Natya Darshan Seminar: Theme is 'Mad & Divine Women'
Kartik Fine Arts and Arangham Trust present MAD and DIVINE women - Mystic saint poets of India and beyond -
Natya Darshan Seminar, from December 23 - 25, 2011 in Chennai
MAD AND DIVINE is the title for the three day dance conference and performance event that will feature academics, poets, performers, writers, historians and cultural commentators who will discuss and share the many exciting and varied nuances of the magnificent poetry of India’s beloved female poet saints.
The raw passions of Andal, Mirabai, Akka Mahadevi, Lal Ded, Avvaiyar, Siddheswari and several others will come alive through dance, verse, music and talks.
This international conference is produced by Kartik Fine Arts for seminar NATYA DARSHAN as part of their annual December Arts Festival. For the years 2011 and 2012, Dr. Anita Ratnam has been invited to curate and convene the three day event. MAD & DIVINE is co-presented by Arangham Trust and the web portal www.narthaki.com which are both founded and managed by dancer-scholar Dr. Ratnam.
The morning sessions will feature the academic talks, demonstrations and discussions. The evening sessions are focused on dance performances illuminating the lives and poetry of the many female mystics discussed during the conference proceedings. There will be three performances each evening beginning at 5pm.
Organizer: Kartik Fine Arts, Chennai
Convener: Dr. Anita R Ratnam
Associate convener: Dr. Ketu H Katrak
Dates: December 23 to 25, 2011
Venue: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, Chennai, India
MORNING SESSIONS
Dec 23
10 - 10.10am: Dr. Anita Ratnam’s welcome address and introduction to the day's program, and inauguration by Mr. L Sabaretnam, Chairman, Kartik Fine Arts
Presentation of title NATYA CHUDAR on Shruthipriya by Kartik Fine Arts
10.15 – 10.40am: Shanta Serbjeet Singh (Delhi), Vice Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, keynote address on ‘Mad and Divine’
10.45 – 11.05am: Dr. Archana Venkatesan, University of California (Davis), speaks on ‘Legends of the Goddess: Andal stories in the Srivaishnava traditions’
11.05 – 11.20am: tea break
11.20 – 11.50am: Vidhya Subramanian (USA), performance of ‘Ojas – with that spiritual energy I yearn’
12– 12.30pm: Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik (Mumbai), mythologist and corporate trainer, speaks on ‘Myth of the Mad Mystical Women’
12.40 to 1pm: Interactive session
Dec 24
10am: Introduction by Anita Ratnam
10.15 – 10.45am: Rajashree Shirke (Mumbai), performance ‘Sant Kanhopatra’ on Marathi women saints
10.50 – 11.10am: Dr. Madhavi Narsalay, University of Mumbai, speaks on ‘Institutionalizing identity through divinity: Female saint poetesses of Maharashtra’
11.10 – 11.30am: tea break
11.30 – 12pm: Priya Sarukkai Chabria (Pune) speaks on ‘Aandaal - the Autobiography of a Goddess’
12 – 12.30pm: Akhila Ramnarayan (Chennai) speaks on ‘Temporal transgressions: Going global with bhakti’
Dec 25
10am: Introduction by Anita Ratnam
10.15 – 10.45am: Chitra Visweswaran (Chennai), performance on ‘Meerabai’
10.45 – 11.15am: Honoring of Vyjayantimala Bali with Lifetime Achievement Award, Acceptance speech, Anita Ratnam in conversation with Vyjayantimala Bali
11.15 – 11.30am: tea break
11.30 – 12pm: Madhureeta Anand (Delhi), ‘Hearts in ecstasy: A presentation of images and words about Sadhvis’
12– 1pm: Plenary session coordinated by Dr. Ketu H Katrak (USA), ‘Creative representations of ‘Madness’ accessing the Divine’
12 - 12.20pm: Nirupama Vaidhyanathan (USA) speaks on ‘Meerabai and St. Teresa of Avila: Lives in parallel worlds’
12.20 – 12.45pm: Pallabi Chakravorty & Scott Kugle (USA), ‘Dancing for a divine beloved: Mah Laqa Bai and Mira Bai between Hinduism and Islam’
12.45 – 1pm: Closing remarks by Dr. Ketu H Katrak and Interactive session
1 – 1.15pm: Anita Ratnam sums up and introduces next year's conference
EVENING PERFORMANCES
Dec 21
6pm: Anita Ratnam & Pritha Ratnam (Chennai), ‘ANDAL- ANDAL’
Dec 23
5pm: Narthaki Nataraj (Chennai), ‘SUTTA PAZHAM’ (Avvaiyar)
6.15pm: Maddhu Nattraj and Ramya Reddy (Bangalore), ‘NIRVAYA - DISSOLVING IN DIVINITY’
7.30pm: Malavika Sarukkai (Chennai), ‘MANAME BRINDAVANAME’ (Andal)
Dec 24
5pm: Sangeeta Isvaran (Chennai), ‘KARAIKKAL AMMAIYAR’
6.15pm: Aditi Mangaldas (New Delhi), 2 SOLOS includes ‘Seeking the Beloved’ on Meerabai and ‘Zero Moment’
7.30pm: Mythili Prakash (USA), ‘AIKYA: IN THE VOICE OF AKKA MAHADEVI’
Dec 25
5pm: Zakir Hussain (Chennai), ‘VANAMAALAI - THE GARLAND OF LOVE’ (Andal)
6.15pm: Meenakshi Chittaranjan (Chennai), ‘SAINT THIRUNAVAKKARASAR - THE LORD, MY LOVER’
7.30pm: Rama Vaidyanathan (Delhi), ‘SOULFUL ABHANGS AND THOUGHTFUL VAKHS’ (Janabai and Lalleshwari)
Contact: Akhila Krishnamurthy - akhilak@gmail.com
98410-85692
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