Things to be Remember while Learning Bharatnatyam

As a dance form there are some problems inherent in Bharatanatyam that need addressing. These fall broadly into two categories - the physical and the emotional-psychological. My focus in this piece will be the physical aspect.

In Bharatanatyam, the main parts of the dancer's body that are generally affected are the knees, lower back, neck and to a certain degree the feet, if the foot stamping is not done correctly. Nearly 70 to 80% of injuries in dance are avoidable provided the progression through the dance is gradual. In general it is advisable that each movement be broken into smaller parts and then re-created and learned slowly to prevent injury.

1. The stamping of feet has become an important part of the dance form and the general instruction given to students is 'Bang harder. Louder!' This can cause tremendous stress to the feet, knees and lower back. It is further accentuated if the floor is not appropriate. Cement flooring is harmful to the feet; the ideal floors are wooden or sprung. It is important that the entire foot hits the ground so as to form a vacuum. This prevents the stamping from being localised on the heel. The idea is to distribute the weight.

2. The basic stance in Bharatanatyam dance class in Hyderabad involves the bending of the knees to form a triangular shape. This is called the 'aramandi' or 'half-sitting' position. This bending of the knees obviously causes great stress on the knees. But yet there are precautions one can take. It helps, for instance, to prepare for that position slowly, easing into it over a period of time. Also, it would help to begin with preparatory exercises to turn the knee out, to ensure that the movement happens at the hip and not the knee. Essentially the knees should not have to take the load.

3. From the half-sitting position, the dancer often moves down into a full squatting position. One particular movement involves jumping and then banging the knee on the ground in this position. I have always been wary of subjecting myself and my students to this movement. Minimal impact on the knee should be explored. Knee pads can be used to protect the knees. In best bharatnatyam classes in hyderabad training it is important to slow down the form and to practise going down smoothly. Moreover it is important to keep in mind that in a complex and demanding form such as Bharatanatyam, too many repetitions can cause fatigue and injury to the muscles.

Instead, visualisation is a process that could be explored to minimise the number of repetitions. With this method, the movements get stored in the lower brain, the cerebellum, as a stroboscopic picture. Audio-visual technology can also be used in this approach. The idea is never to overuse the muscles.

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