An eight -day workshop Understanding Indian Classical Dances was organised by International Center for Performing Arts. As part of it, Deepa Shashidharan, a Kuchipudi dancer, conducted a session on the dance form on May 23.
She dwelled on the differences and similarities between Bharathanaatyam and Kuchipudi. She illustrated her points with demostrations of a few movements of Kuchipudi. During the workshop, she said, that Kuchipudi is a form of dance in which dexterity of a dancer’s footwork and the balance and control over their body is important. The accompanying music is mimed with the alluring expressions, swift glances and fleeting emotions, evoking the rasa.
On May 24, Odissi dancer Nithin Shirale, from Pune, took over. During his workshop, he explained the lineage of Odissi and importance of the tribhangi, a posture of three-body-bend, the essence of which is a feminine one and the chaukha (square) in which the dancer's weight is equally distributed all over the body, creating a perfect geometrical motif. He also explained that Odissi has a soft lyrical style, which is highly sensuous. However, behind such grace, the movements are rigorous and challenging and should be executed with control and precision.
On, Saturday, ICPA conducted a workshop on Kathakali, the king of all Indian dance forms. Ettumanoor P Kannan, Kathakali performer, interacted with the participants and explained the basics of Thodayam, the ritualistic dance performed behind a curtain on the stage.
On Sunday, the concluding workshop was themed on aspects of Abhinaya in Kathakali by Shobhita( 14) and Rehitha (12). They were supported by chenda and thayambaka team from Jalahalli Ayyappa temple.
Rehmi Nair Gosh, director of ICPA, said, “The workshop was conducted to introduce participants to dance forms. They were exposed to different dance forms and the workshop helped them in understanding Indian culture.”
