classical indian dance

5 Oct, 2009

Kathak Made a Man Out of Me…..And a Bird!

2009-10-05T00:46:53-07:00By |Categories: Charlotte Moraga, CounterPULSE, Performing Diaspora|Tags: , , , |

Kathak made a man out of me....And a Bird! by Charlotte Moraga Gender-bending, gender-blending--This is ardhinariswara. It’s nothing new for a Kathak dancer. We have to explore the depths of extreme masculinity and extreme femininity as we portray different characters and characterization in stories. This kind of role playing requires an artist to get in touch with conflicting feelings and emotions within. What does it mean to be a man? a woman? As a woman, a mother, a grandmother, I

6 Feb, 2013

“Can a mere cloud bear such a message?”

2013-02-06T09:43:12-08:00By |Categories: CounterPULSE, Nadhi Thekkek, Performing Diaspora, Performing Diaspora Events|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I was first inspired by Kalidasa’s Meghadhuta (The Cloud Messenger) in 2009. At the time, I was exploring the role of the messenger in Indian texts and poetry. Often times the role of the messenger was simply stated – a person carrying a message from one lover to another. In dance, in some of the more commonly performed pieces, the messenger was often a sakhi (dear friend) of the nayika (heroine), and the nayika was usually desperately trying to convince

Go to Top