Moving towards aṇgasuddhi and saustabham with a conscious bodymind: Embodied imagery, metaphor and sensory awareness in Odissi dance training | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 14, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 1757-1871
  • E-ISSN: 1757-188X

Abstract

This article investigates the usage of embodied imagery, metaphor and sensory awareness in the teaching and learning process of Odissi dance, an Indian classical dance from the eastern state of Odisha. It analyses examples of Odissi dance training used by chosen dance institutes and dancers in India. The discussion is undertaken in correlation with the psychophysical performers’, dance scholars’, somatic movement practitioners’, dance anthropologists’ and philosophers’ study of bodymind and embodiment. It proposes a shift from the objectified to a subjective approach to the dancer’s body that empowers students/dancers to reclaim the ownership of their bodies and movements. Altogether, it highlights a missing block in the training process that enables dance students to move towards the socioculturally imagined level of ‘perfection’, however, with a healthy, thinking, feeling, moving and agentive bodymind.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jdsp_00068_1
2022-07-01
2024-04-20
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Acharya, Rahul. ( 2013;), in-person interview. , Bhubaneswar:, 31 December.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Batson, Glenna, and Schwartz, Ray Eliot. ( 2007;), ‘ Revisiting the value of somatic education in dance training through an inquiry into practice schedules. ’, Journal of Dance Education, 7:2, pp. 4756.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Behera, Janhabi. ( 2014;), in-person interview. , Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar:, 14 November.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Brodie, Julie A., and Lobel, Elin E.. ( 2012), Dance and Somatics: Mind-Body Principles of Teaching and Performance, London:: McFarland & Company;.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Chamberlain, Franc. ( 2004), Michael Chekhov, London:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Chatterjea, Ananya. ( 1996;), ‘ Training in Indian classical dance: A case study. ’, Asian Theatre Journal, 13:1, pp. 6891.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Daboo, Jerri. ( 2007;), ‘ Michael Chekhov and the embodied imagination: Higher self and non-self. ’, Studies in Theatre and Performance, 27:3, pp. 26173.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Dave, Ranjana. ( 2014;), Skype interview. , 28 October.
  9. Dehejia, Vidya, and Daryl, Y. Harnisch. ( 1997;), ‘ Yoga as the key to understanding the sculpted body. ’, in V. Dehejia. (ed.), Representing the Body: Gender Issues in Indian Art, New Delhi:: Kali for Women;, pp. 6881.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Eddy, Martha. ( 2009;), ‘ A brief history of somatic practices and dance: Historical development of the field of somatic education and its relationship to dance. ’, Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices, 1:1, pp. 527.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Farnell, Brenda. ( 2003;), ‘ Kinesthetic sense and dynamically embodied action. ’, Journal of the Anthropological Study of Human Movement, 12:4, pp. 13244.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Farnell, Brenda. ( 2012), Dynamic Embodiment for Social Theory: ‘I Move Therefore I Am’, London:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Feldenkrais, Moshe. ( 1984), Awareness through Movement: Health Exercises for Personal Growth, Ontario:: Penguin;.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Fitt, Sally Sevey. ( 1996), Dance Kinesiology, New York:: Schirmer Books;.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Foster, Susan Leigh. ( 1997;), ‘ Dancing bodies. ’, in J. C. Desmond. (ed.), Meaning in Motion: New Cultural Studies of Dance, Durham and London:: Duke University Press;, pp. 23558.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Franklin, Eric. ( 1996), Dynamic Alignment: Through Imagery, Leeds:: Human Kinetics;.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Garai Ghosh, Shashwati. ( 2014;), in-person interview. , Odissi Vision and Movement Centre, Kolkata:, 25 June.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Goldschmidt, Harlene. ( 2002;), ‘ Dancing with your head on: Mental imagery techniques for dancers. ’, Journal of Dance Education, 2:1, pp. 1522.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Green, Jill. ( 1999;), ‘ Somatic authority and the myth of the ideal body in dance education. ’, Dance Research Journal, 31:2, pp. 80100.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Hackney, Peggy. ( 2002), Making Connections: Total Body Integration through Bartenieff Fundamentals, Abingdon:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Hanna, Thomas. ( 1995;), ‘ What is somatics. ’, in D. H. Johnson. (ed.), Bone, Breath and Gesture: Practices of Embodiment, San Francisco, CA:: North Atlantic Books;, pp. 34152.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Humphrey, Nicholas. ( 2000;), ‘ How to solve the mind-body problem. ’, Journal of Consciousness Studies in Theatre and Performance, 7:4, pp. 520.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Johnson, Mark. ( 1987), The Body in the Mind: The Bodily Basis of Meaning, Imagination, and Reason, Chicago, IL:: University of Chicago Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Johnson, Mark. ( 2007), The Meaning of the Body: Aesthetics of Human Understanding, Chicago, IL:: The University of Chicago Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Kaktikar, Aadya. ( 2014;), ‘ The paradox of authority: The body of dance. ’, Sport and Art, 2:5, pp. 9196.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Lowen, Sharon. ( 2014;), in-person interview. , New Delhi:, 18 May.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Madhavan, Arya, and Nair, Sreenath. ( 2013;), ‘ The kinetic body: Foot, memory and dispositions of the body in performance. ’, in S. Reeve. (ed.), Body & Performance: Ways of Being a Body, Axminster:: Triarchy Press;, pp. 14962.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Mohanty, Madhusmita. ( 2013;), in-person interview. , Orissa Dance Academy;, 28 November.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Newlove, Jean, and Dalby, John. ( 2004), Laban for All, London:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Satpathy, Bijayani. ( 2014;), in-person interview. , Nrityagram, Hesaraghatta:, 26 July.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Schrader, Constance A.. ( 2004), A Sense of Dance: Exploring Your Movement Potential, Leeds:: Human Kinetics Publishers;.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Sen-Podstawska, Sabina Sweta. ( 2019;), ‘ The transient “ideals” of the “Odissi body” and the changing place and role of Odissi dancers in history. ’, Świat i Słowo, 32:1, pp. 13334.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Simmel, Liane. ( 2013), Dance Medicine in Practice: Anatomy, Injury Prevention, Training, New York:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Sklar, Deidre. ( 2000;), ‘ Reprise: On dance ethnography. ’, Dance Research Journal, 32:1, pp. 7077.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Stanton, Erica. ( 2011;), ‘ Doing, re-doing and undoing: Practice, repetition and critical evaluation as mechanisms for learning in a dance technique class “laboratory”. ’, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 2:1, pp. 8698.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Sundaram, Chitra. ( 2014;), ‘ The classical Indian dance faculty. ’, ISTD Histories, 12 August, https://www.istd.org/about-us/documents/istd-classical-indian-dance-history/. Accessed 28 May 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Sweigard, Lulu E.. ( 1974), Human Movement Potential: Its Ideokinetic Facilitation, New York:: Harper and Row;.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Tandon, Rekha. ( 2008;), ‘ The symbiotic relationship between Indian dance and the yogic chakras. ’, in M. Khanna. (ed.), NARIVADA: Gender, Culture and Civilization Network, New Delhi:: IGNCA;, pp. 323.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Tandon, Rekha. ( 2016;), ‘ Rekha Tandon on Odissi: New metaphors, new meanings. ’, Global Rasika, 1 February, https://globalrasika.wordpress.com/?s=rekha+tandon. Accessed 20 November 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Todd, Mabel Elsworth. ( 1937), The Thinking Body: A Study of the Balancing Forces of Dynamic Man, New York:: Dance Horizons;.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Vatsyayan, Kapila. ( 1968), Classical Indian Dance in Literature and the Arts, New Delhi:: Sangeet Natak Akademi;.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Vatsyayan, Kapila. ( 1994), The Square and Circle of the Indian Arts, New Delhi:: Abhinav Publications;.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Venkataraman, Leela. ( 2006;), ‘ Negotiating the extremes: Dance. ’, India International Centre Quarterly, 33:1, pp. 93102.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Zarrilli, Phillip. ( 1987;), ‘ Where the hand [is]. ’, Asian Theatre Journal, 4:2, pp. 20514.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Zarrilli, Phillip. ( 2009), Psychophysical Acting: An Intercultural Approach after Stanislavski, London and New York:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Sen-Podstawska, Sabina Sweta. ( 2022;), ‘ Moving towards aṇgasuddhi and saustabham with a conscious bodymind: Embodied imagery, metaphor and sensory awareness in Odissi dance training. ’, Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices, 14:1, pp. 3556, https://doi.org/10.1386/jdsp_00068_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/jdsp_00068_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/jdsp_00068_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error