art music poetry

Sangeeta Majumder and Strings N Steps

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Music Direction and Arrangement by Shri Neel Ranjan Mukherjee
Project conceptualization and Art Direction by Sangeeta Majumder.

Shiva-Parvati Stuti, a special performance.
Music by Shri Neel Ranjan Mukherjee
Tabla by Shri Zuheb Ahmed Khan

This is the one and only musical group in the world which is an exclusive venture presenting ‘Kathak’ , a North Indian Classical Dance and ‘Hawaiian guitar’ , a lap slide guitar from Hawaiian Islands , simultaneously on the same stage complementing each other.……

Born in the family of academicians and business persons in the City of Joy, Kolkata, Sangeeta Majumder is the first generation in her family who chose her career in the field of kathak dance. This exceptionally talented and creative danseuse is presently practicing in the prime institution of India of the legendary kathak Maestro and the world’s most celebrated Kathak Guru Padmavibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj, named ‘KALASHRAM’, New Delhi, under the guidance of Pandit Deepak Maharaj, she has also been fortunate to learn from Pandit Ram Mohan Maharaj in the famous institution Sriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi, India. Though, learning in guru-shishya parampara since many years she is a First Class Master Degree holder in Kathak Dance from Punjabi University, Patiala and Diploma with Distinction in ‘Kathak’ from ‘Chandigarh University’. This multi-faceted young dancer also holds a Master Degree in English from ‘University of Calcutta’.
As Martha Graham said “Dance is the hidden language of the soul” ― this passionate kathak dancer has spell a charm by depicting the soulful language with her extremely beautiful facial expression and graceful body movements of Lucknow Gharana . Her vibrant style of dancing illustrates a promising dancer of this gharana with the blessings of her gurus and audiences in a very small span of time. “Ability to move effortlessly from one character to another in split of seconds has helped her in winning over the applauses of the audiences.”
Her deep involvement, commitment and awareness towards society accelerated her to an endeavour ‘STRINGS N STEPS’. This is an NGO, registered under society act, situated in New Delhi, India. This is a cultural group which promotes and teaches the children (from the grass root level of the society) music and dance and makes them aware of Art, Culture & strong heritage of India. She is the General Secretary of Strings N Steps. She organises ‘STRINGS N STEPS FESTIVAL’ in New Delhi every year. This gives a platform to the little budding artists to perform with the established stars from Indian Classical field. This is a huge inspirational effort as a responsible artist of the society. It has another important aspect. ‘Strings N Steps’ is the one and only musical group in the world which is an exclusive venture presenting ‘Kathak’ and ‘Hawaiian guitar’ simultaneously on the same stage complementing each other. This is an amalgamation of Hindustani Classical dance supplemented by Western instrument playing Hindustani Raga by famous musician of India Shri Neel Ranjan Mukherjee (prime disciple of legendary Sitar maestro Padmabhushan Pandit Debu Chaudhuri), and Internationally acclaimed Tabla Wizard Ustad Akram Khan, supported by other instruments played by the musicians of international repute.(COPY RIGHT RESERVED). She aims to carry on her research work on Indian classical Music and Dance in this era of globalization. Another remarkable work Kathak-Hawaiian Guitar-Vocal trio named Sangam, which has been performed perhaps for first time in India.
This young dancer organizes different kinds of charitable cultural events in different parts of India to popularize traditional music and dance amongst the masses in her own way by sponsoring the disadvantaged artists with grants. She has organised this kind of programs in Jharkhand in July ’13, in Kathmandu, Nepal (2013), West Bengal in Jan ’14, with the financial support from ‘Strings N Steps’.
She has conducted workshops in different leading schools of India like Delhi Public School, DAV Public School (organised by Sahitya Kala Parishad, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) , Pragati Public School, Navyug School, New Delhi to name a few. Her choreography for Bani Vidya Mandir won the award for the performance in All Bengal Inter School Competition, organised by West Bengal Government ’07. She had got privilege to conduct workshop with Vidushi Mamta Maharaj in Punjab Kala Bhawan, Chandigarh. She has assisted Pandit Ram Mohan Maharaj in the choreography for Republic Day Parade in the front of the former President of India Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil and other distinguished guests in the year 2011.
Recently, Sangeeta has been awarded with ‘Roll of Honour’ from Government College for Girls, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab ‘15. She has been felicitated by Padma Bhushan Awardee Pandit Debu Chaudhuri in ‘Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan Festival ’14. She is also the recipient of the very prestigious Award of Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy Yuva Puraskar in the Competition in Kathak for securing first position, ‘13. She has been honoured to receive the felicitation from Padma Vibhushan Awardee Pandit Birju Maharaj in the Graduation Ceremony of Kalashram for securing second position ’12. She has held the First position in Kathak from Sur-O-Taal, Pracheen Kala Kendra ‘07. Recognition and the Title ‘Nritya Gaurav’ and Pride of Kolkata were given to her by Award Council of India, Lucknow in the year 2012. She has also received National recognition “Meera Award” in the year 2009 for the ‘Excellence in Kathak dance’ from Agra, Uttarpradesh. She has performed for National Television Channel Doordarshan , New Delhi and Kolkata in various events. She has been acknowledged for his spirited movements in festivals like World Dance Day, Festival organised by Kalashram & ICCR, New Delhi, Patna Mahotsav , Vasant Utsav, Holi Utsav, Ballet Festival by Sriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, New Delhi, Noida Shilpotsav, Uttar Pradesh. She has performed for many reputed organisation, Universities and performing institutions in different cities of Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh in India and in Dubai, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), Kathmandu (Nepal), Dhaka (Bangladesh). Performance for Indian Council For Cultural Relations Bhopal Chapter and Bhubaneshwar Chapter, for Navarasam, Culicut, Kerala in association with Ministry of Culture and Sangeet Natak Academy. In the year 2013 she has been appointed as the online and visiting Kathak faculty member of Saaz-O-Awaz, Academy of Indian Music, Toronto, Canada. This year she has been invited to Buenos Aires, Argentina to conduct workshops and give performances. She has been also fortunate to be invited to perform and represent India as Cultural Ambassador in India-Maldives Friendship Festival, FAIM in Male, Maldives.
Sangeeta is currently running a Music, Dance and general education school in Kolkata named Kalasangam and she teaches Kathak many students in India and as well as in abroad . Her pleasant mind and personality reflect in her dance presentation on stage and completes her as one of the most sparkling Kathakas for her solo performances. Her decorative performances made her as a role model to the younger students of her genre. She is a regular faculty of Kathak Dance in UMAK Institute for Performing Arts (Institute of Padma Bhushan Pandit Debu Chaudhri). Recently she was interviewed by All India Radio, National channel titled “Stri Shakti” and “Mulakatein” for her achievements. She has been featured in Hindustan Times, The Telegraph, The Statesman, Dainik Jagran and other leading newspapers along with some of online web magazines.
Not only, Sangeeta practices her Kathak dance but she has a special interest to learn Indian classical music and learnt vocal under the able guidance of renowned guru Charanjit Soni in Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra. Sangeeta manifested her versatility as a commercial model and TV anchor. There is a popular saying “Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.” by Voltaire inspires her. She has also learnt Bharatnatyam, kathakali, Manipuri these other classical dance forms along with Salsa, waltz, jazz and many more to have a knowledge and keeping herself up-to-date name a few.
In her words: “Artists should be the virtuous soul who will be dedicating themselves to cultivate new life in the field of music and society.
“Kathak needs lots of sacrifices, hard work, and pain too. Kathak is not just a North Indian Classical Dance form; it’s a doctrine of life!”

Facebook
Strings and Steps at Facebook
Recent interview ​of Sangeeta Majumder ​from magazine ‘Indiacafe24’
Recent Newspaper feature​ of Sangeeta Majumder​ from ‘New Indian Express’-

Eyes by Janet Kuypers | Read by Michael Lee Johnson

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eyes poem by Janet Kuypers

eyes

Janet Kuypers
started 4/4/15, finished 4/6/15

Growing up,
boys didn’t like me,
kids made fun of me.

I was raised to think
that I was a plain girl,
easily overlooked.

I’d look at my eyes,
the same eyes my dad
thought made me

always look sad,
and wanted to think
that the song

“Brown Eyed Girl”
could have been
about me.

How silly of me.

I should know better.

And maybe that is why

I’ve always loved
blue eyes.
Eyes not like mine.

#

The eye is a fascinating thing,
it’s beautiful to study,
especially yours…

If I were a biologist,
I’d take high-res photos
of that eye of yours,

maybe magnify it as large
as I could, so I could study it
like a slide under a microscope.

I would search for meaning
in those mesmerizing patches
and shades of that unique blue.

#

They say science
can explain all,
so maybe it can explain

why I’m so in love
with your eyes, or why
I’m so in love with you.

#

Eyes are our windows
to the outside world, but
they’re also portals inward,

giving us mere mortals
fleeting glimpses
to who you are inside.

I think our colored irises
floating on an ocean of white,
punctuated with a pupil

were designed that way
so we could follow
each other’s gazes closely.

I’m watching you.

You probably see that.

I hope you’ll watch me too.

Because scientists
have studied the crypts,
pigment dots and furrows

of the eye, and scientists
are now figuring out
that the eye really is

the window to the soul.

So, maybe I was
on the right track

by loving your eyes,
and never wanting
to lose sight of them again.

Weebley Waffles

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weebly waffles
weebly waffles

Weebley Waffles went to Wambly Academy

and he ran down the Wambly halls

down the Wambly walks

to Wanglewhat Inn where

he ran smack into Wappley Walbright and where

Weebles became

all blarneyed and festered

“I’m leaving Wambly”,  Weebley said that day at Wanglewhat

Now, don’t get me wrong, Wappley Walbright knew of both
Wambly’s and Wanglewhat’s respect for Weebley.
Wappley said, “Weebley Waffles you wangblatt! Wambly needs you.”
“Have no more whiskey, Weebley” said Wappley

david michael jackson

Taylor Mali Poetry

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Taylor Mali Poetry
Poet and teacher Taylor Mali. Taylor Mali uses the skills of a teacher to keep us awake and make us pay attention.
Mali is a vocal advocate of teachers and the nobility of teaching, having himself spent nine years in the classroom teaching everything from English and history to math and S.A.T. test preparation. He has performed and lectured for teachers all over the world, and his 12-year long Quest for One Thousand Teachers, completed in April of 2012…………..Bio

“The art that allows you to rewrite history”…that’s poetry. It perhaps started with “What Teachers Make” but the voice is there in many teachers. He is proud to be the teacher poet. Emerging from the slam poetry or performance poetry movement which has made poetry entertaining as well as profound, Taylor Mali is a hit!
It is with respect that we publish this page. Respect for a good poet and respect for our teachers.

Taylor at Amazon

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The Poem That Ended War

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poem that ended war

He writes a poem when he needs one

and sometimes they go here

or                    over                     here

and sometime they hang

there

like they might say something important in a line of thought

but always this word<-  or that -> word

leads

somewhere else, but it doesn’t matter.

Even matter doesn’t matter.

In a parallel universe this poem ended war.

In this universe

war is hell

and this is just a poem

wishing

like all of the other poems

for

peace.