Jasmine Simhalan
Encyclopedia
Jasmine Simhalan is a practitioner of the Indian martial arts
and classical Indian dance
. Her father, Simhalan Madhava Panicker
, was a well known Martial Artist. Simhalan is an instructor in Silambam
and a Gurukkal
in Kalarippayattu
. Simhalan is a performer and choreographer based in the United Kingdom and India. Simhalan has been a part of physical theatre
and India
n contemporary form of dance, theatre and martial art forms for the past twenty years.
, Silambam
fencing and Marmam. She has also trained in Indian dance including Bharatanatyam
, martial dance Chhau and Mohiniyattam.
Since 1987, Simhalan has been part of most of the productions of the Indian Chandralekha (dancer)
group (1988–1993) and Shobana Jeyasingh dance company (1993–2003) as a dancer and educational/workshop leader. At the same time, Simhalan has worked as a soloist and a choreographer. Simhalan has toured and performed in productions of Wayne McGregor
(UK), Richard Alston
(UK), Laurie Booth (UK), Roger Sinha (Canada), Mavin Khoo
(UK), and was also part of the 2001 Basement Jaxx
album and Emergency Exit Arts production RungaRung. In the summer of 2000, Simhalan both choreographed for and performed in the award winning production, Coming of Age, directed by Keith Khan
.
Simhalan's work in television and film includes Check by Amarjeeth Singh, and Away Game, a BBC
production. Chathi (means cheat in Malayalam), her physical theatre choreography based on the warrior
s of Northern Ballads like Aromal Chekavar, Chathiyan channthu etc. of 16th-century in kerala
, has toured in the United Kingdom and Europe. Recently, she directed and performed Ghost, a street theatre act and video installation at the Somerset House
. She art directed and performed SPILT, a video installation for London Mela. Football and Spare Rib where toured till end 2009 in South East Asia, Europe and the Americas. Currently She runs awareness programmes across South India(setting up programmes for integrating good health through Kalaripayattu, Yoga and Pilates in South Indian educational system, closely working with varied NGO's and Government bodies.
Her recent award winning collaborative work, produced by Builders association New York in collaboration with Motiroti
, London is a multimedia theatre work on global communication culture and arts.
Indian martial arts
The Indian subcontinent is home to a variety of fighting styles. In Sanskrit they may be collectively referred to as ' or '. The former is a compound of the words and , meaning "knowledge of the sword" or "knowledge of weaponry"...
and classical Indian dance
Classical Indian dance
Indian classical dance is a relatively new umbrella term for various codified art forms rooted in Natya, the sacred Hindu musical theatre styles, whose theory can be traced back to the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni .- Definitions :...
. Her father, Simhalan Madhava Panicker
Simhalan Madhava Panicker
Simhalan Madhava Panicker was a well known South Asian martial artist and actor of film and theater. Born into a family of plantation farmers in Kerala in 1930, he left home at the young age of 8 and traveled to all corners of India. He found his passion in the martial arts and acting...
, was a well known Martial Artist. Simhalan is an instructor in Silambam
Silambam
Silambam or silambattam is a weapon-based Dravidian martial art from Tamil Nadu in south India but also practised by the Tamil community of Sri Lanka and Malaysia. In Tamil, the word silambam refers to the bamboo staff which is the main weapon used in this style...
and a Gurukkal
Gurukkal
See different meaning for the word Gurukkal.*Gurukkal Brahmins - A sub-sect of Vadamas not recognized as one amongst them and whose duties are to worship at Temples....
in Kalarippayattu
Kalarippayattu
Kalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
. Simhalan is a performer and choreographer based in the United Kingdom and India. Simhalan has been a part of physical theatre
Physical theatre
Physical theatre is used to describe any mode of performance that pursues storytelling or drama through primarily and secondarily physical and mental means. There are several quite distinct but indistinct traditions of performance which all describe themselves using the term "physical theatre",...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n contemporary form of dance, theatre and martial art forms for the past twenty years.
Background
Simhalan has trained in martial arts including KalarippayattuKalarippayattu
Kalaripayattu is a southern Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu but also practiced in contiguous parts of Kerala and Karnataka.Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods...
, Silambam
Silambam
Silambam or silambattam is a weapon-based Dravidian martial art from Tamil Nadu in south India but also practised by the Tamil community of Sri Lanka and Malaysia. In Tamil, the word silambam refers to the bamboo staff which is the main weapon used in this style...
fencing and Marmam. She has also trained in Indian dance including Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
, martial dance Chhau and Mohiniyattam.
Career
Chandralekha (dancer)
Chandralekha Prabhudas Patel , commonly known as just Chandralekha, was a dancer and choreographer from India...
group (1988–1993) and Shobana Jeyasingh dance company (1993–2003) as a dancer and educational/workshop leader. At the same time, Simhalan has worked as a soloist and a choreographer. Simhalan has toured and performed in productions of Wayne McGregor
Wayne McGregor
Wayne McGregor CBE is a British choreographer of contemporary modern dance. His work is highly distinctive in its vocabulary of movement, for its integration of dance with film and visual art, and for his active interest and incorporation of computer technology and biological science...
(UK), Richard Alston
Richard Alston
Richard Alston may refer to:*Richard Alston *Richard Alston , Australian High Commissioner to the UK and former Australian senator...
(UK), Laurie Booth (UK), Roger Sinha (Canada), Mavin Khoo
Mavin Khoo
Mavin Khoo is Malaysian dancer of the Indian classical dance form, Bharata Natyam-Early life and education:Born on April 30, 1976 born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Youngest son to Tan Sri and Puan Sri Khoo Kay Kim. His father Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim is a national leading historian...
(UK), and was also part of the 2001 Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
album and Emergency Exit Arts production RungaRung. In the summer of 2000, Simhalan both choreographed for and performed in the award winning production, Coming of Age, directed by Keith Khan
Keith Khan
Keith Khan , studied Fine Art/ Sculpture at Middlesex University and is an Arts Industry Bureaucrat . who has had an eclectic career in the Arts Scene and co-founded the arts organisation Motiroti in 1996 with Ali Zaidi...
.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
production. Chathi (means cheat in Malayalam), her physical theatre choreography based on the warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s of Northern Ballads like Aromal Chekavar, Chathiyan channthu etc. of 16th-century in kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, has toured in the United Kingdom and Europe. Recently, she directed and performed Ghost, a street theatre act and video installation at the Somerset House
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
. She art directed and performed SPILT, a video installation for London Mela. Football and Spare Rib where toured till end 2009 in South East Asia, Europe and the Americas. Currently She runs awareness programmes across South India(setting up programmes for integrating good health through Kalaripayattu, Yoga and Pilates in South Indian educational system, closely working with varied NGO's and Government bodies.
Her recent award winning collaborative work, produced by Builders association New York in collaboration with Motiroti
Motiroti
motiroti is a London based arts organisation led by Artistic Director Ali Zaidi. For over ten years the company has made internationally acclaimed and award winning art that transforms relationships between people, communities and spaces...
, London is a multimedia theatre work on global communication culture and arts.
External links
- Official Jasmine Simhalan website
- jasmine's kalaripayatt website
- jasmine's indian performing arts trust activity website
- Motiroti's website
- builders association website