User:Twinzees

  ODISSI DANCE  

We celebrate International Dance Day on 29th April. Dance is actually a soft and rhythmic way of our body. Working on strength and flexibility dance is a fantastic activity and art form for children as they grow with never ending benefits to their minds. Practicing dance is a nice exercise for our health. Dance will not only improve our health, but it will also help us build muscle strength. Indian Classical Dance or Shastriya Nritya is a book of knowledge and an infinite repository of tradition. Drawing heavily from the Vedas and Puranas the range of the subject of classical dance includes an immense cache of taal, mudras, abhinaya which take years to learn and even more to master. The path of nritya needs tremendous dedication and an iron-will to achieve. Once attained, nritya can bring peace to the practitioner and be the path to liberation. Natya is a dance-drama. It has a wide range of human emotions depicted through Abhinaya. Nritya/Natya is usually based on literature. Here different dancers play different roles. Choreographers have the scope to experiment with costumes, stage decorations and light to provide different dimensions to an existing idea. Nritta is pure dance. It is to create beauty through synchronized movements of the body without any specific meaning. Here musical accompaniment utilizes melody in a given taal and beat, which is expressed through movement. Nritya is expressional dance. It is to express feelings through graceful hand and facial movements via the medium of dance. It is the outward expression of the inner self. In classical dance, expression is through mime. The dancer has to master the special ability to portray through just one dance various characters, different time frames and moods wearing just one costume. One of the classical form is Odissi. Odissi is a major ancient Indian classical dance originated in the Hindu temples of Odisha. It first originated 2000 years ago. It expresses religious stories and spiritual ideas, particularly of Jagannath. Odissi performances have also expressed ideas of other traditions such as those related to Hindu gods like Lord Shiva, Maa Durga, Lord Ganesh, etc. Through the dances we can also express the shringar of women, love between two partners, etc. Odissi is compartmentalised into Nritta, Nritya and Natya. Odissi dance was performed by women. But now as time passes by, it is performed by male dancers also. There are more artists, but mentioned here are the most well-known artists of the dance form Odissi. They are: -

•        Kelucharan Mohapatra

•        Sujata Mohapatra

•        Sutapa Talukdar

•        Dona Ganguly

•        Debaprasad Das

•        Pankaj Charan Das

•        Mahadav Rout

•        Laxmipriya Mohapatra

•        Kokilaprava Devi

•        Mayadhar Rout

•        Ramani Ranjan Jena

•        Gangadhar Pradhan

•        Raghunath Dutt

•        Harekrishna Behera

In Odissi we can learn many things. They are :-

•        Navaras

•        Eye movement (Drishtiveda)

•        Head Movement (Shiroveda)

•        Neck Movement (Gribaveda)

•        Torso Movement

•        Odissi Postures

•        Pada Sanchalan

•        Padaveda

•        Bhramari

•        Utplavana

•        Sthapatya Bhangima

•        Samjukta Hasta Mudra

•        Asamyukta Husta Mudra

•        Odissi Hasta Mudra

•        Mangalacharan

•        Batu Nritya

•        Pallavi

•        Abhinaya

•        Sabhinaya Pallavi

•        Moksha

Besides, there are many rules that a dancer should follow. They are:-

1.     Try to be associated with a knowledgeable teacher and a good Institution. The teacher may be very strict and sometimes you may not like your mentor’s behaviour but still stick to your Guru. A good teacher is rare.

2.    This profession needs extra energy and of course peace of mind. So, keep yourself cool and take care of your lifestyle.

3.    Always be conscious to look attractive and pleasant. You’re presenting a beautiful art form so you cannot afford to look untidy.

4.    Develop your stage personality. Rehearse properly with your set, light and sound operator. Know about light zones. Apply proper and minimum make-up. Wear well stitched tricky costumes which you will be able to change within a short time. Lastly, always make your presentation simple so that the audience can understand it.

5.    Meet people who are important for your career but don’t give the impression that you are obliged because they are giving you a chance. Instead make them feel that you know your art and deserve a chance. At the same time, interact with knowledgeable and respectable people who will encourage you.

6.    Dream practically. Work out for a minimum of 1 hour, practice dance daily for a minimum of 2 hours. Watch yourself in the mirror from all corners of another mirror, be happy and then dream!

7.    The countless students and performers, both form within and outside the country, should take no less credit for elevating the dance to the position it occupies now.