Research

Bharatanatyam as a therapy for mentally challenged: Focusing on trainable and educable, with the I.Q. range 30 to 70, Age range 10 to 20 years

Link to the full thesis: BHARATANATYAM AS A THERAPY FOR MENTALLY CHALLENGED

Summary of the thesis:

Some of the major advantages of practicing Indian Classical Dances can be stated as:

Gross and fine motor development:
This development is related to large and small muscle activity. Classical dance is made up of various positions / gestures / attitudes of each part, practicing these gestures help improving the muscular strength and toning of muscles which in turn help building stamina and fluidity in the dance.

Sensory Motor Integration:
This is the psychophysical integration of fine and gross motor activities. This involves the ability to balance in space. The improved muscular strength helps to integrate efficiently the sensory information from the muscles and joints to inform the brain about position of body parts and amount of force being exerted. This type of information influences body awareness and judgment regarding force to be used by the body. Classical dance teaches the right use of strength applied to each muscle in order do make the dance more eye catching.

Body - spatial Organization is the ability to move one’s body in an integrated way in spatial environment. Classical Dance trains to move in space in all directions without losing balance in a graceful manner and organized way. To move in space and on floor while maintaining various posture and recommended position of upper and lower limbs is challenging and calls upon body awareness and alertness.

Perceptual – Motor skills:
It is the functional utilization of primary auditory and visual skills.
Dance is an audio visual art thus auditory and visual reflexes of the dancer as well as the audience play major role in performing art like Dance.
Auditory Grasping is to receive auditory stimuli. Classical artists are able to efficiently respond to the music through claps, movements or enacting the song.
Like wise Auditory Memory is the ability to retain and recall the auditory information.
Specification in the rhythm is the soul of Indian classical dances.
The visual Grasping calls upon the ability to grasp movements as shown through visual impressions. Like wise visual Memory is the capacity to retain and recall the visual information stored through visual grasping in the form of movements, expression of emotions & character building. Visual grasping plays a major role in the process of learning classical dance.
Like wise visual memory plays a foremost role in reproducing the movements learnt while practicing and performing on stage.

Conceptual skills:
Is the functional level of concept attainment. In conceptual skills Concept of Numbers is the ability to understand and use the concept of numbers. Dance practitioners have to understand the concept of numbers in the form of various numerical patterns through rhythm / tala. Concept of Shape is the ability to understand various shapes formed through body movements, in the space and on the floor. One should be able to know the concept of various shapes such as line, circle, half circle, square etc. and create these shapes through body movements in space and on the floor while dancing. Concept of Speed is the ability to understand the variation between slow, medium and fast speed.

Physiological features:
It is the functional improvement in stamina. Stamina is the ability to keep up physical or mental effort over a long period. Classical dance as said above requires body mind coordination. As the practitioner engages self in dancing, automatically the physical and mental effort of doing the act is gradually improved. Classical dance is the best replacement for exercise as it is rhythmic and involves each and every body part including mind to generate graceful movement. Thus with the physical capacity mental ability of grasping, understanding, imagining, expressing etc. is also improved.

Cognitive skills:
Are the abilities functional in acquiring the knowledge through thought, experience and the senses.
• Grasping power is the power of brain which helps understanding things taught. Classical dance teach to focus on various elements at a time, when particular movement is learned one has to be attentive with the numerous aspects such as physical movement of upper/ lower limbs, hand gestures, eye movements etc., rhythm, clarity, movement on floor and above all its aesthetic which is achieved only by involvement of mind.
• Discriminating power is the power of brain which helps differentiating in good and bad. Indian classical dance trains to discriminate between good and bad posture which is a vital element for human beings personality, the straight and taut posture required for refined dancing certainly adds elegance in the dancers personality. Good posture while standing, sitting and walking has superior effects on the internal / physiological systems of human being.
• Determination power is that power of brain which helps achieving goals. When one starts adoring classical dance, while understanding a particular movement, incessant efforts are taken to achieve that movement, automatically physical activity with equivalent brain exercise is carried out finally leading to happiness of dancing and achieving the desired goal.
• Analyzing and Understanding power of brain helps understanding and studying a particular thing / experience in detail. Emotive part of classical dance requires influential power of analyzing and understating things happening in and around human being. After all Natya is said to be the representation of world around, thus to recreate it on stage one has to have strong analyzing and understating power which is a well developed and improved through classical dance.
• Memorizing power is the power of brain which helps remembering stored things and experiences. Dance is a performing art thus to memorize and reproduce movements and expressions practiced at right time is one of the major challenges dancer has in order to offer a blissful experience to the audience. Consequently by practicing various dynamic movement patterns and taking an effort of achieving overall coordination, memorizing power of dance practitioner gets better.
• Imaginative power is the power of brain which helps in creation. Dance is an art of creation. Creating various lines & shapes through body movements, imagining various characters, emotions while presenting emotive piece, calls upon high imagination. Classical dance helps widening this imaginative power for the purpose of presenting illusion of reality on the stage which facilitates which helps in Rasanishpatti.
• Expression is the ability to convey the feelings created in mind or thoughts created in brain through words, behavior or gestures. Classical Dance has numerable gestures for conveying varied emotions. As one starts practicing classical dance expressing with the gestures becomes a habit and thus classical dance practitioner seems to be more expressive.
• Sensitivity power is the capacity of brain which helps receiving messages from various organs. With dedicated practice of Indian Classical dances, the dance practitioner’s ability to sense things is obviously improved. Not only the body gets toned into a beautiful elegant look but the mind also becomes equally compassionate and sensitive in order to observe, grasp and understand personalities, emotions and experiences. Thus Indian classical dancing with all the above advantages yields a graceful personality with sensitive mind. Even though this mind is always in search of rhythm, peace and blissful joy it evenly stays meditative relishing each and every advantage of practicing this Yoga of Indian classical dancing.