Book Review - Hasta Mudra Therapy by Dr. Vijayapal Pathloth - B. Naveena

The book under review is the published Doctoral thesis of Dr. Vijayapal Pathloth, a dancer from Hyderabad who performs Kuchipudi, Perini Natyam and Andhranatyam. Vijayapal had obtained Ph.D. from the Hyderabad Central University and is currently a Faculty at the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University. This book was released recently by the Hon'ble Vice-President of India, Venkaiah Naidu.

The book throws fresh perspective on hand gestures and their manifold manifestations in Natya, Yoga, Ayurveda, spirituality, religious rituals et al, with special emphasis on their role in alternative therapy. The author has reportedly experimented its efficacy on adults and children belonging to the Hyderabad-based Sanskriti school for the mentally and physically- challenged.

The book opens with a brief overview of dance per se, also describing its connection with other disciplines. The first chapter deals with the word 'dance therapy', its origin from the Greek word, 'therapeia', different types of therapy, instances where it has helped dancers face personal crises, personal losses and physical ailments and also its spread across the world. The author lists several pioneers of modern dance and practitioners of psychiatry who have taken Dance Movement Therapy to wider horizons. He also enumerates the different Associations, Universities and other global bodies which enlist members and practitioners, while also throwing light on research in Dance Therapy. The author also lists various Indian treatises on dance and this compilation is quite exhaustive.

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