’s praise by men & women in traditional attire. Most special are women ornaments,  these ornaments also reflect their social status. Sung in local dialect, group of men first recite a couplet, which is repeated by the women folk. This can go on for hours, the flow of words and rhythm (steps as well) of dance keep on changing, but tempo remains the same.

Normally it is a slow paced dance. People keep on joining or moving out of the sequence as per their convenience. Men and women dance and move in a same circle formation but as two different groups. Men will never hold hands of women during the dance. Such ‘Jhoras’ are now a rarity, seen only in times of Yatra or big religious festivals.

Just Me

THE MAURICE BEJART HOUSE BECOMES A PERMANENT EXHIBITION

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Maurice BéjartMaurice Béjart lived in Brussels for nearly 30 years. One year after his death, in 2008, a Foundation was created in Brussels at Rue de la Fourche, where the choreographer had lived, just a stone’s throw from the Grand-Place.  As an archive and exhibition centre, the Maurice Béjart House has recently been recognised as a “Museum under construction” by the Federation Wallonia-Brussels, enabling it to open its doors to the public on a permanent basis.

PARCOURS LIBRE EXHIBITION

Currently, of the 370 works by Maurice Béjart, the Maurice Béjart House already owns a number of items relating to over 250 ballets. The permanent exhibition entitled Béjart Parcours Libre gives visitors the opportunity to discover this significant venue where the choreographer lived, as well as a selection of documents from some of his ballets. (Programmes, posters, manuscripts, original drawings, photographs, videos etc.).

Maurice Béjart 2NEW TOPICS

From July 2014, this permanent exhibition will be enriched with new exhibition items.  Visitors can discover “Béjart, the early years”, illustrating his early life (1927-1957), displaying among other items original documents relating to Symphonie pour un homme seul, La belle au boa, Voilà l’homme, etc. Other periods of his work are also investigated, including Bhakti (1968), Le Molière Imaginaire” (1976), Acqua Alta (1976), the Mudra (1970) and Rudra (1992) schools, or La Neuvième symphonie (1964), as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of its creation.

THE BEJART HOUSE STUDIO

bejart-ballet-lausanne-badminton-theatreThe Béjart House Studio, located on the first floor of the Béjart House, which was used in the 1960s to rehearse some of the choreographer’s most important works, has been given a new breath of life. This historic space, abandoned for over 40 years, is now home to an independent dance school which offers preparatory training in high-level classical dance for young people aged 7 to 18.

THE FUTURE

Other exhibitions, including a special Béjart-Nureyev exhibition, will open in the autumn of 2014, as well as a cinematographic cycle entitled Béjart et l’images (Béjart and images). For seven years, the Béjart House has been adding new items to its archives and pursuing its objective to become a recognised museum on the Belgian arts scene, open to the public, and to the world.

 

India, Photogallery

Exhilarating Ballet performance

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Korean National Ballet had a splendid Ballet performance couple of days back in one of the biggest theatres in New Delhi. A capacity crowd of more than five thousand watched a spell-bounding show of classical ballet by Korean ballerinas. A glimpse of what was on show…

The Conclusion