ZAGA Kalakshetra – Dance Institute Faridabad

ZAGA Kalakshetra

Dance is the form of vibration of our body and mind. It is a form of worship through which a dancer can reach the Almighty. It is a form of Yoga. A dancer can only reach this stage through the continuous training i.e. ‘Sadhana’. So in my view the child who will learn dance, the first thing she has to undergo a hard training from which she will learn discipline and patience which are the most important factors in a child’s life.

The second thing is the total body movement of a dancer so that a child has Her complete physical fitness and got the control over body. The third thing dance is a mode of expression of our inner feelings. So she can express herself through dance. In that way she will develop self belief and self confidence. The fourth thing Indian Classical Dance is based on mythology & puranas. So when a child learn dance she is bound to know the story of Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagbat Geeta, Shiv Purana, immortal books of Mahakavi Kalidas etc. So in this way she can also learn the great Indian Literature. So after all her knowledge will be enhanced. Fifth thing when a child will learn Indian classical dance automatically she will come to know about the rich cultural heritage of India.

ZAGA Kalakshetra is a unique institution of performing Arts where dedication, self discipline, self confidence and an awareness of the rich Indian cultural traditions are inculcated in the minds of the children and adults alike. It aims at promoting inherent creativity of the students thus channelizing their Talents constructively and efficiently Intensive training in classical dance is imparted under the dedicated guidance is “Kalamandalam Sanil Kumar”.

 Why should one learn classical dance?

Unless one was smitten in childhood or even later owing to some inexplicable karmic connection (as in my case) or was dragged into a class by an ambitious (or more likely overloaded) mother, why indeed would one sign up?
It appears to me that most people do things that are sort of ‘going around’ (such as horse-riding, roller-skating and abacus classes are now in India), perhaps simply out of convenience.
A lot of things with the ‘India’ tag have become ‘in’ today – meditation, yoga (yoga mats, neti pots… next they’ll sell ‘grass under tree’ online! ), Buddhism, ‘Vegan traditional/home -made’ Indian cooking and so on and so forth. Well, Indian Classical dance is ‘in’, though more so Bharathanatyam. Just search YouTube and if you know anything about Indian classical dance, I guarantee that you will feel like laughing at these confident ignoramuses commenting on legends of Kuchipudi and Odissi (from ripped CDs to boot), “this is not real traditional Indian dance” and “very poor Bharatanatyam technique”!!!
Next in popularity come the more spectacular parts of our classical forms. General audiences always applaud plate & pot dancing ( part of Kuchipudi reportoire) or dancing with lamps more than a demanding and exhausting Varnam (the central piece of a traditional Bharatanatyam performance). Competition participants know that even a fast paced Bharatanatyam or Kuchipudi Tillana will visually appear slower after a shower of Kathak chakkars. Kathak dancers’ swirling costumes arrested in motion are a favourite of the coffee table book photographers. Indeed, more coffee table books by artists themselves, classical dance based TV competitions and the recent entry of 328 Kuchipudi dancers in the Guinness World Records – all are brand images, which are increasing the popularity of the form in question. Yes classical dance is in, but so is Salsa, Rumba, Cha Cha Cha & Jiving. Celebrity based dance Reality shows such as ‘Nach Baliye’ and ‘Jhalak Dikhlaja’ also emphasise on variety of form as equivalent to creativity. They also use pre-recorded film music, use all the glitz and glamour of the varied costumes and stage format to great effect. In the end, it is always about variety and more variety and more. But to what end?
Is this quest for more variety in everything from food to home design to viewing choices, symptomatic of a deeper need?

So why should one learn Indian classical dance? As a student, teacher, performer and mother,
I offer Ten reasons:

#1 It is an excellent form of exercise as it includes yoga based stretching, aerobic and high-endurance movement levels. Besides the basic grammar of movement, in pure dance or nritta, the focus is on developing speed, strength and stamina. So you will burn more calories in half and hour than free-style dancing or most recommended exercise/gym plans.

#2 It offers great benefits in developing the body of a growing child eg. improves posture, strengthens the arch of the foot and fingers and eye & neck muscles.

#3 All the external benefits of exercise such a toned body, glowing skin and healthy hair ( not to mention a pretty way of smiling more often) can also be gained from it.

#4 It offers many therapy benefits to handicapped children e.g. improves body balance and mind-limb coordination. Can be taught to visually and hearing impaired individuals as well.

#5 Indian Classical dance has been described as being at the top of the pyramid of all other art forms. i.e. a student/performer has to learn the Language (Sanskrit or classic regional), song/literature (sahitya) and the music composition (sangeeta) and imbibe the visual ( as evidenced in traditional painting and temple sculpture), spatial (expanding or truncating movements according to stage space) & time (rhythm) elements. The literature and ethos of the dance compositions are based on mythology, customs and traditions still alive in the country. The dancer brings about the grand synthesis of all the arts in his/her self and thus the performance. This means that a student of dance is a well rounded student of the arts.

#6 Indian Classical Dance requires intense and perfect body and mind coordination. e.g the variations in footwork -are based on rhythm/beat (Taala) cycles which run into mathematical multiplication & combinations. This develops higher mental abilities and students have been seen to perform well academically (in non-arts subjects) as well, despite having less time on hands than others.

#7 The traditional compositions are to songs written by the Bhakti poets (Tyagaraja, Dikshitar, Jayadeva, Annamacharya ) and later. These poets especially Tyagaraja were Saints for whom music was a spiritual calling and their work reflects their spiritual progress towards Mukti (the final release/salvation). Hence if performed with a sense of awareness about the depth of meaning of the literature (sahitya) and with devotion (bhakti), Indian classical dance is form of worship and a spiritual path in itself (validated in The Vedas themselves).

#8 As with other extra curricular activities, learning and doing well in this field gives the student a sense of individual identity and confidence. Besides owing to the cultural and traditional origin of dance, it also provides a feel of cultural identity (and hence has become so popular among NRIs) and rootedness.

#9 Dance is a form of expression. There is a more or less fixed grammar and vocabulary of expressions in classical dance, but the expressions themselves (abhinaya) can be as vast as the human heart can feel and express. So one can choreograph to any kind of music and any of content. That is why while many dancers after learning the forms break the mould to explore different forms (of movement and expression (e.g. Astad Deboo, Chandralekha, Mallika Sarabhai) , equally many choose to stay more or less within the mould and explore the boundaries (e.g. Birju Maharaj, Yamini Krishnamurthi, Malavika Sarrukai) . The latter find that there is enough to explore in this life and many more to come.

#10 If you dance for yourself, as well as you can (whatever your given constraints), and for no other reason than to make yourself happy – Indian Classical Dance is a way of life and perhaps the best.

Bharatanatyam Classes

Minimum age for admission – 7 yrs.

ZAGA Kalakshetra will provide you the proper training
&
ZAGA media will give the platform to exhibit your skill.
Training based by “NATYASHASTRA”
ZAGA Kalakshetra centre in Faridabad

Centers:
ZAGA Kalakshetra ,Shop No. 201, 1st Floor, Mittal Complex
NH-5, NIT Faridabad.

ZAGA Kalakshetra, Sector 29, Faridabad. (New)

ZAGA Kalakshetra, 2888,Sector – 3, Faridabad.

Ph. +91 9891569980, 9911869980, 9911569980

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Stage Show at Sector 3, Faridabad Photo Album

ZAGA Kalakshetra Vijayadasami-2011-Faridabad