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Workshop with Sathyanarayanan Govindan Kutty Nair, Rajasekharan Nair Nagappan Nair and Raam Kumar Ravikumar
Tue–Thu 5–7 April 2016, 10:00–12:30 Na Grobli Studio, Studio Space
Contact and application Please email your completed application form by 20 March 2016 to Justyna Rodziñska-Nair at justyna@grotowski-institute.art.pl. Please include in the subject of the email ‘BodyConstitution workshops’ followed by the name of the chosen workshop. The number of places is limited. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Fee: 60 EUR This workshop is designed to introduce kalarippayattu as a root practice in order to understand the integration of mind and body through a series physical practices unique to the traditional kalarippayattu practice of the CVN Kalari lineage.
The workshop will introduce the body training process, or meyirakkom, of Northern style kalarippayattu, not as a set of demanding martial art exercises but as a root process for understanding the centring of mind, body and inner, subtle forces that controls movement and energy. As with any classical Indian tradition of knowledge and practice, understanding and acquiring the principles of movement and energy is a slow, evolving process rather than just learning a set of techniques.
The workshop will introduce chuvadus, the basic placement of feet, a series of leg exercises called kaalukal, and the body postures, or vadivus. These eight postures represent and are named after different animals, including Simha (lion) and Gaja (elephant). If time permits, we will focus on some basic components of body training systems called meippayat, which integrate chuvadus and vadivus into a series of exercises to create a subtle flow of energy in the spine by controlled and circular movements of the body.
If participants demonstrate satisfactory progress, some basic principles of weapon training will also be introduced. More information: http://www.cvnkalari.in/index.html
Sathyanarayanan Govindan Kutty Nair has been the leader, gurukkal (master) and secretary of the performing team of the CVN Kalari Sangham since January 2006. He is a full time gurukkal and physician at the Kalari Chikilsa Clinic at CVN Kalari, Trivandrum, Kerala, India. He started training in kalarippayattu at the age of 10 under his father Gurukkal Sri. C.V. Govindan Kutty Nair, son of Sri. C.V. Narayanan Nair, a great exponent of the martial art, credited for reviving the dying tradition of kalarippayattu in the 1950s. In 1981 and 1982 he won the State Kalarippayattu Championship competition. Since 1980 he has given kalarippayattu demonstrations at many national and international events (in Hong Kong, China, UK, France, Germany, Japan, USA, Canada). As a teacher, he has given kalarippayattu workshops at universities in India and abroad, and collaborated on numerous projects with researchers, actors, dancers as well as film and theatre artists (including Peter Brook and Phillip Zarrilli).
Rajasekharan Nair Nagappan Nair was initited to kalarippayattu under Gurukkal Sri C.V. Govindan Kutty Nair in 1969 at CVN Kalari, Trivandrum, Kerala, India. He won individual and team state championships in kalarippayattu from 1972 to 1975. While training under Gurukkal Govindan Kutty Nair he participated in several national and international Kalarippayattu events. He was also a kalarippayattu performer and senior instructor at CVN Kalari, teaching local and foreign students at various levels, from 7-year-old youngsters to adult theatre, dance and martial art professionals. He has given numerous kalarippayattu demonstrations and workshops all over the world (France, United Arab Emirates, China, Spain, Japan, Germany, USA).
Raam Kumar Ravikumar started kalarippayattu training at the age of 7 under his grandfather Gurukkal Sri C. V. Govindan Kutty Nair at CVN Kalari, Trivandrum, Kerala, India. Since 2006 he has trained under his uncle Sri G Sathya Narayanan. In 2000 he started to take part in kalarippayattu demonstrations with the professional team of CVN Kalari. He is a staff member of the Attakalari Centre for Movement Arts, Bangalore, India (www.attakkalari.org). He has given numerous kalarippayattu demonstrations and workshops in India and abroad (UK, USA, Spain) and collaborated with film, theatre and dance professionals (including collaboration with Carlos Saura on his show Flamenco India in 2015). As part of BodyConstitution, practical seminar |
