Posted by Bansi Pandit on March 26, 1998 at 17:32:40:
In Reply to: hinduism vs. Classical indian dance? HELP ME! posted by nicole on March 23, 1998 at 11:59:18:
: I need to write a paper on Classical Indian dance.
: Can anyone help me?
: The topic:
: "Religion is an integral part of Classical Indian
: dance. The spiritual and sacred aspects need to be
: emphasized and expressed because they are the primary
: forces behind the soul and essence of the acient art
: form. Show how you think Hinduism and Classical Indian
: dance are interconnected. 5pgs. due 3-26-98."
: Does anyone have suggestions?
: Nicole
Response:
Classical Indian dance gives an expression to the spiritual and religious dimensions of Hinduism. Just as the mind expresses through speech and speech uses a particular language, the religious and spiritual themes of Hinduism are expressed by a dancer through various acts of the dance, including body postures, body gestures, and hand, foot and leg work. The dance acts themselves may depict themes based upon mythology and various other scriptures. For example, Shiva’s dance depicts the Hindu theory of cyclic creation, preservation and dissolution. A particular form of the dance may depict various aspects of Hindu worship.
Classical Indian dance also provides a means for spiritual evolution. It is another form of worship. It serves like a meditation and can have the same impact on the minds of the dancer as well as the audience as yoga and meditation does.
To gather enough material to write a paper on this subject, you should visit a library and locate books on this subject. If you are doing a computer search for the resources, please search under the following words and their combinations: Indian Classical dance, its theory and practice; symbolism of Indian dance; the Vedic dance and worship; Dances of India.
(Bansi Pandit)