When the body becomes a window for the mind to express itself, it seems imperative for the former to break stereotypes and allow the latter to manifest freely. Dancer and choreographer Santosh Nair has been studying his body in this manner as an instrument of creative liberation for years now. The Artistic Director of Sadhya Dance Company will share such insights in an interactive workshop on body and movement. Titled Body and Movement, the workshop is curated by dancer Padma Shri Geeta Chandran and forms part of the upcoming 15th edition of Natya Vriksha’s World Dance Day celebrations.
For Nair, this workshop couldn’t better. “For a dancer, every day is a celebration, and on days like these, we get to share our joy in an environment of camaraderie and oneness amongst the artists,” he says excitedly. The workshop will mainly at how movement can become an artist’s greatest tool and how its proper functioning is closely tied to our imagination.
The goal is to learn how to become comfortable with your anatomy and in the process shed inhibitions that keeps us from realising our true potential. More specifically, you will learn about the transition from classical to contemporary dance, and exploring the body and movement to create a contemporary methodology drawing from the classical roots.
To help a dancer become a thinking dancer, Nair will stress on the art of improvisation – how to overcome hesitation, develop confidence to create freely, explore space and learn composition by comprising all these elements. “For a dancer, the floor is a canvas and the body, a paintbrush. As in any art form, the medium (body) is used to explore the imagination. Whether a performer or a non-performer, everyone needs to closely understand their body, feel its life energy and be sensitive to what makes it work,” explains Nair. Body and MovementOn April 27 At India International Centre.