...Odissi Classical Dance...
Odissi
is based on the popular devotion to Lord Krishna and the verses of the Sanskrit
play Geet Govinda are used to depict the love and devotion to God. The Odissi
dancers use their head, bust and torso in soft flowing movements to express
specific moods and emotions.
The form is curvaceous, concentrating on the tribhang or the division of the
body into three parts, head, bust and torso; the mudras and the expressions
are similar to those of Bharatnatyam. Odissi performances are replete with
lores of the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, Lord Krishna. It is a soft, lyrical
classical dance which depicts the ambience of Orissa and the philosophy of
its most popular deity, Lord Jagannath, whose temple is in Puri. On the temple
walls of Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Konark the dance sculptures of Odissi are
clearly visible.
Odissi
is an ancient, breath taking beautiful form of sacred dance, which was originally
developed in the temple of Jagannath in Orissa, East India, as a form of worship
and meditation. It was first encountered outside the temple in the early part
of the sixteenth century.
A class of tender aged dancers known as Gotipuas began performing Odissi for
the masses to convey the spiritual stories, while the Maharis (temple dancers)
continued the tradition within the temples. Odissi is an expressive and sophisticated
art form, which features poetic nuance and fanciful storytelling.
Highly stylized in nature, it utilizes powerful, energetic footwork (tandava),
juxtaposed with sinuous, graceful feminine postures and movements (Lasya). Handed
down from teacher to disciple for thousands of years, Odissi emphasizes, and
in fact, centers around spirituality and devotion.
|
Best
viewed in Internet Explorer 5+ at a screen resolution of 1024 by 768
Pixels
Web-Site designed & maintained by WEB
SOLUTIONS
|
There
are many parts of Odissi Dance
* Manglacharan
* Bhoomi Pranam
* Sabha Pranam
* Abhinay
* Pallavi
* Mokhya Nritya
* Dushavatar
Specialized camps can be arranged for students desiring to explore the wonders of Indian classical dance. Some prior experience in dance can help the participant to catch up really fast.