About Dance Namaste
DanceNamaste is about people and dance. It is a dance company working with diverse communities and is about making connections. The company offers everybody the chance to explore expression through personal dance movement, to watch exquisite dance and to learn elaborate techniques of Asian dance forms.
DanceNamaste is a newly formed company, continuing the work of Charan Pradhan. Based in Edinburgh, DanceNamaste works throughout Scotland and the UK. The name symbolises East meeting West and the influence of cultures around the world. In Asia the word for dance includes acting/expression as well as rhythmic movement. Namaste means to greet the god within (from the Sanskrit namo stuti).
Dance Namaste aims
- - To develop the confidence and ability of people who want to express themselves through dance.
- - To help people find joy and beauty in movement and connect to themselves and others more deeply.
- - To help people to increase awareness of themselves physically and emotionally through dance and become more centered in life generally.
- - To share Nepalese and other Asian dance forms with people in the West.
- - To collaborate with other artists and explore what may emerge.
DanceNamaste offers regular classes and one-off workshops for Nepalese folk dance, Buddhist ritual dance and Bollywood dance. Charan leads the Interactive Creative Dance Movement and Integrated Dance sessions for people of all abilities and all ages. He works in schools, community centers, hospitals, nurseries, colleges, universities, parties, clubs and festivals. Charan leads technical classes for professional dancers in Nepalese folk and classical dance techniques.
Charan performs a range of traditional dances selected from the great diversity of ethnic groups of Nepal. The audience can enjoy folk dances from the plains, mid hills and high Himalaya. They can be entranced by performance of sacred Buddhist ritual dance, and can be thrilled by the exuberance of Bollywood dance. Charan performs fusion pieces with Western contemporary and Asian classical dance forms.
Charan choreographs for a range of work and loves to collaborate with artists working with all art forms.
Charan Pradhan is a dance artist from Nepal specialising in the therapeutic use of dance. Charan has 25 years of experience performing, choreographing and teaching. He is experienced in working with many different people in diverse situations. He has worked with professionals and amateurs, on TV, in theatres, in schools and on the street. He has worked with all ages and abilities including under 5's, senior citizens, youth, people who need additional support including young people with challenging behaviour, people with autism, Down's syndrome, physical disability, mental health problems, and complex additional support needs. He also works to preserve and extend the unique dance culture of Nepal, to make it valuable and relevant today for everyone.
"I see dance as both an art form and a means of creating connections between people. In performance I engage the audience intimately. As a teacher and choreographer I have worked with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, including those with learning difficulties. I believe dance to be therapeutic and I firmly believe that everyone can dance. Dance allows people to express what they cannot say with words. Dance connects people at a deeper level. In my work I aim to ensure that dance is for all."
How Charan Pradhan works
In general:- -I share the joy of movement.
- -I aim for connection - whether as a performer with the audience, a choreographer with artists, or a teacher and facilitator with participants.
- -I offer a chance for personal expression, exploration and growth.
- -I make great use of imagery and encourage imagination and creativity.
- -I am always learning and growing myself.
Specifically for integrative dance:
- -When I work with the participants, I start by developing trust - trust of the dancers in me, in themselves and in others in the group.
- -Key to my work is empathy and connection to each individual.
- -I find that the effectiveness of my way of working is through connecting participants to themselves and something beyond themselves.
- -I begin with each person as they are at that moment; we build upon what we have.
- -I aim to stimulate and enhance the growth of each individual I work with.
- -I use a person centred approach, concentrating on each person's needs, abilities, potential and aspirations.
- -I seek to increase participants' sense of empowerment - at times I lead, at times participants initiate the movements.
