Press ReviewsPriti Patel
Sunday Amrita Bazar Patrika July 29th, 1984,
“Preeti Patel’s Sparkling Manipuri...It was her sense of artistry which highlighted the emotive moods...”
Sunday Amrita Bazar Patrika December 01st, 1985,
“Manipuri dance in USA on Janmashtami Day.”
Imphal Free Press November 21st, 1999,
“Preeti is the driving spirit behind Calcutta based Anjika, centre for Manipuri Dance and movement therapy.” --Pradip Phanjouban
The Sangai Express Sunday Special, Imphal reviewed on April 23rd, 2000,
“The occasion was the festival of music and dance, the Sangeet Nritya Mahotsav brough to the city as a joint effort of the Sangeet Natak Akademy, New Delhi...and the JNMDA....one of the best appreciated and a surprise presentation of the festival was the performance of Kathak and Manipuri combination performed by Malabika Mitra and Priti Patel, both quite well known in their respective arts. ...The mastery of Ojha Babu on the Pung reached the performance to a climax, drawing in the audience into the very essence of the art. That was the magic of that unforgettable evening, to be remembered for many nights to come.”
The Telegraph wrote in January 2001,
“On December 30, the Second Mrinalini Sarabhai Award for Classical Excellence in Dance was conferred on...Priti Patel from Calcutta for outstanding contribution in the Manipuri genre...the award is the biggest for Classical dance in India...Priti paid her tribute to Mrinalini by presenting a wonderful interpretation of Tagore’s Chitrangada ...to pay homage to the spirit of the modern woman in India. Throughout the performance, it was evident that Priti Patel is perhaps one of the most talented Manipuri dancers this country has produced in the last two decades.”
ProductionsPebbet
The Statesman wrote on August 12th, 1995,
“Anjika, centre for Manipuri Dance and Movement Therapy, presented the story of Pebbet. Pebbet will be remembered as a production in which the ballad of the soil mingles with the spirit of youth as well as age-old values.”
The Asian Age, published on September 01st, 1995,
“Pebbet, was choreographed by Priti Patel...a show for children, done by children where the happiness on stage was so beautifully communicated to those watching. What more can any production hope to achieve ?”
Ananda Lal wrote in The Telegraph on August 18th, 1995,
“The Manipuri fable of the Pebbet birds and their chicks...sensitively written by MahaRajKumari Binodini Devi...Priti Patel did a fine job with the choreography.”
ProductionsMaharas
Manipur Mail wrote on January 10th, 1996,
“Anjika Centre for Manipuri Dance and Movement Therapy in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal presented a two day session of Manipuri Maharas... in a scale and manner unprecedented thanks to the efforts made by Smt. Priti Patel, a prominent exponent of Manipuri classical tradition on behalf of Anjika several other associations and patrons in Calcutta as well as in Manipur...a cultural bonanza rarely to be seen outside Manipur.”
Sunil Kothari reviewed in The Economic Times, Calcutta on January 13th, 1996,
“Inspired by the Divine Flute...the presentation of the traditional Natasankirtana and the Maharasa on a full moon night...at Sangam, Fort William...the credit for that goes to Anjika, a young organization set up by Priti Patel to preserve and propagate Manipuri Culture. One was transported to a mandap in the bylanes of Imphal, Manipur... The Maharasa...was undoubtedly a sight for the Gods... as a lead Gopi Priti Patel was all grace... It was a breathtaking sight which took the audience to an altogether another place of awareness. It was the most fascinating sight and rarely does one witness it in Metropolitan surroundings...A commendable exercise in aesthetic presentation.”
The Statesman reported on February 9th, 1996,
“The production was unique in that it included a number of distinguished gurus from Manipur. An outdoor performance of Manipuri dance not only brought alive legends but was also supported beautifully by a full moon in the background. The dialogues and the songs were in Meitei, the language of Manipur and it was amazing to see the dancers themselves singing. Their quivering voices remained strong and steady on high notes.”
ProductionsSuryagati
The News and Notes published on April 1999,
“Preeti Patel, presented Suryagati, a specially choreographed number of the Sun, as He is the presiding deity of the Chitragupta Temple which provides the backdrop to the dance festival. ...it was a brilliant concept and its execution was one of the highlights of the first three days of the festival. Many felt elated seeing the wealth of Manipuri dance being presented in the one hour choreographic composition, as it revealed its variety and splendour.”
The Times of India reported on November 10th, 2000,
“Surya Gati, a homage to the sun, was a visual treat. ... Preeti Patel stood out in her graceful performance in every scene.”
ProductionsMalem
The Telegraph reported on November 11th, 1999,
“Malem by Preeti Patel’s Anjika..what makes Malem really memorable is its power to appeal to the emotional as well as the intellectual faculties.”
The Statesman published on January 14th, 2000,
“Preeti showed her skill in choreography in her production ‘Malem’ or ‘Prithvi’ or the Earth. ...beautiful as it was in conceptualization and rendition, the fluid dance movements, earth-bound as well as aerial, the use of space and kaleidoscopic patterns were aesthetically pleasing.”
ProductionsMeihourol
The Sangai Express, Imphal wrote on January 16th 2000,
“Meihourol: A Journey to the Roots of Manipuri Dance...hosted by Anjika (Centre for Manipuri Dance & Therapy Movement)..and the Department of Culture, ministry of human resource development.”
ProductionsChitrangada
The Statesman, Delhi, reviewed on January 21st, 2000,
“Priti Patel the well-known exponent from Calcutta presented Chitra, based on Tagore’s Chitrangada, choreographed by Priti in the Manipuri style at the India Habitat Centre. Instead of sticking solely to the dance drama format evolved by Tagore, she interspersed the musical accompaniment with recitation from the Poet’s own poem on the same subject, thus lending a little variation to the norm. ... in this context Priti Patel made an interesting detour within the tradition by amalgamating two of Tagore’s own genres for the same theme. The choreography made use of the vigorous and gentle aspects of Manipuri. The abhinaya, while subdued, was highly lucid, especially in the case of Priti who played the title role of the princess who falls in love with Arjuna, the Pandava Hero. ....the light effects also added a great deal to the presentation, and this is not surprising since Priti has trained in light designing from the doyen of the art, Tapas Sen.”
ProductionsKshitish
The Sunday Times of India, Ahmedabad, reviewed on November 12th, 2000,
“Manipuri exponent Priti Patel, Director, Anjika (Calcutta) has combined stunning choreography in her brilliantly conceptualized drama Kshitish that creates a rare aesthetic experience. There is an unobtrusive interplay of dramatic contrasts between stillness and life, light and shadow, softness and strength, and plainness and splendor in Kshitish.”
ProductionsNavi Dishayain
The Hindu, New Delhi, published on February 22nd, 2002,
“An Indian Fulbright scholar, Preeti Patel, in a short recital under the United States Educational Foundation, presented “Nayi Dishayain” at the American Centre using elements of Thank Ta, Lai Haraoba and the Rasa and the Cholam vocabulary. The curtain raiser paying homage to Mother Earth used a delightful hymn from Atharva Veda and culminated in a Unity of Earth and the Sky...combining in poetic grace in movements much like eagles flying in unison in the sky.”
ProductionsKhuman
Pradip Phanjoubam wrote in the “Imphal Free Press on May 23rd, 2002,
“Anjika’s driving spirit, Preeti Patel, is Manipur’s own cultural ambassador to the rest of India and the world, and Anjika its outpost. Anjika’s lyrical stage interpretation of a beautiful poem by Dilip Mayengbam, “Khuman” The Black Sun mesmerized the audience.”
ProductionsKalpana
The Statesman wrote on May 07th, 2004,
“Two-day Antiquity festival of Fine Arts—Kalpana...conceived by Priti Patel (a distinguished Manipuri dancer) and promoted by the Anjika Centre for Manipuri Dance and Movement Therapy.”
ProductionsAgni
The Times of India reviewed on January 20th, 2009,
“Fiery Performance”
The Calcutta Times, 2009,
“Agni, a stunningly choreographed dance number by Manipuri Dance exponent Priti Patel...pays obeisance to Agni, the Hindu God of Fire...”
The Statesman wrote on February 13th 2009,
“Agni by Anjika...remains exciting for its spellbinding visual extravaganza of Manipuri martial arts, thang-ta...Preeti Patel’s stunning choreography and concept.”
ProductionsBlack Swam
The Telegraph Online reviewed on November 27th, 2012,
“Priti Patel’s Black Swan....flew high. ...Ishano, The Black Swan, The Chosen One, a Priti Patel dance production, organized by Anjika...was based on Manipuri dance traditions. ... Music was a strong and evocative part of the production. Flutes, drums, pena and cymbals were used to create the magical world of Swans.” Click here
ProductionsAnantashakti
Leela Venkataraman reviewed in Talaalam on December 15th, 2016,
“Priti Patel's Manipuri group provided the perfect ending, the Anantashakti-Leishem Kanglou theme portraying the cosmic play of creation, preservation and destruction, breathtaking in the discipline and artistry of knitting other traditions with bits of classical Manipuri. If the ritualistic dances of Lai Haraoba with the dance of creation and the spirit of that energy moving the Cosmos showed the beginning, the power of martial art Thang Ta with swords symbolised the destructive force, and finally came the Rasleela bits where the eternal lila of the jeevatma looking for its cosmic identity is symbolised through the Krishna Gopi love and devotion. In weaving several aspects into an artistic whole, Priti Patel's creative abilities are limitless.” Click here
ProductionsWith Special Children
The Sunday Statesman June 18th, 2000,
“Anjika Centre for Manipuri Dance and Movement Therapy and Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy will stage A Quest for Harmony at 6.30 pm at Vidya Mandir on 24 June. Normal children will perform with mentally challenged kids to send out the message that the latter can do much more than what is commonly perceived.”
Newspaper? 2000,
“Quest for Harmony...This year for the first time Anjika presented an integrated show with half of the 52 participants being from from IICP. The result was a visual delight...will stand out in memory for a long time.”
The Telegraph reported on August 25th, 2000,
“Suryasekhar soared at “Anjika”, a school run by Manipuri danseuse Preeti Patel. An integrated programme, “with both spastic and ‘normal’ children”, termed ‘dance therapy’, was just what the doctor would have ordered for Suryashekhar.”
The Telegraph, Metro, wrote on Calcutta, November 26th, 2010,
“Students of Anjika, the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, Akshar; Mentaid, Manovikas Kendra and Rhythmosaic Dance Company present a dance programme, Sangam, on Childrens’ Day at Prinsep Ghat.”
No paper press clips in the scrap books on:
Olive Green (2011), Ishanou, Black Swan (2012), Ananda Utsav (2013), Khonjen Ama (2014), Anantashakti (2014), Pachattva (2015), Aayam (2016), Turel—Listen to the River (2016), Narta Sutra (2018), Pran Sutra (2019), Participated in Octave (2019).