Reflections: 2013, The year that was... & 2014, The year that will be!

Dear Aalayam people!

Year-ends are time for reflection, for looking back, and for looking forward. Here, at Aalayam, I have the unique opportunity to not just reflect on my own journey for the past year, & look ahead on the road-map for the new year, but also share the reflections of people I have worked with in 2013, and look forward to work with in 2014!

So, here’s the much awaited year-end Reflections post – a heartfelt peek into the ruminations, plans and aspirations of seven inspirational, accomplished  and gorgeous ladies, who Aalayam has been fortunate to have been touched by. I look forward to working with many more of such artists in the future…feeling blessed that I am to be part of this amazing journey with  you! So…here goes!

Reflections: 2013, The year that was…& 2014, The year that will be!

 Supriya of Aalayam

2013 has been a year of great beginnings – the beginning of new friendships, deeper and more meaningful relationships: with you dear readers, at my home, at my work, and through Aalayam. It was serendipity that I met Divya Thomas of “Karmasuthra” to impel Aalayam’s solstice with the intriguing brand. I deepened my kinship with Lavanyaa of “Varnanggall” and continue to benefit daily from our “across the continents” soul swap. My girls started their Bharatanatyam dance lessons with Sridevi Jagannath of “Laasya”,  and had their first ever performance in front of hundreds of parents…and lovers of the Indian classical dance form. I vacationed with my girls friends in Las Vegas, thus beginning a tradition of “getting away” from the encumbrances of everyday...if just for a few days. I began my journey of supervising homework (yes, my Twins started getting homework this year!) and playing soccer mom while juggling work and blog deadlines! (Thank God for Coffee!)

In 2013, I began to forgive more…give more…do more …expect more…but also…worry more. My mantra of “Why be Average when you can be Exceptional” worked well for me…but burned everyone else around me out!

In 2014, I am looking forward to continuing the eloquent relationships Aalayam is enabling me to develop, enjoy and embrace. I am looking forward to working with Smruthi Gargi Eshwar of “Studio SMU” to bring to Aalayam the modern retelling of Indian mythology and folklore through the visual medium. I look forward to working with Kathy Gori of “Colors of Indian Cooking” to revisit my classic Indian favorite dishes through her eyes (Ok – lens!), and her flair of storytelling.  I look forward to working with  other talented artisans and entrepreneurs to tell their story in true blue Aalayam style. And of course, I look forward to continue to work with Deepa to bring to you our sincere and passionate ideas, and their modern day interpretation through the dais Aalayam has provided us.

And finally, in 2014 – I promise to forgive even more…give even more….do even more…expect even more…but only from myself. I promise to influence…not control. Plan…not worry. I promise to take more time to myself to rock in Zumba class, do more Yoga, read a mind blowing mystery novel and get dirty in the mud with my kids!

That was my soul searching soliloquy. What are your reflections for 2013? What do you look forward to in 2014?

Wishing you loads of love, luck and happiness,

Happy New Year!!

Supriya

I want to end this year and start the next one with four simple words – “Live your best life”. I am a few years away from turning forty but now is as good a time as any to take care of my mind, body and spirit- after all, living one’s best life starts with taking care of oneself. Between work, family and all other humdrum priorities that demand our constant attention it is very easy to forget ourselves. This year I am going to prioritize health and wellness. I am also going to remember to let that inner child in me come out more often – to laugh and giggle silly!

I am going to live more for the moment and not let the “what if’s” disempower me. I will remember to be thankful for all that I have. My profession affords me happiness and a greater purpose. I am also extremely fortunate to have rediscovered myself through this creative platform. Aalayam nurtures the artist in me and allows me to engage with many other incredible artists and a great partner to create beautiful inspirations.  

This year, I am also going to just stop coasting through life and push myself out of my comfort zone. I love dancing but I have always put off taking formal dance lessons. Swing, lindy hop, salsa, fox trot – there’s a whole world out there and I intend to explore that! 

So, 2014 – I am ready for you , ready to dance in the rain and ready to live my best life!

My dear Aalayam family, I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year- one that will allow you to live your best life as well! I will be bringing you many wholesome inspirations in the coming year and look  forward to our time together!

Cheers!
~Deepa

Divya of Karmasuthra

2013 has been quite amazing. Traveled plenty, met some amazing people, made some fabulous friends, I found some unusual and interesting components that I could incorporate in my jewelry. And I’ve made stuff and continued to make stuff that will never look the same…compared to what I’ve made in the past.

What 2014 holds in store, I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Because I love surprises, and I just hope that they are all going to be pleasant. I prefer to go with the flow and see where it takes me. So let’s see!

Divya

Lavanyaa of Varnanggall

As we embrace the New Year all the valuable things that prevail must be celebrated and resolutions are to be made to change the rest. Surrounded by the festival lights, caught up with the bustle of daily chores I would like to slow down a bit and use this time for my professional and personal reflections.

  

Although Varnanggall started as a very small venture with very minimalist stock, it’s rejoicing to see how it’s developed, thrived and gained prominent visibility in the year 2013. It’s been an interweave of challenges, compromises, and deep emotions no matter how much you are camouflaged  by the tinsel and fairy lights, we are constrained to face the real world out there. Being in this art biz, personally it has given me that extra edge to research and learn cultures, people and lifestyles that well aligns with Varnanggall’s vision too.

In the year 2014, I would like to wake up to continued dreams, aspirations, goals – Creating a perfect balance of the whole model by emerging again with new rhythms of colors, making the entire system productive, sprouting new ideas and respiring only positive energy by weeding out all the clutter and to be humane.

I greatly thank my family, friends and mentors who have made this year so pleasant and beautiful for me by offering love, assurance and guidance!

Here’s wishing the entire Aalayam family a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Lavanyaa

Sridevi of Laasya

An interesting year to begin with..new ideas, new techniques in teaching, in summation, a feeling of heading towards a new creative horizon for the school and its teacher..

As a teacher, I explored the idea of choreographing pieces to commemorate the famous sculptures of Belur and Halebeedu..through an innovative piece called Narthisidalu sura naari (Life in sculptures)..to glow in dark concept using Bharatanatyam techniques to portray the beautiful Rangoli patterns for Basant Bahar, annual festival conducted by HumSub.. The music and rhythm section of Laasya school, under the guidance of Guru Ranganayaki Rajan, initiated a musical rendezvous, where the students sang and played Mridangam / tabla (Drums) as a way to encourage each other to get over stage fear..

Over the months, Laasya School took several student -led initiatives to improve techniques among young students age between 3 to 5 by interspersing yoga, strength training and a fun cardio routine. Summer months for Laasya is truly magical, as the students complete their Arangetrams (Formal graduation). 

After successfully completing its 18th annual with a presentation which was truly a kaleidoscope of items showcasing over 100 students  to an audience of over 500, the school feels blessed to be chosen for a Dance production for Pratham, an organization with a motto, "We believe education is the fundamental right of every child and no child should be deprived of this basic right simply because he or she does not have access to it or does not have the resources to realize his or her dreams."

Needless to say, as the artistic director of Laasya, I feel blessed and thank God for channeling my energy  to explore my creativity..

Sridevi

Smruthi Gargi Eswar is a graphic artist, painter and modern art aficionado who is interpreting Indian mythology through her bold retelling through paint, canvas and visual media. Follow Smruthi and her series "Sister Misfortune" on https://www.facebook.com/SmruthiGargiEswar

To me, my series “Sister Misfortune” seems to have an independent life of its own, carrying its weight as it explores new avenues. The series collaborated with performance artists from The Storm Factory at the first Alernational event, (an artists and performers collective based out of Bangalore). A couple of images from the series, were projected over performing contemporary dancers, bringing the goddesses out of their frames into a whole new medium. Sister Misfortune also had an outing (its second show in Mumbai) for the Art Hop event, at the Art Loft in Bandra.

My new series “Old City Cave” has also been developing simultaneously. I am still in the process of bringing it together and hope to do more of that in the New Year. In this series I am attempting to bring the lens we view old civilizations with, to view our own. To perceive our time with magic and mystery we seem to deny our selves. In the coming year, I am looking forward to my collaborated show with the Fashion House Ritu Kumar in Delhi and the Chennai Art fair that “Sister Misfortune” has been invited to.

It’s hard for me to have any real clarity over what 2014 is going to be like. My work and life seems to take its course in some independent way. So I am looking forward to it, hoping that there are going to be more pleasant surprises than not.

Smruthi

 Kathy Gori is a Hollywood screen writer and Bollywood kitchen blogger, who is reinterpreting America's perception of Indian cuisine through her culinary adventures. Read Kathy's gastronomic chronicles in http://www.thecolorsofindiancooking.com/

2013 was a year of big changes for my husband and me. Both my parents passed away and a great deal of the year (and most of the year before) was spent in caring for both of them. I am so glad we were able to be there with them for that time.

In between dealing with family business we managed to get our regular work done. My husband and I are screenwriters and though we usually write for the movies, we just finished our first TV pilot! It looks like we now have a director for it so we 're looking forward to a productive and busy new year. We'll also be starting another movie project.

I am back to my regular cooking schedule and am working on putting together a cookbook while Alan continues to take amazing pictures of all the food. I've also been asked to teach some Indian cooking classes and though I've never taught before I think that might be a lot of fun.

I'm excited to emerge from the rather dark place the last year and a half was and Alan and I are both looking forward to a busy and exciting new year.

Kathy

Artiste Feature - A Home Tour and a rendezvous!

Dear Readers,

If you are still reliving the traditional splendor of last week's post on Bharatanatyam, we are back, as promised with a sneak peek into Sridevi Jagannath's Home, and her artistic mind space.

The Nataraja "God of Dance" adorns the living space which is also used as a dance studio

"Great dancers aren't great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion." 

Aalayam was fortunate to be a guest at Sridevi’s family home in North Carolina. The classical contemporary design sensibilities of her colorful home, which she also uses as a workshop for teaching dance, prompted us to ask her not only an interview but also a Home Tour! And she said Yes!! 

In continuation of the two-post series – Aalayam brings to you Sridevi’s home tour and a rendezvous with Sridevi herself!

Classical Indian Tanjore Paintings, Rajasthani trinkets and ornate antique wooden frames punctuate this vibrant home

Here is Sridevi with some inspirational thoughts about Laasya, her students, her family and her passions:

Aalayam (A): What inspired you to start Laasya?

Sridevi (S): I have always been very passionate about dance and wanted to pursue dancing either as a performer or as a teacher. As strange as it may seem, Laasya was conceived in a Flea Market. Yes, that's right! On a sunny Saturday afternoon, as my husband Vijay and I were taking a stroll in a flea market in Raleigh, an Indian lady approached me and asked if I was a dancer. She wanted her daughter, a 7-year old at that time, to learn from me. Thus began a wonderful journey into the realm of dance

Sridevi combines a gorgeous embellished mirror with her student-class calendar in her dance studio

A: What are your and Laasya’s plans for the future?

S: Laasya was founded with the vision of engaging future generations in the rich classical dance form of Bharatanatyam. The school's primary objective is to foster creative thinking and personal growth in our youth. The school uses innovative techniques to explore new spaces of artistic expressions. The students are taught to observe “life” closely and learn to portray human emotions in the most honest way while being true to the character they play through story telling

Eye catching finds from all over the world create a kaleidoscopic landscape for Sridevi's artistic endeavors. 

A: Can you tell us how the rigors and joy of learning dance have inspired your students?

S: Laasya boasts of many graduates who started as 5-year olds and have continued to pursue their passion even at the university level. Many students are able to demonstrate their creative ideas either through workshops or innovative choreographies. Even though they come from very diverse backgrounds and unique cultures, dance is the single binding force that transcends many languages.

The traditional "Tabala",  Indian percussion instrument adds an interesting twist to Sridevi's living room, which combines comfort and rich Indian elegance.

A: What is your inspirational message to the Aalayam readers?

S: Aalayam, to me, is a kaleidoscope that always brightens my day. As an ardent follower, I really love the colorful pictures, ideas and information. The authors clearly have big dreams for their readers. For people like myself, Aalayam provides a way to infuse fresh air into some old furniture or cook something exotic without feeling overwhelmed. I incorporate some of the amazing ideas shared on this blog into my daily routine

Thank you Sridevi for letting us into your life and your home!

Love,
Supriya

Sridevi relaxes in her backyard deck with her favorite pastime between her classes, cuddling with her family pet and reading with a cuppa joe!

Bharatanatyam – Spotlight and Artiste Feature

This Spotlight showcases Bharatanatyam - one of the oldest classical dance forms prevailing in India and celebrates the artiste who has brought home (yes – to the USA) this verdant art from, inspiring and tutoring her many students in this branch of classical dance – Sridevi Jagannath. 

Sridevi and her artistic brain child - Laasya School of Dance and Music. Photo Credits: Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook

Bharatanatyam is said to derive its name from Bharata Muni, the author of Natya Shastra (treatise on dance) written between 2nd century B.C and 2nd century A.D. This dance form was originally performed in temples by the "devadasis" (servants of god) and it is to them that we owe the preservation of this art form. This art form received great patronage during the golden rule of the Maratha and Chola rulers. The dance was then called "Sadir". Sadir in turn, is derived from ancient dance forms that includes some acrobatic karanas. Bharatnatyam is usually accompanied by Carnatic music and jointly embodies a winsome union of the mind, body and the soul.

Bharatanatyam dancers adorn themselves with traditional kanjeevaram dance ensembles, temple jewelry and festive "alta" on their hands and feet . Photo Credits: Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook

With the advent of the Mughals started the decline of temple dancing. The Mughal rulers brought dancers from Persian states. The devadasis stopped receiving patronage and many of them started learning Persian dance and took to court dancing. The British rule did away with provincial monarchies. In a desperate move to earn livelihood many dancers who now stopped receiving any kind of patronage took to becoming escorts and royal consorts. Thus Bharatanatyam, as a dance form, fell into disrepute. Girls from honorable families stopped learning this dance. Dancing came to be considered as a ignominious profession in the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.

A Laasya student strikes a sculpteresque pose on traditional rangoli. Photo Credits: Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook

Modern sensibilities have outweighed the shadow of dishonor once attributed to this dance form. Bharatanatyam is now a reworked dance-form known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpturesque poses which extol the virtues of Indian culture and mythology. Today, Bharatanatyam is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practiced by male and female dancers all over the world.

Sridevi Jagannath is consecrating this classical dance form through Laasya – The School of Dance and Music (Find Laasya Nritya on Facebook). Sridevi founded Laasya a decade ago to train and mentor students in Bharatanatyam and Classical Music. Laasya is the proud alma mater to many prodigies from all over the world (my girls will go there too!) who have embraced the beauty and finesse of this form of Indian classical dance. Sridevi is a true Bangalore girl and boasts of a proud lineage of connoisseurs of music and dance. She is a wonderful friend, a great mom and a ray of sunshine in the lives of her family and friends. 

Sridevi and her Laasya students. Photo Credits: Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook

A teacher and a performer par excellence, Sridevi is one of the first few students of her Guru Smt. Padmini Ravi at the Pradhan Dance Center in Bangalore, India, a widely acclaimed school in the Vazhavoor style of Bharatanatyam. She began her career as a dancer at the tender age of five. Ever since, she has enthralled the hearts of many dance lovers far and beyond. Her mother Karnataka Kalashree Smt. Ranganayaki Rajan, who is an internationally acclaimed artist herself, introduced her to the world of music. She also had the privilege of getting trained under some world famous dance personalities like K.J. Sarasa, Padmabhushan Kalanidhi Narayan, and Smt. Banumathi. Before leaving India, she was an artiste for the Indian television’s prime time channel Doordarshan and performed in small screen lead roles on several occasions. 

Sridevi in her many performances. Photo Credits : Anil Mallya

Sridevi has performed for organizations such as the Florida chapter of SPICMACAY, Stevens Point, WI, Balaji Temple, Chicago, IL, the SAARC Summit, Hindu Society of North Carolina, ICMDS, NC and International Dance Alliance, Chennai, India. She has also conducted several lecture demonstrations at Lees McRae Performing Arts School, Boone, NC. 

Her recent innovative experiment "ANANYA" performed under the HUMSUB (Find HumSub Cary on Facebook) banner was very well received by the art-lovers of the Triangle area. This was an experiment where the technique of Bharatanatyam remained untouched, but the concepts portrayed were unique. She was recently invited to perform at the Oregon State University for India festival, the biggest ever in the entire northwestern region of the United States. Sridevi is also a member of Srishti - The Creation, a group of dance artists that are individually well trained in the art and have been performing at many prestigious platforms in the USA for over a decade.

Sristhi group ensemble. Photo Credits : Anil Mallya

Sridevi is known for her Tala-Gnana and precision in Nattuvangam. She has been training students for the past ten years in the Triangle area and has performed several Arangetrams of her senior students. Sridevi is a formidable force in her Bharatanatyam classes. I have been a moot observer on many occasions and I have seen this bubbly and enthusiastic friend and confidante turn into a strict and feared teacher, inspiring, nudging and shaping her students to imbibe the style and symmetry of the dance form as their own. Her many students have formed lifelong friendships with her, a bond forged out of a common love for classical dance, enriched by its rigors and fuelled by passion for creating a thing of beauty!

"Great dancers aren't great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion." 

"Guru" or Teacher pondering over the many Bharatanatyam prodigies whose futures and passions she fuelled. Photo Credits: Sripriya Murthy Photography - Facebook 

Aalayam was fortunate to be a guest at Sridevi’s family home in North Carolina. The classical contemporary design sensibilities of her colorful home, which she also uses as a workshop for teaching dance, prompted us to ask her not only an interview but also a Home Tour! And she said Yes!! So dear readers, look out for the next post in this two-post series – Sridevi’s home tour! And a rendezvous with Sridevi herself! So, I leave you dear readers with these beautiful images of joyful inspiration...and a promise for more next week!

Love,

Supriya