Attakkalari India Biennial 2011

Traces by CcadoO, South Korea & Attakkalari, India

Every two years, Bangalore witnesses a one-of-a-kind celebration of contemporary dance. An initiative of the Bangalore-based Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, the 2011 edition of the Attakkalari India Biennial is set to start on Friday 28 January and will continue until Sunday 6 February, offering performances, a platform for young choreographers, seminars, art installations, films and master classes over a period of 10 days. By showcasing contemporary dance performers from around the world, the Biennial has become an important meeting place for international choreographers and dance enthusiasts. This year some of the participating artists are from Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Australia, France, South Africa, Israel, Japan, Italy, South Korea and the USA.

The Japanese Garden by Compagnia TPO, Italy

Ningyo by Nicole Seiler, Switzerland

Venuri Perera, Sri Lanka

Kargah Theatre, Iran

For full details of the 10-day Attakkalari India Biennial 2011, visit the festival website.

The brainchild behind the festival is Attakkalari’s founder and Artistic Director, Jayachandran Palazhy, a trailblazer in the Indian contemporary dance scene.

Some time before the last Attakkalari India Biennial in 2009, I spoke to Jayachandran Palazhy about his dance journey and his thoughts on contemporary dance in India.

What is the contemporary dance scene like in India?

Contemporary dance in India is underdeveloped and has no financial support, facilities or training available. There are no journals or space for discourse. There is no institute in India to nurture contemporary creative thinking in dance. There are institutes which aim to keep traditional forms alive but there is no encouragement for creative thinking with regard to new dance forms. There are few performance and funding or sponsorship possibilities for contemporary dance in India. As a result, there is no direct access to this form.

How do you define your art form?

It is a time-based art form which is reflective of the contemporary predicament. It is characterised by a totality which encompasses movement, projections and interactive aspects, music, light and costumes.

For contemporary dance, an understanding of the body and its potential is necessary. Classical dance is limiting as the focus is on form only. There has to be a logic and rules within the work of art. With contemporary dance there is a need to develop a language which has to have a resonance.

Attakkalari is at the forefront of contemporary dance in India today. It is not Indian, but has a global, modern identity.

How do audiences respond to contemporary dance?

Audiences are not equipped to understand contemporary dance. But there is a new way of thinking which is being developed through access to information, via the Internet for example. The Indian middle class wants to be international. Young people are open to new things. Even if they don’t understand what they are seeing, they respond from the gut level. Times are changing quickly and contemporary dance has a good future in India. I don’t think we have to understand what we see. This is not necessary. Sensorial experience is enough.

What training does Attakkalari offer?

One of Attakkalari’s aims is to encourage and engage aspiring young dancers and choreographers. In 2006, we introduced a 3-year Diploma in Movement Arts and Mixed Media, the first of its kind in India. This innovative training programme was created in response to the need for professional training opportunities in contemporary dance, which is still a developing field in India. We also offers a one-year certificate programme in movement arts. Attakkalari is the first training centre for new dance forms. It invests in and empowers students. Our diploma teaches them how to create dance and introduces them to body care systems like yoga, Feldenkreis, kalaripayattu and also capoeira. These are different approaches to the body and movement.

Why did you decide to start your dance company and school in Bangalore?

Kochi didn’t have the economy to support our work. Bombay was too commercial and I didn’t fancy Delhi. Chennai is too conservative. Bangalore is a welcoming city with an open and supportive attitude. It’s an international centre where it’s easy to mingle. Also the temperate climate is ideal for training.

What role does technology play in your work?

Technology has been around for a long time and started with the lighting of a lamp. Digital technology offers a non-linear structure resembling the mind which darts from the past to the future and never stays constantly in the present. The stage is a limited space, much like an empty canvas on which you can paint. 3D images offer a 3rd dimension, while time is a 4th dimension and energy is the 5th. Energy is created through the dancers, and the accent is provided by the energy of music.

Technique is relative: someone may be able to jump 6 feet, but more height is available through technology. Technology doesn’t make a dance, it helps it. The stage is a make-believe world and the body is an instrument to deliver the imagination. The audience’s imagination is key so it also plays a part in a performance.

Visit: www.attakkalari.org

A guide to the Chennai December Season

December is here and this means the Season is about to begin! For two months (or more) the city of Chennai (Madras) will resonate to the sounds of Carnatic music and dancer’s ghungroos. For fans of Carnatic music and Indian classical dance, this is the place to be! I’m including below a short guide for those who are thinking of attending the Season for the first time.

Background:
Every winter, dance and music enthusiasts from all over the world flock to Chennai in Tamil Nadu, South India for its annual festival of music and dance. This is the biggest festival of South Indian music and dance in India – and the world. Over a 4-month period, over 2500 performances and concerts are staged by 75 sabhas (musical organisations). The festival also attracts music and dance lovers from all over India and the world, many of whom attend every year.

The festival started in December 1927 with the All-India Music Conference organised by the Indian National Congress Party. At this time, the prestigious Madras Music Academy was founded, and a music festival was subsequently held there every December. Since then, more and more sabhas have hosted their own festivals, in parallel to that of the Music Academy.

To perform during the December Season is considered a great privilege for artists. Here you can see all the big names in Carnatic music and dance, as well as young up-and-coming artists. Most of the concerts feature Carnatic vocalists, but also Carnatic flute, veena, violin and other ‘non-traditional’ instruments such as saxophone, mandolin, guitar and keyboard. Though most of the dance performances feature Bharatanatyam, other dance styles such as Mohiniattam, Kuchipudi, Kathak and Odissi are also showcased.

When:
Though it’s called the ‘December Season’, sabhas already start showcasing concerts and dance performances from November. The festival climaxes during the second half of December and then stretches through January and well into February.

Venues:
There are over 75 sabhas across the city with most concentrated in and around the neighbourhoods of Mylapore and T Nagar. Each stages it’s own festival which runs from a few weeks to over a month. As new sabhas are formed, the festival is slowly spreading to other parts of Chennai. Some of the most prestigious include The Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha and Krishna Gana Sabha.

Highlights:

• The Music Academy Music Festival during the 2nd half of December presents day-long programmes of music featuring the biggest names in Carnatic music.
• The Natya Kala Conference at Krishna Gana Sabha from the 26th to the 31st of December brings together dance lovers, critics and academics for a week of lecture-demonstrations and discussions between artists and rasikas.
• The Kalakshetra Dance Festival during the 2nd half of December presents a select and eclectic programme of performances of classical dance and music.
• The Music Academy Dance Festival from the 3rd to the 9th of January is the most prestigious dance festival showcasing India’s leading dancers from all dance styles.
• The food! Food is an integral part of the Season. Pre- and post-concert discussions take place over plates of idlis and cups of filter coffee in the sabha canteens.

Tickets:
Tickets are available at the respective sabhas. Prices can vary from Rs. 50 to Rs.1000 depending on where you choose to sit. It is usually not necessary to reserve in advance, but for some of the most popular artists it is a good idea to queue up early or buy your ticket a day or two before. Some sabhas offer season passes which are a good idea if you plan to attend their programmes on a daily basis. Morning and afternoon performances are usually free.

Schedule:
The daily events page in The Hindu newspaper provides a comprehensive list of everything going on.

Kutcheribuzz publishes a handy guide to the Season featuring the performance schedules of all the major artists.

For on-line schedules visit the following websites:
www.chennaidecemberseason.com
http://artindia.net
www.kutcheribuzz.com

Accommodation:
Conveniently located only a few steps away from The Music Academy, the New Woodlands Hotel is a favourite among Season regulars as well as musicians from out of town.

For more accommodation options, see Kutcheribuzz.

This is an excerpt of an article published in the Autumn 2010 issue of Pulse magazine.