Monthly Archives: April 2010
Dance of the Deities
Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest classical dance forms in India, its origins dating back to the temples of Tamil Nadu, where the dances were performed. The temple dancers were known as Devadasis or “handmaidens of God” and their dance evolved over the centuries from a ritualistic devotion to the deities into a storytelling art form, lyrically narrating epics from the Hindu scriptures. With its graceful poses, rhythmic footwork and intricate hand and eye movements, the dance can only be described as poetry in motion.
The full expression of Bharatanatyam, however, is not only represented in the movements of the dancers but also in the distinctive dress and ornaments worn by the performers. The costumes are fashioned from brightly colored Kanchipuram saris, known for its fine silk weave and gold zari embroidery. The jewelry, made in gold and studded with red and green gem stones, is symbolic of ornaments worn by the temple goddesses. It consists of necklaces, chokers, bracelets, a waistband, nose rings, ‘jhumiki’ style earrings and hair ornaments. The dancers also wear bells around their ankles to accentuate their footwork as well as dramatic eye makeup to emphasize their extensive facial expressions, which emote the story visually.
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What's Old is New Again
Browsing the internet in the name of “work” doesn’t usually yield fruitful results, except on those rare occasions when you strike gold, such as when I came across this post and just had to share the goods.
The images are striking but it was the resonance of those images that took me back instantly to photographs of my mother from the ’70s in her breezy, printed chiffon saris. And it seems this nostalgic feel is precisely what designer, Roopa Pemmaraju, had in mind when she conceived the Vintage Sari collection for her Calantha Wardrobe line. Drawing inspiration from movies from the 1960s and 1970s, Pemmaraju felt the moment was right to revive the design aesthetic of the time, with its emphasis on print and fabric, while still keeping the look fresh and modern. By juxtaposing unique colors, textures, and designs, the collection is a welcome change from the profusion of rhinestone covered, Swarovski crystaled saris found today.
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Dawn of a New Era?
This month’s edition of Indian Vogue addresses the issue of India’s skin color bias with the headline: The Dawn of Dusk: Vogue India Celebrates the Skin Tone the World Covets. But is it the skin tone that India covets? Unfortunately, the country’s $432 million skin lightening industry says otherwise. Cosmetic brands like Pond’s, Olay, and L’Oreal are cashing in on the color complex with whitening products called Fair and Lovely, White Beauty and Flawless White, all endorsed by leading Bollywood stars. The advertisements for these products also clearly imply that women with lighter skin have better marriage prospects, job opportunities and “fairer” lives in general. Furthermore, the prevalence of light skinned actresses and models over dark skinned ones in movies, magazines, and city billboards reinforce the idea that fair equals beautiful. The issue is pervasive and its cultural roots run deep, intertwined with notions about caste, status, wealth and its relationship to the color of one’s skin.
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