Issue 4
Feb 2021
From the Guest Editor
Crystal Ball Gazing: What’s in Store for Performing Arts in 2021?
By Ramya Rajaraman
2020 was an incredibly challenging year for the performing arts, as the pandemic brought the sector activities to a standstill. In order to keep up the momentum, several artists took to digital platforms, while several were unable to do so due to lack of resources and technological knowhow. The situation however sparked innovation and conversations like never before, forcing artists to introspect their relationship with their art, and rethink the way they created and delivered it. With the pandemic lifestyle here to stay for months, what does 2021 hold for the performing arts?
Through the Lens
Conversation between Nahid Siddiqui and Masoom Parmar
By Masoom Parmar
“As a child, I didn’t know why I would get this compulsion, this urge to dance,” says Nahid Siddiqui, one of Pakistan’s most iconic kathak dancers. “Even at the age of four or five, I really liked to move. I didn’t know what dance was back then, but I was very expressive in my body language. I wouldn’t hesitate when asked to dance. In fact, I wished someone would ask me to dance. It hit me later on that I was actually doing kathak.”
Out of the Ordinary
Camera's New Muse
by Rashika Ojha Abrol
Lights. Camera. Rolling. Action...
In cinema, as you hear the above, action unfolds for the camera with one take or sometimes many for the story to be told. This recreated reality is filtered with editing choices and released for the audience to view and make an opinion. Camera is like breath to cinema.
While we experience Art/ Sports,
do we feel connected to something Large? Why?
by Lavanyaa Surendar
We are surrounded by strangers, bombarded with cheering/booing, yet we enjoy the live performance/ game show than watching on a TV or a social media platform. We lose ourselves and feel connected to something larger. How does this happen?
Out of the Ordinary
UNMUTE: Breaking the Culture of Silence
Written by Ellora Kothare and Shivani Jatar
On January 15th, 2020 beej and the Kri foundation shared space with Asiya Shervani, an inclusion and diversity advisor, to start a conversation about a topic often looked over: the ethics and values surrounding sexual, physical and emotional harassment. The session was moderated by artiste Masoom Parmar and was attended by about a 100 attendees across fields of artistic expression.
Initiatives and Features
A Movement Beyond: In Search of Noon Meem Danish
How do we honor the histories and futures of Indian arts and politics? Preethi Ramaprasad and Ananya Ashok consider their ongoing process through the social movements which impact their approach to Bharatanatyam and Indian music. Inspired by the composition of Sheedi poet Noon Meem Danish and their search for him, Preethi and Ananya ask questions about visibility.
Neo Narthaki Recommends
Latest News and Trends in the World of Dance
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Dancer and educator Tamisha Guy joins to discuss financial literacy for dancers and how to make the dance world a more equitable place for the next generation. The hosts also talk about holding our own organization accountable following Bria Bacon's open letters to our sister publication, Dance Magazine, and break down the Paris Opéra's diversity report. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
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Misty Copeland's new book Black Ballerinas, out this fall, will recognize the trailblazing Black women who helped make her own success possible.
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Dance artist Adriana Pierce's #QueertheBallet movement is both boosting the visibility of queer female and non-binary dancers and disrupting ballet's gendered movement system altogether.
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A dazzling array of new works made by graduating students at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Music can now be viewed online.
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Bangalore based photographer Ankit Banerjee’s exploration of the self - emotional, psychological and physical through his stunning ongoing project “Hotel Rooms"
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Art Heals: After a Sexual Assault, an Artist Paints Women Who Can’t Be Knocked Down