Labour of love

I’d like to pay homage to the Indian classical dance form of 'Bharatanatyam',the enigmatic and vibrant dance form ,which finds its origins in the temple studded state of Tamil Nadu. Having trained as a Bharatanatyam dancer from the age of 6, the rigour and discipline it inculcates in a person is something I hold close to my heart.

Over the years this dance form has found international recognition and has adapted and infused modern elements to reflect an evolving society. Two of the leading Bharatanatyam dancers who have helped catapult Bharatanatyam onto the international stage are Smt. Alarmel Valli and Ms. Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai. I have vivd memories of evenings spent amidst the jasmine and sandalwood infused auditoriums watching in awe as Bharatanatyam dancers set the stage on fire with graceful yet deft dances, breathing life into the ancient scriptures and poems of yesteryear. Each artist  taking on the role of a storyteller interpreting and layering each script with music and dance movements to create a breathtaking experience for the audience.

A painting on a teapot is just a humble attempt at capturing the beauty of this dance form and in a way paying tribute to every dancer who dances today and keeps this dance form alive.

Be to Become

If you haven't heard of Gabriele Rizzi you've definitely should check out his work on  gabrielerizzi.com. What is so captivating about Gabriele Rizzi  is how wonderfully experimental he is with his work ,love the platforms and mediums he chooses,the shapes and forms,fell in love with his style and work.He's one of those artists whose works exude raw emotion every piece has so much depth and character in it,its completely mind blowing.Do check out his website for more,my personal favourite is a short film-Lei

Also love  the first line on his website which reads,

BE TO BECOME

Kathakali dancer hand-painted teapot/kettle

Chanced upon this poem a while ago,thought its a total fit for this post.

We dance for laughter,
We dance for tears,
We dance for madness,
We dance for fears,
We dance for hopes,
We dance for screams,
We are the dancers,
We create the dreams.

If you haven't seen a Kathakali performance in the flesh its something you must do!!Flamboyant costumers,wild wild make up,brilliant emotions and sheer passion is what each performance is.I'd been lucky to have caught a couple of performances in the past and each on blew my away.

Us pseudo mallus sometimes find our way back to our roots so here's a Kathakali dancer kettle paying homage to the culturally rich and vibrant land i hail from.

"To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak"