Sangam at Dandenong - Earth Matters Walking Experience: Artist Biographies

Sangam 2021 PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL OF SOUTH ASIA & DIASPORA ARTS | MUSIC | DANCE | WORKSHOPS | SCREENINGS | DEVELOPMENT | CONVERSATIONS

Sangam at Dandenong - Earth Matters Walking Experience Artist Biographies

Sangam at Dandenong - Earth Matters Walking Experience Artistic Directors: Priya Srinivasan, Hari Sivanesan, Uthra Vijay Sangam Team: Priya Pavri, Varsha Ramesh, Sunanda Satchatrakul, Shweta Kawatra, Simone Etheve, Ruiqi Fu A triple bill Earth Matters walking tour is a site specific series of performances that temporarily “takeover” and “park” artists at the Dandenong Drum Theatre, Harmony Square and Walker Street Gallery parking lot for 2 hours.

Like graffiti on walls, what happens when South Asian classical forms make their mark and interact with bare feet on the Earth and built environments for 2 hours (the parking limit for cars in Dandenong). An audience member becomes part of a walking tour, stopping at each of the 3 sites for a unique participatory interactive experience.

Earth Matters asks what happens when local communities of artists interact to transform the sonic and visual landscapes that have excluded them for so long. What does it mean to experience the sights and sounds of classical South Asia in Dandenong on unceded lands of the Kulin Nation, which is also the home to the highest population of South Asians anywhere in Victoria?

The Drum Stage includes 1. A Raga Immersion - immersive works of Indian classical music, spoken word, dance and movement connecting artists/audiences across multiple demographics. Raga is the melodic scale integral to Indian classical music.

It brings diverse multi form Australian emerging and professional artists together to develop and present contemporary sound and movement.

Artists: Deepa Mani, Samrakshana Ram, Sapna Chandu, David Balaban, Rohan Dasika, Subramanya Sastry 2. Hindustani and Carnatic Music Artists: Namarata Trivedi , Ranjitha Suresh, Jay Dabgar , Prasad Karve, Malathi Vasudevan, Venkat Ramakrishnan

Harmony Square Stage includes performance and audience participatory works 1. Nithya Gopu Solomon, working through movement, the classical Indian dance Style, Mohiniattam and yoga 2. Bollywood Dancing Performance and participatory session with Marshie Pereira Walker street parking lot 8 solo dance performances, which includes the classical styles of Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Yakshagana, Mohini Attam from different parts of South Asia Performers: Shravya Shetty, Shreya Rath, Chandana Brijesh, Lekshmi Sarath, Nilakshi Bora, Lalitha Narayanan, Vrinda Joshi, Yen Wen Soo, Veena Kadayaprath.

Sangam acknowledges Drum Theatre as a partner.

Chandana Brijesh Chandana has over two decades of strong experience as a performer, choreographer and a trainer. She underwent initial training in Bharatanatya under Smt. Sangeeta Keshav and Guru Vasanthalakshmi. Her passion for the art and her inherent talent were recognized and finely developed by Guru Dr. Padmaja Suresh of Aatmalaya Academy. Chandana has travelled widely rendering concerts at various festivals in India. Presently based at Melbourne, Chandana enjoys sharing and showcasing her skills to the vibrant, multicultural community. She has performed for several organisations in Melbourne and looks forward to creative collaborations that connect art and artistes.

Her recent tour was along with her Guru at the largest temple complex, the Angkor Watt in Cambodia. Chandana holds a master’s degree in English Literature. Daughter of Smt. Bharathi Kasargod , a well-known writer and Sri. Rangarao Kasargod, an Industrialist, Chandana belongs to a family of scholars and philanthropists. Chandana has established “Sindhubhairavi,” a centre for Indian Arts and Culture in Melbourne that imparts training in Bharatanatya and facilitates broader understanding of the responsibilities of an artiste.

Vrinda Naicker Miss Vrinda Naicker has been training for Indian classical Kathak dance style under Mrs Mohini Joshi Bordawekar for past 8 years. She is currently teaching Kathak at one of the branches of Manmohini Indian Dance School and has been one of the lead dancers at all the concerts by the dance school. She is one of those skilled performers who is trained in more than one classical dance forms and has been learning Bharatnatyam for past more than 12 years from Smt . Shanti Ramakrishnan. Vrinda has performed Kathak dance at various prestigious events in Victoria including • Indian Film Festival , White Night Festival 2015 , Victorian festival of Lights at Fed Square ,AFL Multicultural Day at MCG, • Collaboration with 4 other Indian Classical dance styles (Prakruti festival 2017, Vishwa festival 2016 for Federation of Indian Music and Dance Victoria) • Performed as the Inaugural presentation at the Rang performance by Internationally well-known Kathak Gurus Nirupama and Rajendra ji , 5th • March 2017 • India Strategy Launch organised by AII, Melbourne Uni and Department of Premier, In Presence of Hon Mr. Daniel Andrews, 14th Jan 2018 • Performed Inaugural presentation along with International Kathak artist Sharvari Jamenis and troup July 2019.

Veena Kadayaprath Veena Kadayaprath is a Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher. She nurtures a deep sense of dedication and love for Bharatanatyam. Veena started learning the artform at the age of five and has practised and performed for over 25 years. She presented her solo graduation in 2011 under Smt Anusha Gnanachelvan in Melbourne. A notable feature of Veena’s performances is her talent for understanding and portraying the abhinaya concepts. A strong technical foundation has introduced a natural quality in her dancing that is underpinned by a strong passion and love for the artform. Veena is a member of Karma Dance’s touring group and has performed for Multicultural Arts Victoria, Shakti Foundation in Byron Bay, Melbourne Rice Festival, Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day and Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland.

Lalitha Narayanan Senior disciple of Prof Smt. Kalakshetra Vilasini (Nrithyasri Academy, Kerala), with true passion, dedication and strenuous training, Lalitha spent more than a decade with Nrithyasri Academy and went on to perform at various stages across different cities in India accompanying her Guru in many of her significant dance productions and compositions. She continued her passion, under renowned Guru (Late) Srl. Padmashri Adyar K Lakshman and his daughter Smt. Induvandana Malli. Her passion in taking the art form to the upcoming generations, and with more than 25 years of learning and performing, led the way to the founding of Nrithyopasana School of Bharatanatyam in Melbourne, VIC, an initiative to spread the dance form amongst the passionate. She has had the privilege to have been invited to perform at various multicultural events and her agility and emotions in her performances have always been a delight to the audience.

Milestones in her journey • Performed for the ‘’Multicultural Express’ event in 2013 supporting Metro Victoria against racism (Broadcasted on SBS channel) • Performed for multicultural event organized by Victorian Tamil Cultural Association (posted in Dandenong Journal) • Have worked with several music and dance schools based in Melbourne, VIC since the inception of Nrithyopasana School of Bharatanatyam • Member of BAAVA Inc (Bharatanatayam Acharyas Association of Victoria, Australia) and served a 2-year term as Secretary of the organization • Regular Performances at various community, multicultural events and festivals across Australia

Shravya Shetty Vidushi Shravya Shetty hails from the coastal town of India, Udupi. She has been a student and performer of Bharatanatyam for over two decades. She is also an ardent lover of Yakshagana, a traditional folk theatre form. She moved to Melbourne to pursue her master’s degree; she is now working in the banking industry.

Yee Wen Soo Yee Wen (Ewen) Soo is an Odissi dancer at the Sohamasmi Centre for Performing Arts. She has been learning under the guidance of Monica Singh Sangwan for over seven years. She performs regularly as a solo and in groups, assists in teaching and choreographs short dance pieces.

Through Odissi, she extends her knowledge and understanding of bodily movements towards theatre, installation and participatory arts. Her independent works involve arts education, theatre for early years and community arts.

Lekshmi Sarath Lekshmi Sarath is a leading disciple of eminent Guru Dr. Neena Prasad, a prominent internationally acclaimed Mohiniyattam dancer and choreographer.

She is a trained classical dancer specializing in Mohiniyattam. Having recognised her talent in dancing at an early age, she was initiated into authentic training in both Mohiniyattam and Bharathanatyam that gave her a solid foundation to nurture and showcase her talent in India, Australia and various other countries. Besides being trained in Bharathanatyam by veteran Dr. Kalamandalam Sathyabhama, she has also taken Kathakali lessons from renowned Kathakali performing artist Kalamandalam Krishna Prasad. This knowledge and practice helped her to absorb multiple traditional dance forms and incorporate their nuances into making her own distinctive style in Mohiniyattam and conduct numerous workshops in Mohiniyattam. Lekshmi also undertook productions along with her Guru Dr. Neena Prasad in Konark festival, Dhouli festival (Odisha), Ananya festival (Delhi), Nishagandhi festival and other performances in India. She achieved CCRT (Centre for Cultural Resources & Training) scholarship and holds Diploma in Mohiniyattam. She continues her pursuit for excellence in the field through performances, research, practice and teaching. Her consistent contribution in the realm of Art & Culture in India and Australia are both inspirational and commendable with remarkable performances at several venues in India,Germany, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Australia.

Shreya Rath Shreya Rath was born in Melbourne and started her Odissi journey at 8.

Through different dance styles and teachers, she has found her own sense of the art through her guru Smt Monica Singh Sangwan as part of the Sohamasmi Centre for Performing Arts. Along with her dancing, she is currently a student at Melbourne University.

Drum Theatre - Raga Immersion Sapna Chandu blends photography, video, sound, and performance to create cross-cultural narratives that unfold through immersive and participatory experiences. Influenced by her Australian Indian upbringing as a Post Colonial subject of the 1980s her work responds to broader themes of de-colonisation, globalisation and intersectional feminism in ways that playfully challenges established power structures, cultural norms, and notions of authenticity. Her current practice aims to engage existing audiences in unexpected ways and create new audiences in public spaces.

Highlights include selection for Next Wave 2020, Kwality Chai her live art project (2014-2017), Artistic Director Manifestations of Now Fed Square/NGV, 2012.

- https://vimeo.com/355246042

Subramanya Sastry Subramanya Sastry is a passionate Bansuri flautist from India. He has performed in over 500 concerts in India and around the world including Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and Australia, where he has been living since 2017. He has been awarded numerous prestigious accolades including Best Instrumentalist by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Central Government of India - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoEwUj1bLhY

Samrakshana Ram With a background in Carnatic vocal and Bharatanatyam, Samrakshana is an upcoming explorative performer with a passion for expression through the arts. She has performed and collaborated with local and international talents; and is constantly seeking to deepen her knowledge and grow.

- YouTube: Samrakshana Ram

Deepa P Mani Deepa P Mani has distinguished herself as a talented and versatile dancer in both Classical Bharathanatyam and Contemporary dance. With 30+ years of training and experience, Deepa is a consummate dancer with acclaimed performances in India, United States, and Australia. Deepa trained in the Indian Classical form - Bharathanatyam under the tutelage of Kalaimamani Smt. Padmini Dorairajan and graduated with the Title “Nritya Kala Ranjini”.

Deepa diversified into Contemporary dance when she joined Tehreema Mitha Dance Company in Washington DC and performed on many stages as one of the lead dancers. In 2008, Deepa moved to Melbourne and continued her passion for dance under Dr. Chandrabhanu OAM, a renowned Artist and Performer in Australia. An IT Management Professional, Deepa made a career switch and now runs “Chandralaya” - a classical and contemporary dance school in Melbourne focusing on imparting the rich art both in its purest and contemporary form(s).

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyUeY4efX4Q

David Balaban As a student of Indian Classical Music for the past 16 years, David Balaban mesmerizes his audience with the sitar for his tonal quality and soulful ambience. He is a student of Sri Sugato Nag who belongs to the “Etawah” and “Senia-Shahjahanpore Gharanas” This Gharana follows the “Gayaki Ang” or “vocal style” of sitar playing which was invented by sitar master “Ustad Vilayat Khan”. In this style, the sitar is to be played by intimating the human voice, and to play vocal compositions exclusively. David visits his guru regularly in Kolkata India, and has been performing and teaching sitar in Melbourne since 2009.

- https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2G0dWu7QCEs&feature=emb_logo Rohan Dasika is a double bassist with a diverse musical life in Australia and abroad. A graduate of the ANU School of Music in Canberra, and the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne, he has worked on contracts in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Frankfurter Opern-und-Museumsorchester, as well as performing at chamber music festivals across Australia. After being awarded the Freedman Classical Fellowship in 2019, Rohan has begun taking his first steps towards bringing the South Indian side of his heritage into his music, and since April 2020 has been studying online with the Chennai-based violinist V.S Narasimhan.

- https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCxYqlNB7JsSYQZno3acka4A

Harmony Square Nithya Gopu Solomon Nithya Solomon is a Mohiniattam artist and teacher, a yoga teacher and also delivers yoga teacher training. The first graduate of Tara Rajkumar OAM, Nithya has performed in nearly all of the sell-out, critically acclaimed seasons of Natya Sudha Dance Company in Australia. With a diverse movement vocabulary that includes Mohiniattam, Kathakali, Capoeira, Yoga and Kalaripayuttu, Nithya has collaborated extensively with multi-disciplinary artists in productions ranging from pure classical dance to disco-yoga. Nithya was one of the first students to complete Monash University’s New Dances from Old Cultures choreography course, for which she received the Ernst Morawetz Prize for excellence.

Jhoom Bollywood Jhoom-Bollywood Dance Company continues to promote and celebrate Bollywood culture and colour through dance in Melbourne, Australia.

You may have spotted them at various festivals through the years but also on TV in 2017 in the Melbourne Renegades commercial as well as in 2015 due to the international coverage of the Cricket World Cup as well as White Night dancing on a floating barge on the Yarra river.

They are currently featured in Madame Tussauds Bollywood exhibition in Sydney as the dancing silhouettes that teach you how to dance like the stars!

At Jhoom Bollywood, they believe that dance in Indian cinema melts all boundaries and fuses many dance styles and cultures together - the aim is to release the Bollywood star within you!

You can follow all their activities on social media @jhoombollywood

Drum Theatre - Earth Matters Music Ranjitha Suresh • A Vocalist with sound knowledge and learning in khayal Gayan style of Hindustani Classical music.

• Proficiency in Carnatic classical music form • Conducted workshops on Music therapy based on aesthetics of ragas • Theatre Experience - composed music for ballets, dance dramas and plays • Proficiency in performing light classical music, folk music and film music.

• Performed at the Melbourne International Festival of Hindustani Classical Music (MIFHCM) 2020, Hindustani Classical Music Society in May 2019, and Hindustani Classical Concerts at Indian Institute of world culture and Suchitra Film Society, Bangalore • Performed as one among 5 musicians from Karnataka on National Literacy Day 2007 in • Vigyan bhavan, Delhi.

• Performed in prestigious institutions like Kannada Sahitya Parishath, Sugama Sangeet Academy, Gayana Samaja, Gokhale Institute.

• Participated in kannada reality show Star singer season 2 reaching top 6 • Active member and music composer for plays at PRAKASAM (Pradarshana kala samsthe), a renowned theatre group in Bangalore.

• Founding member of Swararaga, a musical brainchild of Prakasam, having given a number of performances and also mentored a number of ameteur singers.

• Conducted workshops on Hindustani classical music along with performances portraying the aesthetics of ragas and therapeutic music

Jay Dagbar Master Tabla player Jay Dabgar comes from a family of Tabla makers in India, and brings with him the legacy of the Benaras Gharaana (style of Tabla playing).

With over 25 years experience, Jay has won several national accolades and has performed extensively with many renowned musicians like Grammy Award winner Pt.Vishwamohan Bhatt, Grammy Award nominee Ustad Shujaat Khan, Pt.Sugato Naag, Smt Manju Mehta and many more in India and abroad.

He also recently toured with India’s National Award winner Pt.Purbayan Chaterjee.

Jay has also made a remarkable contribution to the Australian music arena since moving here in 2006, and is one of the first choice Tabla players for international touring artists from both the Indian and Western music world.

Malathi Vasudevan Malathi has moved to Melbourne recently after nearly 30 years in NZ. She was actively involved with New Zealand Carnatic Music Society (NZCMS) as Committee Member, Treasurer and President for over a decade. She has also been organising concerts in Hamilton NZ through her Trust -Raaga Hamilton.

She had extensive Vocal training with Sangeeta Kala Acharya Bombay S. Ramachandran and honed it further with many visiting artistes whom she has been fortunate to host in NZ. She is also well-trained in Veena with Smt Kalyani Sharma and later Smt Mangalam Muthuswamy. She has performed in many venues in India, UK, NZ and Australia including the prestigious December Music Season in Chennai. She teaches both Vocal & Veena online and in person. She is a practising CA.

Namrata Trivedi Namrata is a Hindustani classical vocalist, performer and ongoing learner.

She comes from a town named Allahabad, in India, where she grew up listening to folk and classical music. This has shaped what she loves listening and performing. She is currently learning from Vd. Aarti Ankalikar Tikekar, a renowned Agra and Jaipur gharana vocalist.

During her childhood, she was classical and light classical performer for children’s programme section of All India Radio, Allahabad, called Bal Vaani.

She participated and won in competitions organised by Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad and Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy.

In Melbourne, she has performed in various events, notably Sangeet Sandhya Special Artist Section April ‘20, Rang Rung ‘19, Victorian Festival of Diwali ‘18 and Melton Diwali-Festival ‘18. She was interviewed on SBS Hindi Radio as a young emerging artist in Melbourne.

Prasad Karve Prasad Karve is one of Victoria’s senior most Hindustani harmonium artists.

From a music loving family, Prasad studied Vocal classical from Deepika Shome in Melbourne for 10 years, he performs regularly in the Classical circuit here in Melbourne including visiting international artists.

Venkat Ramakrishnan Venkat is a disciple of Sri. Sridhar Chari from the Laya Vidhya Centre for over the past two decades. Since his first stage performance in 1997, for Carnatic Music Circle (CMC Melbourne), he has consistently advanced his skills in playing the Mridangam. He has continued to perform regularly for various Carnatic music schools in Melbourne and Sydney as well as many eminent overseas artists touring Australia and also at the Chennai music season. He has performed at various music festivals in Australia and regularly performs for Bharatan.

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