During a very recent experience with Hanuman I started to look into his history and found these two incredibly beautiful arts.
Yakshagana is 200 years old fusing an operatic style of performance with dance and musicians and Kathakali is a 300 year old form of dance drama - both of which differ greatly. Rather than attempt to read up on all of their history in one night I thought I would leave you with the following beautiful pieces. I feel inspired by their costumes and feel as though it may influence my artwork...
Dance is a relatively new feat for me as a Pagan. Up until late December this year I took bellydance classes learning how to dance in the traditional Egyptian style - wonderful for my particular pantheon. It was a wonderful way of helping to balance my chakras. I found that good old fashioned cardio was great for reducing my stress levels and helping to promote my general wellbeing, but bellydance was moving me around every chakra beautifully, especially from the root, sexual, solar plexus to the heart chakra. Towards the end I was particularly connecting with the chakras in my hands and (bare) feet as a solid posture made sure that my chakras were aligned and strong.
Several girls from my former coven and a few who had left that coven have taken up dancing together as sisters, where we will soon start experimenting with choreography together as an all Pagan troupe. It's certainly a very interesting exploration as there are varying forms of bellydance. I hadn't danced since I was eight and nine years old when I took on contemporary dance, and initially I was finding it hard. Thankfully one of the girls recorded our teacher dancing so that I could memorise our routine and I've found it much easier since! There is still so much to learn - and more painting to do alongside it, otherwise I would do more than just one teacher's lessons.
I'm very much in love with Sadie's style below and with Rachel Brice (view previous vid here) - hopefully I will combine these styles in some fashion to use my strength like Brice and cute choreography like Sadie.
