Classical Dance

Know Your Classical Dances: Locating Kuchipudi’s roots and transformations in traditions of dance-drama

In each recital, Kuchipudi has retained at its core the flavours of the sensual, romantic, and erotic shringara rasa that have shaped its oldest renditions.

Know Your Classical Dances: Mohiniyattam, once thrust into obscurity during British rule, revived in early 20th century

From being categorised as a dance of the vaishya or the prostitute to receiving recognition as a prolific art form and a codification into the realm of the ‘classical,’ Mohiniyattam has perhaps been one of the few dance styles to have undergone such humongous shifts through history.

Pandit Birju Maharaj's ability to express 'feminine' threw light on the queer possibilities of Kathak

In a world where we use markers to assert gender — the length of hair on the head, facial hair on the face, the existence of breasts, make-up — how do we interpret gender when the same body is producing both the masculine and the feminine?

An open letter to Madhuri Dixit: 'Please carry forward Pandit Birju Maharaj's cultural legacy'

Madhuri Dixit, only you, have the power pull and magnetism to convince youngsters to look towards the classical arts for creative sustenance.

How Pandit Birju Maharaj always stayed alive to sights, sounds, and sentiments of the present

Birju Maharaj’s artistic oeuvre was defined by this spontaneity. Kathak is richer for the ideas he brought to it.

Pandit Birju Maharaj leaves behind the tradition and legacy of Kathak, a dance form synonymous with his name

“Who can sit for three hours now? You need to be able to make them clap every three minutes. This has ruined the beauty of the dance, the seriousness of it," Birju Maharaj said.

Pandit Birju Maharaj's filmy detours were no short of magical; Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Kamal Haasan, Alia Bhatt pay tributes

“I have two idols. You can call them guiding light of my career. Lata Mangeshkar is in hospital. Pandit Birju Maharaj is gone. I can't believe it," says Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has collaborated with the Kathak legend for Devdas and Bajirao Mastani.

Benny Dayal breaks down his arsenal as a performer: Bolly Funk, multilingual vocals, and training in classical dance

Multitude is par for the course with Benny Dayal. Be it the languages he sings in, his jackets and accessories collections, or even the instruments he likes to tinker with, Benny is frequently experimenting out of his core, thus making him an even more exciting musician to be around.

A year since India's COVID-19 lockdown, an overview of how artists and cultural institutions navigated a crisis

Reviewing a year since nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, in culture coverage at Firstpost. Part 1 looks at how artists and institutions responded to the crisis.

A Pandemic Year for Women: In an unprecedented crisis, rethinking an art practice, and ways of living

This essay is from our International Women’s Day 2021 series, about women who rose to the challenges of being mothers, artists, professionals, students, and above all — individuals trying to make their way through an unprecedented time — over this pandemic year.