Akasha Bhramari is the rotation of the dancer’s body in
mid-air. It is a posture in some Indian martial dances. Akasha stands for sky
and bhramari denotes rotation of the body. In this dance movement, the body
leaps vertically upwards with the legs of the dancer spreading into a
horizontal line, while the body is momentarily suspended in space before
reaching the floor.
It is performed primarily by male actors and dancers who use
vigorous, masculine movements during the dance performances. They perform this
aerial feat as nrtta (part of abstract, non-representational dance) and nritya
(dance that evokes a mood or feeling).
Akasha Bhramari is used to express intense emotions like
elation or fury in a given dance sequence. A seasoned performer is able to move
through all the three levels of space – high, mid or low while improvising.
According to the Natya Shastra (ancient Indian treatise on
dramaturgy and histrionics), there are seven kinds of Bhramaris – many of these
are performed in Odissi (classical dance form of Odisha).
Akasha Bhramari is rarely performed by classical dancers; it
can be witnessed in dance forms like Mayurbhanj Chau (marital dance of Odisha), Kathakali
(classical dance-drama of Kerala and Yakshagana (folk dance-drama of
Karnataka).
The dancer’s flight begins with sthanaka position (body
standing straight with feet close together) which is used to take off and make
a leap into space. The dancer returns back to sthanaka (the original position)
after the legs split with a midair rotation. This movement is also typical of
classical ballet in the West, performed by both male and female dancers.
Notes taken from Encyclopedia of Hinduism Volume I page 142 –
IHRF