When most of us are struggling to make peace with life locked up by the coronavirus pandemic scare, a family of classical dancers is finding itself perfectly in harmony with the new normal. For freelance classical dance instructor Rahul Gupta (31), his wife Nandini and 9-year-old son Bharat, life is as wonderful and enjoyable as it ever was. Yoga and some meditation in the morning, bharatnatyam practice in the evening, for them life is a breeze.
While exhorting others to follow, and feel the difference, Rahul, who also runs the Kalalyam Dance Institute, which regularly holds evening classes at The Gurukul, Sector 20, Panchkula, says “yoga is an integral part of Indian classical dance forms. Every dance practice session or performance starts with pranayam, surya namaskar and other stretching yoga routines to warm up the body and make it supple and flexible, an absolute necessity for a satisfying outcome of any classical dance routine.”
Photos By : Life In Chandigarh
Dwelling on the spiritual aspects of bharatnatyam, he says it is a form of sadhana (meditation). Besides giving the practitioner peace and tranquility, this dance form, like many other Indian classical forms, replaces restlessness with calm and composure, and inculcates the true spirit of humility and restraint. “The energy, which the classical dance-yoga activity generates, is unmatched,” he adds.
Advertisement
Rahul asserts that his journey as a classical dance instructor in India and abroad (he has lived in Qatar, Bahrain and Australia also) has been replete with instances of rich, spoilt and arrogant children transforming into simple and humble human being after their tryst with classical dance. He has also seen ladies traumatised by separation from husbands, or brutal domestic violence, finding a new purpose in life by immersing themselves into classical dance.
The classical dance instructor wants people, confined to the four walls of their homes, to wash away their blues. “Give yourself a chance to convert your fears and perceived sense of punishment into opportunities for finding peace, calm, relaxation and inner bliss. Yoga, meditation and meaningful dance forms, especially Indian classical, are a perfect recipe towards that end,” he emphasises.
LifeInChandigarh.com by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.
To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676