How Kathak helps me with the virtual learnings we live in now!

“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” - Pablo Picasso

Virtual learning has changed the way we used to study or work, especially over the last two years given the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. The online classes which mushroomed more than a ‘need’ than a ‘choice’ has been seen having both pros and cons, with a string of mental health changes for students and teachers alike. Nobody could anticipate how Coronavirus caused these changes. Life as we knew it changed, and this change has become the new constant. Every other institution took to an online mode of teaching. The start of this change felt rather very relaxing for the students with not having to do much, seemed like a vacation, and being in the comfort of their homes. However, this comfort soon turned into a habit and its meaning has become for different for different people.

Arguably, humans are inherently social in nature, thus one needs to see faces and have human interactions once in a while. But virtual meets or lockdowns seem to have changed people’s mindsets in varying levels. While those who are able to reap benefits from learning through online resources, have advanced in their use of computer skills, be it student or even a working professional in his/her organization. Few organizations especially digital marketing, internships for students or school works for digital publications have converted their working styles to 100 percent online executions! Work from home thus, which began as an option forced by lockdown has become a norm and culture for several schools’, colleges’, institutions’ events and work spaces for long term.

On the other hand, few think it is better off as staying in homes or avoiding meeting people like this when one doesn’t meet people around. Most of them switch off the camera and do other than the meeting’s activities. The lethargy among students caused by non-travelling for studies but accessing all through devices only has led to shrinking of interest in not only the studies but everything overall. As a result, for few who couldn’t ace up with the timely executions of deadlines and computer-based tasks, fall back and get low in their mental state. For example, the pressure of after-school homework and assignments has triggered a great toll on the mental health of a student. The pressure to concentrate and do the required work within a given period has resulted in a great amount of stress and anxiety making school children prone to fragility sometimes. With the screen time increasing drastically, the mind is overloaded with information and the brain finds it rather difficult to register all the information. One level deeper that is found as effects of these Covid-19 years is the case of over-involvement of parents in child’s studies matter, perhaps a plausible fueling reason for same. Few parents being helplessly confined to the walls of their houses tend to get more than required involved in their child’s matters, whether for exams or future career prospects which just builds up more stress.

"Art can act as an ‘elixir’ literally, to contribute to our overall happiness and mental well-being. Engaging in any art like classical dance, music or painting the one you like for skills training can just the perfect way to spend quality time with yourself."

Hence, in these times of mental stress and anxiety, Art can act as an ‘elixir’ literally, to contribute to our overall happiness and mental well-being. Engaging in any art like classical dance, music or painting the one you like for skills training can just the perfect way to spend quality time with yourself. The health benefits of art include lowering stress levels. It creates a positive connection and enthralls mental calmness providing relaxing distraction. Also, it encourages creative thinking and enhances problem-solving skills.

As mentioned by Kurt Vonnegut, “to practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” Thus, practicing art helps one grow and think out of the box because there is no wrong answer in art, people are encouraged to imagine new ways of thinking. This type of flexible thinking tends to stimulate one’s brain and reduce stress and anxiety pressure levels to heightened levels. Doing any art form boosts our self-confidence and makes people feel good, increases their work drive, relationships harmony and improves concentration.

I, myself am indulged in doing something I am passionate about and that is Dance for me. Yes, learning it virtually but is something that distracts me from all the career pressure and gives me peace and calm especially in these testing times. Even in my spare time I love doing Dance, as an art form that one likes to do for help in gaining mental strength. I am into classical dance form, Kathak and in Kathak, we have to dress up in Kurta and wear ghunghroos before any class and that is one of the things I love the most and look forward to, before every class. This simple gesture makes me think that I need to be active and be prepared, live in the moment and just enjoy dancing for an hour or so. Kathak is a classical dance form that makes me physically strong and increases my ability to stay more focused on my personal goals.

"In my Kathak class, we have to dress up in Kurta and wear ghunghroos before any class and that is one of the things I love the most and look forward to, before every class. This simple gesture makes me think that I need to be active and be prepared, live in the moment and just enjoy dancing for an hour or so."

Thus, for me, it’s Kathak that helped me control my stress and anxiety during this pandemic. Every other person needs something, it can be an art form or any practice of one’s interest. Doing any type of art form passionately is enough to gain mental health strength. It just depends on how one pursues it. Personally, speaking my art form – Kathak has helped me a lot through this pandemic, improving my overall sense of well-being and giving me the strength to do other works consistently too.

Conclusively, I feel Virtual learning has impacted our lives surely but giving up and losing strength should not be an option. Instead, incorporating Art as a way of life, acing our skills, being an example for not just oneself but for our parents, societies, friends and networks through learning new things and advancing our talents making ourselves productive can be the best way forward and onward, always.

By: Akanksha Sehgal

(Prabhakar/equivalently Graduation degree in Kathak from Prayaag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad | B.Com. Hons. DU final year student | Pursuing Kathak training under Ms. Shobhna since last 6+ years)

Co-edited by Shobhna Jha Kathak Studio (Creative Writing and Editorials) Team.

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