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 – ““The President is in Town!”
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamGroup class time, and we usually start with general “what’s new with you” conversations. It’s also time for students to share a lot of “gyan” (knowledge, wisdom) about a variety of topics.
#natyamnaatak
#natyamnaatak – “You Can’t Say That About Yourself”
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamLearning Bharatanatyam is hard work, no matter what you are learning. But some adavus (steps in basic technique) are particularly taxing. Cue kuddittu mettu adavu variations, which will make the thighs of even experienced, fit dancers burn in agony, particularly when done slowly. So I try different methods of distraction – and sometimes they backfire.
Teacher proceeds to help students understand each part and get the limbs to cooperate with each other.
Students proceed to try it. It’s hard. They are huffing and puffing, moaning and groaning.
#natyamnaatak
#natyamnaatak – The Adavu Formerly Known As…
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamKala Vandanam students are always thinking creatively, and this certainly extends to the names for certain adavus (basic movements in technique). Over the years, they have taken it upon themselves to rename many adavus … your job is to try and guess which is which. 😜
#natyamnaatak
#natyamnaatak – A Bindi Like Woody
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamWhile we don’t have uniforms for classes at Kala Vandanam, we do have a simple dress code – just as a habit and to create positive energy and mindset for dancing. One element of said dress code is to wear a bindi… no specific size or color, to give space for personal expression. But some of the bindis may as well be invisible.
rapid fire responses
#natyamnaatak
#natyamnaatak – Who do ya think you’re fooling? APRIL FOOLS!
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamAfter being on the receiving end of a variety of April Fools jokes at the hands of students over the years, I decided to up the ante a bit a few years ago in the April newsletter.
While I do regret that I apparently made a lot of students (and some parents) cry before they realized it was an April Fool’s joke, I do not regret for one second some of the responses. 😂
#natyamnaatak
By Apoorva Kanneganti
It’s difficult for me to separate what I’ve learned in dance from what I’ve learned from Suchi akka. Much of my experience with dance is the direct result of how Suchi akka has mentored me, which is why this is titled “Three Life Lessons from Dancing with Suchi akka.”
This is the fourth (bonus) lesson that I learned from Suchi akka- how to accept or at least tolerate someone in their whole self, the good times and the mistakes.
There are many other ways in which dance has consciously and subconsciously shaped who I am, and even though I haven’t actively practiced in some time, I often find myself coming back to this formative experience. I owe all of this to my guru, mentor, and sister, Suchi akka.
Apoorva Kanneganti is one of the first students at Kala Vandanam. She began her training under Suchitra Sairam in 2003 and learned actively for over 13 years, including presenting her Arangetram in 2011. She is a management consultant by profession and an adventurer by passion. Apoorva enjoys spending time outdoors with activities like running, hiking, and scuba diving, all of which are much more accessible since her move to California. A Midwesterner at heart, she grew up in Minnesota, where she later graduated with a BSB from the University of Minnesota and received an MBA from the University of Michigan after a short stint in Chicago.
#natyamnaatak – Spring Cleaning for Bharatanatyam Dancers
/in #natyamnaatak, Blog /by Suchitra SairamSpring Cleaning for Dancers
Ah, Spring! And with Spring, comes Spring Cleaning… what does Spring Cleaning look like for you? 😜
#natyamnaatak #cleanyourmirror