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a dance theatre solo by Anita Ratnam



On 5th Feb 2019, a very small select audience, comprising of discerning residents of Pondicherry  and mostly foreign tourists, started arriving almost 2hrs before the scheduled time of Anita's performance. The doors had to be shut much before the scheduled time because there was not an inch of space left for another person to squeeze in. This was the 3rd year in a row that Anita came to support our effort to preserve Pondicherry's heritage by participating in the 5th Pondicherry Heritage Festival. This year, she brought us her autobiographical offering Ma3ka, celebrating the Women in her life and drawing a parallel to Maha Saraswati, Maha Laxmi and Mother Meenakshi (Maha Shakti).
As in the previous years, through her mesmerising performance she interacted intimately with the audience who sat barely inches away from her and were held spellbound by her every move, by her words and her amazing vocal rendering. The audience cried and laughed with her as she narrated the story of each woman.
The venue was the restored Franco-Tamil house, Gratitude, which is the place where the voluntary group People for Pondicherry's Heritage came together for the first time in 2014 and thus the Festival was born. It is only befitting that the most anticipated and precious event of the festival, Anita Ratnam's performance, is held here every year. She uses the space in a way where it appears that each of her choreography has all along been planned keeping this particular space in mind.
It was the most memorable evening for those who were present and we Pondicherrians cannot thank Anita enough for giving us this priceless gift. The Pondicherry Heritage Festival will forever be grateful to Anita Ratnam for her generosity and warmth and her immense talent.
Warmly,
Kakoli





Responses to Dance and Discussion on the Divine Feminine titled HER and BLISS...in chapters, by Anita Ratnam for Jnanapravaha, Mumbai on October 29 & 30, 2010
- Dr. Rashmi Poddar (art historian and cultural curator), Oct 2010
- Kaiwan Mehta (Architect, and Researcher in the field of Visual Culture), Oct 2010


Response to the March 18, 2010 program at Sarojini Naidu School of Communications, University of Hyderabad celebrating Women's Month
By Latha Mani
Your performance was not only interesting but also fun to watch. I enjoyed every moment of it. You, with your energy to innovate, and with an eye for perfection have managed to take your audience to a different realm altogether.
I still can't forget the impact you had on me when you and your sister performed in Delhi with a pure Kalashetra signature. I see that you have evolved so beautifully as a dancer.
By the way I am also trained in Bharata Natyam for many years. But am not active as a dancer. Its a pleasure attending your programs because there is always an element of something new. I hope you always have the energy to treat us to all your experiments.

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