All Indian classical dance forms are in sync with the universe while the compositions are weaved with the themes that eulogise spiritual wisdom," opines Padma Vibhushan Sonal Mansingh, a doyen of classical dance.

Sonal is a distinguished dancer, guru, choreographer, well-known social activist, researcher and motivational speaker. Truly an icon, she has specialised in Odissi and Bharatanatyam and is also proficient in several other dance forms such as Kuchipudi and Chhau.

Beginning her dancing career in 1961, she, in 1977, founded the Centre for Indian Classical Dances (CICD) in New Delhi, where she has been imparting training in dance, music and yoga ever since.

Over the years, dance has taken her all over the world and brought her many laurels, including the Padma Bhushan (1992), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, and the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, in 2003, making her the first woman dancer from India to receive such an honour.

This was followed by the Kalidas Samman of the Madhya Pradesh government in 2006. In April 2007, she was conferred with the Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by the GB Pant University, Uttarakhand, at Pantnagar.

Not complacent still, she has the old-world charm in her smile, energetic verve in her dance movements and a resolve achieve greater heights.

"Discipline is the key to success," she maintains while explaining the traits of an ideal disciple through a shloka, "Kak cheshta, vak dhyanam, shwan nidra, tauthai vaucho apalhari, grehtyagi…vidyarthi panchlkshna (have a keen eye like a crow, be meditative, sleep light like a dog, eat less, leave home for knowledge are the five traits of a good student). I do not accept foreign students for they cannot imbibe the best of our culture at all."

She opines that reality shows have opened new vistas for budding talent but the fame is short-lived and TV channels often misuse such shows, which is resulting in frustration and suicide attempts. "There are no short-cuts in performing arts. I still do strenuous riyaz at this age," she says.

Sonal Mansingh will perform at Tagore Theatre on Friday at 6.30 pm

They came, they saw, they captured! Flashback 2008 and it was clicking the country, left, right, centre; 1000 shots, countless frames, non-stop shooting…for Cedrik Verdure and Jean-Baptiste Poggi, it's been, white balance, focus and zoom in on Incredible India.

The medium might be diverse; the subject is the same; which is why bringing you the French filmmaker and the photographer, back-to-back, in one frame.

And the journey begins from Allahabad to Vrindavan, on the way to the Himalayas. "In 2008, we were kind of holidaying in India, looking for ideas…the river Yamuna, is so beautiful and pure at its origins but when you reach Agra and then Delhi, its so polluted. For me, it was a beauty and the beast kind of story. I wanted to out the camera on this river because she deserves it," Cedrik Verdure, film-maker from Paris talks of his documentary Yamuna, Water, India.

He continues, "When it comes to Ganga, the whole world knows about it, be it US or Europe. Even in eastern Europe, there's an organisation for it, but in comparison Yamuna has been so neglected." As for the documentary, "It's a 26- minute film, where we begin with asking people what do they think," adds the journalist for 13 years turned documentary-maker.

He adds, "I'll be showing it in Paris, California, and San Francisco."

Cut to Varanasi, Khajuraho, Chandigarh, Darjeeling, Delhi…where Jean, Baptiste Poggi's, 26-year-old French director of photography, has been incessantly clicking the interiors of India. Here on an invitation of Alliance Francaise, he's one of the three talented photographers of the Yamuna Project - a gathering of their work around water and people in India.

So it was travelling through the country, looking for shots expressing their own feelings about the country. An auto-rickshaw, a herd of cattle, earthen pots; could be anything. The exhibition shows his works of 2008, as also in 2010. "I clicked train, bicycle, rickshaw, anything that fascinated me…I must have taken around 1,000 pictures but in the exhibition I'm showing only 14 because I couldn't depict all. We selected some of the best works."

Inside of a decorated auto-rickshaw, a cow at the door, a man pulling a papaya cart… "This papaya cart picture was taken in Paharganj, Delhi. Like in this other picture, for example, you see a cow, a man and milk on a bicycle…for me these are essentially India. I clicked whatever I feel is the life of India." manpriya@tribunemail.com

The documentary to be screened at Punjab Kala Bhawan-16

on February 20 at 5.30pm. The exhibition on at Alliance Francaise-36 till February 26.

Colours have always played a significant role in determining the moods, emotions and feelings of human beings. Ever since their acceptability and usage by the ancient Chinese, Egyptians and Indians, they have been successfully used as a therapeutic raw material. According to Walter Sargent, "Colour is so much a matter of direct and immediate perception that any discussion of theory needs to be accompanied by experiments with the colours themselves."

However, to mention the significance and acceptability of colour is unique and dynamic, as dubious and unpredictable as the very nature and perception of the human mind.

It is so rightly stated by colour consultants that these are individually perceived, culturally constructed and widely applicable; psychology is no exception to that.

When an artist starts painting, he or she is often in a dilemma as to what colour scheme should be used, which is meaningful and attractive, simple yet impressive; something that lures the psyche of both the artist as well as the viewer.

Through this write-up, an effort has been made to resolve this dilemma faced by most aestheticians and artists by signifying the need, importance and context against which each colour is to be used.

WHITE: White represents purity, peace, neutrality and tranquility of the mind. Artists often use it as a backdrop, as it gives a neutral effect. It symbolises the portrayal of youth, sterility, light, reverence, truth, snow, air, cleanliness, coldness, fearfulness and humility.

YELLOW: Yellow signifies a happy and cheerful disposition of the mind, but when confronted with too much, it signifies anger. It is used by painters to represent sunlight, joy, earth, optimism, intelligence, hope, liberalism, wealth, dishonesty, weakness, greed, sociability and friendship.

GREEN: Green signifies a balanced and rejuvenated mind. During middle ages, green and yellow were used to represent the devil. Today, green is used to symbolise rebirth, renewal, nature, fertility, youth, good luck, generosity, illness, health, abundance, growth, stability and creative intelligence.

BLUE: Blue is considered to be a cool and non-threatening, which has a calming effect on the mind. Artists use blue to symbolise water bodies, depression, tranquility, trust, confidence, conservatism, dependability, wisdom, royalty, and truthfulness. It plays a significant role in religious belief and ceremonies.

RED: Red is an intense color and has a vibrant impact on one's personality. It is used by artists to indicate celebration, purity, passion, strength, energy, fire, sex, love, excitement, speed, heat, arrogance, ambition, leadership, masculine power, danger, blood, war, anger, revolution and communalism. Red when painted with a wide brush makes whatever painted look larger. It is used by painters and advertisers to highlight objects of importance.

GRAY: Gray is a blasé color, which is used by artists to portray elegance, respect, reverence, wisdom, old- age, pessimism, boredom, decay, dullness, pollution, urban sprawl, intense emotions, balance, mourning and neutrality.

ORANGE: Orange signifies a happy, balanced and an enthusiastic mind. It is used by painters to portray energy, heat, fire, playfulness, gaudiness, arrogance, warning, danger, desire, royalty and religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.

BROWN: Brown has an earthy and environmental quality and is popularly coupled with green. It is used by artists to represent skin tones, calmness, boldness, depth, natural organisms, richness, tradition, heaviness, poverty, dullness, roughness, steadfastness, simplicity, dependability, friendliness, and aids in stimulating appetite.

PURPLE: Purple is considered to be the colour of royalty and wisdom in the West and has a spiritual effect on the mind. Artists use it to portray nobility, envy, spirituality, ceremony, mystery, wisdom, enlightenment, flamboyance, exaggeration, sensuality and pride.

PINK: Pink is considered to be a sister colour of red and has a tranquilising effect on the mind. Painters use it to symbolise gratitude, appreciation, admiration, sympathy, socialism, health, feminity, love, marriage, joy, innocence, flirtatiousness and child-like behaviour.

Like Kandinsky says, "Colour is the key; the eye is the hammer; the soul is the piano with its many chords. The artist is the hand that by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically".

It's all about home, hearth and habitat. Perhaps, the fact that trained rural women of Haryana weaved the home linen qualifies it for the nomenclature 'Stitches of Love'. The exhibition-cum-sale comprising bedsheets, bed covers, cushion covers, nightwear, baby wear, baby towels, baby suits, bed spreads, double bed covers, baby dresses, baby sheets, doll towels, jhablas, kurta pajamas, raw material…it isn't difficult to fill in the rest of the blanks.

"We come here only once a year and we receive immense support from Chandigarh and Delhi," Indu Dayal, executive head, Arpana Handicrafts, shares.

She adds, "We have trained as many as 5,000 women in the last 35 years and all this has been made by them. We also have 13 village centres." She's talking of Arpana, a community living group. Also on display are publications on human values, translations, spiritual literature and the like. - ` — TNS

On till February 20 at Hotel Aroma-22

Here is a journalist who talks about the real picture of the media today. "One should always remain devoted to public welfare, and journalism is one medium to do it," said Nasira sharma, an eminent writer and actor during her interaction with students of Media and Entertainment department on Thursday at ITFT College. She clearly demarcated the thin line between what public needs and wants.

During her struggle as a journalist, she never forgot her country and traditions. She advised the students who wanted to take journalism as a profession that they should uphold the values of journalism and should not succumb to pressures in reporting the events. — TNS

Inter National Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD) in collaboration with Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) has joined hands again this season to encourage the fashion education perspective and throw light on the business of fashion.

Taking this thought ahead and in lieu of the feedback from success of the workshop last season, INIFD and Lakme Fashion Week have put together a fashion workshop series 'From Sketchpad to Closet' this year which is being held at Hotel Grand Hyatt in Mumbai.

Fashion, as we all know is about freedom of creativity and thought, but requires a streamlined process to run a successful business. The fashion workshop series unravels the business of fashion - right from the ideation to the final product and highlight best practices for the industry and new talent to grow.

The panel of fashion industry stakeholders will talk about the importance of fashion shows and domestic and international buyers talk about their respective buyer landscapes. Other important topics will include, how the orders are placed, the production and manufacturing stage to meet the clients demands and lastly how one designer can promote and maintain his image in the industry.

According to Ritu Kochhar, corporate director, INIFD states, "This is a great platform for designers to understand fashion from sketchpad to closet… the workshop is segmented into various sections and gives explicit information about the designer's inspirations along with all important thought processes." — TNS

When was the last time you went on a luxurious shopping spree? Don't remember? Well, this is a sad situation. Here is your chance to explore the trunks of treasure. Taj Chandigarh opens its Khazana at the shopping arcade from February 20-21, wherein it offers a mélange of luxurious silks of Banares, hand block printed tussars, South Indian temples, Georgettes, chiffons.

Provides Sandeep Makroo, sales head, Taj Chandigarh, " This is for the first time that Taj Khazana is coming to Chandigarh. The trunks would have jewellery and object d'art, contemporary paintings from Bengal, Rajasthani miniatures and pashminas." Designer clothing, jeweled clutchers, silk suits, carved silver are some of the other things in the treasure trunk. — TNS