Aparna Sindhoor
Performance: Bharatnatyam dance + "The
Hunt" - A dance theater piece based on Mahashweta Devi's story about a tribal
Indian woman and her fight against patriarchy and oppression.
March 22, 3pm, Shriver Hall, Homewood campus, JHU (directions)"...hauntingly effective." - Daily Hampshire
Gazette, MA
"The entire display was very moving, highly elevating and evocative." - The Hindu
"The entire display was very moving, highly elevating and evocative." - The Hindu
Aparna Sindhoor is a choreographer and dancer from Mysore, India now living
in the United States. She is the artistic director of Navarasa Arts Academy
and Navarasa Dance Theater. She has performed widely in India, North America
and Germany. She was invited to perform in Jacob's Pillow in 1998.Aparna has trained in Bharatanatyam (one of the Indian classical dance forms) for over 20 years. Aparna started her dance training at a young age with her mother, Dr. Srivalli T. S. The talented 11 year old Aparna was spotted by Dr. K. Venkatalakshamma, one of the foremost proponents of the Mysore style of Bharatanatyam where Abhinaya (facial expression) and graceful Jathis (pure dance compositions) are emphasized. Aparna has been giving accomplished professional performances since her “Arangetram” (graduation solo recital) in 1989. Aparna holds a Vidwat (Masters) in dance, a Masters in English, and a Bachelors degree in Dance, Literature and Dramatics. She was awarded the gold medal in 1990 for finishing first in dance at her University.
An accomplished choreographer and performer, Aparna's real strength lies in her creativity and strength to push boundaries. She has conceived and choreographed 15 full-length dance works. She was awarded grants from the Human Resource Development Agency, Government of India, for her dance works, Vachanadara and A Concise Portrait of Indian Woman. In A Concise Portrait of Indian Woman, she used regional folk dance as part of the choreography, along with the classical dance. This work was an effort to explore the greatness of women as self-made identities and not just as daughters, wives, and mothers. One of the critics said, "If according to Bharata's Natya Sastra (the greatest treatise on Indian performing arts) the evocation of proper sentiments in the refined assemblage is the true test of a good performance, Aparna's portrayal in 'Putta Vidhave' (young widow) passed the acid test".
She was sponsored by Urban Bush Women to attend the “A New Dancer for a New Society” workshop at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida in the summer of 1997. She has collaborated with artists from different backgrounds such as theater, music and dance. She received a grant from In Roads to work on a dance theater project with Roberta Uno of New World Theater in the summer of 1998 and 2000.
Aparna is also an experienced actor. Nagamandala, in which she acted as the protagonist Rani, won the best play of the year award at the Karnataka Nataka (theater) Academy. She is one of the three women featured in a documentary film about artists, Take It From Me (2001 Nefertiti Productions).
Since 1996 Aparna has been working on stories (The Incident and After, The Hunt, Clothes, Draupadi, River Rites) written by people of color. She uses Indian classical dance, yoga and folk dances to tell contemporary stories of significance and relevance. She has created a new style of performing using song, dance and narration. This has made her work more interesting and accessible to a diverse audience. Her work as a choreographer is very interactive. There is interaction between performers and also between the dancers and the audience. In her dance work, she represents the spirit of the women who try to create their own identities.
Critics have called Aparna Sindhoor's choreography "hauntingly effective", a body of work that "conveys boldly dramatic stories". Another critic raved: "Aparna Sindhoor does not just dance. She becomes one with the stage." "Choreographers often bring their passions and outrages to the stage. Aparna Sindhoor takes it a step further - she brings the stage to othersÂ…." - MS. Magazine June/July 2001.