Date: 11 November, 2005
Venue: The Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, London, W1K 1HF
There are rich presentations on the khol (percussion) called 'Gayan Bayan' done by groups of bhakats (celibate monks) , which are very sacred and auspicious to Xattriya. Prateesha will be accompanied by two seniormost bhakats (celibate monks) from Natun Kamalabari Xattra, Majuli, apart from the lead vocalist and flautist from Assam. The bhakats will perform alongside Prateesha and also support her in the orchestra.For the past fifteen years Prateesha has been involved in bringing out the richness in Xattriya and presenting it to conoisseurs, critics, dance scholars and has performed extensively in all the major Dance festivals. Recently she conducted a workshop of Xattriya in Edinburgh Festival. She has worked on the style, music, costume and presentation of this dance form with active support from the Gurus of Natun Kamalabari Xattra. It has been her effort to take Xattriya to an international level and spread the message of Shrimanta Shankaradeva.
Rini KakatiPrateeshas passion for dance started at a very tender age. From childhood, her inclination was towards the Indian classical dance. As a young she pursued her interest in styles like Kathak Bharatanatyam and Xattriya, the dance of her state. She excelled in lead roles like Sita in Ramayana and Shakuntala in Shaakkuntalam and gathered ample experience on stage as a young girl. She was determined to be a professional dancer and followed her pursuits to Kalakshetra in Chennai. After the rigorous training in the institute she graduated in Bharatanatyam with distinction, from where there was no looking back for the dancer.
In her home state Assam, Prateesha stated her career as a performer and teacher of dance. She stated teaching in her school Pratishruti Nrityashala and performed avidly which established her as a young, energetic and talented dancer in the minds of the audience and connoisseurs alike. She wanted to improve the classical dance scene of her state by way of making the younger generation aware of the arts. She encouraged her students to go out of the state to learn the fine arts. With her deep interest in the culture of the country she involved herself in organizational works and helped in the organisation of the Veda Sammelan in Guwahati, under the aegis of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, as the Cultural Convenor.Prateesha got married in1993, which took her out of the state and she travelled to various cities in India with her husband. With new responsibilities of motherhood she was undeterred from her focus and her mission for the classical dances. She continued her passion for dance and pursued perfection. In her dance, Prateesha maintains the impeccable and inimitable style of Kalakshetra. Inspired by the philosophy of Late Rukmini Devi Arundale she believes in upholding the beautiful culture of India through dance, music and the fine arts.
The South of India is the land of ancient Hindu traditions and culture, Bharatanatyam is the dance of technique of Tamil Nadu. The technique of Bharatanatyam took centuries to evolve and develop. It is usually danced by a solo woman dancer. Its songs are purely devotional love songs, the dancer being the devotee and God, the beloved. The highly cultivated art of Bharatanatyam has been handed down through the centuries in the temples of South India. It has a rich and varied repertoire, and this embraces all the three aspects of Indian classical dance.Xattriya
Prateesha took her first steps in dance and Xattriya. After her initial training in Bharatanatyam she took up the task of studying the five hundred years old dance form of her state, founded by the great philosopher and saint Shrimanta Shankaradeva. Traditionally, Xattriya is danced only by men inside the precincts of the Xattra. Therefore it required a deeper understanding of the art form. Prateesha felt committed in studying the classical features of the dance and establishing them which led her into studying the various facets and nuances of the dance form in detail. She not only worked on the technique of the dance but also on the music, costume and presentation.The Xattriya style of dancing is unique from the other existing classical dance styles. Studying the technique and presenting the classical features of the dance keeping the underlying spirit or philosophy of the dance intact became the most difficult yet the sole aim for this dancer. She took it up as a research work and with support from her Guru and co-musicians she could create pieces of solo-dance dramas as never done in Xattriya before. She brought forth the original music and unearthed the style of costume as existing before and created costumes that were traditional and yet suitable for the stage. They were subtle in concept but rich in content. She started her performance outside the state and combined them with lecture-demonstrations for a better understanding of the dance form of one and all. It became important to present Xattriya amongst the other Indian classical dances. Towards this Prateesha has been performing all over the country and in prestigious dance festivals. In her pursuit for excellence she has received recognition from the entire dancing fraternity and dance critics.
The North Eastern part of India is the home of a mature form of dance evident from the Natya Shastra. History records that in 707 A.D. King Koh-Lo-Feng of Burma sent a team of dancers and musicians from Assam to China. The Chinese traveller Hieu en Tsang states that when he visited Kamarupa (present day of Assam), about 640 A.D. his host King Bhaskaravarmana entertained him everyday with performances of music and dance. The principal tradition of classical dance in Assam is of Xattriya. The great saint and reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva played a vital role in shaping the religious thought social set-up, which completely changed the face of Assam. Born in 1449, he founded the unique institution of the Xattra, from where the ideals of Bhakti enunciated by him spread to all parts of the state. He introduced Vaishnavism in Assam. The entire tradition of art in the state owes its genesis to the pioneering contribution of Shankaradeva and of his successor Madhavdeva.Performances
Malabar Mahotsava, Calicut Natyanjali Dance Festival, Chidambaram. Dance India Taste India, Coimbatore. HCL Concert Series, Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Karthik Fine Arts, Chennai. Sooriya Dance Festival Pondicherry ICCR, Bangalore. Shruti Mandal, Jaipur. Uday Shankar Dance Festival, Kolkata Classical Dance Festival, Goa. India International Centre, New DelhiComments
Danseuse par excellence. -- The TelegraphShe has tried to re-establish the purity of form and style. The Asian Age
She is pretty sure about her grammar in dance and her future goals. The Financial Express, SundayShe wants to interest other dancers to come forward and give it many dimensions. Express Week
Prateesha Suresh hopes to re-establish Xattriya classical dance status. Hindustan TimesSacredness on stage: Prateesha depicts the spirituality of Xattriya dance. The Indian Express
A wonderful performance by Prateesha Suresh. Subbudu, StatesmanPrateesha is totally focused on promoting the richness of the Xattriya so that it regains its rightful position in the dance world. Swagat
The ancient monastic Xattriya dance of Assam performed by Kalakshetra alumna Prateesha Suresh shares the grace of Mohiniattam and Odissi with the vigour of Bharatanatyam. The Northeast Timesin rendering her numbers she had displayed remarkable grace, rhythm, joyous melody, expressive abhinaya and nimble footwork . Prateesha had an attractive stage personality. Her simple costume and uninhibited free movements made the dances all the more impressive. The Assam Tribune
Prateesha who is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, is now spurred by the urge to put the dance form of the region she hails from, on the pan-India map . the dancer produced all the humour without ever appearing to lose her dignity in the almost slapstick scenes The dancer left no one in doubt about her histrionic abilities. Leela Venkataraman, The HinduThe new version of Messenger is here - download MSN Messenger 7.5 today!
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