IIIT Professor Develops Atam, A Patent and Annovative Dance Teaching Tool

Dance forms Around the World are marked by uniqueness, Owing to the traditions and cultural contexts in which they have evolved. While efforts have been made to preserve the distinctive character of Each, Little Attention Has Been towards identifying the universal elements that that connect them. It is often said that all forms of music, despite their diversity, can be comprehended through the seven notes. What, then, is the equivalent in dance? This basic question, posd by jayachandran surendran, Senior Dance Research Scholar and Lecturer at IIT Hyderabad’s Center for Exact Humanities, LED HIM to Explore for Form-Neutral and Style-Neutral UNITHAL UNICL UNICL UNICELSAL Fundamentals for Dance.

Jayachandran’s Decades of Research LED to the Development of a Pedagogical tool Aptly Named Atam (meaning ‘Motion’ Motion ‘or’ movement ‘in Tamil, at a Fundamental Level), the first of its kind to recennd to recenti ini. He explains, “I observe that three parameters are universally presented all dance forms – postures, transitions between postures, and the rhythm in that that that is transitions. On the affordability and degree of freedom of each joint in the body, with a special focus on the lower half of the bodies, the tool can teachnically before Runs Through Human Activities Such as Sports, Yoga, Martial Arts, Dance, and TheATRE. ”

In Bharatanatyam, The Basic Unit of Movement is called an ‘adavu’. Does jayachandran attempts to go beyond this foundational element? Interestingly, he points out that the term ‘adavu’ is not exclusive to bharatanatyam; It is also used in traditional Indian martial arts such as kuthuvarisai and Silambam. He argues that an adavu is not intrinsically artistic; Rather, it is a way of breaking down movement into smaller, functional units for pedagogical purposes. It is the intent of the movement which imports artistry to adavu.

“Postures are Common Across Various Movement Disciplines. The Fundamentals of the Classical Dance Forms have been assimilated also from the movement knowledge bank of Martial Arts and Yogasana Traditions. However, what differences are the Across Several Movement Systems is the transition – What Happens Between Postures. While Posture Training Forms The Bedrock of Dance Learning, Transitions are often Absorbed Through Through Observation. “

The Atam Tool, According to Jayachandran, Isolates these transitions, and teaches them separete

Jayachandran Surendran, Researcher and Classical Dancer

So, how is the atam tool designed? To make it child-friendly, jayachandran mapped Six postures onto the Six faces of a dice. There are three-colored dice: Black for Standing Postures, Red for Half-Sitting, and Blue For Full-Sitting. Dice are placed in white holders for on-beat movements and black holders for off-beat. Two dials are used Torso Angles in 45-Degree Increments. These dials too are placed in white or black holders based on Beat Alignment.

The tool is intended primarily for children and beginners in dance to develop dance literature. Jayachandran Clarifies “When we talk about dance literature, The goal is not to make someone a professional dancer, but to help that that unfamiliar with dance trust Training makes the bodies life for movement, even if one does not become an athlete. Awareness, Control, and Comfort in One’s Body Through Dance – Not About Performance, But About About Internalising Movement as a language. ”

In classical dance training, the body is often conditioned to reepeat only certain certain combinations of movements. However, with the atam tool, all possible combinations within six basic postures are explred, fostering openness and flexibility in posture practice. “For Children, No Movement Sequence is Considered Inharently Right or Wrong. If a particular combination alredy exists in a known dance form, we simply across and MOVE on MO Do not have an existing name, we try to name them or inform them if a name already exists. Combinations grows exponitively, Reaching up to the power of three for a three-beat sequence, “He says.

An Interesting Aspect of this Approach is the Reversal of Traditional Classroom Dynamics. In Conventional Dance Teaching, The Teacher is Highly Active In Planning, While The Student’s Role is more passive. Here, while using the tool it is the opposite – the Teacher Remains Mostly Passive, Keenly observing, intervening only when Necessary. The Children Stay Deeply Engaged, often in Pin-Drop Silence, with their Attention Fully Focused on the Tool. It Backets Difential to disengage them, as the process stimulates constant thoughts. The tool allows for the creation of numerous variations in posture and angle, making it possible to capture the essence of all forms of dance with

The atam tool developed by jayachandran surendran

In the traditional knowledge system of the NāṭyaśāstraThe way we read the śāstra Often influences how we undress it. For instance, when the Nāṭyaśāstra Speaks of Five sthanaka Postures, we tend to view them as distinct, Fixed Reference Points. However, as a researcher, jayachandran observs that there are many possible subtle in-beltween postures that the śāstra-Kāras may not have explicitly mentioned, but left the practice to posit. He believes it is the responsibility of practitioners to explore and identify these transitional forms. A parallel can be drawn from music – while we are taught there only From one note to another opens Expressive Possibilites. Similarly, movement from one posture to another in dance involves not just fixed positions, but reference points, functional shifts, and containous curves. Jayachandran’s Approach Includes Identifying “Pivotal Index Values” to Map These Transitions – Such as Naming a Movement Like Valithoruham As part of a larger curve. Instead of Memorising Each Movement Individually, He Proposes Understanding the frequency range and pattern of the movement like a graph or a curve, making the process more intuitive and less Rams.

While posturing, transitions, and rhythm are common across all dance forms, the next question arises – can abhinaya Also be brought into this framework? Says jayachandran, “Training typically involves the anga, upangaand PratyangaWith focus on bot freeze points and transition points. Multiple Modules Can Be Developed to Train Different Aspects – Pure Movement, abhinayaAnd musicality. In the current system, pure movement training has been divided into upper and lower body segments. The Research Primarily Concentrates on the Lower Half, as it forms the foundation of movement vocabulary. Even this area alone is highly complex, with a huege number of probable combinations. The upper body, especially in the context of nrittaRemains an area to be explred. Extending this further to mukhaja abhinaya And other expressive elements opens up the possible for creating a complete new movement vocabulary. What is currently being developed can be seen as a prototype that lays the groundwork for future expansion. ”

Physically, the tool takes the form of a dice with posture stickers and a board with rotating dials place Pallanguzhi Board. This tangible setup is designed especially for children, offering a screen-free alternative to digital apps and helping to reduce screen time. A web-based app version is currently under development for further expansion. Ultimately, Atam Aims to Provide a non-Hierchical, exploratory learning environment, especially for children, where movement is play, inquiry, and self-index. A live demonstration, jayachandran notes, is the best way to understand its potential.