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.
National website: www.spicmacay.com
Like our facebook page: SPICMACAY Chennai Tamilnadu
No comments:
Post a Comment