Winston Churchill said, “A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril.” It is perhaps this love that inspires and motivates Samskriti, a non-profit arts organisation, to showcase Incredible India, a cultural extravaganza that celebrates India every year on the occasion of its Independence. This popular event is presented in association with the Consulate General of India in Houston and funded by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board.
The spirit of Independence is best conveyed through arts. And in a culturally-rich country like India, national sentiments have been beautifully expressed by poets, musicians, dancers and theatre artistes. So a festival that celebrates this has to be diverse in its expression, the premise on which Samskriti is curated.
Talking about this annual event, Hon. Dr. Anupam Ray, Consul General of India in Houston says, “The Indian diaspora in Houston is a very successful one, which represents the best of India in many ways. It is a matter of great importance that it retains the links with its heritage and anything that is done in that direction is something we wish to encourage. And that is why we are happy to support Samskriti and what better occasion than the 70th anniversary of our Independance. The Indian Government is proud to be associated with this organisation and whatever we can do we will continue to do.”
Freedom is looking beyond divides and boundaries; Incredible India focuses on the sound of oneness. Each year, the festival strives to come up with performances that establishes a link between the past and the present. So there are classical dances, classical with a contemporary touch performances and folk ensembles.
Spread over 7.5 acres, Miller Outdoor Theatre makes a perfect venue for an event of this magnitude. It can accommodate more than 10,000 spectators and provide reserved seating for 1,700. Entrance is free for all shows and people come to enjoy the show and also picnic on the hill which is a tradition.
Designed originally like an amphitheatre by William Ward Watkin in 1922, the refurbished space was opened in 1998 and is among prestigious performance venues in the U.S. With an eight-month busy schedule of events, the theatre offers the experience of sitting under the sky and enjoying concerts.
Cissy Segall Davis, managing director of Miller Outdoor Theatre says, “Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. and the Miller Theatre Advisory Board strives to create a series of free high-quality productions that are representative of the many communities that live in the city. We have awarded grants to Indian Performing Arts, Samskriti, for many years. Rathna Kumar has produced and presented a number of shows that have brought the incredible beauty, colour and cultural heritage of the many states of India to this stage, sharing them with the entire Houston community. They are making the performing and cultural arts of India available to all, regardless of age, ethnicity, socio-economic status and ability to pay. This is a wonderful gift.”
Financial support
According to Sanchali Basu, president of Samskriti, Miller Theatre Advisory Board’s continued financial support has helped Samskriti reach larger audiences beyond the Indian community. “It is encouraging to have several local Indian organisations come forward to partner and support this event in different ways. The active participation of cultural organisations and dance companies from Houston and other states gives Samskriti the impetus to create a beautiful tapestry of Indian classical dance and music year after year. The wonderful feeling of solidarity that we all share motivates us to do better every year.”
This year’s line-up is as diverse as it has been over the years. Anjali Center for performing arts is a beehive of activity with rehearsals in full progress and dancers involved in preparations for the show on August 19. Rathna Kumar, artistic director, takes a break to share her enthusiasm and involvement and talk about her curating Incredible India.
“This is the 11th year in succession that we are conducting this show at the Miller Outdoor Theatre and it always draws huge crowds. The idea behind it is to show the non-Indian population of Houston how truly incredible India’s cultural heritage is, how timeless are her classical music and dances and how vibrant her folk arts are. Each year we select a theme to highlight certain aspects. One year, we took the audience on an imaginary train journey with ‘A Passage through India’, making the different regions come alive through their folk dances. Last year, we celebrated the harmonious coming together of East and West by having Americans performing Indian themes. Our culture is so vast and varied that we are able to come up with interesting new concepts. The theme for this year is ‘Unity through Diversity’ and we have been working hard to create a line up thaat will reflect the theme’s essence. I feel that juxtaposing various classical dance forms of India will bring greater awareness about the diversity that makes each one so distinct and beautiful.”
Cultural tour
The ‘Unit in Diversity’ theme will embark on a dawn to dusk tour from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The programme will commence with suryanamaskar and yogasanas, primary energy forces for well being. This will be performed by Venugopal Josyula, Vijay Kumar and Vasanth Kumar, students of the Narasimhacharis from Chennai. The classical dance artistes are from the Houston branch of Aruna Mohanty’s Odissi Academy, Shivangini School of Kathak and Anjali Center for Performing Arts. Kalari, the vibrant martial art of Kerala, will be demonstrated by Vasanth Kumar. A multilingual thematic presentation on integration with representation of 15 Indian states through their culture and language has been choreographed by Rathna for this occasion. The dance will be enhanced with visuals of natural and architectural splendour associated with each State. The show will end with ‘Vande Mataram’, a glorious salutation to Mother India.
Eclectic mix
R atna Kumar, artistic director of Samskriti festival has the line up ready for next year. “The plan has to be submitted a year in advance. So my work is a seamless sourcing of artistes,” she adds. “And the viewers love what we offer. Samskriti comes up with something new every year. For 2018, Ratna has invited troupes from Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. “Samskriti will showcase the strong bond among Asian countries in terms of culture,” she says.
Ratna’s Anjali Centre (1975) was the first to be set up in Texas and one of the first in the U.S. Apart from Padmini Ramachandran’s dance school, there was very little for the Indians in terms of art, especially in Houston. “I belong to Chennai, the cultural hub, and couldn’t accept the vacuum. Thus was born Anjali,” laughs Ratna. But Samskriti is not about her school. It is a pan-India spectacle. From Pt. Birju Maharaj and Balamuralikrishna to Padma Subrahmanyam and Lalgudi Jayaraman, the cream has come under the Miller Theatre spotlight. Also theatre persons such as Lillete Dubey.
Ratna was on the advisory board of the Miller Outdoor Theatre and fell in love with it. “So when I was asked whether I wanted to continue after my term of three years, I said I wanted to be up there, performing. And Samskriti was started in 1994,” says Ratna, who managed to put Poikkal Kudirai and Karagattam on stage.
The show is as much for Indians as for the Americans. “Children born and raised here need to experience the diversity of our culture. What better way than to make a visual presentation in one of the most gorgeous spaces — the Miller Outdoor Theatre,” says Ratna.
