Friday, July 6, 2012

Size of bangle for your child - dance jewelry Set

How do I know my daughter's bangle size? Many parents call us and ask this question while buying Bharatanatyam dance Jewelry set from our online store. Probably more than 15% of the questions we get are related to bangle size.

Selecting the correct bangle size is very important. Obviously you don't want the bangles come our of your daughters hands while she is performing a hastha during her Bharatanatyam recital. On the other hand you need to make sure she is comfortable wearing them and not bothered about them being so tight on the hands.

So what is the trick? Well, there are two methods to do this. One is very complicated and involves math and theorems - Uhh !!!  Even though most of the stay home Indian Moms have double degrees, I don't want to remind them of their good old math homework days. I will explain the most simplest methd here.

First let me tell you the different bangle sizes available. The most common sizes are 2.2, 2.4, 2.6 and 2.8. If your hands are really big, then you need size 3.0, but we don't sell them. What is 2.2? Is it in inches or centimeters?  Well, all the measurements are in inches. Find out if the dancer already has a bangle she is comfortable with. Take it and place it on a white A4 size sheet. Use a pencil to mark the inner circle of the bangle on the paper. Use a ruler to measure the diameter of the circle. That is the size of bangle for your dancer. Usually schildren under 6 will be comfortable with a size 2.2. Six to 10 year old ones can fit 2.4 or 2.6 size. 12 and above will have sizes 2.6 and 2.8

Bangle is the essential part of the dance jewelry set.

Hope this helped !!

Good luck...

Monday, January 9, 2012

Importance of ankle bells in Indian classical dance


Indian classical dance is a varied form of art and has numerous styles to boast of. The different styles of dancing broadly pertain to the different geographic regions in the country. Each one of them proudly presents its own style, rhythm, grace and costume. Irrespective of these differences, most Indian classical dances have one thing in common – the "Ghungroo" or the ankle bells that are tied around the ankle of the Indian dancers.
The ghungroo is considered very special and are regarded with great respect by the Indian classical dancers. It is regarded as an inseparable part of the Indian classical dancing tradition for many forms of Indian classical dance such as the Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, etc.
Although, today the custom of wearing ankle bells has become prevalent in many dances such as the belly dance and most Indian classical dances; and is blindly followed as a tradition by many Indian classical dancers; there is a definite reason behind why this practice came into existence.
 The ghungroo or ankle bells are nothing but small metallic balls (usually made of brass) with a smaller metallic ball inside each one of them. They are strung together and tied to the ankle of a dancer. In modern days, for ease of use, these metallic balls are fixed on a leather or cloth strap that can be easily worn around the ankle of the dancer. Whenever the dancer moves his/her leg, the metallic balls in the ghungroo originate a sound that is in rhythm with the leg movements. 
Swift and graceful movements of different parts of the body such as the eyes, head, hands and feet in tune with the music is what constitutes a dance in most of the Indian classical dance forms. For an observer it is easy to decipher the movement of the eyes, head and hand while it might not be so easy to distinguish and appreciate the leg movements. Most of these dances tend to use complex leg movements that serve to highlight the dancing skills of the individual. However all this will just go unnoticed if there is nothing to accentuate these movements. And that is the exact purpose why the practice of using ankle bells while performing a dance came into being. 
Apart from emphasizing the complexity of the leg movements, the sound from the ankle bell also keeps the dancer in tune to the music and stay in rhythm, gives more life to the dancing and simply adds to the grandeur