Indian Dances Flashcards
Dance forms
• Dance is a form of art, where the body is used as a medium of communication
• The dance heritage of India is at least 5000 years old.
• Dance is of divine origin
Ritual form of worship in temples
• The wall paintings of Ajanta and Ellora, the sculptures of Khajuraho stand ample evidence for popularity of Indian dances from ancient times
• Nataraja, the dancing Lord Shiva, is the supreme manifestation of Indian dance
Natyashastra
→ Principals of Indian classical dance derived from natyashastra of bharatmuni
→ Bharatmuni traces its origin from lord brahma- 5th veda-natyaveda from existing 4 vedas
→ Pathya(words) taken from Rigveda
→ Abhinaya(gestures)taken from Yajurveda
→ Music taken from Samveda
→ Rasa(emotions) taken from Atharvaveda
Basic aspects of dance
→ Tandav-movements and rythm
→ Lasya-bhaav,grace,ras and abhinaya
→ In every dance,presence of mudras and rasa is must
→ 9 rasa- happiness, sorrow, compassion, wonder, anger, fear, courage, disgust and peace
→ 108 fundamental mudras
→ Dance is considered to be complete art
Indian Classical dance
→ 8 classical dances
- Bharatanatyam
- Kuchipudi
- Kathakali
- Mohiniattam
- Odisha
- Manipuri
- Sattriya
- Kathak
→ Two elements
○ governed by rules of natyashastra
○ Guru-shishya parampara
○ Recognized by Sangeet-natak akademi
Bharatnatyam
○ Oldest among all classical dances
○ Bhava (expression), Raga (music), Tala (rhythm) and Natya (classical theater).
○ It originates in South India.
○ It consists of multiple items:
§ Nritta- pure dance movements
§ Abhinaya- dramatic art of storytelling
§ Nritya- combination of nritta & abhinaya
□ Evolved from devdasi tradition
□ Previously known as sadir,bashiattam and tanjaur natyam
□ Intially solo dance perforrnane dominated by females
□ Performed on Camatic music.
○ Costurne are made of silk saris with gold embroidery and has a lot of pleat
○ Necklace. Bangles and head ornaments are used as jewelry
○ Bells mounted on woven pads are worn on the feet
○ Fire dance
○ Tandav and lasya both aspects are involved
○ Knees are bent
○ Dancers right hand mundra-katkamukh generally
○ Visualise her body like triangle
○ Theme-religious and devotional
○ Ekcharya lasyanga style-one dancers plays many different roles
○ Generally performance completed with chanting of shlokas
○ Music-carnAtic,language-Sanskrit.tamil
○ artists-chiniya,ponaiyya pilley, vadivelu, shivanandam
○ Present-rukmani Arundey-kalakshetra academy,yamini krishnamurti.sonal mansingh
Kuchipudi
○ It originates from Andhra Pradesh.
○ Village name-kuchipudi
○ Intially done by male artists in group-called bhagvatharu
○ It shares many common elements with Bharatanatyam.
○ Theme-initially based on bhagwatpuran later a secular theme with dominance of shringar
○ In Tarangam (a unique kuchipudi dance)- dancer dances on plate with diyas in the hands and vessel of water on the head.
○ Camatic music is used.
○ Costumes are similar to Bharatanatyam.
○ Costume also include ‘Katcham’ (long fold) at the back of the costume
○ Female characters wear ornaments and jewelry.
○ Dancer combines herself into singer
○ Use of speech
○ Unique feature-Taal chitra natya-dancers draw painting on the floor with dancing toes
○ Manduk shabdam-story of a frog
○ Laasya and tandav both present
○ Artists-Raja and radhar Reddy,esther sharman,lndrani Rehman
Kathakali
○ It originates from Kerala state.
○ Katha+kali
○ Dance drama
○ Theme-mythological
○ Conflict between God and evil in grand manner-bhadrakali n asur wars
○ Facial expression-eye and eye-brows
○ Attractive make-up of characters and elaborate costumes are used.
○ Performance is a combination of five elements:
§ Natyam (expression),
§ Nritham (dance)
§ Nrithyam (enactment)
§ Geetham (vocal)
§ Vadyam (instruments)
○ Carnatic music is used with Manipravalam as language of son
○ Elaborate make-up is used
○ Green face color- noble characters (Pacha) >Green with red streaks- characters with evil streaks >Red face color- excessively evil characters >Women have yellow face color
○ Costumes are elaborate and differ according to character
○ Origin in temples
○ Generally it performed in open air
○ It starts at night and ends with the arrival of dawn
○ Brass lamp on the stage
○ At the starting,continuous thundering of drums
○ Arists-kala mandalam gopi,kala mandalam murli
Mohiniattam
○ Its name is derived from: Mohini- temptress and Attam- dance
○ It’s a graceful dance performed only by
○ Theme -love, devotion
○ Laasya aspect dominates
○ It has influences from Bharatanatyam and Kathakali
○ Music includes Vocal (called chollu), Veena. flute, Maddalam & Idakka.
○ It is characterized by realistic makeup and simple dressing.
○ Costume includes white or cream sari with gold border and is profusely pleated
○ Mainly gold ornaments are used as jewelry
○ Artists-madhvi amma.chinnamu amma
Odishi
○ It originates from Orissa.
○ Patronized by king kharvel
○ Theme-radha Krishna love,dashavtar,jagannath philosophy
○ Consists of three schools(l) Mahari, (2 )Nartaki and (3) Gotipua
○ Mahari-devadasi tradition
○ Nartaki-royaI courts
○ Gotipua-young boys acting as female
○ Main feautres of performance are:
§ Tribhangi- independent rnovmovement of head, chest and pelvis
§ Chauka- basic square stance
○ Odissi music is used.
○ Similar to bharatnatyam in terms of mudras and expression
○ feautres Sari- beautiful cloth wrapped around body in traditional style in bright shades of orange. purple, red or green.
○ Jewelry includes:
§ Tikka (forehead ornament)
§ Allaka (headpiece where tikka hangs)
§ Ear covers in intricate shapes with jumkis (bell shaped earrings) hanging from them - Chains
§ Two sets of bangles (thin bracelets) worn on upper arm and wrist
○ Generally group dance-create geometrical patterns-most beautiful pattern-spiral odishi performance concludes with a sculpture like pose-mobile sculpture
○ Artists-sonal mansingh
Manipuri
○ It originates from Manipur state.
○ Few features in its performance are:
§ Movements are subtle and aim at devotion and grace
§ Both elements nritta and natya are balanced here
§ Laasya aspect dominates
§ Focus-knee and hand movements,not on expression
§ Rounded movements without jerks and sharp lines
§ Dancers feet never strike the ground hard
§ Music is provided by a singer. - Pung’(drum). cymbals and flute.
○ Costume includes:
§ Female- dress called patloi and lehenga called kumin. Transparent odni is wom on the head and covers the face.
§ Male- usually saffron dress depicting Lord Krishna
§ Dancers do not wear ankle bells in this dance form
○ The dance attempts to connect body through curves with a pose in the shape of 8-Nagbhanga mudra
○ Theme-life of Vishnu,radha krishna
○ Contribution of Rabindranath tagore-he promoted Manipuri dance in shantiniketan
Sattriya
○ It originated in Assam state.
○ Traditionally performed by male monks-bhokoths in monestries as part of daily rituals
○ Promoted by bhakti saint-Shankar dev
○ Performances are based on mythological stories and is 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.
○ 1st position called-ora
○ Both tandav and laasya aspect involved
○ Instruments use dare khols (drums), taals (cymbals) and flute.
○ Costume are made of pat (type of silk).
○ Ornaments are based on traditional Assamese design
Kathak
○ Name is derived from Katha (story) and Katthaka (who tells stories).
○ It originates from North India.
○ Used to a temple dance, later royal patronage-court entertainment
§ Spontenity
§ Freedom
§ Room for innovation and improvisation
○ There are three main gharanas or schools: Lucknow Jaipur Benares
○ Based on bhaav,raga and taal
○ Usually dancers sing themselves
○ Emphasis on footwork
○ Fundamentally-solo performance
○ Main attraction -jugalbandhi between dancer and tabla artis
○ Theme-radha-Krishna
○ Dance progresses from slow to fast pieces. 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- bare chest and dhoti or kurta churidar
○ Artists-Birju maharaj,lacchu maharaj,sitara devi
○ Some kathaks are called gat bhaav
Folk dance - Chhat
- Recognized by UNESCO
- Mask dance
- Chhau means chhaya or shadow
- Theme - mythological - based on Ramayana or Mahabharata-conflict between God and Evil
- Martial movements are present here
- Hindustani music
- Performed during Chaitra north
- 3 sub styles
a. Sarai kella chhau-popular in Jharkhand
b. Purulia chhau-in w.Bengal
c. Mayurbhanj chhau-rnask is not used
Purulia chhau
- Originated from the Purulia distrct .
- Mostly performed in the open space or ground field during the night.
- It is a mask dance performed only by the male dancers.
- The masks are made up from the clay and paper.
- It is mythological, as it is mainly based on various episodes of the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
- As the singer complete the invocation song, a host of drummers and musicians start beating the Dhol and the Dhamsa
Martial dances
- Chhau
- Gatka from Punjab-nihanga community
- Thangta- Manipur-display Of swords important
- Kalaripattu-from Kerala
