My Pick, Bharatanatyam

The amount of craft that goes into a Bharatanatyam dance is as beautiful as it is fascinating. It may even be said that any individual whom is deeply drawn by the transcendental, may intuitively see a profundity here. Every movement is so very much calculated. Even the facial expressions have a precision to them. Fingers change and have very specific positions. But this type of precision makes sense as this is as a type of yoga, utilizing mudras (specific finger positions used in yoga).

Though I say that somebody into the transcendental arts may intuitively be lured to this dance form, I am particularly lured because I can relate to such a grounded, extensively energetic, and precision in body articulation as I have found myself in a similar “feeling”. I imagine that as a master Bharatanatyam dancer, one may feel as if one has transcended into a realm that may be best explained as doing “the Great Work”—that is, coming to the realization of an immense amount of control of your surrounding by paradoxically throwing into the equation a complete acceptance of that very surrounding (Note: this acceptance may be quite parallel to what the Buddhists truly mean when they say “compassion”.) My use of “may” is purposeful, as all is “may” and not much all is “is” but “is” itself, which somebody may even argue against, deeming even “is” also “is not”. Haha.

As the reader may see, it is quite simple for me to go into what others may see as abstract monologue, but the reason for this is that residing at the bases is where I enjoy residing—speaking of that base may tend to appear quite abstract, metaphysical, transcendental, chaotic, or whatever you want to deem that sort of place. So, in approaching a more familiar place, I will relate this dance to the teachings so far grasped in the dance classes. I turn to Richard's stress on the contraction of the abdomen. There is more than just contraction, however. There is, as Richard would also say, a presentness or liveliness in the stillness. Stillness is not as a zombie, but is full of energy (this is even abstract, I know, but a certain level of abstractness can never seem to really be avoided; besides, it keeps things interesting).

Like all dance, in Bharatanatyam, there is an advanced feel for the center of gravity and opposition. The posture is as refined as it is often seen in ballet to where the tailbone is tucked. There is an extensive use of the second position. There is great use of turnout. The shift of weight is also quite graceful. Breathwork is assumed to be steady for movements look their most natural and graceful when there is steady breathwork, for breath feeds and/or creates the energy that flows through the body.

This style of dance will always captivate. (Warning: super abstract territory to follow!) The Bharatanatyam dancer is as a microcosm of a deity’s dance (Shiva) responsible for existence as we know it. It is as if the higher us which is just one being perceived at the very moment just as one individual “I” is dancing articulate dance moves, each movement spawning everything from the dawning of a universe to the hardships we live through in this matrix-like world. The Bharatanatyam dancer is doing something profound, something old, and something captivating, that is for sure.