Kuchipudi for kids

Bollywood item numbers don't have to be your child's only exposure to dance. A group of four young teachers will teach them the basics of four classical Indian dance forms next, starting next sunday

We may have a dozen song and dance reality shows on TV, but almost no real encouragement for children to seriously take up or even know more about classical dance forms in India.

Kuchipudi danseuse and National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) dance programming head Amrita Lahiri hopes to change all that with the Joy of Movement programme that starts on October 10.


u00a0u00a0u00a0 u00a0Kids learn Indian classical dance at a session held previously

Classical dance basics
The week-long workshop will have children from the ages of 6-14 years learn the basics of four Indian classical dance forms -- Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Mohinattam and Kuchipudi.
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"The kids will learn a bit about each classical dance form in the workshop. We don't aim to create trained classical dancers in one week, but children are the future, and we want to expose them to a bit of classical dance at this age so that they can develop an interest in it," she says.

Lahiri will be accompanied by Miti Desai, Namrata Gupta amd Ketki Joshi, experts in Mohinattam, Odissi and Bharatnatyam respectively.

Lahiri describes them as " ufffdsome of the best young dancers in Mumbai," adding that she feels that young teachers will have a better connect with their young students. That's why no member of this fantastic four is more than 33 years old.

Mudras and abhinaya
The sessions themselves (1.5 hours each) promise to be fun and interactive. "Each day, we'll focus on a different dance form, and discuss one feature common to all the forms.

For instance, mudras are common to all four dance forms, as are complicated rhythm patters, Abhinaya (intense facial and emotional connect), and the concept of taal."

That's not all. The participants will also learn to tell stories and communicate through mudras, and watch videos of famous dancers.

Interactive fun
"We want to make it as much fun as possible. Children will be encouraged to ask questions. In Mumbai especially, children know more about Western dance forms, and those can be taught quickly.

Classical dance takes years to learn. Through these sessions, we want to develop some interest in the kids." Last date for registration is October 9.

Fee: Rs 1,200 for six days, 4.30 pm to 6 pm
Call: Benaifar Bhesania on 9869112010/66223822 or Nooshin Kotwal on 66223287