Samyukta Kulkarni Week 12: Beneath the Grace
Image by Sunil Sonu Art
A bead of sweat trickles down my forehead under the beaming stage lights and the sound of applause fills the theater as I take my final bow and exit the stage, my bells clinking softly as a reminder of the dance that just finished. Grace and agility is what typically comes to mind when I think of dance due to the elegant postures and light movements, but what is often overlooked is the power behind the art.
Bharatanatyam, the classical Indian dance form that I have been learning since I was seven, requires immense stamina and flexibility. Each step needs to be executed perfectly and each beat carries significance. The nritta, or pure dance that emphasizes movement, consists of heavy striking footwork that resonates through the floor.
But beyond its physical demands, Bharatanatyam is a form of storytelling that goes beyond the rhythmic beats. Every gesture, or hasta, conveys history and mythology and creates something larger than just a show of my physical capabilities. The power of dance is in its ability to communicate without words. Stories can be passed down from generation to generation through artful choreography and dance serves as a preserver of culture. When my feet strike the ground in choreographed patterns and my face expresses abhinaya, or feelings and emotions, I feel powerful. Movement is universal, and the audience can understand my actions regardless of their language or background. It is in that connection between the dancer and the audience that true power can be found.
Hi, Samyukta! When I saw the picture of the classical dancer near your blog’s title, I was immediately interested. When I was younger, I used to do Bharatanatyam with my mom and sister, but we all had to stop our classes when we moved back to Fremont. Nevertheless, I was intrigued to learn about your experiences and insight on the dance form as I first clicked on your blog post.
ReplyDeleteReading the blog, your writing style really stood out to me. Rather than directly stating different parts of the dance and their power, you descriptively share aspects of the dance that feel powerful and meaningful to you while also telling your own story. The way you’ve included and defined original terms related to the dance also captured my interest by adding an authentic touch to your writing. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your blog and learning about both the power behind Bharatanatyam and your personal connection and experiences with it. Thank you for sharing this articulate and beautifully-written blog, and I look forward to reading more of your writing throughout the rest of this semester!
Hello, Samyukta! As I began reading your blog this week, I was captivated by your imagery of a dance production, being able to truly imagine the adrenaline left over after a successful choreography. Explaining how you have been doing Bharatanatyam for a better part of a decade, you explained clearly what the dance is to those like myself who might not have initially known what it was. From your blog, I learned more about this dance form which I was left truly intrigued by, with how you describe the historical and mythological meaning it contextualizes. The implications Bharatanatyam symbolizes, with how it passes down generational stories, are a wonderful way you stay connected with your culture. I have done dance in the past, but none of them were of a Korean background, but I do believe I would have enjoyed it if I did do a traditional dance of some sort—especially after reading your writing. It is incredibly fitting that you used this narrative for a theme such as “Power”: conveying your raw emotions through physical representations that took a great amount of work to put together is nothing short of powerful. Your blog was a joy to read so thank you for exploring this topic.
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