Indian Dance MAHIPAL SINGH RATHORE

• Dance is a form of art, where the body is used as a medium of communication

• The dance heritage of India is at least 5000 years old.

• Dance is of divine origin – It was ritual form of worship in temples

• The wall paintings of Ajanta and Ellora, the sculptures of Khajuraho - evidence for popularity of Indian dances from ancient times

• Nataraja, the dancing Lord Shiva, is the supreme manifestation of Indian dance

• The first formal mention of dance is found in Bharata Muni‟s famous work Natya Shastra.

• As per Natya Shastra, there are two basic aspects of Indian classical dance.

1. Lasya – It denotes grace, bhava, rasa and abhinaya. It is symbolic to the feminine features of dance as an art form.

2. Tandava – This is symbolic to the male aspects of dance and has more emphasis on rhythm and movement.

There are 9 rasas or emotions that are expressed through the dance

Shringar – love

Hasya – Humor

Karuna – compassion

Raudra – Anger

Bhayankar – horror

Veer – heroic

Adbhut – Wonder

Vibhatsa – disgust

Shaant – calm

•These moods and expressions are emoted through the use of mudras – a combination of hand gestures and body postures.

108 fundamental mudras

• As per Abhinaya Darpan, Nandikeshwara‟s famous treatise on dance, an act has been broken into three basic elements:

1. Nritta –basic dance steps, performed rhythmically. No expression or mood conveyed.

2. Nritya – basic movement + gestures and poses using hands and fingers (hastamudras) and facial expressions (abhinaya). Refers to the sentiment and the emotions evoked through dance.

3. Natya - dramatic representations and refers to the story that is elaborated through the dance recital.

Indian Classical dance

8 classical dances

Governed by rules of natyashastra

Guru-shishya tradition

Recognized by Sangeet-natak akademi

8 classical dances of India

1. Bharatnatyam

2. Kuchipudi

3. Kathakali

4. Mohiniattam

5. Odissi

6. Manipuri

7. Kathak

8. Sattariya

Bharathanatyam

• Oldest among all classical dance forms, Bharatnatyam derives its name from Bharata Muni.

• The origins of this dance form can be traced back to „Sadir‟ – the solo dance performance of the temple dancers.

• The efforts of E. Krishna Iyer, a prominent freedom fighter, revived this dance form.

• Rukmini Devi Arundale gave the dance global recognition.

• Theme-religious and devotional

• In this dance form, equal emphasis is given on both the Tandava and Lasya aspects of dance, with major emphasis on „mudras‟.

• “Katak Mukh Hast” is a major Mudra in which the ॐ is displayed with the help of three fingers.

• Bharatnatyam is often referred to as the

„fire dance‟, as it is the manifestation of the

element of fire in the human body.

• Famous proponents: Yamini Krishnamurthy,

Lakshmi Viswanathan, Padma Subramaniam,

Mrinalini Sarabhai, Mallika Sarabhai, etc.

• Costume are made of silk saris with gold embroidery and has a lot of pleats

• Necklace, Bangles and head ornaments are used as jewelry

• Bells mounted on woven pads are worn on the feet

• Knees are bent

• Visualise her body like triangle

• A dancer plays many different roles

• Generally performance completed with chanting of shlokas

Kuchipudi

• Kuchipudi was originally performed by group of actors going from village to village, known as Kusselavas.

• Kuchipudi derives its name from the Andhra village of Kusselavapuri or Kuchelapuram.

• In 17th century, Siddhendra Yogi formalized and systematized the tradition.

• With the advent of Vaishnavism, the dance form became a monopoly of the male Brahmins.

• Stories of Bhagavat purana became a central theme of the recitals.

• Balasaraswati and Ragini Devi revived this dance form.

• There is a predominance of Shringaara ras.

• Solo elements in Kuchipudi are:

Manduk shabdam – Tells the story of a frog.

Tarangam – The dancer performs with his/ her feet on the edges of a brass plate and balancing a pot of water on the head or a set of diyas.

Jala Chitra Nrityam – In this item, the dancer draws pictures on the floor with his or her toes while dancing.

• Famous proponents: Radha Reddy and Raja Reddy, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Indrani Rehman etc.

Kathakali

• Ramanattam and Krishnattam – 2 separate dance forms - evolved and became the source of Kathakali .

• Under the patronage of feudal lords

• Narrating episodes from Ramayana and Mahabharata

• With the breakdown of the feudal set up, Kathakali started to decline as an art form.

• It was revived in the 1930s by the famous Malayali poet V. N. Menon under the patronage of Mukunda Raja.

• Kathakali is essentially an all-male troupe performance.

• There is minimal use of prop in the Kathakali recital.

V N Menon

Elaborate facial make up along with a head gear is used.

• Green color – richness and decency

• Red color – dominance

• Black color – for evil

• Yellow color – for women

• The language used for Kathakali songs is Manipravalam, i.e., a mixture of Malayalam and Sanskrit.

• Kathakali is remarkable in the representation of the rasas through movements of eye and eye brows.

• Kathakali symbolizes the element of sky or ether.

• Famous proponents:

Guru Kunchu Kurup, Gopi Nath, Kottakal Sivaraman, Rita Ganguly etc.

Mohiniattam

• Mohiniattam or the Dance of an Enchantress („ Mohini‟ meaning beautiful woman and „attam‟ means dance), is essentially a solo dance performance by women.

• It was further developed by Vadivelu in 19th century and gained prominence under the rulers of Travancore in the present state of Kerala.

• After it had fallen to obscurity, the famous Malayali poet V. N. Menon revived it along with Kalyani Amma.

• Generally narrates the story of the feminine dance of Vishnu.

• The Lasya aspect (beauty, grace) of dance is dominant in a Mohiniattam recital.

• The element of air is symbolised through a Mohiniattam performance.

• Mohiniattam combines the grace and elegance of Bharatnatyam with the vigour of Kathakali.

• Famous proponents: Sunanda Nair, Kalamandalam Kshemavathy, Madhuri Amma, Jayaprabha Menon Sunanda Nair

Odissi

• The caves of Udayagiri-Khandagiri provide some of the earliest examples of Odissi dance.

• The dance form derives its name from the „Odra nritya‟ mentioned in Natya Shastra.

• It was primarily practised by the „maharis‟ and patronised by the Jain king Kharvela.

• Odissi gained international acclaim due to the efforts of Charles Fabri and Indrani Rehman.

Indrani Rahman

• With the advent of Vaishnavism in the region, the Mahari system became defunct.

• Instead, young boys were recruited and dressed as females to continue the art form. They came to be known as „Gotipuas‟.

• Famous proponents: Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra, Sonal Mansingh, Sharon Lowen (USA), Myrla Barvie (Argentina).

• The tribhanga posture, i.e. the three-bended form of the body is innate to Odissi dance form.

• The dancers create intricate geometrical shapes and patterns with her body.

• The dance form symbolises the element of water.

• Odissi dance is accompanied by Hindustani classical music.

Manipuri

• Manipuri dance form finds its mythological origin to the celestial dance of Shiva and Parvati in the valleys of Manipur.

• The dance gained prominence with the advent of Vaishnavism in 15th century.

• Then, Krishna became the central theme of this dance form. It is performed generally by females.

• Rabindranth Tagore brought back the dance form into limelight when he introduced it in Santiniketan.

Manipuri

• Dress-

Female- dress called patloi and lehenga called kumin. Transparent odni is worn on the head and covers the face.

Male- usually saffron dress depicting Lord Krishna

• Dancers do not wear ankle bells in this dance form

• Manipuri dance is unique in its emphasis on devotion and not sensuality.

• The faces are covered with a thin veil and facial expression is of lesser importance, hand gestures and gentle movement of feet are important.

• Naga Bandha mudra, in which the body is connected through curves in the shape of „8‟ is an important posture in Manipuri dance form.

• Famous proponents:

Jhaveri sisters-Nayana, Suverna, Ranjana and Darshana

Guru Bipin Singh

Kathak

• Kathak is the traditional dance form of Uttar Pradesh.

• Traces its origins from the Ras Leela of Brajbhoomi.

• Name is derived from Katha (story) and Katthaka (who tells stories).

• Used to a be temple dance but during the Mughal era,it branched off into court dance.

• It was also influenced by Persian costumes and styles of dancing.

• The classical style of Kathak was revived by Lady Leela Sokhey in the 20th century.

• Jugalbandi is the main attraction of kathak recital which shows a competitive play between the dancer and the table player.

Spontanity

Freedom

Room for innovation and improvisation

• Based on bhaav,raga and taal

• Emphasis on footwork

• Fundamentally-solo performance

• Theme- Radha krishna

• Dance progresses from slow to fast pieces.

• Has Footwork & spins and includes abhinaya-expression

• Performed on Hindustani music provided by Tabla, Sitar, Santoor

• Costume includes-Ghungroos or bells on the ankles

• Female- lehenga choli or chudidaar kameez

• Male- bare chest and dhoti or kurta churidar

• An important feature of Kathak is the development of different gharanas as it is based on Hindustani style of music:

Lucknow: Reached its peak under the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Khan. It puts more importance on expression and grace.

Jaipur: Initiated by Bhanuji, it emphasised fluency, speed and long rhythmic patterns.

Raigarh: It developed under the patronage of Raja Chakradhar Singh. It is unique in its emphasis on percussion music.

Banaras: It developed under Janakiprasad. It sees a greater use of floorwork and lays special emphasis on symmetry.

Famous proponents:

Birju Maharaj

Lacchu Maharaj

Sitara Devi

Damyanti Joshi

Sattriya

• Sattriya dance in modern-form was introduced by the Vaishnava saint Shankaradeva in the 15th century A.D in Assam.

• The art form derives its name from the Vaishnava monasteries known as „Sattras‟, where it was primarily practised.

• It finds mention in the ancient text „Natya Shastra‟ of sage Bharat Muni. It is inspired from Bhakti Movement.

• The dance is generally performed in group by male monks known as „Bhokots‟.

• In the modern times, Sattriya dance has evolved into two separate streams – the Gayan-Bhayanar Nach and the Kharmanar Nach.

FOLK DANCES OF INDIA

Chhau

• The word Chhau originates from „Chhaya‟ meaning shadow. It is a form of mask dance that uses vigourous martial movements to narrate mythological stories.

• There are three main styles of Chhau dance –

Saraikella Chhau in Jharkhand

Mayurbhanj Chhau in Odisha

Purulia Chhau in West Bengal

• Of these, Mayurbhanj Chhau artists don‟t wear masks.

• In 2010, UNESCO inscribed Chhau in the

Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Purulia Chhau

Dandiya Raas is an energetic, lively dance form in which polished sticks or dandiyas are used.

Garba is a popular folk dance of Gujarat, held at the time of Navaratra.

• Circular dance in rhythm

• Performed by women mainly

Garba Dance

• Tarangamel is the folk dance of Goa that celebrates the youthfulness of the region during Dusherra and Holi.

• Ghoomar –

It is a traditional folk

dance performed by the

women

of Rajasthan.

• Kalbelia

It is a sensuous folk dance performed by the women of the Kalbelia community of Rajasthan.

„Been‟ (wind instrument played by snake charmers) is the popular musical instrument of this dance form.

• The UNESCO has inscribed Kalbelia folk songs and dances in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011.

Kalbelia Dance

• Charba

It is the popular folk dance of Himachal Pradesh, performed during the Dussehra festivities.

• Bhangra/ Giddha

Bhangra is the highly energetic folk dance of Punjab. Giddha is the female counterpart of the male Bhangra.

• Braj Raslila is a popular folk dance of the region of Uttar Pradesh.

• Dadra is the semi-classical form of dance popular in Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by the music of the same style.

• Jawara is the harvest dance popular in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.

Jawara Dance form

• Matki is performed by the women of Malwa region on the occasions of wedding and other festivities.

• Gaur Maria is an important ritualistic dance form of the Bison Horn Maria tribes who live in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

• Alkap is a rural dance-drama performance prevalent in the Rajmahal hills of Jharkhand and Rajshahi, Murshidabad and Malda regions of West Bengal.

• Biraha dance along with its variant, Bidesia, is a popular form of entertainment in rural Bihar.Pain of separation

• Paika is a martial folk dance performed in the southern parts of Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar. Paika is a form of long spear.

• Jat-Jatin is popular in the northern parts of Bihar, especially in the regions of Mithila.

Paika Dance

• Jhumar is a popular harvest dance, performed by the tribal people of Jharkhand and Odisha.

• The Danda Nata or the Danda Jatra is one of the oldest folk arts of India. Mainly popular in Odisha, it is a unique blend of dance, drama and music.

• Bihu is the popular dance of Assam, performed in group by both men and women.

Bihu Dance

• The Rangma is the war dance of the Nagas.

• The Singhi Chham is a popular mask dance of Sikkim.

• Kummi is a popular folk dance in the region of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The dance is performed by the women, standing in a circular formation. NO MUSIC

• Mayilattam is a folk dance of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in which young girls are dressed as peacocks, with colourful headgears, beaks and feathers.

It is also known as peacock dance.

Mayilattam

• Burrakatha or Jangam Katha, is a form of dance narration from Andhra Pradesh, in which a single performer narrates stories from the puranas.

• Butta Bommalu literally means basket toys and is a popular dance form of the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

Burrakatha

• Kaikottikali is a popular temple dance of Kerala. It is performed by both men and women at the time of Onam.

• Padayani is a martial dance performed in the temples of southern Kerala. Padayani literally means rows of infantry

• Bhootha Aradhane or devil worship is a popular dance form of Karnataka.

• Pata kunitha

It is the dance form popular in the Mysore region. It is primarily a religious dance performed by men who use long bamboo poles decorated with colourful ribbons, known as pata.

Bhootha Aradhane

Martial dances

• Thang Ta

is the exclusive martial dance form of

Manipur.

„‟Huyen Langlon‟‟

Thang means sword and Ta means spear.

• Kolkali Parichakali

It is a popular martial dance in the areas of

southern Kerala and Lakshwadeep.

Kol means stick and Paricha means shield.

• Gatka from Punjab

• Kalaripayattu -from kerala

• Silambam

Tamil Nadu.

Kuttu varisai - it is the unarmed kind of martial art, related to Silambam

• Musti Yuddha

It is unarmed martial art from Varanasi

• Lathi

is an ancient armed martial art of India.

It also refers one of the world‟s oldest weapons used in martial arts.

Lathi still remains a popular sport in Indian villages.

• Mardani Khel

is an armed method of martial art created by the Maratha. This traditional martial art of Maharashtra is practiced in kolhapur.

• Pari-khandaa

style of sword and shield fighting from Bihar. This art is created by the rajputs. Pari-khanda steps and techniques are also used in Chau dance.

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