How to make kavadi for dance

Where people pierce themselves for devotion

Why We Celebrate | Festivals

Where people pierce themselves for devotion

(Image credit: Tim McDonald)

By Tim McDonald25th June 2019

Thaipusam is a beguiling Tamil festival where followers of the Hindu god Lord Murugan pierce their bodies with hundreds of skewers and hooks to show their devotion.

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

A festival of millions

Thaipusam is an overdose for the senses, an explosion of colour and a riot of sounds. It’s also the most important day of the year for devotees of the Hindu god Lord Murugan. And although it’s celebrated across South India, Sri Lanka and Singapore, perhaps nowhere is the beguiling celebration more distinctive than at the Batu Caves, near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, where it has been celebrated near the start of each year since 1892.

The spectacular backdrop helps. Most years, more than 1.5 million people visit over several days, and at any time thousands of people can be found following drummers down the street before circling around a highway overpass, marching through the front gates of the caves site and up 272 rainbow-painted stairs, past a huge statue of Lord Murugan, to a temple in a limestone cave.

For many Tamils, and a handful of others who have found their way to this brand of Hinduism, Thaipusam caps off 48 days of fasting and devotion to Lord Murugan. Many devotees will carry a kavadi, a kind of ceremonial burden that can take many forms.

Often, it’s a frame festooned with peacock feathers and flower garlands, with spikes or hooks (sometimes hundreds of them) piercing the body and face of the wearer. It looks painful, but for some devotees, it’s a central part of the celebration.

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

For me it is nothing to do with pain,” said Chowddhri Kannan, who has carried a kavadi seven times. “It is a joy. Joy of pain,” he added, laughing.

Where people pierce themselves for love

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

A faith without rules

While Islam, Christianity and Judaism claim a single god, a single founder and a single foundational text, Hinduism is different. There’s no founder, and while there are many important texts, there isn’t one that lays everything out like the Bible or Koran. There are many gods – or perhaps just many manifestations of the same god, depending on who you ask. And there are many ways to practice the faith.

In fact, most Hindus don’t celebrate Thaipusam or follow Lord Murugan. It’s a regional celebration that followed the Tamil diaspora here to Malaysia. And within Thaipusam, worship takes many forms. As Kannan explained, there is no one right answer. “It is up to them how they want to present their vows,” he said.

Some devotees carry a milk pot as their ceremonial burden. Others shave their head. Some offer prayers. A few even crawl the entire circuit on their knees. Others, giving thanks for a new child, carry their baby up to the temple in a sling attached to sugar cane. Many fall into a trance, which can involve smiling, laughing, crying, grunting or shrieking

And many pierce themselves. Some use hooks, while others use spikes. Some hook small metal pots or limes to their back. And many carry a kavadi, where spikes or hooks are suspended from intersecting semi-circular frames.

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

Spiritual focus

Kishen Kumar (pictured) barely flinches as the spikes pierce his stomach. There are more than 130 spikes and hooks piercing the skin on his torso and arms, and a vel, or cosmic spear, will pierce both cheeks. He doesn’t use any pain relief. For him, above all, this is an act of devotion to Lord Murugan.

“This body is for you. I don’t mind. I bear the pain. It’s for you,” Kumar said.

The pain also serves to intensify spiritual focus, he said, forcing devotees to put aside their ego, anger and other human frailties, and instead concentrate on a closer relationship with Lord Murugan.

His preparation is very much a team effort. Kumar has hand-selected a group of friends and family to do his piercings, including his younger sister. Along with friends from the Sri Siva Sakthi Arulgnana Jothi Lingeswarar Temple (about a 20-minute drive west of downtown Kuala Lumpur), his group has set up a makeshift temple in a tent as a sort of operating base, where they put on their kavadis (a process that can take more than an hour) and pray, before making their way to the main temple at Batu Caves.

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

Ambitious designs

The kavadis on display come in a plethora of shapes and sizes. Some are heavy staffs, carried across the shoulders. A few ambitious devotees attach large hooks in their back to an altar on wheels, although it’s usually others who push it, taking the bulk of the weight. Kumar has spent more than 15,000 Ringgit (nearly ₤3,000) on his kavadi. Some parts have come from Singapore, while others were imported from India. The silver-plated frame is designed to resemble a temple and it’s decorated with a ring of peacock feathers. He plans to make it even more lavish.

“I want to do it in three decks of kavadi, gold-plated. I’ve already sketched all the plans,” he said.

The original kavadi was far simpler – and far more improbable – than the one Kumar carries. According to legend, two hills were attached with serpents to a piece of wood slung over the shoulders of the demon Idumban. Tasked by a sage with carrying the kavadi, Idumban stopped for a rest, only to find a youth sitting on one of the hills, making it impossible for him to lift it again.

An angry Idumban confronted the youth, and a fierce battle followed. Imduban was slain and then restored to life. Only then did he recognise the youth as Lord Murugan in disguise. Idumban was transformed into a fervent devotee and was made the gatekeeper at Lord Murugan’s shrine. Lord Murugan declared that henceforth all who carried a kavadi would be blessed.

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

Ceremonial burdens

Chowddhri Kannan (pictured) first participated in Thaipusam after a severe case of dengue fever. His guru, who’s also his grandfather, prayed to Lord Murugan for him to get better.

“He prayed to Lord Murugan saying once he’s back, he’ll carry a kavadi to you, so I started my prayers,” he said.

This year, however, he’s getting married, and because carrying a kavadi is a major undertaking, there’s not enough time to prepare. So instead he carries a milk pot, which he will pour onto a temple altar as a symbol of devotion to Lord Murugan. He also carries a ceremonial vel, and has another vel piercing both his cheeks.

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

A piercing centrepiece

The vel is at the centre of Thaipusam as it celebrates the moment that Shiva’s consort Parvati gifted a vel to her son, Lord Murugan. As the devotees march towards the stairs at the Batu Caves, they often call out ‘Vel! Vel!’

Legend has it Lord Murugan used the vel to vanquish a group of demons known as the asuras. But the battle is also about an internal struggle: the asuras stand in for human frailties: ignorance, ego and fear.

Lord Murugan slayed the head demon, who then turned into a mango tree. He took his spear to the mango tree, which then turned into a peacock and a rooster. The latter went on his flag while the former became his preferred means of transport. The rooster isn’t so apparent, but the peacock is everywhere at Thaipusam: kavadis are decorated with peacock feathers, and peacock sculptures adorn the temples.

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

A place for women

Thaipusam can feel like a male-dominated celebration. It’s men who carry the kavadis. The drumming troupes that follow them are all men. The gurus are men, too.

But women are also devotees. Most often they’ll take milk pots to the temple, although this isn’t necessarily the easy option. Shesha Sureshkumar, for example, carried her milk pot 14km from a temple near Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown to Batu Caves following a ceremonial chariot that carries a vel. She said there are no rules against women carrying a kavadi, but most are put off by the weight and by tradition. She’d like to carry one, some day.

“It’s not that women can’t do it. It’s just that it’s a tradition that men are stronger and they are supposed to do that, and the women are most likely to be supporting the men,” she said. “We bear the pain of delivering a child. It can’t be worse than that.”

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

Music of celebration

The roar of drums is dense, propulsive, riotous and relentless. The rhythms merge into chaos as kavadis and their entourages pass one another on the way to temple. But music is an essential part of the procession. It’s a reminder that even if carrying a kavadi is an act of devotion, it’s also a celebration.

“When you wear a kavadi, you have to dance,” said Sriganesh Ramadas, a kavadi carrier.

The drums themselves are a little unusual. Some musicians are responsible for the higher end of the scale, hitting the drum with thin sticks that resemble a conductor’s rod. Others beat their drums with hockey stick-shaped mallets. In addition to a thumping sound, they also drag the stick over a drumhead covered in castor oil to produce a distinctive buzzing, wobbling, low-end hum.

Unlike the kavadi bearers, the drumming groups are not attached to a single temple or community. They’re often paid to accompany the pierced devotees as they dance down the road. The drummers have to stop at the bottom of the stairs, though, as it’s too dangerous for anyone to dance their way up.

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

Excitement builds

It’s here at this gate, the entrance to the Batu Caves complex, that it gets truly crowded. It feels a little like a busy air traffic control tower, as kavadi bearers and their entourages pause for a beat while others are ushered in the gates toward the steps and the temple.

Inside, it’s hot, noisy and incredibly crowded. Getting out can be a huge hassle. A few tourists come to watch, and there are many photographers stepping into each other’s shots. But overwhelmingly, it’s participants.

Excitement builds as the devotees move haltingly through the crowds to the base of the steps, pausing to rest, to dance or to wait for a path to clear. At the base of the steps, they dance one final time before they part with the drummers and head up the stairs to the temple. There, they’ll remove the kavadis, enter the temple and pour milk on the altar, completing their vow to Lord Murugan.

(Credit: Tim McDonald)

Never-ending devotion

From the outside, Thaipusam looks to be a test or even an ordeal, but participants are incredibly positive about the whole experience. In truth, the piercings leave only superficial wounds, about the size of a mosquito bite, which will heal within a week, according to Kumar.

Ramadas said that fasting and wearing a kavadi is the easy bit, even if he never celebrates his birthday, which falls in the fasting period. It’s the rest of the year that’s a struggle.

“You’re carrying a family burden in your head, all the while. That’s more heavy and tougher. What is a kavadi? It’s 48 days and then you enjoy it, then you put it down, but there’s another 300 days to go with your family,” he said.

Both say they plan to carry a kavadi until they’re no longer physically able.

Kannan agrees.

“That is the day I’ll stop. Until then, every year I’ll carry a kavadi," he said.

Why We Celebrate is a BBC Travel series that revels in how a festival or event is intertwined with a place’s culture.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Kavadi Attam

10 Things is a series of three short animated videos, each focusing on a lesser known traditional artform – Dikir Barat, Kavadi Attam and Nanyin. In the second part of this series, we share 10 things about Kavadi Attam. The video features the work of illustrator Joy Ho and animator Jawn, as well as music, sound and lyrics courtesy of K Veeramani Rasu and Pavalar Patheral Ilamaran.

The accompanying text below, prepared by Nirmala Seshadri, includes more facts for an in-depth look at the form.

1. The Kavadi Attam (Burden Dance), is a ceremonial sacrifice performed as an offering by devotees of the Hindu deity Muruga. Generally performed collectively during Hindu festival Thaipusam, the bodily movements of Kavadi Attam serve to activate the Kavadi as an extension of the body in the ritual worship. Its structured movements and performative quality renders it an important form of community dance.

2. Origins: Kavadi Attam originated in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, in a small town called Palani. The ritual dance is rooted in the tale of a giant Idumban who is believed to have carried the Palani hills across his shoulders in the form of a Kavadi. Following a scuffle with a child in which he was defeated, Idumban realised the child was none other than Muruga, the ruling deity of the region. In seeking pardon, he sought the boon that anyone who visited the hills henceforth to worship Muruga with an object similar to the two hillocks suspended by a load bearing pole, may be granted their heart’s desire. While granting Idumban’s wish, Murugan is also believed to have said that he would bless those who carry in the kavadi, items such as sandalwood, milk and flowers, in a kavadi.

3. Current Locations of Practice: Kavadi Attam is performed widely in the Muruga temples all over Tamil Nadu & Kerala during the festival seasons, including Thaipusam as well as Panguni Uthiram. It is now also practiced by the diasporic Tamil community in various parts of the world, including Singapore and Malaysia.

4. How the form came to Singapore: The dance form came to Singapore over a hundred years ago via religious worship in Hindu temples, especially those dedicated to the deity Muruga.

5. The movements and music: All the movements of Kavadi Attam are performed in such a way that the body aligned is with the base of the Kavadi. Facing the centre, the performer moves in a circle or sways forwards and backwards. They may twist and spin in a row. They gradually move in a frenzy, in step with the rising beats of percussion instruments like udukku, chenda, etc, accompanying the procession. Sometimes nadaswaram, a wind instrument, is also used. Movements of the peacock, believed to be the vehicle of Lord Muruga, are incorporated into the dance motifs. Devotees proceed to the shrine in groups, performing these movements. When heavier kavadis especially with piercings are used, the movements tend to be more restricted. The Kavadi Attam in temples is often performed in a state of trance; the movements are not learned but performed through the memory of having witnessed or experienced the movements during the ritual. The movements largely hinge on the acts of balancing and controlling the kavadi. Steps and formations from other folk forms are also visible in Kavadi Attam.

6. The lyrics that accompany the dance are generally folk songs with fast rhythmic tempo known as Kavadi Chindu, dedicated to Lord Muruga and composed mainly by Tamil poet Annamalai Reddiar. Kavadi Chindus are sung by devotees, to ease out some of the strain and physical exhaustion of the ritual.

7. Costumes & Props: Women are generally dressed in bright yellow, saffron or red saris, while the men wear a saffron coloured dhoti (lower garment) and are often bare chested. Wearing a garland around the neck, devotees performing Kavadi Attam smear sacred ash on their bodies. Each devotee carries on his shoulder an ornate kavadi. This is a long bamboo pole, suspended with weightless bamboo pails at both ends, that are filled with flowers or other items. This is made to rest on the shoulders of the devotee, swinging and swaying to the walk and dance of the devotees. Kavadis are usually of different sizes and shapes, each with its own significance. A Pookavadi is one decorated with brightly coloured artificial flowers, a mayilpeeli kavadi decorated using only peacock feathers and ambalakavadi, one shaped like the gopuram (tower) of a temple. A kavadi can rise up to a height of 10-18 feet.

8. Distinctly Singaporean aspects: In diasporic temple locations such as Singapore and Malaysia, body-piercing kavadis are carried – the dancing tends to be restricted to slow circular movements. The kavadi attam that is performed outside temples tends to be influenced largely by cinema in addition to classical dance forms.

9. Audience and staging: In Singapore, Kavadi Attam is performed at temples as well as for entertainment at regular performance venues such as at community centres, school events and at the Singapore Youth Festival. It is sometimes presented as part of solo and group Bharatanatyam recitals, evoking sentiments of celebration and religious devotion in the performers and audience. At these regular venues, the dance with the regular arched kavadi is depicted. While audiences at external performance venues view the simulated Kavadi Attam, at the temples the audiences play a role in sharing the lived experience of penance and pain of the kavadi bearer.

10. Conventions, rituals, superstitions: Kavadi Attam in the context of the temples is a votive offering to the Hindu deity Muruga, who is also known as Subramanya or Karthikeya. Carrying the Kavadi is believed as an endurance test to all the devotees to receive the blessings of Lord Murugan. Pilgrims perform various ceremonies and austerities 6 weeks in advance including fasting, before performing this ritual.

Resource List

https://thaipusam.sg/
https://www.roots. sg/learn/stories/A-Journey-of-Devotion#Journeys-of-devotion-the-musician
http://tamilnadutourism.org/FineArts/Dance/FolkDance2.aspx?catid=040103P03
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/Hindus-in-Singapore-celebrate-Thai-Poosam/article14017651.ece
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-arts/Chindu-chronicles…/article12374006.ece
https://www.jedsonline.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/KAVADI-ATTAM-A-DANCE-RITUAL.pdf
Tourism and Indigenous People, Raghu Ankathi & Jayaprakashnarayana Gade, Zenon Academic Publishing, pp 176
A History of Hinduism: The Past, Present, and Future, R. Ramachandran, SAGE Publishing India, pp 14
Kavadi Attam in Palani Temple:
https://youtu.be/1I-2-cr6WOg
Kavadi Attam in Singapore temple:
https://youtu.be/eSMzo65S8ts
Kavadi Attam in Singapore – non temple locations:
https://youtu.be/uBAKwCwctYM (excerpt from dance drama ‘Shashti’ presented by Bhaskars Arts, choreographed by Ambujah Thiru)
Folk dance presented by Omkar Arts at Esplanade’s Kalaa Utsavam 2018
https://youtu. be/o2KYWPUpjFs
Conversations with Singapore dancers Ms Sreedevy Sivarajasingam & Ms. Ambujah Thiru

10 Things is part of a series by ArtsEquator supported by the National Arts Council. To read other parts in the series, click here.

Nirmala Seshadri is a dancer, choreographer, movement educator, researcher and writer. She began training in Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music, rhythm and vocal percussion in Singapore, and went on to further her training in dance, dance theory and music from eminent teachers in India. She graduated with an M.A in Dance Anthropology (distinction) from the University of Roehampton. She conceived and curated the International Conference on Bharatanatyam in Singapore. An adjunct lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, she is a member of Dance Nucleus, Singapore.

ArtsEquator needs your support. Please visit our fundraising page to find out more about Project Ctrl+S ArtsEquator. ArtsEquator Ltd. is a Singapore-registered charity.

Tags: 10 things Kavadi Attam traditional arts Traditional Dance

How to start dancing right now — choreographers tell

“It's easier to find yourself in dancing”.
How to take the first step towards the fact that you like

Four professional dancer
about where to find freedom and how to stop comparing yourself with the other

Text: Aina Preston

Dasha

Michelle Beatz

Tagir Gindullin

Eva UVAROVA

Music is a universal instrument that moves the world, it is literally inscribed in our DNA. With its help, we can inspire and shape the pop culture of the present and future here and now. Music is inextricably linked with dance. Dancers feel the rhythm and are able to harmoniously complement the musical composition with movements. It is dance that gives them a powerful emotional release and helps them relax. And to feel this, it is worth taking one small risk - allowing yourself to dissolve into the music and turn off your head. How to take the first step and not be afraid to try what you are drawn to? We deal with Tommy Jeans, PRODANCES and our heroes, who found a common language with their fears and learned to express emotions through music and movements.

DASHA ROLIK

Choice between directions

I consider myself a versatile artist, doing several types of dance, but most of all I am known for the Vogue culture. This is not just a dance style, but a whole culture about protecting the rights of sexual minorities. This culture is very daring: here and now you can look whatever you like - fully comply with fantasies, externally and internally, carry yourself proudly, inventing new images. Vogue is a great occasion to dress up, surprise, delight. Exactly 10 years I have been developing in this direction, and it does not bother me, I constantly learn new things.

Synergy of dance and music

Good composition inspires dance. First came the music, then came the dance. But it also happens that a dance is born in silence, without sounds: when you have the right mood and a visualization of movements is born in your head. But this comes with experience. Of course, dance and music are closely related.

An alternative to dancing

Now, in parallel with dancing, I am developing as a director, producer and co-organizer of dance events, doing photography and video. Therefore, it seems that if it were not for the dance, then my activity would be connected with the organization of cultural events. I like to create, develop and bring something new, inspire myself and others, reveal people, come up with new ideas. I also love to cook, so I could be a great cook.

How the image begins

I focus on my mood, how I look: I can be in different weights, with different colors and lengths of hair. Trends play an important role here. Of course, first of all, I start from my expectations and how I want to look. I try not to repeat myself, to be different. I ask myself what kind of makeup I want: bright, aggressive, calm, romantic, defiant. Do I want to be sexy or conservative. This is how I collect the image. I take things from my own wardrobe or turn to stylists, ateliers, sometimes I can rent something from showrooms. Creating an image is always very interesting, it helps to show creativity.

Uniqueness - awareness

Comparison does not give us anything, it takes energy and strength that can be spent on developing and multiplying potential. The uniqueness must really be realized, each person defines himself. Sometimes you need to think about what you want. As soon as you realize your own value, then claims to yourself will disappear. You can’t compare your beginning of the path with someone else’s middle.

Finding yourself

It is not worth holding on to people and things, no matter how selfish it may sound. Then you will understand what you like, and what is imposed by society. When looking for your own business, it is important to start from inner feelings, focus on those very “butterflies in the stomach”.

Philosophy of dance

Dance is body language. I dreamed of being a presenter, but oratory is difficult for me, it’s easier for me not to speak, but to dance. When I hear music, I breathe, the body emits vibrations, vibrations are reflected in the plasticity of forms, in movements, emotions. Dancing helps to develop personality. It's a unique way of expressing yourself. Sometimes words are not needed to understand us.

MICHELLE BEATZ

Sports and creativity

My dancing journey began 10-12 years ago. I quit playing professional football, where I got seriously injured, burned out emotionally and physically, and could not walk normally. A friend called me to support him at a dance performance, where I saw how people can control and feel their body, I missed this in football. I think dance and football are similar: football also has a pace, a rhythm, it's a dance with a ball. But the structure is different, football is a sport, and dance is creativity.

The right music

I'm looking for music on streaming services. Usually I think about which track is more suitable for a performance, I put on performers who meet the requirements, and I look for a suitable track. Everything is pretty simple.

WHEN THERE IS NO INSPIRATION

Usually at such moments I get distracted: I review some large-scale shows, performances of stars, listen to music. There is another way - to abstract. If everything is tired, you need to give yourself time to relax, switch to another activity. You can cook food, watch a movie. Taking a break from what you do all the time can provide inspiration and motivation.

Dance clothes

Clothes are one of the main attributes of dance. It gives character to movements, creates mood. I love to dance in jeans, voluminous t-shirts. It is very important for dancers that we ourselves like how we look, this sets the tone for the performance.

Comparing is okay

When you're at the start, it's okay to compare yourself to others. Helps you understand what you are missing. But then it is better to focus on your own feelings. Everyone has their own style, physiology and musicality, you just need to work on technique. When people follow someone, try to copy, it only leads them astray.

Tune TO

Friendship with Tommy Jeans

The first project with Tommy Jeans was something very unusual for me. I got to know the brand better, learned a lot of new things, despite the fact that I have been wearing their clothes for a long time. The collaboration was a pleasant surprise. The emotions are very cool, I hope that in the future we will be friends and work with Tommy Jeans.

MY JEANS

TAGIR GINDULLIN

The main thing is to continue

I have been dancing for 16 years and I never once thought of quitting. In 2012, I broke my arm, and after the operation there was practically no rehabilitation period - two weeks later I was already in the gym. For some time he danced only on his feet, with his hand bandaged, and two months later he already participated in the championship. With apprehension, of course, but he participated. The main thing here is to continue.

Hobby can become a profession

I have been dancing since I was 10 years old, but in childhood I did not realize what and why I was doing, did not set big goals. Some results began to appear in the first years of training. At the age of 14, I went to live in Moscow, without parents, then the realization came that dancing could become my life's work. This transition of a hobby into a profession happened very smoothly and organically, but it could not be otherwise.

Music is paramount

When it comes to performing, music is very important. If the audience likes the composition, then my solo will definitely be remembered. It is also important for me how my body and soul respond to the track. At competitions, the DJ is responsible for the music, the dancers do not know what they will perform under. This is freestyle, improvisation, connection with the composition. If you fall into a musical "pit" during a battle - this is the most difficult moment, you need the right settings. In general, music is paramount. If the dance has a great soundtrack, then there are more chances to show your maximum.

Clothing as a guide

I wear what I feel comfortable and easy to move in. I perform mainly in sports things. In breakdancing, style is very important. I always separate things: for everyday life, training, competitions, festivals. Each separate occasion requires a corresponding image.

Metamorphoses in a career

At the very beginning of the journey, it was not difficult at all: there were no obligations, deadlines, projects. I remember that in my childhood a bank was built next to my house and tiles were laid - I was happy just because I could spin on this tile. Now it is more difficult - more responsibility. You begin to treat your body differently, study yourself, fill bumps. For example, there is such an element of air twist (power rotational movement in breakdance), all my life I did it intuitively, and only after 10 years I realized that there is a technique that you just need to master.

The excitement hasn't gone away

I've competed in championships in over 30 countries, performed on big stages, acted in TV projects, but the excitement hasn't gone away. At small events, it is a little less, but at the World Cup, where legends look at you, this feeling pervades the body. I use it to my advantage - as soon as I take a step, I release adrenaline and accelerate.

Everyone is unique

We are all special, no two people are the same. Uniqueness is not something to strive for, it is already in everyone. You need to be able to feel yourself and your needs, to do what you really like. Working on oneself and realizing one's potential is what makes a person himself.

Eva Uvarova

restrictions and freedom

since childhood I have been engaged in gymnastics (until the video with my VOG was scattered on the Internet) and today I understand - both sports and dancing require a full return. In addition, they become part of your life, which brings you a storm of emotions. The main difference is that in sports you are limited, you adhere to discipline, and in dancing you are free, open to new things. It is easier to find yourself in dancing.

Dancing is an opportunity

A professional dance career has opened up many opportunities. Thanks to dancing, I met interesting people - sport would hardly have given me such a chance. The people who appeared in my life incredibly support and inspire me, it helps to develop. I was able to visit different countries, see what other dancers are capable of. I also starred in music videos, collaborated with major brands, for example, in October I participated in the Tommy Jeans x PRODANCE project for the first time. Then I was able to show my dance to a large audience and proved to myself that I can achieve a lot. I have long liked the Tommy Jeans brand, and the opportunity to work together made me very happy.

Style is a mix

Honestly, I can't describe my dancing style in one word. I tried many directions, most of all contemporary or modern dance resonates with me. The plasticity and technique of this style are very close to me, I like the sensations during movements. To summarize, my dance style is a mix of different directions, improvisation, taking into account different dance experiences.

Motivation and willpower

Willpower helps to achieve goals. I make decisions and start working and giving my best. If you really do what you love, then no additional motivation is needed. What you love doesn't require much effort.

Clothes are a reflection of yourself

Clothes help complete the dance. If I go to hip-hop, then I choose voluminous things. I associate this style with freedom, so clothes should not hinder movement. If I go vogue, I choose tight-fitting clothes that emphasize the curves of the body and help me feel more confident.

Music guides

Place of music in dance

Normally dancers choose music first. With the help of the body, we try to convey the lyrics of the song, the mood. I first look for a track, and then I select a choreography that describes the melody, words and feelings.

onward

Comparison is a fine line

By comparing, we evaluate ourselves, and this affects our confidence, general condition and desire to move on. Comparison sometimes helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, but most people tend to look for flaws in themselves, so more often it is quite destructive and interferes with the implementation of plans. There is a fine line here: if a person is able to objectively evaluate his own and other people's abilities, then the comparison is acceptable, but if not, it is better not to even start.

Become part of the community

Tommy Jeans Global Brand Initiative supports talented people who are disrupting the existing order for positive change.

Right now @tommyjeans is becoming a content platform where everyone can get creative and take the first step towards their dreams.

For example, take part in a competition and get the opportunity to win an online course, during which you will be supported by choreographers in a private chat. There will also be prizes from Tommy Jeans and PRODANCES.

WHAT TO DO?

Post your story on Instagram about why you want to dance. It can be a short video with a story, a dance, or a photo with text. The main condition is to mark three accounts: @tommyjeans, @tancy.pro, @theblueprint.ru.

On March 23, we will choose the 50 most inspiring stories, and their authors will receive prizes and the opportunity to completely change their lives.

Learn more about Tommy Jeans X PRODANCE

Tommy Jeans supports those who want to express themselves in a new way, discover new talents and emphasize their own uniqueness. Look for the brand's classics and the new spring collection in branded stores in Moscow:

Metropolis shopping center
2nd floor

European shopping center
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Using the Dancer Mannequin Device in Fortnite Creative Mode

On This Page

The Dancer Mannequin Device can be used to project holographic images of characters performing various dance emotes.

Customize your mannequins with a wide range of character designs, emotes and device colors.

Finding and locating a device

Click image to enlarge.

In Creative Mode , press the Tab key to open the Creative Inventory .
Click on the Devices tab. Scroll to select a device, or use the Search field or the [ list of categories relevant for the device ] option on the Category panel on the left.
Press PLACE to place device immediately, or drag it to the QUICK ACCESS PANEL to place it later.
Press Esc to return to the island in creative mode. Use the phone to position the device, then click to place it. Press F to switch to the pickaxe and disconnect the device from the phone. Press tilde key (\~) to switch back to phone.
Point your phone at the device. If the Edit pop-up doesn't open right away, zoom in on your phone until it pops up, then press E to open the personalization panel.

Device Settings

The main settings of this device allow you to change the appearance of the character and the emote played, add flicker or change the color of the device. Additional device options allow you to select additional character skins and emotes that will be switched when activated through a channel.

The following device parameters are available to you.

Standard values are bold .

Basic parameters


Parameter	Meaning	Description
Standard Character Preset	Chewing Gum , Choose Character Skin	Allows you to select a standard character skin preset.
Pedestal display	Incl. , Disabled	Determines whether the pedestal is displayed.
Show lighting	On , Disabled	Turn the hologram lighting on and off.
Standard dance blank	A1 , Select blank	Allows you to select a standard dance preset.
Standard Shade Stock	0. 0 , Select shade	Allows you to select a default shade preset for the device.
Flicker	Enabled, Disabled	Specifies whether the device will use a flicker effect during operation.
Pedestal color	Light steel , Dark steel	Allows you to select the color of the pedestal.
Hue priority	Off , Party Mode, Silhouette Mode	Enables the modes Party or Silhouette . Takes precedence over hue settings.

All options (optional)


Parameter	Meaning	Description
Active during phase	No, All , Pre-game only, Gameplay only	Determines at what stages of the game the device will be active. The "Before the game" stage includes all the stages that precede the start of the game.
Second character skin	Gum , Choose Character Skin	Allows you to select the second character skin preset.	Activated with signal "Activate second blank on channel" .
Third character template	Gum , Choose Character Skin	Allows you to select the third character skin preset.	Activated with signal "Activate third blank on channel" .
Second dance piece	A1 , Select blank	Allows you to select the second dance preset. Activated with signal "Activate second blank on channel" .
Third dance piece	A1 , Select blank	Allows you to select the third dance preset. Activated with signal "Activate third blank on channel" .
Second shade blank	0.0 , Select shade	Allows you to select a second shade preset for the device.	Activated with signal "Activate second blank on channel" .
Third shade blank	0.0 , Select shade	Allows you to select a third shade preset for the device.	Activated with signal "Activate third blank on channel" .

Channels

When one device needs to "talk" to another device, it transmits a signal on a special channel. The receiving device must be configured to receive a signal on the same channel.

The channel is identified by number and the channel numbers are configured for the device by the parameter using the channel. Most devices also identify the player who activated the device with a signal.

The device has receivers that perform various actions when it receives a signal on the channel. In addition, this device can transmit signals when certain conditions are met.

Receivers

Receivers wait for a signal on a channel and perform an action when they receive a signal sent on that channel from any device (including themselves).

Parameter

Meaning

Description

Enable capture of images and emotions when receiving a signal

Without channel , Select channel

Takes on the appearance and emotions of the character that activated the signal on this channel.

Disable capture of images and emotions when receiving signal

Without channel , Select channel

Returns the image and emotions on this channel to their original settings.

Activate standard stock when signal is received

Without channel , Select channel

Activates a stock preset when a signal is received on a specific channel.

Activate the second blank when receiving a signal

Without channel , Select channel

Activates the second blank when a signal is received on a specific channel.