Off to dance school...

I finished my first class today at the Kalabharathi Foundation. This foundation offers classes in Bharatanatyam and Mohinniyattam dance styles as well as Carnatic and Hindustani music. The organization was started in 2010 and since then as become a great leader in the heritage arts community of Kerala.  My teacher is one of the founders of this organization, Aparna B. Marar. She is an accomplished dancer in three of the eight classical Indian dance styles as well as a noted musician and vocalist. She is very academic in the study of art and dance, and I was pleased to find she also studies under Dr. Padma Subramaniam. This makes two connections to this amazing dancer and scholar. Not too shaby for a humble Minnesota girl exploring this wonderful dance form. I feel very fortunate to have these connections and to be under the tutelage of such well trained dance gurus.

In my lesson today we covered quite a large amount of information. I learned in depth about the Natya Shastra, and the pre-history, history, and modern history of this dance style. We spoke of the elements of this dance form and how the art form relates back to the Natya Shastra. I took lots of notes and was kindly offered books for my personal study. Aparna is highly academic and she insists that a healthy understanding of these ancient texts and ideas are important to the development of her dancers. I have been given full access to her extensive library and encouraged to take advantage of that. As an Art Historian this is like being granted access to a desert buffet. I am devouring all I can and enjoying being engorged in this knowledge.

After a very in depth and long lesson in the theory, I went through a drill of all the adavus I know. I was nervous about this. After this we started from the beginning and reviewed. She was impressed with my scene of rhythm. I also had been working on stamina so I impressed myself with stamina. We know have established a basis and she feels very confident that I will be able to complete the syllabus she has arranged plus learn one item piece.

In two weeks there is a large dance festival in Cochin. Her organization will be one of the contributing sponsors/organizers and they are hosting a number of classical dancers from all over India. In all 8 of the classical disciplines. She has invited me as her guest as this will be a great opportunity to meet dancers and see many of these forms in full access. I am very excited for this.

Today was a great opportunity for me to get to know Aparna, as well as for her to understand my passion for exploring this dance form. I spoke with her about my plans to study Ashtanga later in December. She was excited at this prospect and felt my ideas to explore these two forms together would be highly beneficial. We connected on some ideas about mind-body balance and the importance of art in development of character. In fact, I was pleased to find that she travels twice a year to the USA to work with an organization that uses Bharatanatyam and other musical/dance forms to help children with special developmental needs. This work will bring her to the USA in late January and February where she will also be performing.  An open invitation to come do some work with her and dance while stateside was expressed. I replied...."Let us first walk before we run."

Namaste,
Christy