Early Asian TheatreIndia

Theatre & Religion

Theatre connects spirituality with music, dance, drama, art

Creating a “whole” art

Blurred lines between Theatre, Dance, Ceremony, Ritual

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRCE6sPi7Hg

Traditions

embodied practices have been passed down

style, technique, and tradition or training is also passed down - caste system, geography, tourism

costuming, masks, make-up, choreography - are representative of specific periods & traditions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsTb_BedCLoKudiyattam; A Sanskrit Drama

IndiaDrama

Sanskrit DramasShadow PuppetsDance Dramas

Kutiyattam dance-drama from Kerala, India [JOM]http://www.xip.fi/atd/introduction/introduction.html

Dramas

mythology

epic stories (the Mahabharata and the Ramayana)

hero’s journey/adventure

subplots

multiple characters (100s in Mahabharata)

Sanskrit Dramaswide range of subjects and types of play.

full-length poetic love stories

political plays

palace intrigues

shorter farces

one-act love monologues

Sanskrit Dramas

early centuries of C.E. through 1500s

Kalidasa - most celebrated

Malavika and Agnimitra, Urvasi Won by Valour, The famous Shakuntala (also The Recognition of Shakuntala)

http://www.xip.fi/atd/india/sanskrit-dramas.html

Sanskrit Drama - Shakuntala- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWPrueTn9e4

Rasa

Rasa - sentiment - or flavor

conveyed by word

facial expressions

symbolic gestures

stylised body language.

http://www.xip.fi/atd/india/sanskrit-dramas.html

–Victoria Looseleaf , LA Times, 2004

Before "The Wizard of Oz," "Star Wars" and "The Sopranos," there was the Ramayana. The mother of all good versus evil tales, this ancient Hindu myth

charts the story of Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, who, after being banished to the forest, does battle with the uber-nasty Ravana, winning back the

girl of his dreams, Sita.

Indian tolpavakoottu shadow theatre in Kerala, Indiahttp://www.xip.fi/atd/introduction/introduction.html

Shadow Puppetstwo types of Puppet dance/theatre in Kerala (a center for theatrical dance traditions)

Ramayana (tolpavakoothu)

glow puppet theatre inspired by dance-drama (phavakathakali)- more recent puppet form

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MTTd_el-x0

http://www.xip.fi/atd/india/pavakathakali-kathakali-as-a-puppet-play.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTYN8FlM8So

Kalaripayattu3rd century B.C.E.

Kalaripayattu- Martial Arts

Kerala’s famous form of martial arts (kalaripayattu)

incorporated military training/combat/ with yoga, dance, performing arts

https://youtu.be/SXP_RfW-Zno (Bollywood film clip)

Indian Dance, Music, Drama & Bollywood

understanding natyashastra https://youtu.be/nGWlSNOA1tc

Maya Ravana - In The Spirit Of The Ramayan https://youtu.be/NJdaesRq1fA

Shobana's Krishna https://youtu.be/eWnTerH1iVs

2015 Bollywood Dance Songs | Video Jukebox https://youtu.be/ZiUSUtZssuQ

Krrish (super hero) https://youtu.be/l9TGSAi9pV0