Nrityagram: for the Love of Dance - by Nan Melville.mov

This clip is a taste of Nan Melville's documentary of an idyllic dance village, Nrityagram, near Bangalore, India. The 30 minute film introduces the viewer to Protima Bedi; artist, visionary and ground-breaker in the founding of the village - and its mission. Protima institutionalized classical Indian dance through the founding of Nrityagram; a "gurukul" where students could dance and live in close proximity with their master guru. Protima, a one-time flamboyant socialite, was transfixed on seeing an Odissi dance performance by guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. Her new-found passion led her immediately to devote her life to the study and performance of Indian dance. She became a famous dancer - and then fulfilled her vision of building a school devoted to the teaching of this dance.The now internationally renowned Nrityagram Dance Ensemble continues to expand on Protimas legacy. The Ensemble with dancer and choreographer, Surupa Sen and Odissi Gurukul Director and dancer, Bijayini Satpathy push the boundaries of Indian dance and perform to worldwide acclaim. Nan's 14 year friendship with the company has given her an inside track to the village and the dancers. She has captured their breathtaking dancing at their New York performances, and also traveled to India to capture the daily life of the dance village.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Nrityagram
• village
• Indian classical dance
• Odissi
• Nrityagram Dance Ensemble
• Bangalore
• Protima Bedi
• documentary
• lead dancer
• choreographer
• Surupa Sen
• Odissi Gurukul Director
• Bijayini Satpathy

[PsyM4chine]

Hi

Would appreciate very much if someone could upload videos of the indian classical music concerts that used to take place in Nithyagram every year or so.

Cheers

[evolutionisus]

I have visited here. It is a beautiful I stayed in the village during

Vasantahabba.

[blissfulflo]

Would have loved to devote my time 8 to 12 hours a day to dance in an ideal school like this, but had to wait (for years…) sitting outside on the steps in the sun, for hypothetic classes with a student of the Guru ( a very famous dancer), who was not very motivated to come and teach especially at 3 o clock in the afternoon, 3 times a week...

[blissfulflo]

This film is giving me goosepimples! What an atmosphere! What generous presence in the smile of Protima, Saw her once in Paris! It was an experience! she introduced the programm in french (although she did not speak the language!) all phonetically! Such a bright person, bright in all senses! head and heart! It is hard to believe that such ideal conditions exist to learn a classical art in India, sorry but it is so business oriented." You want to learn an item first give an advance.

[teanbean79]

I took my 4yr old daughter at the time to see them at the Strathmore and now my daughter is 6 and is taking bharatanatyam classes.. I cant wait until they come back to md



[ninamenon]

Beautifully done, Protima had an amazing vision, and was totally selfless...