Odissi
Odisha, on the eastern sea coast, is the home of Odissi. Sensuous and lyrical, Odissi is a dance of love and passion touching on the divine and the human, the sublime and the mundane. The Natya Shastra mentions the Odhra Magadha which can be identified as the earliest precursor of present day Odissi. Archaeological evidence of this dance form dating back to the 2nd century B.C. is found in the caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri near Bhubaneshwar. Odissi is a highly stylised dance it has derived a great deal from the Abhinaya Darpana Prakasha by Jadunatha Sinha,the Abhinaya Chandrika by Rajmani Patra, and the Abhinaya Chandrika by Maheshwara Mahapatra. Creative literature inspired the Odissi dancer , like the 12th century Gita Govinda by Jayadeva.
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The techniques of movement are built around the two basic postures of the Chowk and the Tribhanga. The chowk is a position imitating a square – a very masculine stance with the weight of the body equally balanced. The tribhanga is a very feminine stance where the body is deflected at the neck, torso and the knees.
Benefits of Odissi
- Increases fitness: This dance form involves leaping from a sitting posture followed by slick foot work. Odissi dancers have thinner waists and look tall. A recent study revealed that they have good lung functioning besides stronger muscles in the legs and thighs.
- Develops the Mind: Odissi dance is a form of spiritual practice and offering. Training positively channels the mind and body, develops balance, courage, confidence and joy for learning and growth into happy, positive and confident self.
- Increases Creativity: Creativity is the soul of any art. Through this dance children are encouraged to imagine and move with their bodies and present their ideas through new means of communication. The need to create and play is in an innate desire in children and Odissi is one of the mediums through which one can access this.
- Develops Social Skills: Odissi informs the students of personal space as well as others who are in that space. When children work together to create something, that act of creation binds them, blurs the boundaries between them and increases ownership and team spirit. At times when they have to dance alone for a group of fellow students, the act of presenting themselves gives them an opportunity to work on their inhibitions and gain confidence to present their work.
Odisha, on the eastern sea coast, is the home of Odissi. Sensuous and lyrical, Odissi is a dance of love and passion touching on the divine and the human, the sublime and the mundane. The Natya Shastra mentions the Odhra Magadha which can be identified as the earliest precursor of present day Odissi. Archaeological evidence of this dance form dating back to the 2nd century B.C. is found in the caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri near Bhubaneshwar. Odissi is a highly stylised dance it has derived a great deal from the Abhinaya Darpana Prakasha by Jadunatha Sinha,the Abhinaya Chandrika by Rajmani Patra, and the Abhinaya Chandrika by Maheshwara Mahapatra. Creative literature inspired the Odissi dancer , like the 12th century Gita Govinda by Jayadeva.
Â
The techniques of movement are built around the two basic postures of the Chowk and the Tribhanga. The chowk is a position imitating a square – a very masculine stance with the weight of the body equally balanced. The tribhanga is a very feminine stance where the body is deflected at the neck, torso and the knees.
Benefits of Odissi
- Increases fitness: This dance form involves leaping from a sitting posture followed by slick foot work. Odissi dancers have thinner waists and look tall. A recent study revealed that they have good lung functioning besides stronger muscles in the legs and thighs.
- Develops the Mind: Odissi dance is a form of spiritual practice and offering. Training positively channels the mind and body, develops balance, courage, confidence and joy for learning and growth into happy, positive and confident self.
- Increases Creativity: Creativity is the soul of any art. Through this dance children are encouraged to imagine and move with their bodies and present their ideas through new means of communication. The need to create and play is in an innate desire in children and Odissi is one of the mediums through which one can access this.
- Develops Social Skills: Odissi informs the students of personal space as well as others who are in that space. When children work together to create something, that act of creation binds them, blurs the boundaries between them and increases ownership and team spirit. At times when they have to dance alone for a group of fellow students, the act of presenting themselves gives them an opportunity to work on their inhibitions and gain confidence to present their work.
