Indian classical dance

Indian classical dance is a misnomer, and actually refers to Natya, the sacred Hindu musical theatre styles. Its theory can be traced back to the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni (400 BC).

• Dances performed inside the sanctum of the temple according to the rituals were called Agama Nartanam. This was a spiritual dance form.

• Dances performed in royal courts to the accompaniment of classical music were called Carnatakam. This was an intellectual art form.

• Darbari Aatam form of dance appealed more to the commoners and it educated them about their religion, culture and social life. These dances were performed outside the temple precincts in the courtyards.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi currently confers classical status on eight "dance" forms:

1. Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form originating from Tamil Nadu, a state in Southern India. This popular South Indian dance form called Bharatanatyam is a 20th century reconstruction of Cathir, the art of temple dancers. Cathir in turn, is derived from ancient dance forms. The word Bharata, some believe, signifies the author of the famous Sanskrit treatise on stagecraft, called NatyaShastra, and the word Bharatanatyam is sometimes given a folk etymology as follows:Bha for Bhava or abhinaya and expression, Ra for raga or melody, and Ta for tala or rhythm.

Bharatanatyam is thought to have been created by Bharata Muni, a Hindu sage, who wrote the Natya Shastra, the most important ancient treatise on classical Indian dance. It is also called the fifth Veda in reference to the foundation of Hindu religion and philosophy, from which sprang the related South Indian musical tradition of Carnatic music.

In ancient times it was performed as dasiattam by mandir (Hindu temple) Devadasis. Many of the ancient sculptures in Hindu temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures karanas. In fact, it is the celestial dancers, apsaras, who are depicted in many scriptures dancing the heavenly version of what is known on earth as Bharatanatyam. In the most essential sense, a Hindu deity is a revered royal guest in his temple/abode, to be offered the "sixteen hospitalities" - among which are music and dance, pleasing to the senses. Thus, many Hindu temples traditionally maintained complements of trained musicians and dancers, as did Indian rulers.

Surviving texts of the golden age of Tamil literature and poetry known during the Sangam Age such as the Tolkappiyam , as well as the later Silappadikaram testify to a variety of dance traditions which flourished in these times. The latter work is of particular importance, since one of its main characters, the courtesan Madhavi, is a highly accomplished dancer. The Silappadikaram is a mine of information of ancient Tamil culture and society, in which the arts of music and dance were highly developed and played a major role.

2. Kathak

Kathak is one of the classical dance forms of India (originally from North India). It is a narrative dance form characterized by fast footwork (tatkar), spins (chakkar) and innovative use of bhav in abhinaya. It has today a form that has been influenced at various times in the past by mythological narratives by kathakas, temple dances, the bhakti movement (both Vaishnavism and Shaivite), and Persian influence of the Mughal courts in the 16th century onwards; and these elements are readily discernible. Performers today generally draw their lineage from three major schools of Kathak: the Jaipur gharana, the Lucknow gharana and the Banaras gharana (born in the courts of the Kachwaha Rajput kings, the Nawab of Oudh, and Varanasi respectively); there is also a less prominent (and later) Raigarh gharana which amalgamated technique from all three preceding gharanas but became famous for its own distinctive compositions.

The name Kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word katha meaning story, and katthaka in Sanskrit means s/he who tells a story, or to do with stories. The name of the form is properly katthak, with the geminated dental to show a derived form, but this has since simplified to modern-day kathak. kathaa kahe so kathak is a saying many teachers pass on to their pupils, which is generally translated, 's/he who tells a story, is a kathak', but which can also be translated, 'that which tells a story, that is Kathak'.

3. Kathakali

Kathakali originated in Kerala, South India over 500 years ago. It is a spectacular combination of drama, dance, music and ritual. Characters with vividly painted faces and elaborate costumes re-enact stories from the Hindu epics The Mahabharatha and the Ramayana. Kathakali uses the training exercises of Kalari Payttu, the martial art of Kerala.

Kathakali originated from Ramanattom (“Rama”= the Hindu god, Sri Rama; “nattom”= enactment”) and Krishnanattom ("Krishna"= the Hindu god, Krishna; “nattom”= enactment). History has it that Raja (ruler) of Kottarakkara (a province in Kerala) sculpted Ramanattom when the Zamorin (then ruler of Kozhikode, another province in Kerala) refused to allow a performance of Krishnanattom in the former’s palace. Subsequently, Kottayam Thampuran (ruler of Kottayam, another province in Kerala) composed several plays on Mahabharata thereby making these distinct from stories based on Ramanattom. Thus, Kathakali was born. Kathakali shares a lot of similarities to both Ramanattom and Krishnanattom. But it also incorporated several outside elements, which is thought to have contributed to its popularity. In particular, the increasing use of Malayalam, which is the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called Manipravaalam) made it more popular among the masses. During its evolution, Kathakali also imbibed elements from folk and martial arts which existed at the time in Kerala. Characters with vividly painted faces and elaborate costumes re-enact stories from the Hindu epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana. Kathakali is featured in the award-winning Indo-French-German produced film Vaanaprastham. Kathakali has traditionally been performed in Hindu temples, but nowadays it may also be seen in theatres.

4. Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form from Andhra Pradesh, a state of South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a small village in the Divi Taluq of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practising this traditional dance form, it acquired the present name.

With the dance form attaining perfection by the time of Golconda king Abdul Hassan Tanesha, Kuchipudi brahmins are said to have received 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land as an endowment from Tanesha for the great presentation before him.

Siddhendra Yogi is said to be the first scholar to give it the current form of dance drama. Bhamakalapam is one of his celebrated compositions. He also reserved the art to males by teaching it to young brahmin boys of the village. However, in modern times, the art has been dominated by women.

The performance usually begins with some stage rites, after which each of the character comes on to the stage and introduces him/herself with a daru (a small composition of both song and dance) to introduce the identity, set the mood, of the character in the drama. The drama then begins. The dance is accompanied by song which is typically Carnatic music. The singer is accompanied by mridangam (a classical South Indian percussion instrument), violin, flute and the tambura (a drone instrument with strings which are plucked). Ornaments worn by the artists are generally made of a light weight wood called Boorugu.

5. Manipuri

Manipuri dance is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. It originates from Manipur, a state in north-eastern India on the border with Myanmar (also known as Burma).

It was originally only performed in temples and continues to form an integral part of the religious and social fabric of Manipur. Manipuri dance, whether folk, classical or modern, is devotional in nature. The people of Manipur are very religious and are exclusively attached to the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna, who are often the main characters depicted in Manipuri dances. Ras Lila is one such Manipuri dance.

It is only since the early 20th century that Manipuri dance has been presented on stage. It became better known outside the region through the efforts of Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali poet and philosopher who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He fell in love with the dance when he first saw it in 1920.

Tagore brought Manipuri dance teachers to the university created by him in Santiniketan (150km north of Kolkata). Today, traditional Manipuri dance continues to be taught in Santiniketan, as it is in Manipur and Delhi.

6. Mohiniaattam

Mohiniyattam (also spelled as mohiniaattam, mohiniattom or mohiniyattam; Malayalam is a traditional South Indian dance form from Kerala, India. It is a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word "Mohiniattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress". There are two stories of the Lord Vishnu disguised as a Mohini. In one, he appears as Mohini to lure the asuras (demons) away from the amrita (nectar of immortality) obtained during the churning of the palazhi or Ocean of Milk. In the second story Vishnu appears as Mohini to save Lord Shiva from the demon Bhasmasura. The name Mohiniaattam may have been coined after Lord Vishnu, and the main theme of the dance is love and devotion to God, with usually Vishnu or Krishna being the hero. Devadasis used to perform this in temples. But it also has elements of Koothu and Kottiyattom in it. it is a drama in dance and verse.

7. Odissi

Odissi The classical dance style of Orissa - the land of temples, the land of sculptures. The flowing movements and graceful poses of the dance bring to mind the breathtaking beauty of Orissa's temple sculptures. Whether the chiseled beauty of the temple sculptures inspires the dance, or the sculptures depict the dance is a conundrum. Tribhangi - the three - bend body position relating to Lord Krishna and Chowka - the square posture relating to Lord Jagganath along with many other graceful postures blended together can be seen hewn on the temple stones or executed exquisitely by the dancers. The dance is sculpture in movement and sculpture is frozen dance. Both are an infinite source of joy and wonderment. Add to this the Odissi music - in lilt and lyricism second to none. A harmonious blend of the chaste discipline of Carnatic music and the joyous abandon of the folk music of the east, and one has a spell - binding aesthetic experience.

Odissi like all other classical dance styles of India has its roots in the temple. In fact all forms of Indian art have their roots in religion. Indian art is a spontaneous expression of sincere devotion to God. The artiste in his devotion is united with the Almighty and feels himself as one complete whole.

8. Sattriya

Sattriya, or Sattriya Nritya, is one among eight principal classical Indian dance traditions. The other seven are Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Mohini Attam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak, and Manipuri. Whereas some of the other traditions were revived in the recent pasts, Sattriya dance has been a living tradition since it its creation by the Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th century in Assam.

Sankardeva created the Sattriya dance to accompany the Ankiya Naat (a form of Assamese one-act plays devised by him) which was usually performed in the Sattras. As the dance developed and grew within the Sattras, the dance was named Sattriya by the literateur Maheshwar Neog, who tried to promote it. Though the dance form has come out of the confines of the sattras to a wider audience, the sattras continue to use the dance form for ritualistic and other purposes for which it was originally created 500 years ago.

For lack of any equivalents in the European culture, the British colonial authorities called any performing art forms found in India as "Indian dance". Even though the art of Natya includes nritta, or dance proper, Natya has never been limited to dancing alone. At its best, has the most powerful means to lead its worshippers – the artist – to the Divine. It is a sincere depiction of the Divine. It is a sincere depiction of the realities in life, an embodiment of the imagination and gracefulness, the very soul which thereby creates as it were the “Idol of the Beautiful”.

Out of the 8 styles, the most ancient ones and the ones that have their origin in Agama Nartanam are Bharatanatyam and Odissi. These two most faithfully adhere to the Natya Shastra.

Kuchipudi and Mohiniaattam are relatively recent Darbari Aatam forms, just as Kathakali, and two eastern Indian styles, Manipuri and Sattriya, that are quite similar. Kathak bears a strong influence of the Persian dance.

A very important feature of Indian classical dances is the use of Mudras or hand gestures. Mudras are used by the artists to express their feeling or even the whole story.

FYI: There are many external links (text with blue color) in the post, please use them for more information and to check for terminologies.

Visit us @ www.ihoii.com