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MENAKA THAKKAR DANCE COMPANY
Stories from the Ramayana
Thus begins Menaka Thakkar's dance drama, SITAYANA - SITA'S STORY. It is a sensitive and respectful retelling of the Ramayana, but from Sita's point of view, which, in fact, universalizes into a woman's point of view - a woman, not only of our times but of all times. This is the story of an inner journey that Menaka Thakkar embarked upon in 1993 when she choreographed an hour-long dance drama on the first phase of Sita's life. In 2005 Sityana was remounted as a two-hour-long production portraying five important episodes in Sita's life, which spanned almost the whole story of the Epic, but with Sita at the centre stage. In an innovative combination of classical dance and theatre, the story of Sita moves on many planes and in different dimensions, both visually and thematically. There is the moving voice of the ten year old girl, and the sympathetic voice of the learned, traditional priest as they maintain the narrative flow in English. This not only provides the necessary links between episodes but also evokes a contemporary setting in which to raise and confront the questions that new generations seek to understand. Inside this framework, the ancient tale is told through visually stunning and rhythmically gripping dance choreography set to an enchanting musical score and the evocative poetry of Valmiki, the author of the original Sanskrit Ramayana. Devotion and doubt blend to provide a moving portrayal of Sita, the daughter of the Earth, an eternal exile, who merges back into the Earth. The 2012 remount includes a cast of
approximately 20 dancers performing in bharatanatyam. The lead role of
Sita will be performed by long time company dancer Neena Jayarajan with
choreography and artistic direction by Menaka Thakkar. Ramayana Symposium There have been many different versions of the Ramayana written in later centuries, both in Sanskrit and in several regional languages of India, and even outside of India. Many of these versions deviate from the original in some important ways. They reflect the sensibilities and values of their own times, and often downplay, alter or even hush up inconvenient episodes to enhance the glorification of Rama. It is only by going back to the original source of Valmiki that we discover the most open, honest and even refreshingly modern characterizations of Rama, Sita and others. The voice of Valmiki blends surprisingly well with our own contemporary voice. Join Rasesh Thakkar, Menaka Thakkar and guest speakers as they discuss the different representations of Sita in the Ramayana and the many depictions of Sita through the ages and how they came to create the Sita's Story.
Ticket Prices: Sitayana Symposium: $10, free with ticket to Sitayana Box Office:
www.harbourfrontcentre.com
MENAKA THAKKAR DANCE COMPANY
Prince Rama in the Wilderness Friday, June 1 & Saturday, June 2, 2012
MTDC presents a children's show told through classical Bharatanatyam dance inspired by the epic Hindu classic Ramayana. “Prince Rama in the Wilderness” tells the story of Prince Rama who is exiled for 14 years because of the wishes of his stepmother so that her son can be the new king instead of Rama. Rama and his wife Sita are living happily in a beautiful forest setting in the wilderness among the dancing birds and animals. But when King Ravana who is far away in the kingdom of Lanka learns that his enemy Rama is living in the forests their peaceful life is threatened. Performance time: 35 minutes. 5
dancers.
Ticket Prices: Sitayana Box Office:
www.harbourfrontcentre.com
Media Release Finalists for 2009 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards Announced Today, Toronto Arts Foundation Executive Director Claire Hopkinson announced the shortlist for the 2009 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards. Chaired by director/ playwright Andrew Moodie, the jury included broadcaster Matt Galloway, arts education consultant Susan Habkirk, curator Michelle Jacques, dancer/choreographer Hari Krishnan, author Andrew Pyper, RBC Senior Adviser Corporate Affairs Gillian Hewitt Smith, and filmmaker and former prima ballerina Veronica Tennant. “Despite the agonizing decision making, it was my great pleasure to work with my esteemed and knowledgeable jury members,” said Chair Andrew Moodie. “With such an inspiring selection of nominees this year, a mix of unique perspectives around the jury table was critical in the selection of this year’s finalists.” Winners of the 2009 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards will be announced on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at the Mayor’s Arts Awards Lunch. The 2009 Toronto Arts Foundation Awards, with cash prizes totaling $44,500, celebrate artists, cultural professionals and arts supporters from every creative discipline who have made significant contributions to Toronto’s artistic and cultural life. The 2009 finalists are: Arts for Youth Award – a $15,000 cash prize established in 2007 by Martha Burns, Jim Fleck and Jim Pitblado, this award celebrates an individual, collective or organization that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to engaging Toronto youth in the arts.
The Globe and Mail Toronto Business for the Arts Award – recognizes a Toronto-based business that has made a significant contribution to the arts in Toronto. Established in 2006, this award is presented in partnership with Business for the Arts. The recipient will receive an original work of art created by Nobuo Kubota.
RBC Emerging Artist Award – a $7,500 cash prize presented to an emerging Toronto artist working in any medium or performing arts discipline in celebration of current accomplishments and future potential. Established in 2006 by RBC Foundation, this award is intended to support the development or completion of new work. This year, in addition to increasing the value of the award from $5,000 to $7,500, RBC Foundation will also award $1,000 to each of the runners-up.
Muriel Sherrin Award for International Achievement in Dance – a $10,000 cash prize presented to an artist or creator who has made a contribution to the cultural life of Toronto through outstanding achievement in dance. The recipient will also have participated in international initiatives, including touring, studying abroad and participating in artist exchanges.
Rita Davies and Margo Bindhardt Cultural Leadership Award – a $10,000 cash prize sponsored by Margo Bindhardt’s family and Toronto Arts Foundation. This award is presented biennially to an individual who has demonstrated creative cultural leadership in the development of arts and culture in Toronto. Administrators, volunteers, artists and creators are eligible for consideration.
Toronto Arts Foundation, existing to provide the creative opportunity for donors to support the arts in Toronto, believes that a great city demands great art, and by supporting, celebrating, financing and advocating for Toronto’s local artists, we’re improving the quality of life of all Torontonians. Although separate entities, the Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation benefit by being run as sister organizations, ensuring close contact with the arts sector in Toronto and the continuous awareness of needs across the community. For more information on the awards and the work of the Toronto Arts Foundation, please visit www.torontoarts.org/awards.html Media Contact:
PRESS RELEASE MENAKA THAKKAR DANCE COMPANY presents VOYAGE OF AWAKENING Canada’s premiere Indian dance company presents Voyage of Awakening – an evening of powerful contemporary dance featuring bharatanatyam, kalaripayattu, aerial and modern dance styles. The evening consists of performances of Agni Ratha – Fiery Chariot, Love’s Folly and Shakti, three very different examples of contemporary Indian dance. Agni Ratha – Fiery Chariot is a stunning new choreography by Artistic Director Menaka Thakkar which premiered in Ottawa at the Dancing Through Cultures, Canada Dance Festival in June 2009. Based on the Vedic concept of the sun visualized by a chariot driven by seven horses, which together make up the white light that splinters into different shades as the sun moves from dawn to daylight, Agni Ratha – Fiery Chariot beautifully suggests the spiritual connection between the heavens and earth. The production features eight male and female dancers who perform as the sun and horses. Love’s Folly is an amusing take on the frustrations and joys of young love that employs cynicism and humour, both of which are rarely treated in Bharatanatyam. Shakti is an astounding work adapted from the feminist modern classic work Sri by the legendary Chandralekha. Shakti premiered to standing ovations in January at the Contemporary Choreography in Indian Dance Conference and Festival presented by Kalanidhi Fine Arts of Canada in and Menaka Thakkar Dance Company. Dates and Times: Friday September 25 and Saturday September 26, 8pm Media Contact: Karen Dempster, 905-763-6083, ext.22, admin@menakathakkardance.org
Media Release
The support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation allows MTDC to work with dance presenters and Indian presenters in Ontario communities to raise awareness of Indian culture through dance. The company will build relationships with cultural institutions, media and individuals to create audience development activities such as lecture demos, dance education workshops and residencies that will result in general audience and children’s performances. The Touring Capacity Building Project will bring performers and instructors from the company to communities where high-quality professional Indian dance is rarely seen and where Indian dance is performed but not a regular part of a presenter’s season. The project will take place over the next three years. Touring capacity building activities for 2009 are planned for South Western, Eastern and Northern Ontario. About MTDC: Artistic Director and Founder Menaka Thakkar began performing and teaching classical Indian dance (Bharatnatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi) over 38 years ago. Her dance company and school of Indian dance are the oldest professional arts organization and school from South Asian culture in Canada. MTDC is known for its rigourously trained dancers, ground-breaking choreographies and stunning performances of traditional and contemporary works. The company offers a full-range of programming that includes traditional, contemporary and modern performances as well as children’s programming. Further information at www.menakathakkardance.org The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For over 25 years, the Foundation has supported the growth and vitality of communities across the province. OTF continues to strengthen the capacity of the volunteer sector through investments in community-based initiatives. For more information, please visit www.trilliumfoundation.org. Project contact:
MENAKA THAKKAR presents GITA GOVINDA In the 12th century, the Bengali poet Jayadevva sat down to write a poem that would express his deep love for his new wife Padmavati, who was a Devadasi dancer when he met her at the temple Jagannath Puri in Orissa, India. Since Devadasi dancers were considered to be married to a diety, Jayadevva felt he had taken his new wife away from Lord Jagannath which is another name for Krishna. Wishing to honour both his love and his god, Jagannath imagined the divine desire for spiritual and physical unity between Lord Krishna and his first love Radha. The poem, written in Sanskrit and translated into over 100 languages, called “Gitagovinda” or the “Song of Govinda” was to become one of the most famous sensuous and spiritual love stories ever written. The “Geet Govinda” consists of 12 chapters with 24 songs consisting of 8 couplets and was specifically composed for Odissi style dance performance with the beats of the songs written to correspond with the dancer’s feet.
In the fall of 2008, Menaka Thakkar will present an international production of “Gita Govinda” in Odissi dance style featuring guest dancers from India and the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company (MTDC). The lead roles of Krishna and Radha will be played by Rajiv Bhattacharya and Sujata Mohapatra both accomplished disciples of the legendary maestro Kelucharan Mohapatra. Menaka Thakkar, who was also a disciple of the late Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, danced to a Canadian solo version of Gita Govinda created by him in 1978. The 2008 version of “Gita Govinda” began in a creative residency at The Banff Centre where all of the collaborators and dancers from India and Canada came together. For the group choreography of 8 dancers, Ms. Thakkar and Ratikant Mohapatra (the son of Guru Mohapatra) partnered to develop an original choreography with music composed by Ashit Desai and Ratikant Mohapatra. The “Geet Govinda” marks a partnership between MTDC and Canada’s foremost visual designer, Cylla von Tiedemann. Taking her inspiration from the famous Kangra paintings of “Gitagovinda”, Ms. Tiedemann will create a background for the lovers and their attending Gopi girls where they can frolic in the forests of Jagannath, alive with undulating hills studded with mango groves and gently flowing streams on whose banks cranes and egrets amble gracefully. The “Gita Govinda” will premiere in Ontario at the Markham Theatre for Performing Arts on Saturday November 8th at 8pm. There will be a pre-tour performance in Trail, B.C. at the Charles Bailey Theatre on October 21st. Pre-performance activities: “Poetry Reading of Gita govinda” in Sanskrit and English”, “Talk of the Kangra Paintings of “Gitagovinda”, “Lecture-demo in Odissi dance”. For information contact:
Media Release
The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company is proud to announce that company founder and Artistic Director Menaka Thakkar has won a national “Excellence in Multiculturalism Celebration” Award for Arts and Education presented by the EMCY (Enriching My Canada and Yours) Awards Foundation. The EMCY Awards Foundation is a national awards program that recognizes individuals, institutions, companies and organizations for their working fighting racism, creating inclusive work places and stimulating dialogue and action on making Canada a nation open to the diversity of the human condition. The EMCY Awards Foundation was established in 2008 to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations who have displayed: Vision, Leadership, Innovation, Achievement and Impact in cultural diversity within their respective categories. There were 10 Categories: Business, Youth, Media, Humanitarian, Arts/Education, Sports/Fitness, University, Province/Territory, City/Community, and Lifetime Achievement. Menaka Thakkar was honoured for her continuing legacy of having introduced Indian dance to Canada over 37 years ago through performance and education and for her work in attaining recognition of classical Indian dance as an art form and part of the Canadian cultural landscape. “I am particularly pleased to receive this beautiful award as it represents to me what it means to be a Canadian. We are all people who have come from other cultures, who come together to share and learn from one another,” said Ms. Thakkar upon receipt of her glass crystal award, “this award is an acknowledgment of the importance of the arts in Canada for raising understanding of our diverse cultures.” Other
winners included: Reginans Jeanne Martinson (the for business award), Richard Engel (sports) and the University of Regina (university); Sask Intercultural Association (Saskatoon); Hannah Taylor of Winnipeg (Youth); City of London, Ont. (city/community); and Kai Liu of Ottawa, Ont. (lifetime achievement).
MOVING TO RHYTHM - A Celebration of Menaka Thakkar The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company celebrates the legacy of Artistic Director, Menaka Thakkar with an exciting new show Saturday April 19, 8pm at Markham Theatre for Performing Arts. The evening includes a remount of Thakkar’s LOVE’S FOLLY, a delightfully coy story of unrequited love and MOVING TO RHYTHM, a fascinating kinetic and physical essay inspired by the structure of Ravel’s “Bolero”. MOVING TO RHYTHM illustrates through dance the evolution of Canada’s foremost Indian dancer/choreographer Menaka Thakkar from the time she arrived in Canada from India 37 years ago and introduced Indian culture to Canada through classical Indian dance. The performance begins with classical Bharatanatyam and quickly moves to worlds rhythms such as Latin and Caribbean which are integrated into classical Indian dance time cycles and dance movements. The final part of the dance involves the entire company dancing to world rhythms and music in an Indian melody form. The music for this original choreography was inspired by Ravel’s “Bolero” and was created by Montreal’s Vasudevan Govindarajan and Toronto composer Ron Allen. LOVE’S FOLLY and MOVING TO RHYTHM will feature performances by top company dancers including Sukeyna Subramaniam, Shantini Kangesan, Neena Jayaragan, Paranitha Rajagopalan, Anu Yogeswaran, Cynthiya Ruban and Garima Talwar with two guest performers from India, Debu Kumar Paul and Kalishwaran Pillai. Tickets are on sale at: Markham Theatre for Performing Arts Ticket Prices: Show Times: Media Contact:
About the Menaka Thakkar Legacy: Menaka Thakkar is a master dancer in three classical Indian styles – Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi. Now in her 65th year, Ms. Thakkar settled in Canada over 35 years ago at the peak of her career as an international soloist. She is credited (along with Kathak dancer, Rina Singha) as having been the first artist to introduce Indian culture to Canadian audiences. In the early years Ms. Thakkar performed across Canada and soon began to train youngsters in classical bharatanatyam. Eventually she began creating original choreographies that were performed in major venues across Canada. She opened the first school of Indian dance in Canada, Nrytakala which continues to train new generations of dancers and formed the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company comprised of graduates of her school. The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company became the first South Asian arts organization to be recognized by the Canada Council for the Arts thereby opening the door to other multicultural artists to receive funding. Today the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, known as MTDC is Canada’s premiere Indian dance company. It includes up to 20 professional dancers who have each studied with Ms. Thakkar from 16 to 26 years. Ms. Thakkar has won many awards and honours in her long career including an honourary doctorate from York University, 2006 City of Toronto Face the Arts Cultural Maverick Award for Dance, Toronto Arts Award for Performing Arts, President’s Award from Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce and Tri-National Creative Residency Award from the Canada-Mexico joint program administered by the National Endowment for the Arts, USA. Ms. Thakkar has created groundbreaking choreographies since coming to Canada which reflect both her exposure to western dance styles and her background in classical Indian dance. She has collaborated with many of Canada’s most accomplished dancers including Claudia Moore, Danny Grossman, William Lau, Robert Desrosiers, Patrick Parson, Debbie Wilson and Grant Strate to create possibly some of the first fusion pieces in Canada and group choreographies for Indian dancers. In addition, Ms. Thakkar has also reached out to students of ballet at the National Ballet School through an annual residency in which she has trained ballet students in classical bharatnatyam for the past 20 years. Today the legacy continues with the formation of the new wing of MTDC for contemporary Indian dance which nurtures young professionals in creating choreography and provides opportunities to work with company dancers. Ms. Thakkar’s school, Nrytakala, located in Thornhill, Ontario trains over 100 students from ages 5 to 18 years old annually and has graduated close to 150 students in their junior and senior arangetrams. Many of the graduates have gone on to develop their own dance companies and solo careers in dance such as Winnipeg’s “Manohar Dance Company”, Natasha Bakht, Niharika Mohanty, and Nova Bhattacharya. MTDC has recently developed a new wing for young audiences and performs shows in theatres and schools in Ontario and British Columbia annually. The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company continues to present an annual home season in Toronto and tours nationally every year. The MTDC dancers are rigorously trained and continuously provided with professional development training in body conditioning and with special choreo-labs in other kinds of dance styles to increase their versatility as dancers. Menaka Thakkar continues to oversee the company and school’s operations as the Artistic Director and continues to develop uncompromising choreographies which consistently break new ground and change the face of Indian dance in Canada.
MENAKA THAKKAR DANCE COMPANY
RIAZ, HOMECOMING and PARASHAKTI Friday, July 6, 2007
at 8pm When Menaka Thakkar moved to Canada from India thirty-five years ago, Classical Indian dance hardly existed in this country. Thisevening showcases the creative development of the fusion of classical Indian movements with contemporary dance movements. Thakkar is pleased to see this choreographic synthesis continuing with one of her own trained dancers, Natasha Bakht, who has become known for this style of choreography and who has become one of Canada's foremost Indian solo dancers. The remounts of Parashakti and Homecoming mark the historical development of Thakkar’s vision of contemporary choreography in Indian dance. Parashakti stretches the limits of Bharatanatyam dance in portraying the cycle of Creation, Sustenance, Destruction and Re-birth. Based on Sangam poetry from Pre-Classical Tamil culture, Homecoming is a love story about trust and faith and pushes the form even more. Riaz takes classical Bharatnatyam movements and gives them a modern twist in Bakht’s own exciting individual style. Riaz sees Bakht come full circle with Thakkar. She began her training with Thakkar at age five and was one of her star pupils. Bakht went on to tour Canada several times with the company before starting her own successful independent dance career. She returns to the company now as Associate Choreographer.
For three seasons she danced with the Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company in London, England, renowned for its groundbreaking work in Indian contemporary dance. She has collaborated with Montreal’s Roger Sinha on two pieces. Her own choreography includes three solos for herself entitled Dance If You Must, Appropriating Edges and Obiter Dictum. Obiter Dictum was nominated for a 2003 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Choreography. Her latest work Riaz, for the
Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, premiered at the end of May.
Photographed by Jennifer Long
Meet Menaka Thakkar Artistic director Menaka Thakkar is an internationally renowned dancer, choreographer and teacher, working in three classical forms of Indian dance: Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi. Menaka has been the subject of rave reviews and accolades: She has been hailed as a dancer "in a class by herself" by The Times of India, and "a rare jewel in the richly encrusted crown of Toronto's dance community" by The Globe and Mail. Menaka's greatest contribution to Indian dance has been the establishment of its presence in the Canadian mind through tireless effort over a 30-year period. Her work has been recognized with many awards and honours, including an honorary Doctor of Letters from York University, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce President's Award, and the Toronto Arts Award in the category of performing arts. As a performer, Menaka has had an extensive international solo career, and also worked as the principal dancer and artistic director of The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company. As a professional young dancer in India, Menaka received the prestigious Singar Mani award twice, for excellence in performing Bharatanatyam (1968) and Odissi (1970). Dance critics around the world have hailed her artistry. William Littler of the Toronto Star claimed that the Canadian dance scene has never been the same since Menaka made her home in Toronto. Leading Indian dance critic Sunil Kothari said: "she has proven that even if she is based in Toronto, she has enough stature to rub shoulders with the leading dancers of the country [India]." As a choreographer, Menaka exposes her audience to a variety of productions: from stunning solo numbers to elaborate dance dramas; from pure traditional dance to experimental works that fuse several dance styles. Whether in traditional or non-traditional styles, Menaka Thakkar's choreography is rich, textured, innovative and multi-layered in meaning and nuance. Her output over the last 30 years is prolific, varied and innovative. She has been hailed as a pioneer, breaking new ground and paving ways in several directions for others to follow— whether fusing the styles of different cultures, treating contemporary themes, or experimenting with large Western musical ensembles.
In Menaka Thakkar's own words, "I believe everybody should have dance in their life, and would love to see Toronto's soil shake with dancing feet." The City of Toronto joined Menaka at work to find out how she's bringing great ideas to life with dance.
How would you describe Toronto's
professional dance community? What makes it unique? How has Toronto's dance community
changed since you joined it?
How has living in Toronto influenced you
as a performer and choreographer of Indian dance? What are some of your favourite spaces
for dance performances in Toronto? What are some of your favourite places
to spend time in Toronto? What are your hopes for the future of
Toronto's professional dance community?
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The Menaka Thakkar Dance Company (MTDC) is thrilled to announce the launch of a province-wide Touring Capacity Building Project, funded by Ontario Trillium Foundation. 
Natasha Bakht is an Indian contemporary dancer
and choreographer. She trained in bharata natyam under Menaka Thakkar for
over 20 years, touring internationally with her company. Natasha has
worked with choreographers Yvonne Coutts, Joan Phillips, Wayne McGregor
and Robert Desrosiers and has appeared in their works in a variety of
festivals including, Vancouver’s Dancing on the Edge Festival, several
Kalanidhi Festivals and the Canada Dance Festival. 
