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Workshops / Arts-in-Education Workshops at New Delhi - The Hindu NIE Workshops on Dance For Yuva Shakti Modern School: In a tie-up with THE HINDU newspaper as part of The Hindu's and Arangham's Outreach activities, Anita Ratnam and members of Arangham Dance Theatre were invited to visit New Delhi's Yuva Shakti Modern School in February 2002 and conduct a workshop that jogged young minds out of the humdrum of competitive academics. The one-day workshop went beyond expectation with excited students begging for more and promising they would NEVER regard themselves as flat footed nerds who had no ear for music or dance! " No one spoke to us so freely and honestly and enquired about what we want to do," admitted Abhijit Mohanty, Delhi Public School, New Delhi. Reports from each city: A school in North Delhi was the venue for a programme of a very different kind. And different it was for the 60 children who converged on February 16, 2002 to experience their inner rhythm and express themselves... For the participating schools, YUVA SHAKTI, ROHINI, GURU HAR KISHAN PUBLIC SCHOOL and CRPF, Prashant Vihar, it was truly out of the routine to interact with Anita Ratnam. She led them on to a different world... the cold day evaporated into an occasion to remember. - CHITRA MAHESH, The Hindu, Saturday, March 2, 2002
The workshop on "Interactive Creativity and Movement" by Anita Ratnam was refreshing for the pupils who shed all their inhibitions...the highlight was the choreography of Rabindranath Tagore's famous poem "Where the mind is without fear" in a few minutes by using hand and facial gestures. At the end the children crowded round Anita yearning for more. - SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE, The Hindu, Vishakapatnam, Saturday, September 14, 2002
As she started her three-hour workshop at Sree Cauvery School, Indiranagar, Ms Ratnam said "Just surrender yourself and take on an adventure and let us think through our bodies" And the students, who seemed shy initially, gradually got involved and followed each instruction... breathing exercises, sessions in rhythm, exercises on trust and leadership, a game to spot dance movements... the children learned to push themselves to try out different things, respect their bodies, listen, be observant and explore the space around them. - SHILPA SEBASTIAN ROMELES, The Hindu, Bangalore, Saturday, September 14, 2002
In their special note to Anita, THE HINDU writes: "We are happy to inform you that the participants, teachers and heads of institutions expressed their gratitude to The Hindu in conducting this workshop and the skills learnt by the participants which was professionally highlighted by your kind self and your team. " - N RAJASHEKAR, Regional Manager (Circulation), The Hindu, Bangalore
Workshops For Natya Vriksha: 
Geeta Chandran, well-known Bharatanatyam dancer and President of "Natya Vriksha", a dance
academy at New Delhi, organized a movement encounter "Anga", with Anita Ratnam and the
Arangham Dance Troupe at New Delhi, in October 1999.
Held at The Academy of Fine Arts And Literature, the studio of the famous contemporary painter, Arpana Caur, it was an intense three hour session with Odissi, Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancers. The workshop explored the formalism of classical dance training with its set rhythms, music, symmetry and harmony. A conscious attempt was made to push these boundaries to its utmost limit. The focus was also to study the origin of movement, to concentrate on its quality and to realize its essence in a performance. The ensemble work, kept individuality in tact and explored balance, levels and movement in clusters. Commenting at the conclusion of the exploration, Geeta Chandran, host to the workshop declared, "Through her Anga workshop Anita Ratnam made my dancers realize that the space between bodies need not be inert and dead; the crevices in between us are all alive, and can be carved afresh to create new choreographic dimensions."  |