Magazine Articles

Classical Dances

Beautiful to Watch But Hard to Master?

The answer is yes!!! Any classical dance, right from Ballet to Bharatanatyam take years to master, and by years I mean decades! The pirouettes, air splits, pointy toes, all need loads of intensive training accompanied by a strong sense of dedication and an unquenchable thirst for the art.

Ballerinas tend to begin their training at a young age, often spending all of their time after school at class. They are required to maintain petite, zero fat figures, often leading to young girls and boys taking up smoking to kill their hunger and stay lean. But this is the least of their worries. Ballerinas can dance professionally only until the age of 35 or so, after which their career is over. The human body can only do so much, and the steps involved in Ballet demand a lot from the joints, muscles, nerves and bones of the dancers. Many ballerinas end up with injuries that show up later in life due to abuse of the body during their youth, thus making it clear that the art form has no dearth of occupational hazards. The sacrifices made though, result in amazing aesthetics. The positions, stances, and emotions portrayed are other worldly, thus ensuring the attraction of many.

Indian Classical dances are comparatively more forgiving towards the dancers’ bodies. Bharatanatyam in particular focuses on strengthening the overall physique of the dancer, thus making it possible to execute choreographies that would otherwise be unnatural to the human body. With a lower level of intolerance towards differences in body types as compared to that in Ballet, Bharatanatyam teachers advise their students to maintain a lean body, but curves are more than welcome, especially among female dancers. Although traditionally, the dance style favoured female dancers who possessed certain traits such as dark skin, a curvy figure, lotus petal shaped eyes, long hair, and so on and so forth, changes in politics and society in general gave way to the inclusion of male dancers, fair skinned dancers, etc. There are many famous non Indian dancers across the world who contribute to the vast treasury of this artform. The best part is how a dancer who regularly trains and maintains their stamina is able to perform a full fledged programme even while in their sixties or seventies!

Aesthetics in Art Forms

The arts which are primarily an expression of oneself, are also a major reflection of human society. Art does not really exist without the involvement of some sort of aesthetics, even though it may seem spectacular to some and strange to others. The various art forms that have emerged from communities around the world have different and interesting approaches to the aesthetic aspect of the art. Here are the opinions of a few artists who have been immersed in different art forms for a good number of years.

Ravi Almeida, who first studied at Kala Academy and is currently learning under world renowned violinist Pheroze Mistri, has performed with the Indian National Youth Orchestra (1^st Violin), Indo German Youth Orchestra, Goa Chamber Orchestra and Child’s Play Orchestra, while also giving violin lessons. Anuj Almeida has learnt to play the piano under pianists Louella Fernandes and later, Delia Varga. Apart from performing on stage, he has also given lessons to children at the Child’s Play Foundation for 3 years. The two brothers (who by the way study at our college) had some interesting views to share regarding the aesthetics of Western Classical music. According to Ravi, auditory aesthetics are more important than visual aesthetics in the case of Western Classical music, especially due to the fact that most music today is shared as recordings. The various qualities of tones have to match the rest of the harmony in order to get a good overall sound. When asked if it is easy to incorporate aesthetics in the art form, Anuj replied saying that this role of incorporation switches from the consumer to the producer, the composers. While composing, they take into consideration an entire orchestra, keeping in mind more than 20 different instruments playing at the same time, all of them building up the intensity of the same piece. Ravi added saying that superficially it's very easy to display aesthetics, but to be naturally aesthetic, it takes a lot of practice and command over one's instrument, which often takes years to accomplish. He continues to say that in terms of sound, aesthetics are used in the various phrasing styles that are employed by an individual, depending on the period of music they're playing. It usually refers to one's interpretation of the music. Visual aesthetics account for the actions or the gestures that come into the picture while performing. These physical movements are necessary if you want to play in a certain way and therefore look distasteful when faked or unnecessarily used as it reflects directly in the sound produced. Anuj believes that one of the defining characteristics of classical music is the incorporation of harmony within the melodies. According to him, this probably is the most aesthetic part about it. The merging of many into one.

Regarding the audience’s perception, he feels that in most cases it's very easy to grab an audience’s attention with the superficial aesthetics of music. However, when it comes to playing professionally the audience has high expectations that takes years and talent to be able to deliver. Anuj adds by saying that the proverb, “Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder”, stands true as music is perceived differently by each individual. Even in classical music there are varied opinions about the aesthetics of the pieces in question. One does not simply wake up one fine morning and develop an interest in classical music. It takes years of understanding and listening to finally get used to the themes.

According to Ravi, the art form is less rigid and freer today. Artists take more creative liberty now as compared to 40-50 years ago. Anuj agrees while adding that over the ages, the style of music has changed. From Baroque, with their two and three part harmonic melodies to the Modern period with its tendency to hit the instruments rather than play them.

Aaron Monteiro, a student of film studies at Whistling Woods International, Mumbai has always been passionate about photography. He has gained a fair amount of experience in both photography as well as videography through college and non-academic shoots. When asked about his opinions on aesthetics in his field, he replied saying, “A good photograph is an art work made up of different elements that give it meaning. A good photograph tells a story through a visual narrative, and it is the aesthetics of the photograph that draw the viewer into the work of art, giving it a story while keeping the audience gripped through the way it is pieced together.”

Aaron believes that aesthetics are defined by how you compose a photograph. It is what you choose to keep and choose to leave out of the photograph. According to him, the most common principles that define the aesthetics of a photo are colour, subject choice, contrast, lighting, exposure, focus, texture, symmetry and balance, the way it is edited etc. There are different methods to achieve an aesthetic photo by following guidelines in order to abide by the principles mentioned above.

He goes on to specify how as most of the aesthetic principles are scientific, they give the audience a sense of satisfaction. He further mentions how some of the rules are deliberately broken at times, to give a sense of discomfort. He states that aesthetics has evolved by leaps and bounds over the years with the improvement of science. The golden ratio, the rule of thirds, colour theory are some of the things that have been possible with scientific advancements. He adds that besides this, aesthetics in photography evolve with the era, with the trend, with the times.

Harsh Kamat is a keen and talented Goan photographer, (Fun fact: He is an alumnus of our college!) who did his Masters in Photography from Arco: Centre for Arts and Visual Communications, Lisboa. He specializes in commercial, architecture and portrait photography, and he also has experience in industrial, fashion and travel photography. Harsh believes that aesthetics are important in every field, every task or skill that we perceive. He feels that it is something that lifts your skill or creativity one step higher.

Harsh states that incorporating aesthetics isn’t a question of the difficulty involved. Most of the time, you bring it to the table anyway, as it is already within you.

He goes on to say, “As an artist, I feel we portray our work just the way we see it, just the way we see ourselves. So your feelings or your aesthetic perception has already been invested in the art form. Whether it’s photography, cinema, music, painting, dance, writing or even cooking for that matter. The rest of the time, it’s like a developed skill. You acquire it with time and experience. You learn a lot from watching other folks or your colleagues who belong to the same ecosystem. You may even pick it up from a person who inspires you, like your role model or even a friend.” According to Harsh, how the audience perceives is based on how you present your work to them. In photography, for example, if one were to display a happy picture it would make the audience happy, and if instead, a disturbing image were to be displayed, the audience’s reaction would be contrary to the previous reaction. Harsh feels that the evolution of aesthetics in photography is very dynamic. He also adds that as we all are different individuals and have different ways of looking at things, what seems aesthetic to one may be offensive to another, but of course, the artist’s intentions would matter greatly too.

Sachika Almeida, a devoted teacher of Bharatanatyam who has been teaching the classical dance for the past 30 years also has an interesting notion of what aesthetics mean in Bharatanatyam. According to her, famous exponents of the art form such as Rukmini Devi Arundale (an exceptional performer and choreographer who greatly contributed to the renaissance of the dance form) focused on the simple and straightforward nuances. As the art form was brought from the temple to the stage, there have been different phases in the evolution, which have resulted in various styles. The costume, musical compositions, stage décor and choreography are all designed to enhance the aesthetics of the form.

She believes that some schools are more particular about the costume, the dance repertoire, etc, and although the style depends on each school, retaining the duty towards the classicism of the form is always the most important thing.

She says, “We artists create the audience. Whether we express quality or mediocrity, that is up to us. The lines, the complete form, the araimandi (a certain posture wherein the legs are bent to form a diamond shape) should all be perfect. The abhinaya (expression) has to be classy, so that it stands true to being part of a classical art form, thus distinguishing it from dance forms that are more casual, so much so that it moves the audience.”

She feels that certain aspects have improved over time, for example the kind and colour of costumes, but changes should be made while retaining the traditional parameters. She strongly feels that Bharatanatyam should not be suited to the modern age, musical compositions should be woven in Carnatic music as per tradition. Just because one is in Goa, one shouldn’t destroy the authenticity of this South Indian art. She states that finally, the aesthetics of the dance depends on the dancer, who is the medium that conveys the art. She says, “How we immerse ourselves is vital, the projection is not of the dancer, it is of the dance. The dancer becomes the dance.”

Vishlist: A Fashion Lover’s Go To!

Mavish Banducda, a third year student of Economics from our college, has spread her wings and embarked upon her journey to fulfilling her passion in the field of fashion. If you’ve ever seen her in college, you’d know that she’s doing the right thing because her fashion sense is spectacular! Here’s what she has to say about how she thought of coming up with her own clothing line, ‘Vishlist’, and what it’s like to be a fashion designer at such a young age.

Mavish states that she never planned on starting such a venture and it was a sudden, impulsive decision. She was always influenced by her father’s independence at his work place and although she originally planned on doing a typical 9 to 5 job, she eventually realized she was not so keen on joining the corporate world. She never really liked the schedule, power structure, inefficiencies and inequities that exist in the corporate world, it simply didn’t attract her.

She goes on to say that she was always passionate about clothing, ever since childhood and she would often create outfits for herself from extra materials that her father had at his shop. Without realizing, Mavish had actually established the journey of what she really wanted to do. A friend one day suggested that she should start her own clothing line, and after a year of planning, without waiting for anything she jumped right into it.

Mavish confesses that the fashion industry is definitely one of the most competitive fields, but she uses the loopholes of big brands such as their extravagant prices against them and competes by selling her outfits at less than half of that price. Her aim is to design clothes that have affordable rates while having the same quality as branded clothes.

Mavish admits that there is a lot of research work involved as she has to continuously study trends which she does through social media, influencers’ activities and magazines. Although she keeps an eye on the trends, she doesn’t stick to them, she prefers designing unique outfits, ones which stand out, keeping in mind what she herself would find attractive.

When asked about the challenges she faces while designing certain outfits, she said that although it is challenging sometimes, the challenges keep her motivated and excited. As a person as well as a designer she is forever learning new things, grasping more knowledge and skill, and she always takes challenges head on!

Mavish believes that this venture has been the best decision of her life as it has given her a purpose in life which she wants to fulfill, no matter how hard she needs to work for it. She is extremely glad for not having wasted her time waiting to complete her graduation, working at other places and in collecting investment. She says that it has certainly been a great journey so far.

Things to do for a non-dater in a pandemic.

Hey you! How are you holding up? This pandemic really is getting to us isn’t it? It’s so hard to not be able to meet our friends as often as we used to, and for those of us who don’t date or aren’t in a relationship at the moment, life couldn’t get any more monotonous. Are you sick of having to listen to your friends talk about their cheesy love lives? Don’t you want to take a break and do something for yourself for once? Well, if you do, you’ve come to the right place! So, let’s get straight to it!

Explore! We Goans are fortunate enough to live in one of the most beautiful, scenic places in the world, so we really should make it a point to take roads we’ve never taken. It’s simpler than you might think, pack some water, snacks and just take off. Biking to some unknown spots is one of the most enjoyable experiences ever, and trust me, doing it all by yourself adds an additional sense of excitement. If you get lost, don’t worry about it, everyone gets lost once in a while, and who knows, you might rediscover yourself in the bargain!

Write! Even if you’ve never done it before, it’s really worth a try. You’d be surprised at how much you enjoy pouring out your thoughts, your feelings, and you’ll come to realise how hard it is to stop once you’ve begun. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be material that you want others to read, although it could be that too, but many find writing for themselves equally rewarding. A lot of people who don’t feel comfortable talking about how they feel to others, might prefer writing instead. As Anne Frank wrote in her diary, “Paper has more patience than people.”.

A balanced lifestyle! I know this might sound boring to many, but believe it or not, a lot of people have started to experience serious health issues ever since this pandemic has begun. If you look around, you’ll see how some people have gained weight while others have pulled down (a little too much), and it has to do with the lack of exercise and mental stress that we’re all going through. The best way to deal with stress in my opinion is to have a balanced time table, one which includes enough exercise, a clean and healthy diet, and of course, plenty of sound sleep! You can try to do the splits, or you can do some pilates, whatever you enjoy doing, just do it! Don’t forget to stay in touch with old friends and relatives, a good chat is a good stress buster.

The world today is in a complicated situation, but no matter what, life will go on. So don’t forget to take good care of yourself while you’re looking out for others.

Go ahead and show yourself some love!

Similipal, Odisha up in flames!

Similipal, a national park and a tiger reserve in Odisha, is Asia’s second largest bioreserve. Until only a few days ago, the forest was getting burnt to the ground. Initially the local tribes were accused of causing the fire for poaching reasons, but the allegations were completely baseless as the tribals who were interviewed, explained how they had lived next to these forests all their lives and it would be ridiculous to say that they destroyed the forests, the same forests upon which they are dependent for their livelihoods. In the bargain, their fields have been completely destroyed.

Due to the fires, there has been a huge loss of biodiversity. The Similipal forests are said to be some of the most beautiful locations in India, but sadly, a huge portion of the flora was burned down and as for the fauna, many were killed. The ones that managed to flee, ran into the villages, reported certain tribals. As India’s largest elephant reserve and the only home of the Black Royal Tiger, the fires ought to have received far more media coverage than what it did receive. The government has been criticised by many for not taking the measures which were necessary when the forests were still burning. Although at one point the government of Odisha had given a statement saying that the fires had been taken under control, many people reported that this was not the case, and that many areas of the forest were still burning.

If we look at the forest fires issue on a global scale, we can see that recently many such incidents have been taking place across the globe, and what’s even more interesting is how these fires seem to take place in areas where certain government and/or businessmen are trying to occupy tribal lands, forests, and so on. In Odisha itself, the infamous Adani group has been accused of taking over lands belonging to farmers. They plan on building massive power plants that are said to cost thousands and thousands of crores, apart from which, they want to establish mining operations in Odisha in order to obtain the coal, which they plan on transporting through our little state of Goa ( if you haven’t heard of the anti-coal protests in Goa, you really should look it up! ).

In Brazil, where the world’s largest tropical forests are burned to the ground every single year and the government is openly fanning the flames (literally and metaphorically), clearly showing its support towards the industrialists that are destroying our forests today, and our existence tomorrow, the tribals are being displaced, even massacred. There are people who are being run over by machines, people who are fighting for their survival, and ours as well, and what do we hear of these heinous crimes against humanity? Nothing. This is not any different from the colonisation that Brazil was exposed to for centuries. I think it would be safe to say that most media coverage is biased, in favour of the government, the businessmen and the industrialists.

Another heart wrenching story is that of Australia’s bushfires. Many of you might have seen pictures of the fires, the suffering animals, the helpless aboriginals, all crying out for help. Although there isn’t much information about whether these lands are under threat of being acquired by industrialists, the possibility of this taking place can not be put beyond these evil, crony capitalists. After all, Australians are fighting against the Adani group, which intends on destroying even The Great Barrier Reef, among other community lands and aboriginal lands.

This is our future at stake. The older generation seems hell bent on selling us just to fill their pockets with paper which will be of no use when all the rivers are dry, all the land is infertile, and the air is filled with unimaginable poisonous gases. They’ve lived their lives, so they don’t care about us. If we don’t stand up for our future, we won’t have one. Just like in the song by Joni Mitchell, “Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

Fishtro: A Fishy Affair!

Are you looking for a place that sells authentic Goan fish curry rice? Well, you’re in luck! Located along the main road in Sao Jose de Areal, is a spectacular restaurant, one that won’t disappoint you! ‘Fishtro’ a relatively new establishment specializes in Goan food, while also catering to those who seek Chinese food and other Indian cuisines. The ambience is quaint and peaceful, with a very homely vibe to it, one that gets you to relax in no time. When a friend recommended the place, my family (and I) decided to

check it out.

To start, we ordered for drinks and soup, all of which were far more decently priced in comparison to other restaurants, and to our pleasant surprise they perfectly suited our palettes. Since the restaurant specializes in authentic Goan food, as per the owner’s

recommendation, we decided to try their specialty, ‘Solaharvi Mirsang bharillo Bangdo’, which is mackerel filled with a heavenly combination of the traditional Goan ‘Sola’ and other spices. The dish was spectacular to say the least, and there was no way it could have tasted any better.

We also ordered for some 'Masala Squids' and 'Sungta Dangre' (a famous Goan delicacy that is similar to prawn cutlets, but far more flavourful), both of which exceeded our expectations. As for the main course, we decided to order for some prawn curry and rice, along with fried ‘Vellyo’. Once more, we were amazed at how delicious the food was, it was nothing less than perfect!

My family is full of food critiques, and after a very long time, there wasn’t a single “Oh, this could have been better…”. For those of you who absolutely love fish and Goan food, this restaurant is a must. Right from the ambience and the warm staff to the impeccable but reasonable food, Fishtro in my opinion is simply amazing! If you are an Instagram user, you can check out their account, I’m quite certain you won’t be able to resist the temptation to pay them a visit!