Atlantic City has been my dream dance destination for over a decade. The newly built convention center hosted this years Banga Sammelan, a 3 day festivity that attracts thousands of Bengalis in North America.
We were over- stretching our limits by taking on this committment, a mere 3 weeks before our own show. All of us had reached a break-down point. The dances for Banga Sammelan were totally different from our show dances. An entirely new routine had to be mastered & perfected in a limited time span. We worked diligently, trying to keep our heads clear. Not an easy feat if you are doing 10 different dances in a month's time.
It was sheer will power that worked here. There was a point of insanity when you would practice your dance expressions at the gas station attendant or your mudras while driving. We had to focus 100% and be calm before the show. The new costumes lifted our spirits as did the beautiful stage lighting. Our New Jersey supporters turned up to cheer us on. The medley of dances went by fast. Hours & hours of excitement was over in a flash.
We were all set on having fun. We went beserk shopping for sarees & kurtis before wearing traditional Bengali sarees & participating in a fashion show. Our beaming, smiling faces showed our relief having gone through one big show. A days break was what we got before heading back home & rehearsing for our own show.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Look who is behind you? Lord Jagannath
Dasabatar was a labor of love. We were lucky to get 10 different people to play the 10 avatars. For over 6 months we had been learning this challenging piece, trying to memorize every avatar. After mastering the traditional Jayadev slokas, we started learning the newly recorded version with narration. We were kept on the edge till the very end before each person got her avatar. I am amazed at my director's foresight in assigning a role suited to each dancers personality. I craved for Rama & was grateful to have the opportunity to enact him.
On the day of the show, we rehearsed for this opening act. When the curtains went up, all of us were in a calm, meditative state, absolutely enjoying the roles we had been assigned. That very morning, I had carried Jagannath in my car to the theatre. Turning back in the darkness of the hall, I found him seated behind me. That was a blessing! Having him in such close proximity, I knew the show would be fabulous. Dasabatar would be the talk of the town. Jagannath would bless me in my ashtapadi, Lalita labangalata, which I had learnt at his feet.
May he continue to bless & guide me forever!
On the day of the show, we rehearsed for this opening act. When the curtains went up, all of us were in a calm, meditative state, absolutely enjoying the roles we had been assigned. That very morning, I had carried Jagannath in my car to the theatre. Turning back in the darkness of the hall, I found him seated behind me. That was a blessing! Having him in such close proximity, I knew the show would be fabulous. Dasabatar would be the talk of the town. Jagannath would bless me in my ashtapadi, Lalita labangalata, which I had learnt at his feet.
May he continue to bless & guide me forever!
Dancing with a star
Since we couldn't have auditioned for a TV show, the best thing to happen was to get actress Indrani Haldar to dance with us in our version of Dancing with the Stars.She played the lead role of Chandalika in the Tagore dance drama. Working with such a well-established award winning star was quite a memorable experience for all of us.
Last 2 weeks, all the fun & games was over. No more Chinese take-outs or cooking group lunches. It was time to do our routine faultlessly. We were dancing in a contemporary style, different from Odissi. We all knew the routine in our sleep but the stage positionings were a challenge.
Every dance was drastically different in nature. One scene we were snooty, mean village girls, then we changed costumes and became happy, dancing maidens before turning into vodoo & black magic practitioners. With so many costume changes there was no time to think about the routine. All the sweat & pain of the rehearsels was helping now when we wre breezing through the routines.
The theatre was jam packed,there was not an empty seat. Our well-wishers had turned out in full force to support us. The beaming faces of our friends & family showed how much they appreciated our effort. Their applause & smile is still embedded in my mind.
Last 2 weeks, all the fun & games was over. No more Chinese take-outs or cooking group lunches. It was time to do our routine faultlessly. We were dancing in a contemporary style, different from Odissi. We all knew the routine in our sleep but the stage positionings were a challenge.
Every dance was drastically different in nature. One scene we were snooty, mean village girls, then we changed costumes and became happy, dancing maidens before turning into vodoo & black magic practitioners. With so many costume changes there was no time to think about the routine. All the sweat & pain of the rehearsels was helping now when we wre breezing through the routines.
The theatre was jam packed,there was not an empty seat. Our well-wishers had turned out in full force to support us. The beaming faces of our friends & family showed how much they appreciated our effort. Their applause & smile is still embedded in my mind.
Running high on dance
This summer has been a gruelling test of endurance & stamina. Our long cherished dream of putting on a fabulous dance show on the occassion of the silver jubilee celebration of Guru Mitra's dance school came true.
We trained 5-6 days a week for over 2 months to look perfectly in sync with each other. Dance is all we dreamt about in this unbearable summer heat. Our trainers from Kolkata, Tapasda & Saheli grilled us the Indian way. Repeating again & again till we got it perfect. We trained morning & evening juggling family, jobs & household chores. Kudos to our families for putting up with us.
All of us forged a special bond with each other. This was our parallel family. Having meltdowns, sharing joys & disappointments together. Being the group co-ordinator I spent hours emailing & bonding with each person. We all drew from each other, focussed on pulling through with a positive team spirit. For many it was a return to dance after a long span of time. Getting such a break was good fortune but high pressure.
The last 10 days seemed never-ending for we were running high on adrenaline. Driving more than 2 hours & rehearsing in the theatre I returned at midnight to find my kids sleeping. It was a full time committment.
But it was all worth it. I know this was once in a lifetime experience.
I am fortunate to be a part of it and to foster this special friendship through the love of dance.
We trained 5-6 days a week for over 2 months to look perfectly in sync with each other. Dance is all we dreamt about in this unbearable summer heat. Our trainers from Kolkata, Tapasda & Saheli grilled us the Indian way. Repeating again & again till we got it perfect. We trained morning & evening juggling family, jobs & household chores. Kudos to our families for putting up with us.
All of us forged a special bond with each other. This was our parallel family. Having meltdowns, sharing joys & disappointments together. Being the group co-ordinator I spent hours emailing & bonding with each person. We all drew from each other, focussed on pulling through with a positive team spirit. For many it was a return to dance after a long span of time. Getting such a break was good fortune but high pressure.
The last 10 days seemed never-ending for we were running high on adrenaline. Driving more than 2 hours & rehearsing in the theatre I returned at midnight to find my kids sleeping. It was a full time committment.
But it was all worth it. I know this was once in a lifetime experience.
I am fortunate to be a part of it and to foster this special friendship through the love of dance.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Bridging the gap
With crazy unpredictable weather in the North-east, I was relieved to have 2 good days when I was scheduled to perform. Despite road closures and flood watch issued, I had people come in well before time. Hats off to them for being so enthusiastic about world culture. I strictly maintain my time schedule so things went on as planned.
Randolph library proved to be a breeze after Wayne. I didn't sweat over lugging all my heavy display items. I had good practice by now. The staff were amazingly tech savvy. I was on Facebook before the end of the evening.
The chairs were filled up but it was one eager eyed girl, who really made my day. It was hard to believe that a little child would be that interested in my talk. She attended the talk since her mom wanted her to learn about our Indian heritage. I am glad that I made an impact on her.
I never had predicted this response to my lectures. I am a performer,being on stage is what keeps me charged. Interacting and reaching out to the people in this manner is a different ballgame. I have performed scores of times in these towns at Indian community events but the mainstream never attends these Mini-Indian festivities. It is the same crowd I meet, so in a way it was very different catering to an audience, who wants a literary, intellectual approach to this art. I am enjoying the challenge and am happy that I am able to reach out to a wider network of people with the sole purpose of doing my dance and heritage proud.
This year Bridging the gap series covers libraries at Edison, Princeton and Cedar Crest Community, Pomptain Plains.
Randolph library proved to be a breeze after Wayne. I didn't sweat over lugging all my heavy display items. I had good practice by now. The staff were amazingly tech savvy. I was on Facebook before the end of the evening.
The chairs were filled up but it was one eager eyed girl, who really made my day. It was hard to believe that a little child would be that interested in my talk. She attended the talk since her mom wanted her to learn about our Indian heritage. I am glad that I made an impact on her.
I never had predicted this response to my lectures. I am a performer,being on stage is what keeps me charged. Interacting and reaching out to the people in this manner is a different ballgame. I have performed scores of times in these towns at Indian community events but the mainstream never attends these Mini-Indian festivities. It is the same crowd I meet, so in a way it was very different catering to an audience, who wants a literary, intellectual approach to this art. I am enjoying the challenge and am happy that I am able to reach out to a wider network of people with the sole purpose of doing my dance and heritage proud.
This year Bridging the gap series covers libraries at Edison, Princeton and Cedar Crest Community, Pomptain Plains.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Khandita nayika on Valentines
I am the perfect person to play the role of Khandita nayika, one of the ashtanayikas.With my globe trotting husband this is always a joke in my dance circle. Rather than sit and mop,this Valentine, I went to my dance class to complete my ashtapadi. The song is about travellers wives, who are grief struck by separation since they cannot enjoy the joyous beauty of nature. Mercifully with nasty snowstorms there isn't much to grief about.
Ashtapadis give me a lot of peace and happiness, which I can't really find anywhere else. I do love Lady Gaga and all the dancey technopop but when in turmoil, it's Jayadev whom I turn to. The ashtapadis transport me to my childhood when I was forbidden to learn them. I would watch them being performed time and again by my adi Guru's best dancers. I didn't understand their meaning but could certainly appreciate the beauty of the pieces. Unknowingly, I developed a deep rooted love for them.
I am blessed to be able to learn them finally from Guru Mitra, for whom these are her most precious gems. Like a typical Guru Shisya parampara,I have had to put in years with her, imbibing her style before she was ready to pass them on to me.
You have to love the ashtapadis in your heart, have a true yearning for them before you can learn them. I dream of the day when I too can pass on these rare jewels, more precious than any gold, diamond or designer clothes.
Ashtapadis give me a lot of peace and happiness, which I can't really find anywhere else. I do love Lady Gaga and all the dancey technopop but when in turmoil, it's Jayadev whom I turn to. The ashtapadis transport me to my childhood when I was forbidden to learn them. I would watch them being performed time and again by my adi Guru's best dancers. I didn't understand their meaning but could certainly appreciate the beauty of the pieces. Unknowingly, I developed a deep rooted love for them.
I am blessed to be able to learn them finally from Guru Mitra, for whom these are her most precious gems. Like a typical Guru Shisya parampara,I have had to put in years with her, imbibing her style before she was ready to pass them on to me.
You have to love the ashtapadis in your heart, have a true yearning for them before you can learn them. I dream of the day when I too can pass on these rare jewels, more precious than any gold, diamond or designer clothes.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Vande Mataram
The music genius A.R. Rehman has once again brought this song to our lips. He has made alive the sacrifice of millions, who died in our freedom struggle. Like a lot of folks, I knew the song by rote, but never connected with it until Rehman came along. Giving life to these beautiful, powerful words-connecting with an entire generation in his inimitable way.
We started working on this song 3 years back. Every year we changed our choreography, added different versions and made the song richer. Every singer brought his own emotions to the forefront in his rendition.
By the time Lata croones, "Ma tujhe salaam!" the audience is teary eyed and proud to be an Indian. Show after show, we have brought entire generations together, not only the IT guys but the seniors and the high schoolers.
When we did the closing act at Montclair State University, the kids cheered and sang Vande mataram, drowning the music. But we kept our beat, continued dancing as the energy was infectious- something magical, hard to describe.
Vande mataram has become the trademark choreography of Rhythms of dance and music. We have to squeeze it in even if it means another costume change. I have performed it a zillion times solo and in group- but the crowd response has always overwhelmed me.
Thank you Rehman for opening our eyes and heart to this gem!
We started working on this song 3 years back. Every year we changed our choreography, added different versions and made the song richer. Every singer brought his own emotions to the forefront in his rendition.
By the time Lata croones, "Ma tujhe salaam!" the audience is teary eyed and proud to be an Indian. Show after show, we have brought entire generations together, not only the IT guys but the seniors and the high schoolers.
When we did the closing act at Montclair State University, the kids cheered and sang Vande mataram, drowning the music. But we kept our beat, continued dancing as the energy was infectious- something magical, hard to describe.
Vande mataram has become the trademark choreography of Rhythms of dance and music. We have to squeeze it in even if it means another costume change. I have performed it a zillion times solo and in group- but the crowd response has always overwhelmed me.
Thank you Rehman for opening our eyes and heart to this gem!
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