| Swirling
colours, glittering gold, fluid movements--- all this goes on to define
India's classical dances which are foremost among the performing arts.
Folk dances too have their own place in the cultural heritage of India.
Every dance form can be appreciated entirely for its visual appeal-
be it in a spectacular solo or a group display. However, underlying the graceful performance are rigid rules which change for every form. The several forms of dance have their origins in various states across the country. Indian dance forms are a form of religious worship. A precise vocabulary of emotions, love, yearning and sorrow are displayed in every dance form, by gestures that involve the body, arms, fingers, face and eyes. Thus, every movement that a dancer makes in the course of an hour-long recital has a specific meaning. What now follows is an account of the dances of India. |
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CLASSICAL
DANCES The salient features of Bharatanatyam are movements conceived in space mostly either along straight lines or triangles. The dancer appears to weave a series of triangles besides several geometrical patterns that reveal the architectonic beauty of the form with a series of dance units called 'jathis' or 'teermanams'.
There is a significance of each movement of the body. The torso is
used as a unit, the legs are in a semi-plie form and the stance achieves
the basic posture called 'Araimandi'. The 'nritya' numbers include
'Alarippu', 'Jatiswaram' and 'Tillana'. In 'nritya', a dancer performs
to a poem, creating a parallel kinetic poetry in movement, registering
subtle expressions on the face and the entire body reacts to the emotions,
evoking sentiments in the spectator for relish - the 'Rasa'. |
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KATHAK The themes of Krishna, Radha, Shiva, Parvati and mythological characters find a prominent place in the Kathak dancer's repertoire. In 'nritya', the expressional numbers called 'gats' are danced by delicate glances of the eye and by using the art mime. Themes
from life are taken like enacting simple chores of carrying water
from the well or walking gracefully, covering a face with a veil and
looking through it in a tantalizing manner at the lover. Both men
and women perform Kathak , which is also used to present dance dramas
of historical tales and contemporary events. |
KATHAKALI Belonging
to the South-Western coastal state of Kerala, Kathakali is primarily
a dance drama form and is extremely colourful with billowing costumes,
flowing scarves, ornaments and crowns. Katha means story and Kathakali
means a story play or a dance drama. The dancers use a specific type
of symbolic makeup to portray various roles which are character-types
rather than individual characters.The world of Kathakali is peopled by noble heroes and demons locked in battle, with truth winning over untruth, good over evil. The stories from the two epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, as well as the 'Puranas' constitute the themes of the Kathakali dance dramas. The pure dance element in Kathakali is limited to 'kalasams', decorative dance movements alternating with an expressional passage where the actor impersonates a character, miming to the liberetto sung by the musician. Using typical music known as 'Sopanam', Kathakali creates a world of its own. The most striking feature of Kathakali is its overwhelming dramatic quality without the characters speaking. It is danced to musical compositions, involving dialogues, narration and continuity. It employs the lexicon of a highly developed hand-gesture language, which enhances the facial expressions and unfolds the text of the drama. . .  |
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KUCHIPUDI In
expressional numbers a dancer sometimes chooses to enact the role
of 'Satyabhama', the proud and self-assured queen of Lord Krishna,
from the dance-drama 'Bhama Kalapam' where she goes through various
stages of love when in separation from Lord Krishna. One more number
from the Kuchipudi repertoire that deserves mention is 'Krishna Shabdam',
in which a milkmaid invites Krishna for a rendezvous in myriad of
ways giving full scope for the dancer to display the charms of a woman. |
MANIPURI Manipuri
dances, originated from the North Eastern state of Manipur, derive its
name from its native state. The dances are influenced by the religious
movement of 'Vaishnavism', the worship of Lord Vishnu, and have flowered
in exquisite 'Rasalila' performances, the favourite dance in a circle
by Krishna with his milkmaids. The dances are presented as a group dance
with gorgeous, colourful costumes and gentle, swaying petal-soft movements.
Besides 'Rasalilas', there are other dances called 'Natasankirtana',
in which a group of men play cymbals and dance in a circle or in two
rows singing praises of God. In group dances like 'Lai Haraoba', the merry-making for the gods, the dancers perform various steps and weave patterns, involving various choreographic compositions. From the corpus of Manipuri dances, one sees on the contemporary stage solo, duet and group performances.. 'Rasalila', 'Lai Haraoba', 'Choloms', 'Pung Cholom', 'Natasankirtana', 'Khubak Ishai' and other Manipuri dances share both 'nritya' and 'nritya' aspects and are edited judiciously for the concert platform to suit the urban audience. However, to enjoy Manipuri, one should see the dances in their natural setting. Gossamer veils, mirrored skirts and ornaments dazzle the audiences with their colorful costumes which create a dream-like effect. Intensely devotional in mood, the Manipuri dances are a part of the daily life of the Manipuri people. |
MOHINIATTAM Mohiniattam,
developed in Kerala, is a graceful dance form performed by women. Mohini
means an enchantress and a dancer with enchanting movements, dressed
in a typical white saree with gold border, hair gathered in a bun on
one side and with golden jewellery epitomises the image of a beautiful
maiden. Mohiniattam has a format which resembles the Bharatanatyam dance form, but its movements, usage of hand gestures and its stark, simple costume are quite distinct in its own way. In 'nritya' a number called 'Cholukattu' consists of pure dance movements at the end of which is tagged a poem that is in praise of a deity and also narrates the story of the 'Ramayana' in a nutshell. The mnemonic syllables are sung instead of being uttered by the musician. In 'nritya', the themes are drawn from mythology with the 'padams' mimed with facial expressions and hand gestures. However, of late, Kerala's 'Sopana' music is being employed for Mohini Attam and the repertoire has also been enlarged with the choreography maintaining the typical movements of this graceful style. |
ODISSI Odissi,
considered as the oldest classical Indian dance on the basis of archival
evidence, belongs to the East Indian state of Orissa. This dance form
has been revived in the past fifty years and has an intimate relationship
with the temple sculpture. It has a vast range of sculptural body movements
which gives one the illusion of the sculptures coming to life. One of
them is 'Tribhanga', the three-body bend that characterizes this dance
form.In 'nritya', the dancers used the songs from the celebrated 'Gita Govinda' of poet Jayadeva written in the 12th century A.D., for expressional numbers. The numbers consist of 'batu', 'pallavi' and 'mokhya nritya'. In 'batu nritya' the dancer strikes poses holding various instruments like veena, flute, cymbals and drums and the choreography of this number reveals the imagination of the choreographer-gurus. In 'Pallavi', a dancer performs pure dance to a chosen time cycle and a musical raga with various body postures similar to temple sculptures. In 'mokhya', before the dance concludes, a dancer employs various dance units creating arresting visuals. The exquisite Sanskrit poetry and the sculptural movements to the typical Odissi music almost cast a spell on the spectators. In order to bring out the full glory and sculptural wealth of Odissi, which is truly a visually fascinating performance style, group choreographic presentations and dance dramas are also attempted with subtle expressions, replete with emotions. |
| FOLK
DANCES Dance has also been an essential part of folk culture since the earliest of times. Apart from the rites and rituals punctuating the passage of life and events, folk dance has been a spontaneous expression of joy in times of celebration and the instrument for propitiating the gods in bad times. The thread of continuity between the distant past and the present are the Tribal and Folk Dances that reveal simultaneously the most primitive and the most sophisticated expression of human experience and emotion. All folk dances represent the aspirations and beliefs of the people and here are a few. |
CHAKRI 'Chakri'
dance is performed by 'Kanjars' of Rajasthan. In this form of dance,
the dancers whirl around in circles in flowering skirts appearing like
spinning tops. It is mostly performed by the 'Kanjar' girls during weddings
or at the reception of the 'barats' although they dance on many other
occasions too. The 'Chakri' dancers from Hadoti areas of Kota, Bundi
and Baran districts are famous.
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GIDHA
AND BHANGRA 'Gidha',
the most favourite dance of Punjabi Women, is a thrilling and pleasing
dance consisting of singing 'Bolis' and clapping. In this form, the
performers form a circle with two participants leaving the circle to
recite and perform a 'boli'. Towards the end of the 'boli', they resort
to dance movements with sheer abandon. Meanwhile those in the circle,
accompanied by the beating of 'dholak' or 'ghara' (pitcher), also sing
and clap in unison making pleasing movements. These 'bolis' deal with
the day to day life situations of the rural folk. 'Gidha' has been prevalent
in all the areas of Punjab but the 'Gidha' of Malwa area is particularly
known for its gusto and speed.This is performed at weddings, birth of a child, 'Teej'Festival and other happy occasions. As 'Gidha' is for the women, 'Bhangra' is for men. This dance is carried out with a lot of gusto and enthusiasm by the men-folk especially at celebrations and festivals like 'Baisakhi'. |
MISHING
BIHU 'Mishing
Bihu'of Assam, is a dance associated with the 'Ali-Ali Lignos' festival
of the 'Mishmis'. It depicts the various stages of the process of cultivation
from sowing to reaping. |
| RAVA 'Rava' dance has its roots in the northern part of West Bengal. It belongs to the 'Rava' community whose dances are colourful with rhythmic and mellifluous music. It is performed mainly by the 'Rava' Women. Their dances include 'Fai Nang Mein' or Welcome Dance, 'Nak Chung Baini' or the dances evocative of catching prawn, 'Baishar Bidan' or New Year's Dance and 'Larai Lunj'i or War Dance. |
GARBA 'Garba'
is a ceremony of Gujarat which is performed during the 'Navratri' festival
celebrated over the first nine days of the last month of the Hindu calendar.
The name of the dance is originated from the Garba pot with many holes
in which a lamp is lit. The ladies pray to the Goddess 'Amba' to fulfill
her desires and aspirations by dancing around the 'Garba' with a 'Garba
'on her head. The dance is also accompanied by songs sung by the women along with the beating of 'Dholak'. Most of the 'Garba' songs depict the story of 'Krishna', especially the 'Gopis'. The songs of the 'Garba' are often of great antiquity and beauty and have been handed down orally for countless generations. Everyone regardless of caste or social position can take part in the dance. |
DHANGARI
GAJA 'Dhangari
Gaja' is performed by Dhangars (Shepherds) of Sholapur District of Maharastra.
The 'Dhangars' rear sheep and goats to make their living. Through the
year they take their herds to green pastures for grazing and the surrounding
green pastures and trees inspire them to compose poetry. The poetry
is in a couplet form called 'Ovi'. Sometimes fantastical stories are
also told through this form. Tales of the birth of their God 'Biruba'
too are found in simple and earthy lines.Once in every year the Dhangars return home to honour their God 'Biruba' and spend their time with their families. The 'Dhangari Gaja' dance is performed to please their God for His blessings. In traditional 'Marathi' dresses - 'dhoti', 'Angarakha' and 'Pheta' with colourful handkerchiefs the dancers move around a group of drum players. |
CHHEIHLAM 'Chheihlam'
a dance from Mizoram, embodies the spirit of joy and exhilaration. It
is performed to the accompaniment of a song called 'Chheihhla' which
is accompanied by beating of the drums or clapping of hands. While the
song is sung, an expert dancer performs his dance with various movements
of body. He stoops low with knees bent and crouches low to the ground
with limbs close to the body. As the excitement increases, people squatting
on the floor leave their seats and join him. The dance is performed
on any occasion, normally in the evening when the day's work is over.
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SAMAI 'Samai'
Dance is performed during the 'Shigmo' Festival in southern and center
Goa. It is performed with traditional metallic lamps or 'samai'. The
men and women balance the 'samai' on their heads and render various
movements. During religious gatherings the dance is accompanied by slow
singing. |
| Therefore,
this wading through the fluid waters of India makes it a wee bit easier
to comprehend the parameters of the various dance forms. It takes years
to master the entire vocabulary while simultaneously one has to instill
grace into the movements. The classical and the folk dances require
expertise but offer different kinds. While classical dancers usually give recitals at public auditoria which are enjoyed by a specific audience; the folk dances are more spontaneous and are performed at celebrations. These are inherent in the individuals by virtue of belonging to a particular state. Most major hotels offer live programmes of music and dance in their Indian restaurants. Other than this special dance festivals are also held from time to time in the various cities. So, does something urge you now to fly down to India??? Well, well…
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Belonging
to the South Indian state of Tamilnadu, Bharatanatyam is the most
popular of Indian dances. Its antiquity is well established. In the
past, a class of dancers known as the 'devadasis' practiced and performed
the dance in the temples and it was a part of religious rituals.
Kathak
has a long history in the North as a classical dance form. Kathak
means a story-teller and it developed as a dance form in which a solo
dancer tells and interprets stories from mythology. Over the centuries,
Kathak has attained refinement and enriched itself with various hues
and embellishments.
Kuchipudi,
the name derived from the village of Kuchipudi in the Southern State
of Andra Pradesh, is also a dance-drama tradition like kathakali.
Formerly it was the preserve of men where they enacted the female
roles. But in recent years, it has evolved as a solo dance for the
concert platform and is performed by women dancers. Kuchipudi shares
many common elements with Bharatanatyam.|
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