Energy Embodiment of Indian Classical Dance
Nrityachuramani Sri Rahul Dev Mondal (Assistant Professor of Rabindra Bharati University, Department Of Dance)
Dance is a celebration of Divine Energy and recognition of its presence in all other beings. It is an expression of reverence towards the goodwill that naturally emanates from each soul.
Bharatnatyam , one of India’s classical dance forms, traces its origin to the Natya Shastra. Shiva, the lord of dance and a consummate yogi, sent his disciple Tandu to reveal the secrets of this lyrical and graceful form to Bharat Muni, who subsequently wrote the Natya Shastra. Nataraja represents Shiva performing the vigorous ananda tandava or dance of Creation.
The idea of the universe as a dance of dynamic energy and all life as its manifestation is convincingly captured even in a bronze figurine of Nataraja. Odissi may be likened to prayer. The Natya Shastra prescribes a format to begin your performance in an auspicious manner.
Blessings of Mother Earth for stamping on her, salutations to the guru or teacher, good wishes of elders and the audience are sought before commencing the dance. The sanyuktahasta anjali mudra is a hand gesture, folding both hands in a namaskar or greeting that is also an invocation to perform with emotion and spirit. The use of different gradations of energy to perform a movement is often described as adding dynamic quality to movement. Specifically, in dance we identify six dynamic qualities: sustained, percussive, swinging, suspended, collapsed, and vibratory.
Sustained = slow, smooth, continuous, even
Percussive = sudden, sharp, choppy, jagged
Swinging = sway, to and fro, pendulum, undercurve
Suspended = stillness, balance, high point
Collapsed = fall, release, relax
Vibratory = shake, tremble, wiggle
Warm-Up and Quality Definitions
Balance and imbalance of this energy maintain the environment within us. Movements of Yoga is one such thing which helps to maintain this balance; and the other is Indian classical music and Indian classical dance. The beautiful amalgamation of these three enlivens our whole body and is known as Euphonic Yoga a unique concept in itself.
To understand this blend one needs to know the prana or energy flowing in our body forming the Chakra system as explained in Sapta Chakra, an early 19th-century manuscript, illustrates the esoteric (Tantric) correspondence between the subtle energy and Tibetan psychophysiology. This is common to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
The Chakra system is enlivened by this natural blend of Euphonic Yoga. The creators of this came up with an aim to bring Yoga, Indian classical dance and music on a single platform for the world to know that dance and music has to offer more than just aesthetic sense. They have measurable effects on body and they are not completely exclusive to each other.
It would be interesting for you to know, there are 7 swars (musical notes) in music corresponding to 7 energy chakras/ centers. These Swars makeup all the raagas thus basis of all the music. Yogasanas like matsyasana, sarvangasana or bhujangasana when performed along with Raga Bhairavi (its main note is Pa), affects Vishudh Chakra and has been found to uproot the diseases of kapha dosha e.g. asthma, chronic cold, cough, tuberculosis, some of the sinus and chest related problems etc.
This concept of Euphonic yoga has been able to incorporate 3 Indian classical dances- Kathak, Odissi and Bharatnatyam till now. A dancer enters the stage, be it in Kathak, Odissi or Bharatnatyam, invoking the higher deities. The dancer gets literally transformed into a channel to transmit divine energy. When the he makes an offering to Lord Ganesha, the deity of Mooladhara Chakra controlling the kundalini shakti at the base of one’s spinal cord, at the same time he makes a symbolic offering of the entire being with salutation to Mother Earth in order to stay grounded with magnetic forces while reaching out and accessing the world of the stars making the divine connect and energising the whole being.
Kathak has profound leg movements enhanced by ghungrus (foots bells) and chakkars, enhanced and beautified by the flowing attire. The firm movements is determined by your physical and mental well being. Chakkar requires meditative level of concentration. It is said that, foot has nerve endings of all the internal body organs. Chakkar presses on to the acupressure points on the feet which helps in maintaining a balance within the body.
Bharatnatyam is a dance form of expressions and moods beautifully engraved in each part of the body of the dancer. The Sun and Moon shaped jewels relate to the solar and lunar energy and the central channel adorns the crown while even the fingers and toes are painted symbol using the five elements. Thus, Bharatnatyam can aptly depict all the different moods, emotions and mental state of a person experienced by balance and imbalance of any Chakra. Yog hasth mudras affects various psychological as well as physical being of a person for example Hamsasya mudra in dance is used to evoke deep feeling in the observer and joy in the practitioner, whereas the similaṛ Dhyan mudra of Yoga hastha mudra is used to increase concentration and calm down the mann. Mudras are an essential part of Classical Indian Dance, and are used to express the vast array of human emotion and experience.
Bharatnatyam, is the oldest Indian classical dance form. Being one of the temple dances of southern India It has very strong connection with deities. The 7 chakras are governed by 7 deities, for example… the common factor in the practice of yoga and Bharatanatyam, is the fact that both need to concentrate on the chakras (the psycho-physical centres) of the body. The chakras together form “the thought body of the trans-migratory soul.” These chakras lie on the central line of the body that demarcates the left and the right parts of the body (bilateral symmetry).
Yoga, dance and music all use rhythm and this rhythm is synced within us as a part of our heartbeat and breathing. The practice of Indian classical dances and other classical arts is said to be akin to meditation. The spiritual, mental and physical discipline required for complete harmony of mind and body is found in yoga philosophy. Thus, combining the three has been just so organic, like the water of a waterfall entering into a pond.
Bibliography :
- Gitananda Giri Swami, Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali, Satya Press, Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry
- Gitananda Giri Swami. Mudras. Satya Press, Ananda Ashram, Pondichery.1975
- Gitananda Giri Swami. Yoga: Step By Step, Satya Press, Ananda Ashram, Pondicherry. 1970
- Hinduism Today July 1992.Yogi Playwright Infusing Indian Theatre With More Atma and Altruism.
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