Deccan Chronicle

Dance Intensive in Bengaluru

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Put Your Dancing Shoes On

“Any kind of dancing is better than no dancing at all,” commented Lynda Barr. And if you believe that you have not one or two but six new dance forms to learn from seven masters in Bengaluru. Dance N More series is an initiative by the Associate Director of Nritarutya Dance Company, Madhuri Upadhya is all set to explore the nuances of dance with Intensive which covers six dance forms. Madhuri a graduate of painting from Chitrakala Parishath has been dancing from the age of five and admits dance was always an intrinsic part of her life. “My sister, Mayuri Upadhya and I used to take up freelance dance projects and earn pocket money by performing professionally during college days. Right after college my sister put together a troupe of dancers for a performance in Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, which I was a part of and that is when I decided to take it up as a full time profession at the age of 21.” Nritarutya was founded the sisters in 2000 as a registered Trust which tours, performs, produces and educates with a philosophy of ‘Innovation in Tradition’ while being rooted in core-cultural values of India.

With dance having numerous forms, she admits there have been changes through the years. “Learning Indian contemporary and dance forms in all its complexities, its flavours and nuances became an absolute never ending quest. I realised through the course that art has the power to transcend barriers of religion, language, political, cultural differences. It is in this context that a global Indian choreographer is placed today. I moved on to become a contemporary dance choreographer who represents the rigorous and versatile cultural dance tradition of India interpreting it in a modern language.” The vision of Dance Intensive is to use ‘Dance’ to inspire, learn and create, to respect the tradition and innovate with the modern. Intensive focuses on introducing novel styles of dance to bring a difference to the cultural thread of the country, starting with Bangalore. Through varied traditional and modern topics of dance and different movement styles, the intensive equips the participants with versatility by challenging their mind and body. This year the intensive focuses on performance training with new tutors and unusual forms of dance like Mallakhamb, Kuchipudi, Aerial Silk, Belly Dance, Ranga Kunitha and Contemporary Dance.

Aerial Dance
Aerial Dance

For the artists naturally dance means everything. Ria Bajaj, is an aerialist from Mumbai who is one of the few artists certified by ‘The American Circus Association’ says, “dance to me is a release of emotions whether positive or negative. It has been my support system through the years and taught me meaning of diving into something while maintaining discipline.”  Bertwin Ravi Dsouza, renowned Contemporary Dancer, Teacher and Choreographer based in Mumbai, adds, “I never chose dance, it did choose me so it is a very special combination of passion and responsibility. For me, dance is beyond fun, fitness, entertainment or self-expression; it is a way of life.” For Eshan Hilal, India’s first Male Belly Dancer known for shattering stereotypes and busting myths, dance is an instrument for driving change in society. “Dance is a religion without being restricted to any rules and regulations and the discipline you get to learn through dance is nothing but the perfect way to live this life in the most beautiful way,” he avers. The Intensive will also see a session on Mallakhamb by Rajesh Rao the only Indian to be a part of Cirque du Soleil’s “Bazzar”. “Mallakhamb for me is a path which helps me to connect with my inner self. It teaches me discipline and to honour my body. Years of training and working harder each year brings a sense of responsibility in me. It reminds me what I am here for.” Prateeksha Kashi, a Kuchipudi exponent adds, “dance has been a strong influencer right from my childhood and has taught me humility and positivity. It has helped me realise the power of faith, hope and emotions.” So well it is time to dance like no one is looking.

  • What: Dance N More 7 day Dance Intensive covering 6 dance forms with 7 world class masters
  • Where: Nritarutya, 475, 1st Floor, 39th C cross, Jayanagar 5th Block, Bangalore; Aerial and Mallakhamb: ‘Vyoma Art Space’-126/A, 8th Main Road, 3rd Phase, J.P. Nagar, Bangalore.
  • When: May 25th to May 31st, 2019
  • Information: 9108018451, email: madhuri@nritarutya.com / ananya@nritarutya.com
  • Fees: The full intensive for seven days is Rs.8000 and for individual styles is Rs.2000.

This story appeared in Deccan Chronicle Bengaluru dated May 17, 2019 here:

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