July 7
Arjun Raina and Monica Singh
Movement and Emotion.
The Nine emotions are a centerpiece of Indian classical dance.
The use of the entire body drives the emotion upwards giving it form and clarity in the face. At this moment of realization the emotion flickers through the face and body like a fire flame. In a world confused, distracted and chaotic, the clarity of the dance of the nine emotions brings joy to an audience.
Movement and the Spiritual
The Spiritual is at the core of Indian classical performing arts.
It is believed that the feeling of wanting to know God can arise out of devotion to the divine as realized through a genuine wonderment at the natural universe. And that the human body in its celebratory ecstatic form is the highest expression of that devotion. This celebratory ecstatic form is a result of an exploration of Space, Physicality, and Stillness. Dance and Music heightens and helps the realization of this into a codification of movement, which forms itself into a classical dance form.
Imagine monks in Caves meditating for vast lengths of time, experiencing muscle fatigue, lack of exercise and mental tiredness after long periods of concentration and needing a spiritual, emotional and physical revitalizing.
The most ancient form of the Indian Classical dance Odissi was created by these meditating monks and for this very purpose. The present form of Odissi holds at its essence these very techniques.
The Battu dance is considered to be the oldest representation of that style. It borrows heavily from the frescos found on the cave walls of the meditating Jain monks. Its depicts dance movements and instruments like the veena, flute, drum and cymbals being played through this form.
Battu also depicts the two main postures around which the whole dance form lies .Mainly the chowk or a square, representing the male energy and the tribhangi or the three bends representing the female energy.
Moksh, a dance of liberation, from the cycle of birth, life and death. The dance through its ecstatic movements leads to a feeling of complete stillness at the dancer’s inner center.
Movement - Political….
the ‘body Politic’.
The head is considered sacred and the feet the lowest part of the body.
The dancer wears a Crown as respect to this hierarchy within the body. But it is also the King’s Crown. And the actor’s body embodies the hierarchical and unequal nature of Indian society. The Asses dance inverts this.
indian dinner with arjun raina and monica singh at kavernen at 7pm
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