As informed in one of my earlier post, one of the most important quality that any dancer should possess is Sattvikam Shivam. Sattvika Abhinaya is nothing but GRACE.
Sattvikam means PURITY that which leads to PURE BLISS.
In order to practice Sattvika Abhinaya ; The dancer needs to remove the impurities from mind.
Impurities = "EGO, LUST, GREED and DESIRES".
Our Body is seen as Microcosm of the Universe, and hence everything that is a part of the universe is a part of our body and mind ; and anything that is not a part of a cosmos example - ego, lust, desire, greed should not be a part of our body and mind.
Today i want to introduce you to "Manu Master".
The man with the silver beard has MASTERED GRACE.
According to Manu Master - Our body is the replica of the universe and certain body poses can unveil the sacred truths of the universe.
Abdul Manaf born in Koolimottoom - Kerala was attracted to Bharatanatyam at the age of 12 . Abdul Sir is Known by his students as "Manu Master".
Being a Muslim - Manu was initially rejected and the community refused to acknowledge his genius.
However over the years while many Hindu Bharatanatyam dancers have settled for a few of 108 Karanas (Poses) and toned down the aesthetics of Bharatanatyam making it more commercial, Manu Sir tried to bring back all the 108 Karanas (Yoga Poses) along with Aesthetics in its original pattern as described in Natya Veda which was initially considered as a RADICAL TRANSGRESSION by many - In the sense he defied all the recent norms of Bharatanatyam.
Abdul Manaf is the living proof that - "Grace is an unasked blessing from God ; Something beneficial happens that was unasked for and it is inexplicable to its cause".
For many ; Bharatanatyam is a HINDU DANCE ;
But for Abdul Sir ; Bharatanatyam was a medium to reach GOD.
If ARTS is seen as a medium to reach GOD, then ARTS has no RELIGION.
The 108 Karanas - Yoga Poses forms the basis of Bharatanatyam.
As described earlier -
Yoga + Force = Martial Arts
Yoga + Devotion = Ritual
Yoga + Peace = Meditation
Yoga + Aesthetics = Bharatanatyam
Unlike - Yoga , Martial Arts or Ritual which will help the student to master GRACE ; Bharatanatyam will not only help you master grace ; it will also help you EXPRESS GRACE.
In a transgressive attempt - Manu Master introduced the concept of Bhanga - Bhangi which is a part of Natya Veda which can only be seen in the temples of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Take a look at Shilpa Shastra in Belur - Halebidu Karnataka ; The best place to learn "How to Express Grace".
Photos clicked by me in 2017 at Belur-Halebidu.
Manu Master introduced this concept of Bhanga Bhangi that is only seen in Temples to Dance form.
Stone wonders beyond Imagination.
The climax of Indian Architecture.
These stone sculptures are dancing and singing everyday and every night in front of Lord Keshava/Vishnu.
These sculptures have become life - like with dreams frozen in their dance movements.
These dancing sculptures follow a particular format.
Look at the below picture from Belur - Halebidu Karnataka.
These sculptures demonstrate stasis, balance , repose and perfect symmetry which hold a fundamental importance in Indian Arts.
Look at the below picture from Belur - Halebidu Karnataka.
These sculptures demonstrate stasis, balance , repose and perfect symmetry which hold a fundamental importance in Indian Arts.
It is not enough if you master grace - you should also be able to express grace.
Bharatanatyam is all about straight line movements involving all 8 directions of the Universe.
This can be clearly seen in the dancing sculptures.
In a transgressive attempt Manu master brought back Bhanga Bhangi of dancing sculptures to dance form.
A revolution of bringing back GRACE into Bharatanatyam by Manu Master.
Below is Bharatanatyam practice dress also known as Kalakshetra style of practice dress.
Lets explore how to wear practice dress in such a way that you could lift and stretch your legs in all 8 directions without any issues comfortably. I recently discovered this technique.
Iam presenting a picture that is self - explanatory.
The pleats of the practice dress falls in between the 2 legs and it should open like a FAN while sitting – The idea is to ensure that you bring grace into the straight line movements across all 8 Directions.
Dance is not my livelihood, it is my worship.
From Manu Master i have learnt that our body is an atomic version of the Universe and certain body postures unveil sacred phenomena.
Hence it is very important to dress well even for practice.
Grace is about how willing we are to allow some kind of higher power to enter into our life and guide us.
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