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Bhakti Dance - A tradition of centuries |
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“Bhakti Dance” has its foundation in the classical dance of Odissi, a form of worship that emerged from the ancient Indian temples. Incorporating elements of yoga, and popular dance from North America and Brazil, this playful and devotional workshop invites us to "give body" to our emotions and prayers through mudras (hand gestures), body movement, gentle footwork, and abhinaya (facial expressions). In “Bhakti Dance”, we will learn how to express poetry with our hands as well as learning a variety of symbolic gestures that represent aspects of nature and of the Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism. We will also learn a small dance-offering for a Hindu deity such as Rama, Shiva,or Durga, getting in touch with His or Her archetypal energy and symbolism. The workshop will close with a dance-meditation journey. No experience is needed, just a willingness to experiment, express, enjoy and celebrate..... |
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Odissi |
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Odissi is a traditional dance that comes from the state of Orissa in India. The earliest evidence of this lyrical dance form was found in the caves of Khandagiri and Udaygiri (100 B.C.) near Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. Traditionally, this classical system was restricted to the great temple of Jagannath at Puri, and the women that performed the temple dance-ritual in front of the sacred shrine were called devadasis. |
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The temples of Orissa, especially the famous Sun Temple of Konarka (14th century A.D.), carry a complete catalogue of every important gesture and pose, in the form of relief carvings. The Natya-Mandapa, or Hall of Dance, at the Kornaka temple has hundreds of these reliefs, showing women in every dancing pose imaginable. |
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Unfortunately, during the Moghul invasion, the devadasis started being treated like prostitutes, and after that sad time, females dancers were prohibited and were replaced by young boys who carried on the Odissi tradition. These dancing boys were known as gotipuas. |
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