Master The Skills Of Kalakshratra Style In Kolkata

By Author: Prasun Banerjee
Total Articles: 7
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Indian Classical dance forms are certainly the most elegant and beautiful dance forms of the entire world. People from far and wide come to India to acquire mastery in the skills of various classical dance forms. Kolkata enjoys the status of being the cultural capital on India. A lot many aspiring and budding dancers from all parts of India and other countries come to Kolkata to learn and attain perfection in the skills of classical dances. It usually takes years of practice and hard work to master the classical dance forms. The poses of Bharatnatyam can be physically very taxing for the dancer, therefore, it is generally advised learn such dance forms from an early age.

Another reason to support this thinking is that our young bodies have maximum flexibility. Due to flexibility a dancer can dance flawlessly. Most of the Bharatnatyam performances are performed by solo dancers, simply because perfect harmony in the group is very difficult to achieve. Bharatnatyam is a very difficult dance form and requires years of dedication and devotion from the dancers. There are some simplified versions of Bharatnatyam ...
... that are usually performed with comparative ease by dancers in a group. These forms of dance have evolved recently. These are certainly different than the traditional Bharatnatyam dance but have become the base of Creative dance in Kolkata.

The Kalakshratra style in Kolkata is mainly taken into account whenever we talk about creative dancing. This is basically a simpler and easier version of Pandanallur style of traditional Bharatnatyam. It also incorporates the spirit of Thanjavoor Bani along with European Ballet. The steps, poses and postures of this form of dance are most suitable, easy and attractive for a group performance. The poses of Bharatnatyam usually depict the stories of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi; mythological battles, the relationship of Lord Krishna with Radha and other Gopis, etc. The core of all the poses of Bharatnatyam lies in the Natraja Pose. This pose is the pose of Lord Shiva.

Unlike, the classical form of Bharatnatyam, this new avatar of Kalakshratra style of dancing depicts the incidents and circumstances of the present era. This dance form also depicts the ongoing social and political issues as well. Therefore, this art form is truly a great mix of modern and traditional dance forms. The Kalakshatra style of dance is a perfect blend of entertainment and enlightenment. The dancers of this particular style of dancing can actually focus not only on their skills of dancing, but also on some burning social issues as well. These dancers can create awareness about some very important issues among different groups of people.

This form of Creative dance in Kolkata dose not focuses its attention on the ‘sringara rasa’. It actually ignores the manifestation of love in more physical sense. The scope for Kalakshratra style in Kolkata is endless. There are many celebrated Kalakshratra dancers in Kolkata who are also providing training and guidance to the young and aspiring dancers of the city. With proper guidance from an able dance guru, one can attain perfection in this dance form as well.

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. To know more about the Kalakshratra style in Kolkata, Visit www.gurusriprasun.com.