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THE BENEFITS OF DANCE
“Dance has been
created following the movements of the world in work and play,
profit, peace, laughter, battle and slaughter; to create wisdom
in the ignorant, learning in scholars, afford sport to kings,
and endurance to the sorrow-stricken; it is replete with the
diverse moods, informed with varying passions of the soul, and
linked to the deeds of mankind — the best, the middling and the
low — affording excellent counsel pastime and all
else."
< NatyaShastra
Dance in India is an age
old tradition. We have eight classical Indian dance forms.
Bharatanatyam is the most widely practiced of Indian classical
dances worldwide, as it is the style that most faithfully
adheres to the Bible of the classical Indian dance, the Natya
Shastra, and most comrehensively embodies it. It is also the
most ancient of all the classical dance forms in India.
Introducing someone to
classical dance is probably one of the best gifts you can give
them. Dance is a complete exercise as it rejuvenates both the
body and the mind. It is an excellent stress buster and is one
of the most enjoyable means of losing weight. Dance promotes
discipline, coordination, memory, flexibility, strength, line,
grace and stamina. Performing builds positive self-esteem and
confidence, helps with other sports, and is just also a lot of
fun. Group shows help build team skills and leadership qualities
from a very early age. There is a lot of creative expression in
dance which helps promote out of the box thinking. The
vocabulary learnt through dance can help in expression through
physical movement which lends an elegance and grace to one’s
persona. Dance can have a powerful effect on ones life helping
them build the 4 Ds of DISCIPLINE, DETERMINATION, DEDICATION,
DESIRE.
There are many myths
associated with dance. Many feel that dancers eventually become
unshapely when they give up on dance. On the contrary it is a
sedentary lifestyle which leads to weight gain. Dance helps
counteract weight gain by increasing energy expenditure and
makes one naturally active, graceful and smart. Leaving dance
does not make anyone more or less unshapely. Indian classical
dance also helps enhance knowledge and awareness of Indian
culture as most items are centered on Indian gods and goddesses.
For children who start early, this helps them build a stronger
sense of their Indian identity. Many believe that focusing on
dance would lead to poor academic performance especially among
young children. On the other hand, dance helps in increasing
concentration and keeps one disciplined. Many students who
regularly practice dance have also had brilliant academic
records. It helps one become an all rounder as they learn to
juggle dance with other activities.
Dance warrants a lot of
dedication from the student as also a teacher who can incite
passion and love for the art form. Thus, one should make an
informed choice in this regard. The broad appeal of dance comes
from the fact that it can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age
or background, whether they have danced before, and whatever
their shape or size. Dance is thus the one sure way of leading a
holistic life.
My Experience
I started learning dance in
the first year of my engineering at IGIT. Nritya Arpana was a
natural choice as the atmosphere was very homely and one got a
lot of individual attention. Many said that I would not be able
to balance the demands of a stressful professional course like
engineering with dance. It was Ms Kodhai Narayanan who believed
in my abilities and encouraged me to put my heart and soul into
dance. She helped me develop the confidence for my first
performance. Today as a student of MBA, its been 5 years at
Nritya Arpana and I still do not see dance interfering with the
‘demands’ of academics. In fact it comes as a welcome break and
an excellent stress buster which helps me unwind. It has
significantly enhanced my understanding of Indian culture. The
time I spend at dance classes makes for some of the most
enjoyable moments of the week.
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