The first programme of the Federation of South Indian Associations New Zealand Inc
Tickets, priced at $34.50 are now on sale
Venkat Raman
Auckland, April 15, 2022
We are happy to announce that five Associations representing the five States of South India have jointly established the Federation of South Indian Associations New Zealand (FSIANZ) Inc to promote the culture and heritage of South India.
We are also happy to announce that the Second Annual Indian Newslink Festivals of South India will be held on Monday, May 23, 2022, at Mahatma Gandhi Centre, located at 145 New North Road. The event is open to everyone above the age of 12.
Ticket Details
Tickets for the Programme, priced at $34.50 per person and tables seating ten persons each at $345 (including GST) are now available with the officials of the Associations. Please see the advertisement appearing on this page and on page 23 of this issue. For further information, please call 021-836528 or Email: venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz
Mana Andhra Telugu Association New Zealand, Telangana Association of New Zealand, Auckland Tamil Association, Auckland Malayali Samajam and New Zealand Kannada Koota, which are constituents of FSIANZ, are organising the event, which for the first time has the Wellington-based Indian High Commission as the Title Sponsor of the Festivals of South India, also to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence.
The highlight of the evening would be traditional music and dance; we have determinedly retained the traditional aspect of music and dance, for they are the true forms of performing arts that have sustained for centuries, inspiring many of our young people to practice them.
We salute parents, teachers and elders in our communities for conscientiously encouraging children to learn these forms of arts, practice and present them on stage.
Festivals of South India would be a tribute to their patronage.
Venerated Expression
In ancient India, Dance in its classical form was the most venerated expression of devotion, dedication and diligence, cultivated to express, elevate and extol dignity and divinity.
Dancers were treated with respect and honour, with emperors, scholars and even warriors finding time to promote their values and ideals.
Dancers of yore found a special place in kings’ courts, temples, public places and homes, and were respected as true manifestations of God, epitomising the grace, style and strength of the Supreme Being.
Dance in any form has found a place of distinction and support in most parts of the world, transcending manmade barriers of religion, class and income.
Young men and women dancers today show commitment and dedication that was not experienced a few decades ago, save for a few who kept the fire burning.
Talented teachers have established dance schools in most parts of the world to explore and expose talents.
New Zealand is one of them.
Indian Tradition
Theatre and dance in South Asia stem principally from Indian tradition.
As Encyclopaedia Britannica mentions, the principles of aesthetics and gesture language in the Natyashastra, a 2000-year-old Sanskrit treatise on dramaturgy, have been the mainstay of all the traditional dancers and actors in India.
“Even folk performers follow some of its conventions. Despite the influence of the different religious waves that swept the Subcontinent through the centuries, the forms of dance and theatre were always able to preserve their ancient core.”
Dance is a part of all Hindu rituals. Farmers dance for a plentiful harvest, hunters for a rich bag, fishermen for a good catch. Seasonal festivals, religious fairs, marriages, and births are celebrated by community dancing.
“A warrior dances before the image of his Goddess and receives Her blessings before he leaves for battle. A Temple girl dances to please her God. The Gods dance in joy, in anger, in triumph. The world itself was created by the Cosmic Dance of Lord Shiva, who is called Nataraja, the King of dancers, and worshipped by actors and dancers as their patron.
Performances and Performers
The Festivals of South India will set the platform for the celebration of cultures of the five States, namely Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. Each of these States is rich in culture, colours, costumes and cuisine, which will form the core of the event. From Bharata Natyam, which is said to be the oldest form of Indian Classical Dance, Kuchipudi and Kathakali to various forms of folk dances, there are abundant tests of talent, endurance, discipline and grace of performers. These would come to the fore at our event on May 23, 2022, in Auckland.
