Bharatanatyam Dance Lessons for Beginners- Level II

The Level II course is an advanced approach to the following concepts of Bharatanatyam:

• Anga Shudham (Body alignment): The physical structure of Bharatanatyam conceives the body in linear lines and movements in space, mostly in straight lines, triangles, or circles. After completing the Level I course, students clearly understand the upper torso alignment and the Aramandi position. Hence, in the Level II course, students will learn the techniques to use the eyes, head, and neck in coordination with body movements.
• Adavus Level II: The basic steps of Bharatanatyam, Adavus, combine footwork and hand gestures. Students will learn the following five sets of Adavus (after completing Adavus 1 to 4 in the Level I course) in this course. They will learn to practice the Adavus at three speeds. The introduction of Khanda Jaati would further develop the understanding of Jaati. Students will be given a basic introduction to the concept of 'Jaati' (Combination of Adavus).
• Asamyukta Hasta Viniyoga: Understanding and practising single-hand gestures. Students also learn the use of subtle facial expressions.
• Shiro Bhedas, Drishti Bhedas & Greeva Bhedas: Understanding how to use the head, eyes, and neck in Abhinaya and Adavus.

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, expert Parijat 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 executed dance workshops for corporate companies such as BNP Paribas, HDFC, L&T, and 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 believes 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.