Odissi sketch II

Before and while doing these sketches of Odissi dancer I actually did read up about the dance a bit, so that I would do a better job depicting the dance form. And now I want to share a little bit of the gist with you all.

Odissi is the only dance form to have another basic body position besides the centered ‘Plie’ stance. The second stance Tribhangi, literally meaning three bends. Tribhang divides the body into three parts, head, bust and torso. The postures dealing with these three elements are called Tribhangi. As this is inspired by the temple scultures, Odissi creates an illusion of sculpture coming to life. Isolated torso movements, typical to the Odissi style only, help create these curves and therefore an ‘S’ pattern is seen in the form of the dancer. Mudra is also an important component of Odissi dance. The term Mudra means "stamp" and is a hand position which suggests things. You can see a lot of Mudras here.

Odissi has its own traditional costumes and jewellery. The saree is draped in a particular fashion which creates a fan-shaped structure in the front. The saree used by dancers is the Sambalpuri sarees (local saree of Orissa) in most cases. Only white metal jewellery is worn in Odissi, including earrings that coves the whole ear and resemble the shape of a peacock’s feather. The waist belt is a must for a Odissi dancer. Other ornaments are bangles, necklace, and armlets. The headpiece (Mukut) worn by Odissi dancer is the typical symbol of Odissi dance which is made only in Orissa with special dried leaves. The costume and jewellery are considered sacred and should never be worn while performing other light dance forms.

p.s. My next post will be a watercolor painting of an Odissi dancer.