Anga Suddhi and Anga Lakshana Part1

 

Human body is divided into Anga Pratyanga and Upanga.  When a student of dance (any form) masters the concept of Anga, Pratyanga Upanga and there respective uses, one is said to have attained Anga Suddhi. Each and every dance form harps on following a pattern to teach these concepts to the young students. A dancer when stands on stage with or without the make-up/costume, the dance form of the performer can easily be guessed from the body language. For example Adavus in Bharatnatyam are structured in such a way that the students learn the new concepts along with practicing the old one. For Example Natta Adavu aims to teach the angular movements along with stretching of the body, while practicing the beating or stamping of feet from Tatta Adavus.  Odissi has 10 different Postures and movements in both Chowka and Tribhangi before starting with the Nritya and Abhinaya items.  Manipuri students go through a lot of practice while doing Chali before moving to the dance numbers.  These initial movements along with the Anga, Pratyanga and Upanga Bhedam are taught to the students to give a clear idea.

Now a days quite a few workshops are held by eminent dancers from different dance forms on Angasuddhi. This is an extremely new concept. The need of the situation has given rise to the availability of resources or  supply. Our world in general is going through rapid changes in all aspect. Indian Classical Dance Industry is certainly not an exception.  Many enthusiasts are taking up dance at later stages in life. So the teacher or Acharya may not get enough time to work on the body movements. I would take this opportunity to appeal to the young Acharyas to impart the knowledge of Angasuddhi from an early age, when the student’s body is flexible. This will not only help the students but also the dance form.  If taught in a methodical and disciplined way, this can yield good results. 

 

Diet and Massage

Bharata talks about both diet and massage in his book but its relevance in today’s world is debateable. Now a day a lot of emphasis is given on the diet. Obesity is a common problem even in kids, especially post puberty. One research suggests that in urban areas mostly both the parents are working to maintain a basic standard of living. This makes it impossible for the mothers to cook nutritional meals, the last resort being the marketed packet food that is advertised with all the goodness. There is no alternative to home cooked simple meals that our grandmoms ate. Sticking to the basics is very important. For example wheat is a staple diet for north Indians so is rice for southern part of the country.

This basic food has a genetic imprint on human body, hence sticking to them is very important. Also importance should be given to local food, the more the travel time, the less nutritional value it will have. Another aspect that requires focus is the amount of food versus the physical work. Lets understand that there is no one single diet that can be provided to dancers. Each body is different, each household is unique, and each work (amt. of physical work) is distinctive.  Hence, one has to understand his body and chalk out a plan. It is of utmost importance to understand the basic concept of food and consult an expert if necessary. Universities should also concentrate of including this as part of the curriculam. 

Another important aspect for a dancer is diet while travelling. As professional dancers, it’s a basic requirement to travel a lot. Eating whatever is available or provided by the organiser is something that needs attention. Sticking to simple, local food that is well balanced should be given importance. Proper blend of Carbs, Proteins and Vitamins are important. Even the cheapest fruits like Guava and leafy veggies can make a lot of difference. Lack of micro neutrients in dancers is very common. Suppliments inaccordance with the doctor's advice can be considered. Inclusion of seeds and fruits in the regular diet as well as bringing in the variety on the platter is a must. Salads and soups has there benefits but dancers need Carbs to maintain energy.

Massage is a way of fooling the muscles. Its equivalent to doing exercise. The muscles releases a feel good juices that relax the entire body.  Release of hormones like endorphins and reduction of Cortisol [ stress hormones] can go a long way to help the dancer uplift the mood. Good mood is directly proportionate to Proper massage by experts can help reduce muscle  tension which is a life long frend of a dancer. Another important effect of massage is improvement of circulation. Dancers go through lots of musscle tear and wear. Improved circulation can help speedy recovery. 

Ostro Requirement

There is hardly any dancer who does not complain about joint pain. The postures that are required for specific dance forms require very strong core. Without proper exercise that is done to strengthen specific parts of the body and care is taken to keep the body in proper shape, Ostro problem will arise.  Calcium rich food and supplements are a must from young age. Doctor’s advice must be taken.

 

Warm Up and Cool Down and Its importance

Warm up and cool down are the most important part of a dance practice session. A dancer must treat his/her body as a temple and should do everything that is required to keep it safe and healthy. Every practice session and performance requires lots of energy and minor wear and tear of the muscles are normal. Warm up is a way of informing the body of the heavy energy requirement that is about to come.  Warm up for every part of the body is a must before the dance practice. It allerts the muscles for the rigorous stress that is about to come.

 Body has its own way of cooling down. Taking ample liquid (water and juices) are another way to cool down the body. A proper shower also helps in relaxing the muscles after practice session. Few exercises cools downs the overly exerted muscles.

It is believed that three times a week going to the gymn helps the dancer in working on different parts. Making the core strong is important , so is the weight training.  Again gaining weight is common for any body. Shedding the extra fat has its own contribution in increasing the stamina.

Yoga and Chakra

The word Yoga actually means “To ADD”.  Every aspect of human life is connected from food, to life style, to exercise, to mental stability , to spirituality, to religious activities. I have come across many  definitions of Yoga, but it is too difficult to sum it. Its an understanding. If you look through the western lenses, Yoga is a set of body postures (asana) done as physical exercise. The eastern philosophy though talks about the connection of body, mind and soul.  I will not attempt to explain what can be done and what should be done. Its simply too huge. My attempt is to make sure that the reader is aware of the few benefits of Yoga. It is mandatory for any human being to practice Yoga. It becomes double important for a dancer because Yoga provides flexibility as well as clear thoughts which is required in creativity.

There are 7 Chakras or Nodal points of nerves in our body. It is very important for an Indian dancer to understand and slowly work towards developing these Chakras. While detailing these, I have come across so much VALUABLE information, however its impossible to write it in this book. May be it’s a topic for my future endeavours.  A dancer must know about these Chakras not only for physical benefits but also for understanding the philosophy and science. It will help the choreographers to create beautiful pieces on this.

Chakra	Symbol& Sound	Represents	Diety/ Yogini	Element	Stone / Colour	Development Time
Mooladhara (Root) (Base of the Spine)	Inverted Triangle, 4 Lotus petals ( Lam)	Basic Survival	Ganesha/ Shakini	Earth	Red/ Hematite	1-7 years
Swadhisthana (Sacral) (Pelvis))	6 Lotus Petals (Vam)	Sense of Wellbeing Pleasure Sexuality	Bhrama/ Kakini	Water	Orange/ Tiger’s Eyes	8-14 Years
Manipura (Solar Plexus) (Above Navel)	10 Lotus Petals (Ram)	Self Worth, Self Confidence, Self esteem	Vishnu / Lakini	Fire	Yellow/ Amber	15-21 Years
Anahata (Heart)	12 Lotus Petals (Yam)	Love, Joy, Inner peace	Rudra / Rakini	Air	Green/ Rose Quartz	21 – 28 Years
Vishuddha (Throat)	4 Lotus petals (Ham)	Communication, Self Expression	Jivatma / Dakini	Sound/ Music	Aquamarine	29 – 35 Years
Anjana (Third Eye position between the eyebrows)	2 Lotus petals (Sham)	Intuition, Imagination, Wisdom	Paramatmaa/ Hakini	Light	Amethyst	36- 42 Years
Sahasrara (Crown )	100 Lotus petals (Om)	Inner and Outter beauty, Spirituality	Sadashiva / Yakini	Divine Connection	Clear quartz	43 – 49 Years