DANCE YOUR WAY OUT!

Megha Subramanian


Dance is communication through rhythmic expression. You dont have to
know dance to dance, you only have to know your body; its patterns and
sequences.
Lets divide our bodies into different areas:
1. Head and Neck
2. Face
3. Shoulders and hands
4. Torso and back
5. Hip and legs
We feel our emotions in our gut or stomach area. When we are happy,
peaceful and calm our gut communicates to us that we are relaxed, because
there is no tension there. Our breathing is normal, our entire body is normal.
But just before a stage performance or an exam our gut becomes tense, our
breathing changes to a faster pace, our body is tense. Some people even get
loose motions when they are really tense. What is our body doing in these
different states of emotion? It is communicating to us a pattern. The
sequence of which begins with our thoughts. If we think that we might not
know any answers in the paper, or that we might perform badly, or that
everything will be great, our body will react accordingly.
Now if we are always aware of our thoughts, we will be able to change the
pattern in our bodies and our minds. The aim today is to enable us to
befriend our bodies so that we get access to our thoughts and vice-versa.

How do we form patterns and sequences in dance?
We are a part of nature and we take on natural patterns or imitate nature in
its various ways. For example; a blooming of a flower could mean happiness
or sadness depending on what we are trying to communicate and how we
use this natural pattern.
Every pattern has a sequence or a set of sequences. For example; our
pattern might be that when we dont get something we want we get angry
or sad or both. What is the sequence/set of sequences to this pattern? 1. We
want / expect something. 2. We attach a lot of value to getting what we
want 3. We attach value to how we will appear to others after we get what
we want 4. We determine that we will only be happy after we get that. Now
all 1-4, is happening in the mind. There is another sequence related to the
same event that is happening in reality which is: 1. We observe what we
DANCE YOUR WAY OUT!

Megha Subramanian
want 2. We work hard to get to it (this may have many sequences) 3. We
get it / we dont.
When we observe closely, each of these (1-4) and (1-3) depend on various
patterns constructed by our society. What do I mean by that? What we want
/ dont want depends on what we are taught is good for us / not good for us.
What we attach value to is also dictated a lot by external social patterns.
Dance takes from these social and mental patterns which we depict in
physical and mental (emotional) patterns. So lets begin with our bodies!

About me (Megha Subramanian):
MFA Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California
MA English Literature, Mumbai University
Post Graduate Diploma in Social Communications Media, Mumbai University
Bharatanatyam practitioner almost three decades
Yoga and meditation practitioner 12 years

I have been fascinated by the art of story-telling since childhood and covered three
art forms since then that enable me to tell my stories well; Bharatanatyam (Indian
classical dance), English Literature and Film. For me all these three have come
together and helped me understand various aspects of acting, production, direction,
sound, lighting, along with storytelling. All these art forms have not only helped me
communicate with people, but have helped me create a communion with myself.
There is so much more I feel each day, and that gives me the energy to live and
and enjoy each discovery!




Topic: DANCE YOUR WAY OUT!

Activity: Dancing to communicate

12:30 to 01:00 pm: Classroom

01:00 to 01:15 pm: Break

01:15 to 2:00 pm: Body movement
2:00 to 3:30 pm: Choreography and presentation

DANCE YOUR WAY OUT!

Megha Subramanian
REQUIREMENTS:
Students need to wear:
Loose pyjamas /pants that enables stretching, t-shirts/ kurtas which enable hand movement
If we can have 5-6 music players in separate classrooms from 2- 2:30 pm to enable choreography
one main speaker and lap top in the lecture room for music playback