DANCE/MUSIC TRADITIONAL ARTISTIC PERCEPTION (AP) ® CLASSICAL CREATIVE EXPRESSION (CE) Artsource CONTEMPORARY HISTORICAL & CULTURAL CONTEXT (H/C) The Music Center’s Study Guide to the Performing Arts EXPERIMENTAL AESTHETIC VALUING (AV) MULTI-MEDIA CONNECT, RELATE & APPLY (CRA) ENDURING FREEDOM & THE POWER THE HUMAN TRANSFORMATION VALUES OPPRESSION OF NATURE FAMILY Title of Work: About the Artwork: Lai Haraoba (folk dance) The Lai Haraoba, which means ‘festival of the gods Vasanta Rasa Lila (classical dance) Dhon Dholak Cholam (drum dance) and goddesses,’ is the oldest folk-dance in Manipur, Creators: dating back to pre-history. Revealing the story of Company: Ranganiketan (House of Colorful Art) creation, it is performed during the summer season. It Manipuri Cultural Arts Troupe traces aspects of the culture of Manipur and is usually Founder and Director: Dr. T. D. Singh (1937-2006) accompanied by an ancient single-stringed instrument Background Information: called Pena. The dancers exhibit graceful movements Manipur, called the “Jewel of India,” is a secluded state and expressive hand gestures conveying deep meaning. situated at India’s northeasternmost frontier. Located in Rasa Lila is a classical dance created by the Hindu god an oval-shaped valley, it is tucked within nine ranges of Krishna. It was communicated to King Jai Singh Himalayan mountains. The ancient culture here has been through a vision and was recreated to exact specifications, preserved intact for thousands of years, meticulously including both style and costumes. This dance, passed on from one generation to the next via master performed in the spring, is celebrated along with Holi, artists and teachers. Foreigners are still forbidden to travel the ‘festival of colors,’ in which the dancers spray each freely within Manipur, so it is especially significant that other with colored powder or water. It begins in the Ranganiketan is sharing their culture with outsiders, early evening and continues for eighteen hours. building friendship and understanding. Many of the artists in this group have practiced their art since early Creative Process of the Artist or Culture: childhood and have achieved perfection in their specific The people of Manipur believe that everything field. Some have been raised to the stature of guru is divinely inspired. As a symbol of their humility, (teacher), instructing others in the ancient science of the performers always touch the floor and then Manipuri culture. Dr. T. D. Singh, Director, felt from their forehead before they begin. From an early age, the time he was a child that he wanted to serve this young children commit to an world. He set out to become a doctor so he could help honored and respected people. He holds a Doctorate in Chemistry from the relationship with a specific master University of California at Irvine, yet he made a choice teacher. to connect people through the language of culture rather CHINA TIBET than science. He felt the powerful pull of his own culture MANIPUR when, as a sixth grade student, he secretly attended an BANGLADESH Photo: T.D. Singh Foundation INDIA eighteen hour performance of music and dance causing BURMA him to miss his final math exam. Dr. Singh says “I am doing the chemistry of culture.” Bay of Bengal “Manipur is a small dot on this planet, but everyone there is Dr. T. D. Singh INDIAN OCEAN born an artist.” Discussion Questions: which communicates pure love and unselfishness, was After the video has been viewed: recreated on earth. Also, several other deities were • What did you notice about the way the musicians carved from the same tree and were installed in parts of Manipur where they are found to this day. and dancers worked together? Was one group more important than the other? Why or why not? Multidisciplinary Options: • At the end of Lai Haraoba the women win the tug • Write a story about a dream you have had. Could you of war; what does this tell you about the culture? find a way to write a story, plan or poem about it? • Haraoba means ‘joyful festivity.’ What movements Audio-Visual Materials: were done which conveyed this feeling? • Artsource® video excerpts and photos: Lai Haraoba, • Describe the costumes worn in Vasanta Rasa Lila. Vasanta Rasa Lila and Dhon Dholak Cholam, courtesy • What feelings and ideas did you have when of Ranganiketan Manipuri Cultural Arts Troupe. watching the Vasanta Rasa Lila dance? • Artsource® audio recording: Morning Has Broken, • Describe the characteristics of the men’s drum courtesy of Paul Tracey; Lyrics: Eleanor Farjeon, (c) dance, Dhon Dholak Cholam. How does their David Higham Associates; [email protected]; movement compare (similarities and differences) to Music: Bunessan (Scottish, traditional). those of the women in Vasanta Rasa Lila? • Lesson 2 illustrations by Devon Tracey. Story of the Vasanta Rasa Lila (Manipuri) Dance: Additional References: Around 1750, there was a king in Manipur named Jai • Doshi, Saryu, ed., Dances of Manipur, The Classical Singh, popularly known as Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Tradition. Marg Publications, Bombay: 1989. Maharaja. It so happened that his maternal uncle Sample Experiences: was plotting to kill him so that he could steal his LEVEL I kingdom. Jai fled to Tekhao (Assam), another • The dances of India incorporate gestures. Think of kingdom, where he took shelter. The King of gestures from the American or other cultures which Tekhao wanted proof that Jai Singh was the show an idea or image. Create gestures for such words rightful king, so he set this task: Jai must subdue as tree, mountain, stream, rain, boat, friend, fish, etc. and ride upon the back of a wild elephant. If he • Learn a song which has gestures as an integral part. could do this, it would prove that he was the rightful Perform the song and gestures together. king and should not be killed. Jai was distraught, * • Select a simple story or poem and make up gestures for the task seemed impossible. The night before and movement which are performed as the story is told. the challenge, Lord Krishna came to him in a LEVEL II vision, telling him not to worry for He would tame * • The dance and music of Manipur are spiritually the elephant and Jai would be triumphant. However, in return for this help, Jai had to promise inspired. Select a song, such as Morning Has Broken, that on his return to Manipur he would build a which praises the creation of daybreak. Listen to it and temple where he would present the Rasa Lila dance communicate the first verse through sign language. in the specific form dictated by Krishna. (The • In partners, create a one-minute conversation using dance was already performed in the world of the only musical sounds and gestures. Repeat, but select a gods.) The elephant was obedient, as ordained, and theme, scene, idea or mood for the improvisation. Jai was reinstated as king - but he neglected his LEVEL III promise. Krishna returned to remind him, • The dance, Lai Haraoba ends with a miming of the instructing him to go into the hills of Keina and game - ‘tug of war.’ Think of other children's games carve the deities from a special jackfruit tree. When which can be explored for their movement ideas. this was done, the Govinda Temple was built and * • Learn and discuss the Lai Haraoba dance and song. the carved deity was installed. Then the Rasa Lila, * Indicates sample lessons 2 DANCE GESTURES TELL A STORY THE HUMAN FAMILY LEVEL I Sample Lesson INTRODUCTION: Dance and music are deeply rooted in Hindu life. In The Wonderful World of Dance, Arnold Haskell states that “Traditional belief says the god Siva set the world in motion with a dance.” Dancing in traditional Hindu societies is an act of worship, not entertainment. Even today, if someone wants to learn the classical dances, he or she must be accepted as a student by a guru (teacher). This requires a complete commitment on the part of both the student and the teacher. There are four great schools of Hindu dancing, (Bharata Natyam, Kathakali, Kathak and Manipuri); each of these evolved from the mate- rial written in an ancient book called Natya Sastra (the science of danc- ing). It is believed that this book, which was written about the time Christ was born, includes the secrets of dance. Tradition states that these secrets were entrusted to Bharata and came directly from the gods. The book includes positions The god Siva, and movements for each part of the body, dividing it into three parts: limbs, setting the world in which include the head, chest, hips, legs, arms, feet and hands; intermediate motion with a dance parts, which include the neck, shoulders, palms, back, stomach, thighs, ankles, knees, elbows and wrists; and the lesser limbs, which include the eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes, cheeks, nose, lips, teeth, tongue, chin, mouth and jaw. In addition, the Natya Sastra describes more that 4,000 picture gestures of the hands, which are called ‘mudras.’ These gestures symbolize ideas such as a swimming fish, a flying bird, a lotus flower in bloom, a tree or a breeze and may also describe a mood such as anger, fear, sadness, love or heroism. This lesson is based on twelve examples of combined hand gestures from the Manipuri dance technique and represents their version of the ones described in the Natya Sastra. OBJECTIVES: (Student Outcomes) Students will be able to: • Learn twelve traditional hand gestures from the Manipuri dance technique. (Historical and Cultural Context and Artistic Perception) • Incorporate the twelve hand gestures in the telling of a short story. (Artistic Perception) • Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer to Assessment at the end of this lesson.