| Open session of kalarippayattu for children and adults |
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Training sessions with Sankar Lal Sivasankaran Nair and Justyna Rodziñska-Nair Sat 28 March 2015, 10:00–10:45 for kids, 11:00–12:30 for adults Laboratory Theatre Space All classes are free, no advanced registration required. Contact: Justyna Rodziñska-Nair studio@studiokalari.art.pl, 509 345 995 The class is intended for those interested to find out about kalarippayattu who either want to give it a try or to start regular practice. Participants will learn the traditional salutation, the first movement sequence, strengthening and stretching exercises as well as the skill of spinning the kuruvadi bamboo stick. Classes for children include simple exercises, basic poses and movement sequences, and stick spinning. Kalarippayattu helps develop good body posture, agility and coordination. It teaches perseverance and is a source of much joy and satisfaction. These training sessions are for children aged 5–8. Kalarippayattu is a martial art from Kerala, South India. Its origins can be traced to at least the 12th century. Rich in ritual, kalarippayattu includes the study of movement sequences, incapacitating locks, close combat techniques and handling wooden and metal weapons (sticks, knives, swords and spears) as well as strengthening, stretching and breathing exercises. The three styles of kalarippayattu, commonly distinguished as Northern, Southern and central differ in movement sequences and weapon combat techniques. Physical training is complemented by a unique healing system closely related to Ayurveda. It includes, among other things, massages that heal the body and make it more flexible, and the knowledge of marmas, the vital points of the human body. Elements of kalarippayattu have for centuries been used in the traditional training of Kerala actors and dancers, e.g. in kathakali. Regular kalarippayattu practice improves flexibility, agility and body coordination as well as developing strength, stamina and concentration. Most importantly, however, it helps its practitioners to become aware of their potential, improves their capability to control energy as well as developing their spiritual awareness. Thanks to its multi-faceted character kalarippayattu has something to offer martial artists, yoga practitioners, actors, dancers and anyone seeking a form of exercise that involves conscious work with body and soul and enables physical expression of their emotions. More information: www.studiokalari.art.pl   Sankar Lal Sivasankaran Nair is a kalarippayattu teacher and certified Ayurvedic massage therapist born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Sankar started studying the Southern style of kalarippayattu in 1990. He has counted among his masters Tirupuram C. Madhavan (Anjaneya Kalari Sangham), Jayachandran Nair (Kerala School of Martial Arts), Thankappan Assan and Ajith Kumar (Maruthi Marma Chikilsa Kalari Sangham). His current master is Raja Gopalan Assan. Between 2005 and 2008 Sankar worked with Milón Méla, an Indian theatre group, co-conducting numerous workshops and performing at festivals across India and Europe. In 2008 he moved to Wroc³aw, Poland. He currently teaches Southern kalarippayattu (running regular classes in Wroclaw as well as workshops in Poland and abroad, including in Finland, France, Germany, Italy and Russia) and practises Ayurvedic massage. He is a co-founder of Studio Kalari, which operates within the BodyConstitution research programme of the Grotowski Institute. Justyna Rodziñska-Nair comes from Wroc³aw, Poland. She graduated from the Interfaculty Individual Studies in the Humanities at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, with an MA on Kalarippayattu and performing arts. Since 2004 she has collaborated with the Grotowski Institute (the Grotowski Centre until 2007) in Wroc³aw, initially as a participant in workshops, volunteer and translator, and since 2005 as a co-ordinator of workshops and international projects. She has practised the Southern style of Kalarippayattu since 2005 and trains in India for a few weeks/months every year. She has practised in Thiruvananthapuram under Jayachandran Nair (Kerala School of Martial Arts), Thankappan Assan and Ajith Kumar (Maruthi Marma Chikilsa Kalari Sangham and Ayurveda) and Ashokan Kutappan (Anjaneya Kalari Sangam). She practices under Sankar Lal Sivasankaran Nair and co-leads training sessions and workshops. She is a co-founder of Studio Kalari, which operates within the BodyConstitution research programme of the Grotowski Institute. Upcoming workshops |