From the Desk

In 2016, with an intent to share – and on a timely, regular basis – the many stories brewing in the house of Apsaras Arts, we launched Aavartana, a newsletter, a periodical, literally inspired by the word, Aavartna, a musical term, which literally means cycle of a set rhythmic pattern.

As a monthly periodical that arrived at the end of every month in people’s inboxes, Aavartana became the possibility for us to share, report, relay, the world of Apsaras Arts to our rasikas and readers, across the globe.

As an international dance repertory company committed equally to performance and education, Aavartana, brought to our own life, a sense of rhythm, and became that channel of communication for us to converse with the arts community in the written word, and do that, in a systematic manner.

After a few editions though, life and work came in our way and in 2020, just as we grappled with a pandemic, we returned to a semblance of structure with Aavartana.

But like all good ideas that must be nurtured, we are poised in a moment where we are keen to use our standing and reputation, globally, in a manner that is authentic, honest, inspiring and impactful. And it is precisely with this premise that we are proud to present to you Aavartana in an avatar that is anew.

Inspired by core principles of objectivity, empathy, inclusivity and a sense of teh accessible, Aavartana in its new format, is more than a mere newsletter that will bring you stories of Apsaras Arts. As a digital magazine that believes in aggregating and presenting the many trends and narratives that make the world of the Indian performing arts so dynamic and exciting, Aavartana will allow readers the possibility of an overview of the people, things and trends simmering in the world of Indian performing arts, dance in particular.

Conscious of our readers, of the rushed world we live in and recognising the way we consume news and features today, Aavartana is also excited to unfurl on social media in a way that allows for quick, easy reading for those on the move and like it short, but also cater to readers who still love that feeling that comes from reading a story written in long-form and one that takes more than five minutes.

Every edition will feature a cover story that will shed light on a particular idea that is trending in the world of the arts. Our Portrait section features an in-depth interview with an artiste whose story deserves to be told; in our Point of View section, we invite an expert, an artiste to share their perspective on a subject that is pertinent to the world we are in. Three years ago, in December, we introduced a #iamayoungdancer with an intent to create a platform that essentially shared and amplified stories of young dancers from across the world. Our column, The Bookshelf raises a toast to the idea of books and the world associated with it. In our Travel Diaries, we will bring you slices and stories from our own travels and those of other artiste-friends of ours from across the world.

In our opening edition, our editorial team insisted this note from me occupies pride of place. Our Portrait this time is T Ramanan, a mridangam artiste with over 1500 performances, worldwide and truly a pride of Singapore. Lata Pada, Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer-teacher from Canada, shares her perspectives on the pandemic and its impact on dance, and dancers. In our #iamayoungdancer section, two dancers, Periyachi Roshini from Singapore and Rukshikaa Elankumaram from Australia, have a freewheeling conversation on life in dance, and vice versa.

For our The Bookshelf section, we reached out to Maya Kulkarni, New York-based dancer-choreographer and academic, to know what she is reading and how her reading inspires her dance. Our Travel Diaries is an in-depth re-visiting of Apsaras Arts’ tour of France, that helped us build connections, meet new audiences, and make memories.

We are excited about you reading all that we have compiled for you and we are hoping to build on this editorial platform so Aavartana becomes a part of your life cycle, too!