Introduction/warm up -The class will start with quick round of introduction. Then it starts with warm up to ease up the joints and to make them comfortable and also to bring their focus towards this dance session (5-10min).

Movements exploration – Teaching the basic steps required to learn either Bharatanatyam or Kathak with music or by telling the syllables like “takadhimi, takajhonu” or “ThaThaiThaiTat, AaThaiThaiTat”. Basics standing, sitting postures, walking style, stomping, hand moves, spins are taught. This will give a basic idea of how to move in the given dance context. This is a pure dance part which involves more exploration with movement. If kids are learning any other dance form already, a dialogue will be made to compare those movements and analyze to understand the similarity and differences between them. This is increase their interest and reasoning in both the art forms and also to realize how universally there are some commonality between art forms and yet they are different in their own way in executing it (15 – 20min).

Expression/story telling – Teaching hand gestures to communicate the meaning/expression. Indian dance is known for its story telling. Any simple action like how you drink water? How are you holding the cup? That is a hand gesture which is little stylized in dance. How you felt after drinking, how to show it on the face? Like this everyday activities can be enacted and help them to trigger their inner emotions and to express on their face with bodily gestures (15-20min).

Round the table – to revise all we have learnt in that session. Question and answers, to share any new findings, if they want to explore and come back for next session and a group signature dance movement to conclude the class.

Artist Background

Seema Viswanath, is an Indian classical dancer who dances ‘Bharatanatyam’ and ‘Kathak’ from NC. Seema has been associated with dancing for 25+ years. She engages herself in creating new works with fellow dancers, musicians, visual artists, teaching, conducting workshops, choreographs in the community. For her dance is not just for entertainment but it’s a way of living. Before a kid talks, they learn to clap, dance, sing, draw and then talk. Every movement of nature is a dance to the rhythm cycle of sun. Our body dances to our heart beat every second. So art is inbuilt in everyone and it is expressed in different ways. She finds her way to experience this and teach community to realize it through her dance school Nritya MayaNanda.

Search Criteria

• Program Type: Performance
• Discipline: Dance
• Cultural Context: Asian
• Accepts bookings in Johnston County