Shantala Shivalingappa Akasha Wed, Feb 18, 2015 • 7:30pm
CPA10 Artist
“…It is remarkable: the lines and bends of Ms. Shivalingappa’s slender figure, the transporting sounds from the singer, flutist and two percussionists.” – The New York Times on Akasha wed, feb 18 • 7:30pm
AKASHA Co-Producers Kuchipudi Recital (2013) - Centre National de Création et Diffusion Premiered on March 15, 2013 in Culturelles Châteauvallon; Centre Chorégraphique Châteauvallon, Toulon, France National de Roubaix – Carolyn Carlson - Per Diem & Co, Marseille Shantala Shivalingappa, choreographer/ - Sunny Artist Management Inc., Montréal, Canada artistic director/dancer - Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Becket, MA Savitry Nair, artistic advisor - International Festival of Arts and B.P. Haribabu & N. Ramakrishnan, rhythmical creation Ideas, New Haven, CT J. Ramesh, singer Associate Producer B.P. Haribabu, nattuvangam & pakhwaj Per Diem & Co (Pierre Barnier, [email protected]) (cymbals and percussion) N. Ramakrishnan, mridangam (percussion) Touring Administration K.S. Jayaram, flute [H]ikari ([email protected]) Marie-Josée Pétel, stage manager/lighting technician Christopher Romilly, sound technician North American Representation Valérie Cusson, tour management Sunny Artist Management Inc. Ilter Ibrahimof, director [email protected] www.sunnyartistmanagement.com
program
Om Namo Jl Adya (2013) Compassion. He is the shore of the ocean of difficulties on earth; the Shantala Shivalingappa, choreographer/dancer/singer shelter of all Yogis. He is the essence of the Vedas. Like the flow of the Dhyaneshwar (13th century), poetry mighty river Ganges, the love flowing from his heart fills all music and Hridayanath Mangeshkar, music literature. He is the supreme protector. Look at this divine child! Nicolas Boudier, lighting designer Jaya Jata Durge (2013) I offer my salutations to the Supreme Being described in the Vedas. The Vempati Ravi Shankar, choreographer one who can only be known when the individual soul merges with the Shantala Shivalingappa, dancer Supreme Soul. I prostrate myself before him. In the form of Ganesh, Narayana Tirtha (16th century), poetry the elephant-headed God, you are the light that enlightens our intellect. J. Ramesh, music The sound "A" comes from your lotus-like-feet. "U" emanates from your Nicolas Boudier, lighting designer belly. "M" comes from your crown. These three sounds merge into the one primordial, universal sound: "OM." By my Master's grace, I offer Poem in praise of Durga, a form of the Goddess Mother who embodies salutations to this "OM," seed of the universe. And I pay tribute to the power and destruction of Evil. Her multiple arms hold various weapons one who enchants us by the grace and beauty of her form, and blesses such as the sword, the trident, the arch, the disk, etc. Her mount is a tiger. us with inspiration – Sharada, Goddess of Art and Knowledge. Glory to you, 0 Durga! Conqueror of demons. Krishnam Kalaya (2013) From you emanate space, sky, and the entire universe. Vempati Ravi Shankar, choreographer Your feet are like lotus flowers. Shantala Shivalingappa, dancer You bless the entire world with well-being. Narayana Tirtha (16th century), poetry Oh sister of Narayana, you embody Supreme joy. Traditional Composition The bells adorning your feet are filled with precious stones. In their Nicolas Boudier, lighting designer tinkling, we hear the sounds of the sacred texts. Celestial musicians sing your praises. Look my friend! The Child Krishna, radiant with beauty! Even playing in You are the Supreme Witness of the universe. the dirt, his mouth full of mud, he is still charming! This child is none other than Krishna, the Supreme God, the Light of the universe, the A section is danced on a brass plate, a specific form of Kuchipudi conqueror of demons. He dances and plays with young shepherdesses technique. and enchants us with his divine flute. He embodies Supreme Truth and
carolina performing arts 14/15 33 program continued shantala
Kirtanam (2013) Bhairava (2013) Vempati Ravi Shankar, choreographer Vempati Ravi Shankar, choreographer Shantala Shivalingappa, dancer Shantala Shivalingappa, dancer Annamacharya (14th century), poetry Traditional Poem Traditional Composition J. Ramesh, music Nicolas Boudier, lighting designer Nicolas Boudier, lighting designer
This poem tells the story of a love quarrel between Goddess Alamelu Bhairava is an aspect of God Shiva (who is also the Lord of the Dance) Manga, the narrator, and her husband God Venkateshwara. Shivalingappa in his terrible and destructive form. He is the Divine Protector; the plays both characters one after the other. She also plays other secondary Supreme Guardian. In his hands he holds the small sacred drum, which characters of the story, marking the passage from one character to gives its rhythm to the universe. His power is prodigious, but under this another with a whirl. terrifying aspect lies infinite benevolence. For the well-being of all, he Enough! These deceptive words! Stop pulling the trail of my sari! destroys demons and overcomes Evil. The trident and sword are his Go away! Why do you seek my company? weapons, a tiger skin is his clothing. His immense hair is contained in You are stone-hearted and deception is your main asset. a bun on his head from which flows the sacred river Ganges. He wears My body, which once shivered with pleasure under your fingers, now a necklace of skulls; his skin is smeared with ash; divine snakes dance considers your touch foul. All desire has left me. around his neck and his chest. His eyes are the moon and the sun and You spend your time running after pretty women, expert at singing their his third eye is the Fire of Knowledge and Destruction. We offer you our praise, each time discovering new ways to seduce them. salutations, Oh Bhairava, Supreme Protector. My God! These marks on your shoulders, a sign of your romantic games The presentation of Shantala Shivalingappa’s Akasha was made with others! possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance I suppose I should just wish you luck with your new conquests! Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation What a sad fate is mine! and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the You always come back with new excuses and apologies, National Endowment for the Arts. But that does not keep you from falling again for other women. Oh you, the one who destroys all sorrows. Promise that you will be loyal to me once more, and thus revive the light of our love.
program notes
In Sanskrit, Akasha means Sky or Space. It is said that Akasha originates in alive the text, poem or story, recited in the song. The hand gestures – mudras sound, which is a vibration, or said another way, a form of energy and movement. – are codified into a very precise language. The facial expressions are stylized This Space is manifested in various ways at different levels of perception. so as to convey a wide range of complex and subtle sentiments and feelings. Starting from the space we perceive around us, the space which surrounds us, The whole body comes alive to communicate the emotions that arise from the the space of the universe which contains everything we know (in Indian thought, song. Kuchipudi is a harmonious combination of these two aspects, where the this Space is the fifth element and completes the four-fold Air, Water, Fire, Earth), dancer alternates or blends together moments of pure dance, rhythmic, bright, and ending in its subtlest form: that of Space beyond space-time. The Infinite, vivacious, full of beauty and grace, and narrative moments based on the Hindu Undefinable, Space of Being. Inconceivable by mind, imperceptible to senses, it mythology, where the focus is on the use of gestures, facial expressions and pervades, as well as holds and contains all that exists. That Akasha is Luminous body language. The Kuchipudi performance is accompanied by a live classical and the Source of All. Through the vibrations of sound and movement, through orchestra, comprising singing, flute, veena and percussion. The dance, music the pure, timeless energy that emanates from them, that Infinite Space rises, and rhythm are very closely interlinked, and each element is developed in boundless within our own self, one can almost feel it expanding… relation to the other.
Kuchipudi In the field of Kuchipudi, Master Vempati Chinna Satyam has clearly marked the Kuchipudi is a classical dance form of South India. It takes its name from a last four decades. Through his dedication, extraordinary talent and sheer hard small village called Kuchipudi, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, where it was born work, through his collaboration with greatly knowledgeable and sensitive scholars, around the 15th century. Like all Indian classical dance forms, its technique is composers and musicians, he brought Kuchipudi from its little village to the rooted in the Natya Shastra, a 2000-year-old treaty on dramatics, which gives forefront of the artistic scene in India, and also to an international audience. He a very precise and highly developed codification of dance, music and theatre. renewed and restored a diluted and cruder form of Kuchipudi, at a time when it was fading in rigor and vibrancy, forging a very personal, precisely structured, pure But Kuchipudi also received the influence of the popular folk dance and music and elegant style. In 1963 he founded the Kuchipudi Art Academy in Madras, and traditions that were prevalent at the time in that particular region, and which from there created a repertoire of solo dances as well as dance dramas or ballets. developed themes of religious devotion. The result is a style which is highly Today, thanks to him, Kuchipudi occupies a privileged position among other Indian evolved and structured, but also vibrant and lively, extremely intricate and utterly classical forms, and his students continue his work in and out of India. graceful. Kuchipudi uses the two important techniques that are developed in different ways in each of the Indian classical dance styles: pure dance and expressive dance. Pure dance, nrtta, is rhythmic and abstract. The footwork executes the complex rhythmic patterns of the accompanying music, while the Shantala Shivalingappa, rest of the body, from the head to the tip of the fingers, follows sometimes with dancer/choreographer forceful precision, sometimes with flowing, graceful movements. Expressive dance, or abhinaya, is narrative. Here, each part of the body is used to bring Born in Madras, India and brought up in Paris, Shantala is the child of East and West. 34 carolinaperformingarts.org // #CPA10 biographies
She grew up in a world filled with dance and music, initiated at a tender age Haribabu Balan Puttamma, percussion by her mother, dancer Savitry Nair. Deeply moved and inspired by Master Vempati Chinna Satyam’s pure and graceful style, Shantala dedicated herself to Haribabu Balan Puttamma is a versatile Mridangam exponent trained under the Kuchipudi, and received an intense and rigorous training from her master. Driven guidance of exemplary gurus Kalaimamani Sri. V.P. Ramadoss and Kalaimamani by a deep desire to bring Kuchipudi to the western audience, she has performed Sri. Thiruvaroor Bhakthavatchalam. Haribabu has established a niche in the in important festivals and theatres, earning praise and admiration from all. dance world, acquiring his skill from gurus at the Tamil Nadu Govt. Music College. He was awarded the title Vaadhya Visharadha in 1988, recognizing his Shantala combines a perfect technique with flowing grace and a very fine adeptness in the art form. His 18 years of expertise in the field have gained sensitivity. For that exceptional style of hers, Shantala received the prestigious him accolades worldwide. He is equally proficient in Tabla, Pakwaj, Ganjeera, Bessie Award in New York, honoring her outstanding performance in Shiva Nattuvangam and rhythm composing. He is the most sought-after Mridangist, Ganga, presented at the Fall for Dance festival in 2012. Acclaimed in Europe, accompanying several distinguished artists throughout India and overseas in 17 India and the US, Shantala has had the privilege of working with some of the countries. His creative aptitude prompted him to set up Craft Innovative, through greatest artists of our times: Maurice Béjart, Peter Brook, Bartabas, Pina Bausch which he provides creative assistance to young percussionists. and Ushio Amagatsu. These experiences make her artistic journey a unique one.
Today, Shantala shares her time among various activities: creating Kuchipudi Jetty Ramesh, vocals choreographies, thus building a new repertoire marked by her personal touch, Jetty Ramesh is a disciple of the highly respected Carnatic musician P.S. which she tours solo accompanied by her four musicians. She continues Narayanaswamy. He has accompanied India’s most renowned classical dancers touring with the Tanztheater Wuppertal of Pina Bausch, and is collaborating and has traveled to countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Germany, with different artists, exploring dance and music. Those collaborations have Italy, France, Belgium, Muscat, England, Portugal and Amsterdam. He has been generated, among others, Play – a duet with dancer and choreographer Sidi invited back to the United States for the past nine years by The Samskrithi Larbi Cherkaoui; Nineteen Mantras – a modern opera inspired by Hindu myths, Society in Houston, Texas to perform as a guest vocalist. directed by Giorgio Barberio Corsetti and choreographed by Shantala; and Peer Gynt, directed by Irina Brook for the Salzburg Festival, in which Shantala performed as a dancer, singer and actress. Jayaram Kikkeri Suryanarayana, flute Jayaram Kikkeri Suryanarayana hails from a family dedicated to the profession of teaching the Carnatic classical flute with immense interest and respect. Ramakrishnan Neelamani, percussion He began his studies in music early on under the able guidance of Sri. Mani Ramakrishnan Neelamani has been performing since the age of 16. He Kant. His knowledge, dedication and musical talents along with the kindness, has performed all over the world including Paris, Germany, Italy, Denmark, support and encouragement given by his parents brought him to Mysoreja to United States, Kuwait, Tokyo, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. He reap a fruitful career under the guidance of Vidwan A.V. Prakash, a renowned performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) as part of a production flutist who has performed all over India and abroad and has won many awards. for Chandralekah’s Raga – In Search of Femininity. He has recorded with Jayaram has performed for many international festivals, has won a number and accompanied some of India’s finest classical artists including M.S. of competitions and has been especially recognized for his contribution to Subbulakshimi, renowned Carnatic vocalist; Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, a the dance field for accompanying internationally acclaimed dancers in both distinguished Harikatha performer; and India’s violin icon Dr. L. Subramanianm, Bharathnatyam and Kupchupudi. to name a few. He has recently performed as an accompanist for Shantala Shivalingappa in Paris and is happy to perform again with her for this US tour. Compagnie Shantala Shivalingappa [H]ikari – 50 rue Fouré, F-44000 Nantes [email protected] • www.shantalashivalingappa.com
Purnima Shah on Shantala Shivalingappa
Indian dance relies on aesthetic and complex Tempest, 1990), Bartabas (Chimere, 1994-96) and Maurice Bejart (1789. . . syntheses of philosophical concepts, mythologies, Et Nous, 1989), to name a few. poetic literature, cultural value systems, and historical worldviews interweaving the human Akasha (2013), choreographed by Vempatti Ravi Shankar and Shantala condition and the situations of everyday life. with artistic advice by her mother, Savitry Nair, developed out of an intuitive Kuchipudi, from the Andhra region, is one of interpretation of the concept of ‘space’ – inner and universal as well; space the several classical forms of Indian dance with that is unfathomable, unthinkable and incomprehensible. In Hindu cosmology, traditional roots in devotional dance-theatre. It the vibration of the primordial sound ‘a-u-m’ is believed to be the source of draws on a classical repertoire of technique (nritta), the creation of the universe. Akasha, then, is said to be the subtle space that and dramatic aspects of story-telling (nritya and arises from the subtle sound. natya) as well, presented through the portrayal of an array of characters as they appear in the narrative. Expressive rendering of romantic poetry (padams) According to the theatrical conventions defined in theNatyasastra , an ancient is at the heart of a refined Kuchipudi performance. Indian treatise on dramaturgy (200 CE), the sole purpose of drama is to provide the audience with the experience of rasa – the ‘taste’ or the aesthetic pleasure Paris based Shantala Shivalingappa is a very versatile performer, inspired by that elevates them to a higher state of consciousness. Dance therefore, is at her mother, dancer Savitry Nair. Primarily trained as a Kuchipudi dancer in once, a window to the world and a vehicle that transports the audience away India under the tutelage of her mother’s guru, Shri Vempatti Chinna Satyam, from the mundane world, into a revered space – imagined or real – that one Shantala had the fortunate opportunity to enrich her artistic repertoire always aspires to, that one is nourished by, and that one finds inner peace in. through various collaborations with European artists: Ushio Amagatsu (Ibuki in Namasya, 2007), Pina Bausch (Bamboo Blues, 2007; Solo in Namasya, Purnima Shah is the Associate Professor of the Practice of Dance and 2007; Le Sacre du Printemps, 2002-06), Peter Brooks (Hamlet, 2000 and Director of the Duke University Dance Program.