Yoga for dancers

Mansi · Post by **Mansi** » 06 Jul 2009, 12:58

Hello All,
I don't know wheather this is the right forum or not but I was wondering about Yoga. for flexibility are there any particular asanas for Bharatnatyam dancer?
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... 8%26um%3D1

Like I have come across this position manier times and couldn't figure out what should I do or what should I practice to get here?
Can somebody help me or point me at right direction?
Thank you

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 07 Jul 2009, 11:34

There are different types of flexibility and Yoga will definitely help improve your static-passive and static active flexibility. Yoga might not help in dynamic flexibility which is required to execute kicks or splits in the air. The balancing poses will help you a lot as well. Some accomplished dancers have told that yoga helps them feel centred. Many dancers do learn yoga. I would recommend joining a good Iyengar Yoga teacher if you would like to learn the proper form and technique for all the asanas.

malika0 · Post by **malika0** » 07 Jul 2009, 23:24

Mansi wrote: [img=wretched posture]http://www.indianetzone.com/11/images/J ... s_5368.jpg[/img]
Like I have come across this position manier times and couldn't figure out what should I do or what should I practice to get here?

Padma Subrahmaniam classifies it as vrscikarecitam (I don't understand why her leg is lifted aside, not backward, and why her hands are like in aksiptam):
[img=Padma Subrahmaniam]http://bharatanatyam2dance.files.wordpr ... padma1.jpg[/img]
Of course she is not flexible. It is not only a matter of flexibility but of strength also. No need for your arms to hold your legs!

Padma Subrahmaniam says that actually the following is the proper vrscikarecitam (the leg is lifted backward):
[img=vrscikarecitam]http://bharatanatyam2dance.files.wordpr ... =144&h=180[/img]
which looks like this one:
[img=Harinie Jeevitha]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3317/323 ... b4c553.jpg[/img]

The one where the leg is lifted aside is this one:
[img=Harinie Jeevitha]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3462/323 ... 7f2a58.jpg[/img]

For the side lift you need a different set of exercises than for the backward, no?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 08 Jul 2009, 00:20

Here is video clip (already posted once before) of Ms. Swarnamukhi showing a few such poses...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-4w6fCN-lE