Basic Understanding Of Kalakshetra Style Of Dancing

By Author: Prasun Banerjee
Total Articles: 7
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Bharatnatyam as a performance art is difficult and takes years to master. The poses and postures in this form of dancing can be physically taxing which is one reason why it is always better for the enthusiasts to start at an early age of childhood. This enables the student to have maximum flexibility which is needed to master the physical rigors of the dance and perform it flawlessly without a twitch of pain on the face. Bharatnatyam is usually more about solo performance. This can be owed to the fact that the difficulty of the poses and the time taken for each student to master the and perform it in perfect harmony in a group is too much to ask for. However, there are many simplified forms of Bharatnatyam that can be performed in groups and also with comparative ease. These forms are more recent than traditional and forms the base of Creative dancing.

Creative dance in Kolkatatakes the Kalakshetra style into account. This style is a simpler form of the Pandanallur style of classical Bharatnatyam and incorporates the essence of Thanjavoor Bani and European ...
... Ballet. The steps are so constructed that including them in group performance becomes easy and attractive. The usual traditional Bharatnatyam forms depict pages of mythology like the dance of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi; the stories of Lord Krishna and his affection for Radha and the Gopis, mythological battles - so on and so forth. The Nataraja pose of Lord Shiva though, forms the core of all poses in Bharatnatyam as a whole.

What makes the Kalakshetra style of dancing different from the rest is the fact that it does not revolve around the traditional and the mythological chronicles. It embodies incidents and circumstances of the present, and depicts the ongoing socio political and economic issues that are persistent within the nation. This makes it a perfect blend of entertainment and enlightenment. The dancers can not only focus on the performance but also participate in spreading awareness among different groups of people. In short, the scope of the more contemporary Kalakshetra dancing is much more than the restricted traditional forms.

Some of the core characteristics of Kalakshetra dancing include the fact that it completely ignores the ‘sringara rasa’ or the manifestation of love in the more physical sense. Sringar specific movements include movement of neck, torso, hips etc. This style is also marked by angular, linear, clear cut and sharp movements. The poses and postures are usually stiff and controlled and do not include any form of graceful throwing of limbs. This is a much easier version compared to other forms like Pandanallur, Melattur etc. for the western ballet dancers to pick up. Coming to the point of training in this dance form, there are numerous institutes and well recognized trainers who are masters in training in Kalakshetra style in Kolkata. A large list of well known Kalakshetra performers who have made a mark world wide owe their base and advanced training to this artistically generous city.

Resource Box: The author, Prasun Banerjee is a Bharatnatyam enthusiast and has delved deep into understanding the subject not just as a performance art, but also as historic evidence of the so-called Mythological past. Visit www.gurusriprasun.com to kow more about Kalakshetra style in Kolkata.