Bharatanatyam gets a new twist

Showcasing the benefits of Stress Relief Dance (SRD), Bharatanatyam dancers will be rendering their first performance in Pune this Sunday

Bharatanatyam gets a new twist

It is well known, worldwide, that human psychology and dance are correlated such that dance movements make a physiological impact on human personality. An attempt to prove this correlation has been made by Dr Urvashi Shrivastava, who is psychologist and a dancer, adept in three Indian classical dances — Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kathak.

Swati Kale and Tejashree Pendse, students of Urvashi Shrivastava

Shrivastava has invented a new concept called Stress Relief Dance (SRD). “Music therapy is known to all but dance therapy is not well known as people are unaware of this concept. People can be helped through passive as well as active involvement, which means one who dances and one who sees it, both will benefit from the dance. The therapy combines the three dances Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kathak,” she explains.

The elementary theme of SRD was presented at the second World Stress Conference at Budapest, Hungary in August 2007. Shrivastava has applied for US, European, Australian and Japanese patents on the therapy in 2012; as performing art patenting is not possible in India. She has also authored a book titled Stress Management and Dance, published by Dhanraj Book House, Delhi.

Shrivastava started her own unique dance institute called ‘Urvashi Kala Srishti’ at Jodhpur in the state of Rajasthan in 2001, which focuses on an integrated approach of personality development through dance. The institute was shifted to Pune in August 2006. Winner of Govt. of India scholarship on folk dances of Rajasthan, Urvashi is currently adjunct faculty at National Defence Academy, Pune and at Maharishi University of Management, Faifield, Iowa, USA, where she conducts regular capsule courses and workshops. She has conducted several Stress Relieving Dance (SRD) workshops in University of Pune and its affiliated colleges and also in Europe. u00a0The first Arangetram (first stage performance) of the Bharatanatyam students of Urvashi Kala Srishti, is going to be held on June 10 in the city.