Ranjana is a Hindustani vocalist, who trains under Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty and is a full-time performer, teacher, dance accompanist and composer. The Odissi Ensemble is very fortunate to have danced to Ranjana’s glorious vocals.
The name of DJ Ritu is very familiar, even if we were not lucky enough to have experienced the heady Club nights of Kali and Kuch-Kuch that made her a household name in the noughties.
New ideas and aesthetics inspire Supriya Nagarajan, classically-trained Carnatic vocalist, erstwhile bank manager, and founder of the Yorkshire-based arts organisation Mansamitra.
During the COVID-19 lock-down days, spirits were lifted as the South Asian dance sector connected virtually on the Manch UK Facebook platform. Sanjeevini Dutta recalls some of the revelations that shook and delighted.
23 October 2019
The Curve, Leicester,
Reviewed by Sanjeevini Dutta
The task of putting South Asian dance on the map of London and the UK was a tall order. When Pushkala Gopal, dancer and former Director of the Academy of Indian Dance, left in 1984, the fledgling organisation still needed a lot of nurturing.
The second dance Darbar Festival at Sadler's Wells provides some food for thought
The Natya Project Showcase
Foyle Studio, MAC Birmingham
16 October 2018
Reviewed by Sanjeevini Dutta
Image: Kattam Katti (above) SEVENS (below) from Instagram company publicity
As the performance season in the UK directs us towards pantos and Christmas carols, South Asian dancers have been looking to new frontiers.
