Posted by leesa (59.144.96.57) on November 09, 2005 at 11:41:47:

 In Reply to: How to teach Bharathanatyam

Posted by Vaani on November 08, 2005 at 20:39:36:

 Dear Vaani

I can share with you my experience. I have started my dance class in odissi in Mumbai. Children here are quite tied up at the school and so many other things that they keep doing during the week. Therefore, I had to be very careful to keep their interest alive.

1. In my first few classes, i didnot bombard them with sanskrit words and difficlt names. I used their language to introduce them to gestures and movements. Say, i introduced asamyukta hasta "shikhara" as thums up. To my surprise, they remembereed the gesture in the following class. I introduced the asamyukta hastas after a few classes.Remember, to be creative, one has to think about it always and ideas do come up once in a while. Before you forget it, just write it down. I get best of ideas while playing with my one and half year ole kid, Soham.

2. I donot make my classes physically tiring. Whenever I feel my students are tired, i switch over to games or activities. I am in the process of writing a book on such games. I will share one with you. Have all asamyukta hastas written in post cards. One hasta in one card I mean. In another set of cards, draw the pictures, agagin, one in each card. Ask all your students to stand in one corner of the class room. Throw all the cards in the room. Now ask all your students to run and match each mudra to its picture. They can consult and share with one another. Give them 15 minutes. If they do it within fifteen minutes, all of them are winners. Such exercises will also develop team orientation and they will feel for one another.

Send me your email id and I will keep sharing my ideas with you.

much love

leesa