Exploring new art ist ic practices A multi-faceted personality, she is a dancer, teacher, choreographer, cultural activist and film maker. Shantha Ratii, one of the leading Kuchipudi danseuse in India and Singapore, looks forward to inspire and nurture students in the Sultanate. An exponent and promoter of Indian classical dance forms like Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Bharathanatyam, Shantha is interested to share her rich experience as a teacher by involving with dance schools in Muscat. The versatile and talented artiste is presently looking forward to doing some new and interesting cross-cultural and inter-disciplinary work. At this stage of her career, she prefers to give free lessons to deserving and talented youngsters who cannot afford to pay for lessons. She promoted Kuchipudi through her innovative works and the Antara Foundation which she instituted for the promotion of performing, visual arts, Shantha has been performing at all major dance festivals in India and abroad to critical acclaim. Fresh from her Liju Cherian Shantha Ratii’s forthcoming project on the degradation of environment Jwalath Jalam or Burning Waters, has already received wide acclaim. The production explores new artistic practice and innovative approach to engage with an issue of social transformation. March 3, 2016 Dance Dance 34
Transcript
Exploring newart ist ic practices
A multi-faceted personality, she is a dancer, teacher, choreographer, cultural activist and film maker. Shantha Ratii, one of the leading Kuchipudi danseuse in India and Singapore,
looks forward to inspire and nurture students in the Sultanate. An exponent and promoter of Indian classical
dance forms like Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Bharathanatyam, Shantha is interested to share her rich experience as a teacher by involving with dance schools in Muscat. The versatile and talented artiste is presently
looking forward to doing some new and interesting
cross-cultural and inter-disciplinary work. At this stage of her career, she prefers to give free lessons to deserving and talented youngsters who cannot afford to pay for lessons.She promoted Kuchipudi through her
innovative works and the Antara Foundation which she instituted for the promotion of performing, visual arts, Shantha has been performing at all major dance festivals in India and abroad to critical acclaim. Fresh from her
Liju Cherian
Shantha Ratii’s forthcoming project on the degradation of environment Jwalath Jalam or Burning Waters, has already received wide acclaim. The
production explores new artistic practice and innovative approach to engage with an issue of social transformation.
March 3, 2016
DanceDance
34
performance at the recent Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2016 in Mumbai, she had a notable role when Singapore marked 50 years since independence, being part of Vishwa Prana, a mega-production taking part in dual roles. The play was a commissioned work by Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, one of the premier theatres of the world in Singapore.However, the stage is not the only place where
she dazzles. She has scripted and directed several TV documentaries and her avant-garde vision continues to extend boundaries of Kuchipudi and to dedicate the next phase of her artistic journey to
establishing a dance form in Singapore where it is relatively under-represented.The veteran danseuse has researched, scripted,
and produced TV and film making in the US for over 3 decades. Notable among being the Hamsanaama series of Indian miniature paintings, photographic works of Raghubir Singh, ‘Asian Immigrant Problems’ in the Tri-state area of New York and the ‘Asian Children’s Outreach Programme.’Her forthcoming project on environmental
degradation, Jwalath Jalam, or Burning Waters has already received wide acclaim. The production
explores new artistic practice and innovative approach with an issue of social transformation. Explaining Jwalath Jalam, Shantha says the
project is a reminder that “we rely on planet Earth to support us in every way. That we should learn to respect the world that exists outside the artificial constructs of the human hand, a matter for our collective concern and individual responsibility.” The project is scheduled to have the world premiere at Esplande’s Theatre studio in July.Jwalath Jalam (Ripples) is a tour-de-force
solo dance theatre work and a unique work that expresses Shantha’s urgency to express her thoughts and meditations on climate control today against a backdrop of highly pulsating dance and poignant emotional narratives. This international collaboration featuring
artists from India, USA and Canada, draws inspiration from three Indian classical dance styles Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali, in which Shantha has had extensive experience.‘Ripples’ is also one of her emotional and
visceral response to the world as it is now; her relationship with the environment. The work is an artistic response to the steady contamination and eradication of what is a finite supply of natural resources which we mistakenly regard as infinite.” Through dance and monologue and evocative multimedia, she hopes to interpret everyday concerns like water, forest fires or air pollution.Shantha Ratii’s avant-garde vision continues
to extend boundaries of Kuchipudi and at this point of her career, feels compelled to challenge the aesthetics of art to address the social issue of our current times.Other than the stage, Shantha dazzles
in theatrical aspects too. Part of her work of late veers towards theatre and dance. “Acting, poetry and dialogue delivery is an important component of it, as my concerns have shifted to engage with the social issues of our times.”At the crossroads of a long career, her
family takes pride in her work with her supporting Switzerland-based husband showing abiding interest in dance, music, opera, ballet, theatre, cinema and visual arts.
Burning Waters is one of her emotional and visceral response to
the world as it is now; and her relationship
with the environment. ‘The work is an artistic response to the steady
contamination and eradication of what is a finite supply of natural
