kathak

meena · Post by **meena** » 03 Jun 2007, 06:40

Birju Maharaj
DELETED

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 03 Jun 2007, 07:05

Meena:
THANKS for that link - HE IS FABULOUS - He sings, dances and plays the tabla - all of which he does superlatively...and everytime I watch him, I cannot but get goosebumps/horripilation!
And I was very surprised to hear that kathak was the basis of Spain's flamenco dancing, carried across continents by gypsy dancers. WOW!
...And now that I know this, the kathak flamenco jugalbandhi makes loads more sense than now crazy combination of bharatanATyam and flamenco dancing (ugh! - not the shoes)...

meena · Post by **meena** » 03 Jun 2007, 07:41

yup he is fabulous, i have watched him and saswati sen perform here in the bay area quite a few times

yes kathak is 'believed' to have ties to the flamenco. Also lookout for a detailed hr. long abt. the origin of flamenco, i watched it on PBS channel. Not sure if its out on video.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 03 Jun 2007, 09:45

I adore them both --- Sashwati Sen and Birju Maharaj.

I thought that no-one could take my eyes from Saswati on stage, until I saw him dance with her.

He is as much magician as dancer: it seems to me that he becomes the thing that he dances, be it Krishna, a peacock, a tree or whatever.

And watching Saswati teach is amazing too: no sitting in a corner and directing --- she is on her feet and demonstrating with full energy, hour after hour after hour.

meena · Post by **meena** » 03 Jun 2007, 10:23

nick

have u attended saswati class?

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 03 Jun 2007, 18:16

I have been able to watch when she and her guruji have been holding classes in London.

I am not a Kathak student! But I was able to sneak in with some parents of students etc.

I'm known to Sashwati as one of her (Ex-)London fans, and used to see her regularly at Bharatya Vidya Bhavan.

Off stage, she seems quite small and unassuming --- quite unlike the giant persona she has as a dancer (except when teaching of course).

Even though her guruji teaches in Hindi, it is apparent that, seated, and with just a few movements of the hands, a glance, and his voice ---not to mention his un-assuming singing voice--- he is a master story teller. Any story... Anything that comes to mind, with which he can demonstrate that classical kathak can describe even modern-day life.

There is something about being in an audience, even a big one, watching them dance. I don't think I have felt it with any other performer: it is the love that they inspire in an audience. Waves of magic from the stage; waves of love from the audience. Wow.

Ahhh... I wax lyrical, it seems. But both of these artists have touched me spiritually as well as emotionally and musically, in a way that I don't think I've experienced with anyone else.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Jun 2007, 19:51

Nick,
Thank you for your response. Afterall, this is what true art is supposed to do to you. We are all rasikAs and moments like these illustrate our rasika state more than cleverly written critques in a newspaper...