SACRED EARTHSTUDY GUIDE

Ranee and Aparna RamaswamyCo-Artistic Directors

Photo by Ed Bock

about INDIaGeography & Population• More than 1.2 billion people live in India

today, making it the second most popu-lated country in the world.

• India is in South Asia and is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the Indian Ocean.

• The biggest city in India is Mumbai. More than 18 million people live in Mumbai.

• India has 28 states. Before 1947, many of the states were governed by kings who gave up their thrones in order to join the new country of India.

Currency• Indian money is called rupees.

• 1 rupee = 100 paise• 70 rupees = $1 U.S. dollar

Government & Economy• India is a democracy. It is the biggest

democracy in the world.

• The Prime Minister and Parliament are elected by the people.

• India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, currently the 6th largest economy in the world.

• India’seconomyisdiverseandincludesagriculture,handicrafts,textiles,manufacturing,financialservices,andsoftware and high tech industries. India also has a booming movie industry. India makes more movies per year than Hollywood.

Languages and Religions• Thereare15majorlanguagesspokeninIndiaandover3,000dialects.EnglishandHindiaretheofficial

languages of India.

• There are 7 major religions in India. 80% of people belong to the Hindu religion. 10% are Muslim, 5% are Sikh or Christian, and the rest are Buddhist, Jewish, Parsi, and several other religions.

Culture & Dance• Indian culture is more than 2,000 years old. The modern country of India was founded in 1947, when India

gained independence from the British.

• India is a very diverse country. Each state has its own language, customs, traditional dress, ways of cooking, holidays, styles of music, and styles of dance.

• The oldest evidence of dance in the world is a 4,000 year-old bronze statue of a dancing girl discovered by archaeologists in the ruins of the ancient Indian city of Mohenjo-daro.

• Over the past several millennia, Indian culture has contributed several important ideas to the world. These includethenumberzero,themoderndecimalsystem,thefirstbuttonsusedinclothing,andthegameofchess.

about RaGaMaLa DaNCE CoMPaNYRagamala Dance Company was founded in 1992 by Ranee Ramaswamy. Now under the direction of Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy (mother and daughter), the company is in its 26th season of creating intercultural, collaborative performance works. In this milestone year, long-time Ragamala soloist Ashwini Ramaswamy has joined her mother and sister in their intergenerational creative partnership.

AsfirstgenerationIndian-Americanartists,RaneeandAparna’saestheticisdeeplyinfluencedbytheirculturalhybridity. Thematically, they explore the myth and spirituality of their Indian heritage in order to engage with what they see as the dynamic tension between the historical, the ancestral, and the personal. They approach the South Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam as a living, breathing language with which to speak about the contemporary human experience.

Described as “soulful, imaginative and rhythmically contagious.” (New York Times) and “the standard bearer of a singularly successful kind of hybridity” (Huffington Post), Ragamala’s work has toured extensively, highlighted by the American Dance Festival, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Music Center of Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, University Musical Society at the University of Michigan, the Just Festival (Edinburgh, U.K.) the Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Sri Krishna Gana Sabha (Chennai), and the National Centre for Performing Arts (Mumbai), among others.

“Ragamala showed how Indian forms can provide some of the most transcendent experiences that dance has to offer...this is an excellent company.”

— The New York Times

Photo by Grant Halverson

GEt to kNow thE aRtIStS

Ragamala Dance Company is a rare intergenarational partnership between a mother, Ranee Ramaswamy and her two daughters, Aparna and Ashwini Ramaswamy. In this excerpted interview, you will be introduced to the Ramaswamy family and their artistic partnership.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about how the Ragamala Dance Company was founded?

Ashwini: My mother, Ranee, founded Ragamala (which translates to ‘garland of melodies’) in 1992, after having moved to the United States from India in 1978. Together with my sister, Aparna, she was singularly focused on introducing and educating audiences unfamiliar to Indian dance and showing them how dynamic, complex, yet universal Bharatanatyam could be. Over the past 26 years, the company has become known for thoughtful yet unexpected artistic partnerships that shed light on the cultural diversity that is the backbone of current human life.

Q: What is it like working alongside your family, and how do you think that benefits the company?

Ranee: My favorite thing to say to people is “I get to take my children to work with me every day!” I’ve been saying that for years. I’m extremely proud to have raised two daughters who work with me and are continuing something I started over thirty years ago.

Q: How does your work help audiences gain a deeper understanding of other communities and cultures? Why do you think such understanding achieved through dance is so important now in our current political climate.

Aparna: Ragamala’s work is not overtly political, but when we bring together artists from different backgrounds and work with them to create a meaningful experience, the audience will come away with a feeling of awe, of empowerment. Each project we undertake takes several years to create. Nothing is done without constant dialogue, carefulthought,research,andpersonalreflection.Thenwecanbeabsolutelysurethatourvoicesarecomingoutthrough our work.

Q: As performers, how do you collaborate your techniques and styles?

Ashwini: As performers, we all come from the same teacher, and the same lineage, so our technique is very similar. However, you have to be your own dancer, and allow your personality to come alive onstage. So we practice to make sure our technique is superb, but we help each other enhance and preserve our own individuality. It is one of the things that make this career exciting!

Q: What do you hope for the future of the company?

Ranee: I truly believe in envisioning where you want to be and getting there. For the last twenty years, I have written down where I want to go in 5, 10, 15 years, and it has all come true. We are being presented in the top venues in this country. For the future we would like a stronger presence in Europe and South America, where the audiences are used to classical music, opera, and other more classically based art forms. There is not much more I would wish for, though – if you told me 25 years ago that I would be where I am today, I would be thrilled!

Photos by Ed Bock

about bhaRataNatYaM

Photo by Grant Halverson

Using movement, gesture, melody, and rhythm—Bharatanatyam (pronounced BAH-rah-tah-NAHT-yam), is India’s oldest classical dance tradition. Bharatanatyam dates back more than 2,000 years to the Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu (in southeastern India), where dancers used music and movement to translate mythological themes and stories for the people.

It is a living, breathing dance form that has evolved throughout the centuries. In the 1930s, Bharatanatyam moved out of the temples and be-came a concert dance form. Today, dancers and choreographers in India and around the world use Bharatanatyam in innovative ways to create their own work.

The word “Bharatanatyam” comes from four words in Sanskrit (an ancient language from India):• Bha (Bhava, which means expression),• Ra (Raga, which means melody),• Ta (Talam, which means rhythm),• And Natyam, which means dance.

It was traditionally a solo dance form, performed by women. Today, men and women perform Bharatanatyam, both in solo and ensemble produc-tions.

The two main aspects of Bharatanatyam are rhythmic dance and expressive dance.

• In rhythmic choreography—known as nritta (NRIT-tah)—dancers perform dynamic, often symmetric, movements with their entire bodies—torso, head, legs, arms, hands, and feet—while they use their barefeettostampoutrhythmsonthefloor.

• Expressive dance—known as abhinaya (AH-bee-nah-yah)—is the physical expression of emotions and states of being. Dancers use hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements to tell stories and convey emotions.

Bharatanatyam technique is made up of a vocabulary of rhythms, postures, gestures, and movements, which offer a beautiful language that can be used in creative ways. Just as a poet can use words to write his or her own poetry, a choreographer can use the Bharatanatyam vocabulary to create his or her own dances.

The dance is accompanied by live music: a vocalist singing in an Indian language (usually Tamil, Telugu, or Sanskrit), amelodicinstrument(usuallyaviolinorflute),atwo-headeddrumcalledamridangam (mruh-DAHN-gahm), and a conductor, who uses small cymbals and vocal percussion to mirror and complement the rhythms of the dancers’ feet.

about bhaRataNatYaM...CoNtINuED

THE HASTAS

Patakam can be used to show a group of people, the sky, a book, a sword, a door, or a mirror.

Tirupatakam can be used to show a crown, a temple, the branch of a tree, a mountain, sandals, or an alligator.

Katakamukham can be used to show a woman, birds, or braiding hair.

Katrimukham can by used to show eyes, tomorrow, confusion, evil, lightning, or a vine.

Alapadmamcanbeusedtoshowaflower,aglass,themoon,amountain, beauty, joy, or love.

Hamsasyam can be used to show an elephant, time, plucking flowers,perfect,life,orputtingonearrings.

Simhamukham is used to show the face of an animal, for example a lion, a dog, or a deer.

Shakatam is used to show a demon.

Dolam is used to show femininity and grace.

Shikaram can be used to show a man, a bow, or hugging.

Mayuram can be used to show a peacock or a feather.

Hand gestures are very important in Bharatanatyam. They are called hastas or mudras. In pure dance, hand gestures are used to complement the body movements. In expressive dance, they are used like sign language to tell a story.

There are 28 single-handed gestures and 24 double-handed gestures. Each one can mean many different things, depending on how it is held around the body, the way the dancer moves, and what facial expressions are used. Some important hand gestures are:

Mayuram

Patakam Tirupatakam

Simhamukham Shikaram

Alapadmam Hamsasyam

Katakamukham Katrimukham

bhaRataNatYaM CoStuMING

COSTUME

Aclassicaldancecostumereflectsthehistoryandtradition of Tamil Nadu, the region where Bharatanatyam originated. The costume is made of colorful silk fabric containingbordersembroideredwithfinegoldthread.

There are two styles of Bharatanatyam costumes known as the pant-style costume (pant costume) and the saree costume (skirt costume).

The pant-style costume consists of five parts:

(1) Blouse: The top part of the costume with the sleeves.

(2) Davani: The part that wraps around the blouse.

(3) Pleats: The fan-like piece that is attached to both legs of the pants.

(4) Seat: The part that hugs the pants and the fan at the hip area.

(5) Pants

The saree costume consists of five parts:

(1) Blouse: Same as above.(2) Davani: Same as above.(3) Skirt(4) Pleats: A long fan that hangs

from the waist alongside the left leg.

(5) Fan: A small fan that is tied around the waist.

MAKE UP

Eyes: To accentuate and elongate the eyes, a dancer uses black eyeliner and applies it in thick layers around the curves of the eyes.

Cheek Bones:Todefinethefacialfeatures,redblushisused to accentuate the cheeks.

Lips: Dark-colored shades of lipstick such as maroon complete the overall facial appearance of the dancer.

Pottu: Dot on the forehead

JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES

South Indian dance jewelry is called “Temple Jewelry.” It is traditionally made of rubies, gold, and pearls. These days,

many dancers wear costume jewelry, which is made of silvercoatedwithgoldandartificialgems.

The jewelry comes in nine parts:

(1) Chutti: The head piece(2) Sun and moon: The jewels that are attached on

the top of the head on each side of the chutti (3) Necklace

(4) Mattal: The jewels that are attached to the earrings and run over the ears

(5) Earrings (6) Jimiki: The dangling jewels of

the earrings (7) Mukuthi: Side nose ring

(8) Bullaku: Center nose ring (9) Bangles: Gold bracelets

OTHER ACCESSORIES

(1) Flowers: Flowers decorate the hair ofadancer.Theymayberealflowersorfakeflowersmadeofsoftpaperin

colors of orange and white.(2) Belt:Abeltisworntodefinethe

hips of a dancer.(3) Bells: Like tap dancers wearing

tap shoes, a Bharatanatyam dancer wears bells to

accentuate the rhythm of the music. They are generally

made of brass and leather.

PAINTED FEET & FINGERTIPS

Red dye known as altaisusedtopaintthefingertipsofthe hands and toes of the feet to resemble henna. The red color accentuates the hand gestures and feet movements

of the dancer.

Pant-style costume, photo by Amanulla

SaCRED EaRthwhat You wILL SEE

Through classical dance, ritual, and folk art forms from India, Sacred Earth celebrates the harmony between humans and nature. Sacred Earth is inspired by two folk visual art forms from India — the dynamic folk paintings of the WarlipeopleofwesternIndia,andtheintricatekolamfloordrawingsdonebywomeninsoutheasternIndia.Ragamala Dance uses the vibrant and expressive dance form of Bharatanatyam to bring the spirit of these folk art forms to life.

Both Warlis and Kolams come from Indian traditions in which maintaining the balance between humans and nature is of central importance. This is an ancient vision that carries a timeless message for our modern world.

Ragamala artists will guide students through the performance of Sacred Earth, including explanations of the dance form of Bharatanatyam, the traditions and art forms of kolam and Warli painting, and their relevance to the modern world. Students will also have the opportunity to see a demonstration of the creation of a Kolam, and a display of original art works by master Warli folk artist Anil Chaitya Vangad.

Photo by Ed Bock

about koLaMEach day before sunrise, in the region of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India, millions of women create kolams, pinchingriceflourthroughtheirfingerstocreateintri-cate designs on the ground in front of the main entrance to their homes. These “painted prayers” are formed using a pattern of dots that are connected with lines or grace-ful curves to form elaborate patterns and designs. Kolams bring good luck, welcome guests, and bless those who enter and leave the house. Kolam is a living tradition, passed on from mother to daughter in Tamil Nadu to this day.

As humans, we often take the earth for granted, taking many things from it every day. Kolams are a conscious act of giving back to the earth a little bit of what we have taken from it. Throughout the day, birds and insects eat thericeflour.Thedesignsscatteraspeoplewalkoverthem, blessing and being blessed as they enter and exit the home. Erased by sunset, kolams remind us that things of beauty do not last forever.

In modern India, cutting-edge technology and popular culture exist side-by-side with ancient traditions. Over the last half-century, as in many parts of the world, women in India have become more educated and more likely to work outside the home, leaving little time for old traditions like kolam. However, while more and more girls in Tamil Nadu today grow up without learning the art of kolam, one can still see kolams lining the roads not only in the small towns, but also in the major city of Chennai,

the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. It is not at all uncommon to step over a kolam while entering an internet cafe to check your email! Many communities have begun holding formal kolam competitions in order to keep this beautiful and meaningful tradition alive.

Photo by Bonnie Jean MacKay

about waRLI PaINtINGThe Warlis are an indigenous tribal group from the forested areas of the state of Maharashtra, in western India. They are known as an adivasicommunity,whichmeans“firstpeople.”Thespeaktheirown,unwrittenlanguage(although many of them speak and read other Indian languages as well). Their beliefs, customs, and mythology are unique, unlike those of any other group in India.

The Warli people respect the land and believe in the importance of harmony between humans and nature. To this day, the Warli communities living in small, isolated villages in the forests of Maharashtra strive to live according to the traditional practices of their ancestors—to strike a balance between their traditional values and modern India.

For over 4,000 years, the Warlis have painted on the mud walls of their homes as a form of celebration and blessing during important rituals such as marriages and harvests. These folk paintings, done in rice paste using a brush made of the frayed end of a stick, use a simple pictorial language made up of shapes and lines to show strong images and dynamic scenes such as a harvest, a spiraling folk dance, a wedding, or the tree of life. These paintings celebrate the Warlis’ life lived in harmony with nature.

Until the 1970s, very few people knew about Warli folk painting. Even in India, this art form was known only in the isolated Warli villages. To this day, very few people in the United States know about Warli painting, and there have been only a handful of exhibits in this country.

In the 1970s, as collectors and critics in the Indian art world began to notice the Warli artists, the artists began creating their paintings on canvas—rather than on walls—in order to allow the paintings to be moved outside their villages. These artists began to expand their art beyond the villages, and to use this rich art form to express their individual creativity.

Painting by Anil Chaitya Vangad

about aNIL ChaItYa VaNGaDAnil Chaitya Vangad is a traditional painter of the indigenous Warli craft. Warli painting has been in his family for three generations. Since 1991, his work has been exhibited throughout India, highlighted by the Mumbai Festival (Mumbai), Government Craft Museum (New Delhi), Sarojini Naidu Hall (Hyderabad), Swobhumi Craft Mela (Calcutta), Shivaji Nagar Hall (Pune), Gandhi Shilp Bazar (Mysore), Neerja Modi Visual and Performing Art Center (Jaipur), Gramotsav, (New Delhi), and Mahalaxmi Saras (Mumbai). He has been commissioned to create murals for the Bank of Muskat (Bangalore), the home of the Chairman of the Bhoruka Corporation (Bangalore), and Dumdum Park (Kolkata), to name a few. He has led workshops at the International School of Bangalore and the National Traditional and Folk Artist Camp in Jaipur.

Anil lives in the small, isolated village of Ganjad, in the forested areas of Maharashtra, India. Ganjad is located only 90 miles north of the bustling, 18 million-person metropolis of Mumbai (Bombay), yet Ganjad is accessible only by dirt roads. Anil lives in a traditional family compound and follows the ancient customs of his ancestors. He and his family observe holidays and traditions that do not exist elsewhere in India. Their home does not have running water, and they only use the gas stove when they have guests. However, Anil has access to email and is able to take digital photos of his artwork, which he can post online to be seen by people all over the world. Anil’s life and his work are a clear example of the way in which the traditional and the modern exist side-by-side in India.

ENRIChMENt aCtIVItIESCan you be a mountain, or a bird, or a tree?

Trytomakeupyourownhandgesturesforthethingsyoufindinnature:amountain,atree,aflower,ariver,thesun, the rain, a bird, a snake, or a deer. What other parts of your body do you need to use to make people believe that your hands can turn into all of these things? (You may need to use your eyes and face to express the feeling of the thing, or move your body into different positions, or use your arms to move the gestures around your body.) Now try to think of your own ideas of what you would like to show without words.

Can you show nine different emotions without using words or sounds?

In Indian dance, we have nine basic emotions: joy, sadness, anger, love, humor, disgust, bravery, fear, and peace. How would you use your face and body to show each of these emotions?

Can you tell a story without words, using only your hands, your eyes, your face, and the movements of your body?

Choose a fairy tale, or a story that everyone in your class would know, and see if you can act it out without using any words.

How many ways can you make sounds with your feet?

In Bharatanatyam, we use different parts of our feet to make different sounds. Play a CD of music, and see how manydifferentsoundsyoucanmakebyhittingyourfeetonthefloor.

How did the dance and music make you feel?

Write a journal entry about how the dance and music made you feel. Share and compare what you felt with your classmates. Consider how you would describe Bharatanatyam to a friend who has not seen it.

How is Bharatanatyam different?

TherearefivedistinctstylesofIndianclassicaldance—Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathakali, Manipuri, and Kathak. You have learned about Bharatanatyam; now explore the other four forms. Look up information in the library andontheinternet,andtrytofindclipsonYouTube.Howaretheydifferentfromoneanother?AndhowdoesBharatanatyam compare to other styles of dance that you have studied or seen?

aDDItIoNaL INFoRMatIoNRagamala Dance Company’s Official Website: https://ragamaladance.org

Video of Ragamala Dance Company: https://ragamaladance.org/gallery

Anil Chaitya Vangad’s Official Website: addiwashi.blogspot.com

A-Plus Interview with Ramaswamy family: https://aplus.com/family-run/ragamala-dance-company-family-run

Timelapse Bharatanatyam Makeup Video: https://www.facebook.com/ragamala/videos/10155561684898074/

Introduction to Bharatanatyam, Ragamala Dance Company at the Kennedy Center: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ2FA8qYgOM (from beginning through 27:22)

Photo by Hub Willson