Bharatanatyam Dance Lessons for Beginners- Level I

This dance form incorporates three crucial elements - Nritta (pure dance), Natya (Abhinaya or expression), and Nritya (a combination of both). The classes will help students work on the Nritta aspect of Bharatanatyam, which involves rhythmic footwork, hand gestures, and body postures. Students will also be introduced to “Abhinaya” a for deeper understanding of the art. The curriculum includes the following:

• Body alignment - The physical structure of Bharatanatyam conceives the body in linear lines and creates movement in space, mostly in straight lines, triangles, or circles. Students will learn how to correctly hold the basic sitting posture “Aramandi” to avoid future injuries and work on the primary position of the arms “Natyarambhe”.
• Adavus: The basic steps of Bharatanatyam, Adavus combine footwork and hand gestures. Students will be taught the first four sets of Adavus in this course. They will be introduced to the concept of Laya (speed) and made to practice the Adavus in three speeds. Students will also be acquainted with the concept of Jaati (Tishra and Chatushra) as it forms the base for rhythmic footwork.
• Pada Bhedas: Understanding the feet' positions and their application in Adavus.
• Hastas (Mudras): Students will learn the whole set of Asamyukta Hastas (single hand gestures).

The student will also learn the historical and cultural theory of Bharatanatyam through exciting methods.

About the Teacher: Parijat Naik is a Choreographer and performer based in Mumbai, currently residing in the Netherlands. She is the founder of a dance company headquartered in Mumbai, India. 

For the past ten years, she has been choreographing and performing at various festivals and concerts all over India and in countries like Sweden, Hong Kong, and China. She has also conducted workshops in The Netherlands, France, and Singapore. 

Parijat has choreographed and performed at the famous Kala Ghoda festival, Mumbai, and also choreographed and conducted dance workshops for corporate companies such as BNP Paribas, HDFC, L&T, Phillips, Accenture, and Rotary club. 

Soul Feet dance company's choreography got telecasted on television channels such as Colours tv, Sony pal, and Doordarshan. For the past eight years, Soul Feet has been the leading dance troupe for the famous "Bollywood tours" that mark the character of Bollywood tourism in Mumbai. 

Parijat’s artistic practise strongly focuses on storytelling, culture, and non-verbal communication. She constantly tries to incorporate innovative methods in her works and firmly believes this art is a participatory and collective experience. 

Given her background in Architecture and recent research-based Master in Performing Arts at Fontys University in The Netherlands, she is committed to continuing research in finding methods to redefine the position of traditional classical and folk dance in modern society.