Blog and News
A place to exchange ideas, reflections, and thoughts
A place to exchange ideas, reflections, and thoughts
Kala Vandanam is proud to be a part of Minnesota Dance Festival 2024, presented by Ballet Minnesota, and looks forward to sharing the stage with many wonderful Minnesota dance groups. […]
Kala Vandanam is proud to be a part of Minnesota Dance Festival 2024, presented by Ballet Minnesota, and looks forward to sharing the stage with many wonderful Minnesota dance groups. […]
#natyamnaatak – “Great Costume!”
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamMy usual walking path to the old location of the Kala Vandanam studio took me past a public park in downtown St. Paul. As usual, I’m walking down the street dressed in my practice saree – I’m not bothered, and generally no one gives me a second glance.
Until Halloween a few years ago.
From about 20 yards away, I hear…
Uh, no. And no.
#natyamnaatak #halloween
#natyamnaatak – The Final Countdown
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamNavaratri is here, and Kala Vandanam’s annual Natya Sadhana celebration on Vijayadasami day is just a few days away… and the 20th time we’ll be celebrating together!
The final prep can be tense for some students, and occasionally for the teacher; but there is always amusement to be had.
Past questions at the final class before the program. (Where do they come up with this stuff?!?!?!)
And the best I’ve heard in all these years…
Let’s see what they have in store this weekend.
#natyamnaatak
#natyamnaatak – Nitpicking
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamI usually have a lot of heart-to-heart chats with students as they are preparing for major milestone performances, and the 1st of such conversations usually happens before rehearsals even start.
I include warnings about a few things, such as:
Fast forward a few months into rehearsals with one student…
Student has been getting nitpicked about a particular thing for several rehearsals in a row… each time there is progress, but of course Teacher dutifully follows by a more detailed nitpick.
Student, taking it all in stride and in good spirits, tells me deadpan… “Suchi akka, I finally got the whole “nitpick” warning. The more I dance and improve, the nits keep getting smaller, and your pick keeps getting pointier to get rid of them.”
#myworkisdone #natyamnaatak
#natyamnaatak – “I don’t believe you.”
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamIt was an unseasonably sultry day in the Twin Cities (temp 97F, felt like 100F), and our non-air conditioned studio started to feel a wee bit warm, by late afternoon.
Young students, who just started learning a few months ago, came in for their class. There was clearly only one topic of conversation.
(Fast forward 1 minute into our warm up and exercises.)
#natyamnaatak
#natyamnaatak – “You Need Some Child Supervision…”
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamThere is no doubt that adults get a lot of things wrong. We’d like to think that we know more than kids, but they remind us daily that is a fallacy.
My students have been an integral part of my book writing and publishing process. They have given GREAT inputs, and are so invested in it. But, they seem to have some trust issues. Aside from requiring weekly updates, there was this exchange not too long ago:
P.S. They approved of my author bio. 😅 😂
#natyamnaatak
Day 1 at Kala Vandanam
/in Blog /by Suchitra SairamBy Devi Vijayakumar
Sept 28th 2009 – was our family’s Day 1 at Kala Vandanam.
For the past 13 years, we’ve evolved and grown with Kala Vandanam. The culture embodies long term value over short term outcomes, obsession with learning and having fun, and puts commitment and being a good human being at the center of everything. Kala Vandanam fostered guided exploration, pursuit of ambitious goals, bold innovation, and dancing for the mere joy of dancing.
It’s about being constantly curious, nimble, and experimental. It’s about being brave enough to fail if it means that, by applying the lessons learnt, we can better surprise and delight ourselves in future.
Some of this might sound very familiar to those in the business world. I see this as Kala Vandanam’s “Day 1” mentality. There’s always something new, something to do, and a path for you. And plenty of #natyamnaatak moments to keep it fun and refreshing.
Devi Vijayakumar is a software product management professional and adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota. She is an art lover, passionate and supportive Bharatanatyam mom, mother of twins, and one of the most meticulous, organized people you will ever meet.
#natyamnaatak – So much for non-violence in art
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamStudents are learning hasta viniyoga (the usages for each hand gesture), and we arrive at mushti hasta (a fist), 9th in the series of single handed gestures. Usually, before we start with the codified usages, I ask students to use their imaginations and tell me what they think a hasta can be used for. This time, before we even get started, there is much excitement…
#natyamnaatak