World Heritage Series - Opera Classics

SPIC MACAY - World Heritage Series - Opera Classics from Norway

World Heritage Series - SPIC MACAY - Western Classical Opera

SPIC MACAY - Chennai VIRASAT 2012 - Kathakali lec-dem performances

SPIC MACAY Virasat 2012 - Kathakali

SPIC MACAY Chennai Virasat 2012

SPIC MACAY VIRASAT 2012

Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth

SPIC MACAY  VIRASAT 2012

SPIC MACAY - VIRASAT – 2012 August 2012 to Nov 2012

VIRASAT is a festival comprising classical art performances and folk performances, workshops on arts and handicrafts, literature, crafts, talks, theatre, cinema and yoga held in different educational institutions. It aims at close interaction between students, artistes and craftsmen. It starts in the first half of the academic calender in schools and colleges – Aug to Nov 2012 . During this VIRASAT series from Aug 2012 to November 2012, we plan to have Carnatic Music concerts – both vocal and instrumental; classical dance performances like Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathakali, Kathak,etc; folk performances like Purulia Chhau, Yakshagana, Therukoothu; workshop demonstrations of various art forms; Classical film screenings; handicraft workshops by master craftsmen; lectures; Intensives in Rural schools; puppetry shows; heritage walk and Yoga.

Inaugural event of VIRASAT 2012

Purulia Chhau dance performance by Sri TaraPada Rajak and group from West Bengal

Monday 6th August - 10 am  : Chettinad Hari Shree Vidyalayam - R A Puram

Purulia Chhau Dance prgms in Chennai and Pondy

6th Aug to 13th Aug 2012 Schedule 

Sri Tara Pada Rajak and Group from West Bengal

CHENNAI

6th Aug - 10am - Hari Shree Vidyalayam - RA Puram

6th Aug - 2pm - Bala Vidya Mandir - Gandhi Nagar, 4th Main Rd, Adyar

7th Aug - 10am - Sankara School - Adyar

7th Aug - 2pm - Rani Lady Meyammai School - Gandhi Nagar, 4th Main Rd, Adyar

8th Aug - Morning and afternoon performances at Corporation schools in Chennai ( to be confirmed)

9th Aug - 11am - PSBB School - T.P Road, T Nagar

9th Aug - 3pm - Velammal International Residential School - Panchetti - 601204

10th Aug - 11am - PSBB School - KK Nagar

PONDICHERRY

11th Aug - 11:00am - Jawahar Navodaya School - Pondicherry

11th Aug - 6pm - Bharat Bhavan – Auroville - Auroville campus, Pondicherry

13th Aug - 10:30am - Ashram School - Pondicherry

ABOUT PURULIA CHHAU

The three styles of Chhau – Seraikella, Purulia and Mayurbhanj – belong to the neighbouring states of Bihar now in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa, in Eastern India. Their location in three different states is the result of the reorganisation of Indian states in 1947. Seraikella and Mayurbhanj were small princely states before Independence and Purulia acquired its name after being discovered in Purulia, West Bengal by the folklorist Late Dr. Ashutosh Bhattacharya in 1960. The same style, however, has an equally strong tradition in the neighbouring

villages. The dancers and musicians travel from one place to another to perform this traditional dance. Chhau dances represent an interesting blend of folk, tribal and classical elements. Like classical dance, there is a certain amount of codification but the dances retain great spontaneity, their movements painting vivid images from everyday life. Chhau dances are performed by tribal groups as part of the rituals associated with the great Spring Festival, Chaitra Parva, celebrated over the adjoining districts of the states bordering West Bengal, Bihar (now in Jharkhand) and Orissa in Eastern India during mid - April-May. All styles of Chhau dances are represented at the Spring Festival, Chaitra Parva, which is an ancient tradition that plays a vital social and religious role in the life of the region.

Of the three styles of Chhau, Purulia is the most robust and virile. Unlike Seraikella, Purulia Chhau never depended on royal patronage so it retains its vigorous folk character. With great gusto the dancers plant their feet forcefully on the ground and freeze in postures of encounter and challenge, bent knee foot stamping, short vertical jumps and full circle spins characterise this style as does the violent juggling of shoulders and shivering of the upper torso. Purulia dancers wear elaborate costumes – the embroidered velvet jacket and striped baggy

trousers are a mixture of the Jatra folk theatre and 19th century theatrical costumes. The performances take place in the open ground platform. It begins in the late evening and

may continue whole night. The audiences sit on the ground encircling the performers in separate groups of men and women.

The music that accompanies Purulia Chhau is played on three instruments: A Shenai – wind instrument, the Dhamsa kettle drum and the Dholak or Dhol, a drum carried on a shoulder strap that is beaten by a thin stick at one end and by the hand at the other end. The dholak player acts as a kind of picador or ring master to the dancers, running forward and shouting as if to goads them into dancing. At the beginning of the performance the musicians play a lively welcome tune of Shehnai and the drums beat rhythmically. Lord Ganesh is evoked before. He actually appears in the opening dance recitals. He is followed by epic heroes, other Gods and Goddesses with multi-coloured masks gleaming with tinsel, equipped with extra arms or heads (as required) made of wood or indigenous materials. The mask is an integral part of Purulia Chhau Dance. It liberates the dancer from the limiting influence of the face and puts a greater burden on the movements of the body. The body moves it bring the mask alive. Purulia masks are rustic; their wide-open eyes give a sense of speed and gusto. In both cases a headdress complements the mask. The masks are made of pulp and indigenous colours and decorated with peacock feathers, jaris and hairs. The masks are fascinating products of superb craftsmanship. Most Chhau themes are drawn from the two great Indian epics – the Ramayana and the Mahabharata as well as the mythology of the Puranas

Other confirmed schedule in Chennai for educational institutions in

Aug – Sep – Oct – Nov 2012

Kathakali performances from 2nd Sep to 6th Sep 2012

Western Opera Music by a Norwegian Opera Group from 11th Sep to 15th Sep 2012

Carnatic Music, Bharathanatyam and Therukoothu performances in Chennai Corporation

schools in Aug and September 2012

Handicrafts workshops, Heritage walks, Classical Cinema screenings in October and

November 2012.

Classical dance workshops and workshop demonstrations in November 2012

Weeklong Virasat Festivals in colleges

One month Heritage Festival in association with ICCR in Nov 2012

SPIC MACAY is a voluntary non-profit movement founded in the year 1977 by dedicated academicians and students. It seeks to conserve and promote Indian culture and introduce the rich and heterogeneous cultural tapestry to the youth of this country. Through focus on the classical arts, with their legends, rituals, mythology and

philosophy, SPIC MACAY seeks to facilitate an awareness of their deeper and subtler meaning and values. Classical Indian music and dance carry with them generations of wisdom dating back to antiquity. We hope that the beauty, grace and wisdom embodied in them will become an integral part of a student’s life and inspire them to

become a better human being. 

Presently SPIC MACAY has 400 chapters in India and abroad. In order to achieve its goals, SPIC MACAY organizes concerts,lecture demonstrations, intensives, informal discussions, and seminars in various educational institutes, schools, and colleges. We also conduct Baithaks, Virasat, week-long Fests, Conventions, workshops,

heritage walks, theatre, film shows and Talks. Held all over India, these programs give students an opportunity to witness insightful performances and workshops in folk and classical arts, literature, crafts, talks, theatre, cinema and yoga and more importantly, informally interact with maestros, master craftsmen, film makers and other experts in

various fields. 

SPIC MACAY’s core purpose is to have every child experience the inspiration and mysticism embodied in Indian and World Heritage.

Year 2012-2013 - Celebrating the Spirit of Volunteerism

2011-2012 saw an upsurge of 47%in the SPIC MACAY activities all across the country. 4500 events were organised in 385 places. This also makes the increase of 126%in the outreach to new places. This is a very good beginning towards our Vision 2020. We are aiming to reach out to all the 17 lakhs educational institutions in the country before the year 2020. We plan to organise around 500 events in Tamilnadu and Pondicherry region during this academic year. This includes events of all our modules in educational institutions.

Website: http://www.spicmacay-chennai.blogspot.com/

National website: www.spicmacay.com

Like our facebook page: SPICMACAY Chennai Tamilnadu

SPICMACAY 27th National Convention @ NITK Surathkal

Add caption

Bombay Jayashri Ramnath performs in Velammal International School

Bombay Jayashree Ramnath will be performing at Velammal International School on 12th April 2012 at 9:30 am. She will be accompanied by Sri Pakala Ramdas on the violin and Sri Umesh Narayan on the Mridangam. Ms Keerthana Nath and Ms Kalasri, students of Bombay Jayashri will be on the Tanpura and vocal support.

KALAMKARI workshop by Guru Sri Gurappa Chetty

Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth

               KALAMKARI workshop by Guru Sri Gurappa Chetty

                                     Madurai : 2^nd March to 5^th March

                                    Chennai  : 6^th March to 11^th March

Kalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile produced in parts of India. The word is derived from the Persian words kalam (pen) and kari ( craftsmanship ),meaning drawing with a pen.  The craft made at Pedana near Machilipatnam in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, evolved with patronage of the Mughals and the Golconda Sultanate. There are two distinctive styles of Kalamkari art in India - Srikalahasti style and the Machilipatnam style.

The Srikalahasti style, wherein the “kalam” or pen is used for free hand drawing of the subject and filling in the colours, is entirely hand worked. This style flowered around temples and their patronage and so had an almost religious identity – scrolls, temple hangings, chariot banners and the like, depicted deities and scenes taken from the great Hindu epics – Ramayana, Mahabaratha, Puranas and the mythological classics. Only natural dyes are used in Kalamkari and it involves seventeen painstaking steps.

Guru Sri Gurappa Chetty :

Jonnalagadda Gurappa Chetty began learning the art of Kalamkari from his father at the age of 13. He perfected this art and carried it to new horizons and even depicted legends from the Puranas. His works have been taken to several foreign locations including Vienna, UK, Australia, China, and Canada.

Mr. Gurappa was honoured with the title of “Shilpa Guru” in 2002 by the Crafts Council of India. He won the Presidential National Award for Crafstmanship in 1976 for his 20m Ramayana panel, Kamaladevi Vishwa Karigar Award and Tulasi Samman from Bharat Kala Bhawan, Bhopal. “The award is a tribute to the recognition of Indian Art,” is how Sri. Gurappa Chetty reacted upon winning the President’s award. Guruji lives in SriKalahasthi – Andhra Pradesh.

Gurappa Chetty has been conducting workshops for spicmacay all over India in educational institutions and is also one of the GURU’s for SPICMACAY’s GURUKUL ANUBHAV SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME.

Points for the workshop:

The workshop will be held in educational institutions like IIT Madras and Madras School of Economics. It is for students / youth between the age of 12 and 25 years.

Each workshop will be for a duration of minimum 8 to 10 hours and conducted between 4 pm and 7 pm on weekdays and mornings and afternoon during the weekends.

Interested participants – Please send an email to spicmacay.tamilnadupondy@gmail.com or visit the website – spicmacay-chennai.blogspot.in or the facebook page – SPICMACAY Chennai Tamilnadu for more details.

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SPICMACAY – Tamilnadu Chennai  :  Cell : 09789059024

SPICMACAY Chennai . Email : Spicmacay.tamilnadupondy@gmail.com

Website : spicmacay-chennai.blogspot.in

Facebook : SPICMACAY Chennai Tamilnadu

SPICMACAY – Regd Office :      41/42 Lucknow Road , New Delhi 100054.   Website :  www.spicmacay.com

SPICMACAY - GURUKUL ANUBHAV SCHOLARSHIP 2012

SPICMACAY  GURUKUL   ANUBHAV   SCHOLARSHIP   SCHEME   2012

It is our pleasure to announce the commencement of Gurukul Anubhav scholarship scheme 2012 for the youth between 14 years and 26 years of age. Through the scholarship scheme,               SPIC MACAY makes an attempt to bring the students closer to a world of wisdom, inspiration, dreams, discovery and exploration for a period of one month. It brings them in contact with such dedicated and acclaimed people who have achieved a lot in their respective fields through the strength that comes from sheer hard work, discipline and inherent talent.

List of Guru’s of different artforms, social workers & Institutions:

The likely Gurus / Institutions are His Holiness Dalai Lama’s Monastery, Pt. Birju Maharaj( kathak), Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia( Flute), Smt Anjolie Ela Menon (painting), Guru Ammannur M Chakyar’s pupil’s Sri G.Venu and Smt Kapila Nangiar ( Kudiyattam / nangiar koothu ) , Ustad Fariduddin Dagar ( Dhrupad vocal), Vidushi R.Vedavalli ( carnatic vocal ), Prof C.V. Chandrasekhar ( bharatanatyam), Shri Dadi Padmjee (Pupetry), Vidushi Girja Devi (Hindustani Vocal), Janab Abdul Rashid Khan ( Hindustani Vocal ), Swami Niranjananand Saraswati / Swami Satyasangananda of Bihar School of Yoga (Yoga & Seva), Smt. Aruna Roy (social activist), Shri. J. Gurappa Chetty (Kalamkari), Shri Prakash Amte (social worker), Shri Shivanand Hegde (Yakshagana), Kerala Kalamandalam (Kathakali), Smt Teejan Bai (Pandvani), Pt. Kumar Bose (tabla), Smt Daya Bai (social worker),  Smt Prerna Shrimali (Kathak), Shree Hirachand Vikamshi (Painting), Pt. Govindrao Deshmukh (Tabla), Swami Dayananda Saraswati of Arsha Vidya Ashram (Vedanta and Aim for Seva), Dr N.Rajam ( Hindustani violin) etc.

Launching of an Unique Gurukul experience in an Ashram in June 2012:
This year we are also planning a unique Gurukul Anubhav for some of the selected candidates as part of this whole plan, where we will take 5-6 prominent Gurus to an Ashram (Chinmaya Vibhuti) near Pune, to stay there with their selected candidates for one month. In the serene environment of the Ashram, spending exclusive time with their Gurus, candidates will get an elevated and intense experience. We will select around 10 candidates for each Guru. Expected Gurus for this exclusive scheme will be: Shri Kalamandalam Gopi for Kathakalii, Padmasri Ustad Fariduddin Dagar for Hindustani Dhrupad vocal, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj / Guru Munna Shukla for Kathak, Padma Bhushan Prof C.V Chandrasekhar for Bharatanatyam, Vidushi Smt R. Vedavalli for Carnatic vocal and Guru Ghanakanta Bora for Sattriya dance. The proposed dates are from 6^th June 2012 to 6^th July 2012.

For submitting the application the candidate can use the above mentioned tentative list of Likely Gurus. To apply the candidate should send his / her profile, along with a one page write-up on “Why I want to go”. Candidates can download the form from our website (www.spicmacay.com) from Scholarship Scheme link. Selected candidates will be called for interview. All final selected candidates for this scheme will have to furnish a bond of Rs. 5,000/-, which will be refunded after successful completion of the tenure.
The scheme will commence in the months of May, June and July, each candidate will be required to stay with the Guru for a month. 

Please send your applications at the following address by 29th February 2012:
National Coordinator, Scholarship Scheme, SPIC MACAY, 41/42, Lucknow Road, Delhi-110054
or mail at: spicmacaysch@ gmail.com

Rules and Regulations:
1. The scholarship entails staying with a guru for one month in summer. Travel expenses to and from the guru’s residence (Second Class Sleeper) will be borne by SPIC MACAY.
2. Applications screened for the interview will be informed by email / phone, following which they will have to present themselves at specified centers. Please note that travel expenses incurred for interviews will have to be borne by the applicants.
3. While the selection panel does it’s utmost to place the applicants with one of the gurus of their choice, this may not always be possible. In such cases, the decision of the panel in placing the student will be final. For further and complete details, please refer to the scholarship document at our website (www.spicmacay.com) under scholarship scheme link. Pls also find the application form attached with this mail.

4. Participants should be between the age of 14 and 26 to quality for this scheme.
                       For any further query pls contact Scholarship Coordinators:

SPICMACAY Centre - Delhi
Sri R M Tiwari:                        09219506066     
Sri Pankaj Malhotra:                09897170917

SPICMACAY Tamilnadu and Pondy:

Mr.Chinmaya Arjun Raja :       09789059024

GOTIPUA dance group performing in Chennai Institutions

	SPIC MACAY
GOTIPUA Performances @ Chennai Institutions
5th Feb	6:30pm to 7:30pm	CLT @ IIT Madras campus
6th Feb	2pm to 3pm	Velammal International School
		Panchetti - Thiruvallur Distt
7th Feb	10am to 11am	Hari Shree Vidyalayam
		Srinivasa Avenue Road - R A Puram
7th Feb	1pm to 2pm	PSBB School
		K K Nagar - Chennai
8th Feb	10am to 11am	Vels Vidyashram School
		Pallavaram
9th Feb	10:30am to 11:30am	Lady Rani Meyyammai Higher Secondary School
		30/75 - 4th Main Road - Gandhi Nagar - Adyar
9th Feb	4:30pm to 5:30pm	Chennai Public School
		Thirumazhisai - Off Motel Highway - Poonamallee
10th Feb	10:30am to 11:30am	PSBB School
		T.P Road - T Nagar - Chennai
10th Feb	2pm to 3pm	Suddhananda Vidyalaya
		Uthandi