The Louise Lightfoot Legacy
A new Monash project on Indian dance.
The renowned Australian dancer of Indian classical traditions, Ms Tara Rajkumar, is the newly appointed MAI director of Indian music and dance programs. In addition to symposia and international conferences, the Monash Asia Institute has launched an international collaborative research project on the Louise Lightfoot legacy. That project forms part of a larger group of projects in the field of Indian studies, including new initiatives in the fields of business, science and religion. Details about these other research projects will be announced shortly.
The Louise Lightfoot Legacy project involves Dr Sunil Kothari, India's best known dance critic. He, with the support of the MAI, has started working on a monograph about Louise Lightfoot. Tara Rajkumar and Sunil Kothari are working with us on a number of other initiatives including dance performances and workshops in both Australia and India. These include not only Indian and Australian dance traditions, but also innovative explorations of the indigenous traditions and new experiments in contemporary dance and music development.
Remembering Louise Lightfoot
Read more about Louise Lightfoot at:
http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/monmag/issue3-99/item-05.html orDOWNLOAD article.
The Louise Lightfoot Legacy Exhibition
7 October 2008 to 7 March 2009, 10:00am to 5:00pm (Monday to Friday)
Monash Science Centre, Building 74
Monash University, Clayton (off Normanby Road) (Melways ref: 70 G9)
A research project of the Monash Asia Institute
With the support of the Monash School of Music-Conservatorium, custodians of the Lightfoot Collection
Louise Lightfoot (1902-1978) spent her life bringing together Western and Indian classical and modern dance traditions. The Monash Music Department-Conservatorium is the custodian of her costumes, books, manuscripts, notes and scrapbooks which in this display were arranged by the renowned Australian-Indian dancer and choreographer Tara Rajkumar, Director of Performing Arts, Monash Asia Institute. A special thanks to the Monash Science Centre for hosting this event.
Entry free of charge
Enquiries: MAI.Enquiries@adm.monash.edu.au or msc@sci.monash.edu.au, Phone: (03) 9905 1370
Past Events
Seminar: Indian Dance Innovations - Indigenous Inspirations not Copies
Dr Sunil Kothari, a leading dance historian, scholar, author and critic of Indian classical dances.
31 July 2008
Dr Sunil Kothari is the Vice President of the World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific from India. He is currently a visiting Professor for Dance, School of Arts and Aesthetics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and was formerly Professor and Head, Dept. of Dance, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. He is a recipient of the PADMA SHRI, a civil honour bestowed by the President of India for his outstanding contribution to the field of classical Indian Dance and related arts. Dr Sunil Kothari researches on several aspects of Indian Dance forms, including the Sattriya Dances of Assam. He has written more than 14 books on Indian classical dance.
For more details about Dr Kothari, see: http://www.sunilkothari.com
DOWNLOAD Brochure for Indian Dance Innovations Seminar
About Tara Rajkumar
Internationally renown dancer and choreographer, Tara Rajkumar is the founding director of the acclaimed institution, Aka'demi London UK. Tara Rajkumar is a qualified teacher and performer of the Classical Indian Dance forms of Kathakali, Odissi and Mohiniattam. Tara has dedicated her life to educating people of all ages about the lost dance forms and culture of India, and her most significant contribution to the community has been through her teaching. She has performed, presented lectures, master classes and workshops in Europe, South-East Asia, and India.
DOWNLOAD profile about Ms Tara RajKumar
Contact: Ms Tara Rajkumar, Email: tarajkum@bigpond.net.au