Bharatnatyam, as we know today is a culmination of a process of evolution of the classical dance form through centuries. Once cultivated and nurtured in the temples and courts of South India it is a dynamic living tradition that is continuously evolving and metamorphosing through the socio cultural influences, political alignments and individual contributions through […]
Indian classical dance includes diverse dance forms and multitude of styles, each significantly different from the other but at the same time sharing many features in common. All eight classical dance forms are primarily region specific, from Manipur in the North East to Kerala in the south, with their own distinct rhythm, beauty, costume, music, language […]
Indian classical dances are rooted in mythology and borrow liberally from the literature be it Sanskrit or other classical languages such as Tamil, Telegu or Oriya. As such through the centuries many writers and poets have been adapted into the dance tradition, no one more often than the celebrated Sanskrit poet Jayadeva. Born in Kenduli, Orissa, […]
Devdasi, servant of God or Godess, is the Sanskrit word for a girl dedicated to worship and in the service of a deity or a temple for rest of her life. Devdasis, though an essential part of the temple worship tradition by taking care of temple duties and rituals also practised Sadir, the original form of […]
We at Kalyani Kala Mandir try to stage at least one show or performance every year which is a fusion of dance styles or music or collaboration with artists from other streams of music or styles or dance. As you all know our collaboration with Sumana Banerjee with Rabindra Sangeet was well appreciated. My interest in […]
All the readers who have been following this blog for the last couple of months will understand that naturalist intelligence or nature smart is the eighth and the last of the intelligences put forth by Howard Gardner, added a few years later to his list of original seven intelligences we have discussed this far – […]
The learning or teaching of the classical dance of Bharatnatyam begins with the foot movements known as tatta adavus, followed by the mudras, which together are then composed into Jattis. Pieces such as “Alaripu” and “Jatiswaram” are adavus performed to swara patterns. The next step in the progression of learning is a Shabdam. As the […]
Intrapersonal intelligence, listed by Howard Gardner as the last of the seven intelligences in his ‘Theory of Multiple Intelligences’, is the ability to understand oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings, and further using this knowledge to plan and set goals and direction to one’s life. Also known as being Self Smart, it involves introspective and self-reflective […]
Rasa as well as Bhav are beautifully articulated by Bharat Muni in the Natyashastra, an ancient work of dramatic theory. Rasa, the essence, denotes an essential mental state where as Bhav, the state of mind, is often translated into feeling, emotion or mood. The two are closely interlinked and intertwined. Rasa-abhinaya, in the text explains rasa as […]
Long acknowledged as a social skill, required for success in any field of life, being people smart was for the first time regarded as intelligence by Gardener in his Theory of Multiple Intelligences. It basically involves understanding how to communicate, collaborate with and understand people. Interpersonal intelligence is primarily the ability to understand and interact […]