Dance Forms of India

Dance Forms of India Dance is a form of art, where the body is used as a medium of communication. The wall paintings of Ajanta and Ellora, the sculptures of Khajuraho stand ample evidence for the popularity of Indian dances from ancient times. Nataraja, the dancing Lord Shiva, is thesupreme manifestation of Indian dance The common root of all Indian classical dance forms can be traced to Bharata‟s Natyasastra. According to the Natyashastra, Brahma, the creator of the Universe, created drama. He took the following components to create the fifth Veda called Natyaveda: Pathya (words) from the Rigveda Abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajurveda Geet (music and chant) fromSamaveda vRasa (sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda The first and the oldest evidence to date are the discovery of the bronze figurine of a dancer from the Indus Valley Civilization excavations at Mohenjodaro. Two aspects of Dance As per Natyashastra there re two basic aspects of classical dance: Lasya – It denotes grace, bhava, rasa etc It is symbolic of feminine features Tandava – This is symbolic of the male aspect like is heroic bold and vigorous As per the ancient work, dance classification is done on basis of three elements: Natya: Which highlights the dramatic element and refers to the story that is elaborated through dance. Nritya: refers to sentiments and emotions related to dance. It includes different expressions and Mudras in the dance. Nritta: is a pure and basic step of Dance where body movements do not express any mood and expression nor do they convey any meaning. Five classical dances related to Panchtatva The five classical dances of India are considered to be the mystic manifestation of the metaphysical elements of nature ie. Panchatatva in the human body are: Odissi – element of water Kuchipudi – element of earth Mohiniattam – element of air Bharatnatyam – element of fire Kathakali – element of the sky. 8 Classical Dance Form There are eight classical dances recognized by theSangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministry of Culture 1. Bharatnatyam – Tamil Nadu 2. Kuchipudi- Andhra Pradesh 3. Kathak – Uttar Pradesh 4. Kathakali – Kerala 5. Manipuri – Manipur 6. Mohiniattam – Kerala 7. Odissi – Orissa 8. Sattriya – Assam Bharatnatyam It originates in Tamil Nadu, South India. It is the oldest of all classical dance. It consists of- Nritta – Pure dance movement Abhinaya – dramatic art of storytelling Nritya – a combination of nritta & abhinaya Performed on Carnatic music. Costume are made of silk saris with gold embroidery and has a lot of pleats. It is also characterised as EKHARYA LASYAM style in which one dancer plays many roles. Noted Exponents: Rukmini Devi Arundale, Mallika Sarabhai, Yamini Krishnamurthy Important Elements of Bharatnatyam 1. Alarippu – Introduction part, meant to seek the blessing of God. 2. Jatiswaram – Pure form of dance including different poses and movements 3. Shabnam – It is a dramatic element which includes ABHINAYA in the song to praise god 4. Javali – short love lyrics performed at a faster tempo 5. Thillana – Concluding stage of performance with pure dance. Kuchipudi It originated in a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It begins with an invocation to Lord Ganesha followed by nritta (non-narrative and abstract dancing); Shabnam (narrative dancing) and Natya. The dance is accompanied by a song which is Carnatic music. The singer is accompanied by mridangam, violin, flute and the tambura. It is the use of speech that distinguishes Kuchipudi‟s presentation as dance drama. It combines Lasya & Tandava elements, folk & classical shades. Noted Kuchipudi exponents are: Raja Reddy and Radha reddy, Sonal Mansingh, Yamini Krishnamurthy Tirtha Narayana Yati and his disciple Siddhendra Yogi organized and founded the modern version of Kuchipudi. Kuchipudi gradually developed as a solo dance form and today we can see both male and female performing it. Kuchipudi themes related to Vaishnavism, Lord Krishna, stories of Bhagvat Purana with secular theme. Predominance of Shringar ras. Some popular solo elements in Kuchipudi are: Tarangam – in which the dancer performs on the top of the brass plates. Manduk Shabdam – Tells the story of Frog Jala chitra nrityam – Dancer draws pictures on the floor with toes while Dancing Difference Between Bharatnatyam and Kuchhipudi Nitin Singhania’s Art & Culture Book Kathak Kathak dance is a combination of music, dance and narrative. The name is derived from Katha (story) and Katthaka (who tells stories). It originates from North India. There are three main gharanas or schools: Lucknow Gharana Jaipur Gharana Benares Gharana Dance progresses from slow to fast pieces and has Footwork & spins and includes abhinaya-expression. Performed on Hindusthani music provided by Tabla, Sitar, Santoor. Costume includes; Ghungroos or bells on the ankles Female- lehenga choli or chudidaar kameez Male- Dhoti or kurta churidar Noted Kathak exponents are: Shambhu Maharaj, Sitara Devi, Pandit Birju Maharaj Kathakali It originates from Kerala state. Katha = “Story or tale”, Kali = “Performance and Art”. It represents the conflict between good and evil. It is basically a Dance-Drama. Kathakali was traditionally a male-dominated dance and now females are too welcomed in this dance form. Performance is a combination of five elements: Natyam (expression) Nritham (dance- Focus on rhythm) Nrithyam (enactment- Focus on Mudra) Geetham (vocal) Vadyam (instruments) Noted Kathakali exponents are: Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Kalamandalam Gopi, Madavoor Vasudevan Nair Elaborate makeup is used: The colors are made in rice paste with vegetable colors and applied on the face. Green face colour – noble characters (Pacha) Green with red streaks – characters with evil streaks Red face color – excessively evil characters Women have yellow face color Kari (black) for hunters and monsters. Theme – Mythological themes includeRamayan, Mahabharat, Bhagvat Purana, etc. Manipuri It originates from the Manipur state. It was traditionally performed as a dance – drama on devotional songs. The Manipuri dance form is categorized as Tandav or Lasya but more emphasis on Lasya. Tandav Manipuri depicts themes of Shiv, Shakti or Krishna as a warrior. Lasya theme includes Love inspired stories of Radha-Krishna like Rasleela is the reoccurring theme of Manipuri dance Uniqueness of this dance form is that, whileGhunghroos (Bells) glorify the classical dances of India, they are not worn in Manipuri. Mostly influenced by Hindu Vaishnavism themes. It also includes themes related to Shaivism and Shaktism and regional deities. Music is provided by a singer, Pung (drum), cymbals and flute. The composition used in Manipuri is from thepoetry of Jayadev, Vidyapti, Chandidas, Govindadas and Gyandas. Mohiniyattam Its name is derived from Mohini – beautiful women and Attam – dance. It is a dance that originated in Kerala. Lasya aspect is dominant in Mohiniattam. It is a graceful dance performed only by women. It has influences from Bharatanatyam and Kathakali. Usually, the Theme of the Dance is Shringar or Love Music includes Vocal (called cholla), Veena, flute, Maddalam & Idakka. The costume includes a white or cream sari with a gold border and is profusely pleated. Mainly gold ornaments are used as jewelry. Noted exponents of Mohiniyattam are: T. Chinnammu Amma, Kalamandalam Sugandhi Oddisee It originates from Orissa. It Consists of three schools: Mahari,(Devadasis or Temple Girls). Nartaki (took place in the royal courts) Gotipua( Performed by Boys dressed as women) Main features of performance are: Tribhangi – independent movement of head, chest and pelvis Chauka – basic square stance. Odissi music is used. It has a combination of Lasya and Tandava. Noted Odissi exponents are:Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sonal Mansingh Sattriya It originated in Assam state. Sattriya dance of Assam developed in the 15th century A.D by the great Vaishnava saint and reformer, Mahapurusha Sankaradeva. The Sattras are “Vaishnava maths‟ or monasteries and due to their religious character and association with the Sattras, this style of dancing has been aptly named Sattriya. Performances are based on mythological stories and are performed by both men and women. It is recognized as one of the classical dance forms of India in 2000. Devotional songs called borgeets are used. Instruments used are khols (drums), taals (cymbals) and flute. The costume is made of pat (type of silk). Noted Sattriya exponents are: Indira PP Bora, Maniram Datta Mokhtar Efforts from the government of India to revive Indian Classical Dances The government of India puts continuous efforts into preserving, promoting the Indian classical dances in India and abroad as well. The establishment of Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi and its allied centres and constituent bodies boosted the development of these classical dances. The grand Classical dance festivals like Khajuraho, Konark, Dhauli Kalinga, Kalidas, Mukteshwar, Soorya, Ellora, Nishagandhi etc.,displays the beautiful representation of Indian Classical Dances. The classical dances flourished and developed further with the establishment of Music and Dance Universities like Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh, Raja Mansingh Tomar University, Gwalior etc. and the various Institutions like Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Prayag Sangeet Samiti. Folk Dances of India Folk Dances Indian culture includes a treasure of a variety of folk dances. The diversity in culture and tradition is reflected in the variety of Indian folk

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