Thursday, February 8, 2007

Puppets



Wednesday we had a treat of a demonstration of a Rajasthan puppet show, part of a larger exhibition of Indian puppet styles.

Sunday, the Sanskriti Foundation hosted a memorial for the dancer and choreographer Chandraleka, with audio eulogies by several of her contemporaries in various fields.

Saturday, February 3, 2007

The Kendra




Patty and I arrived at the Sanskriti kendra, which is about 15 km southwest of New Delhi. It's a beautiful spot and fairly tranquil, with some very interesting visiting artists from Australia, the US, and England primarily, with one woman from Pakistan. No Indian artists, which is a bit disappointing, but there is a workshop this week that seems to have some Delhi artists participating. Most of the artists visiting are clay artists. We each have a spartan but light-flooded studio and small bedroom. Three times a day the guys in the kitchen ring a bell to tell us a meal is ready and we all come running. The food is quite amazing.

In town, there has been a three-day festival of Kathak dance and music, celebrating the birthday of the guru of our third collaborator, Navina Jafa. We have seen some amazing singers, dancers, and tabla players. It is a treat to get such an immersion in the dance style, and see the many subtleties.