Bharatanatyam, also known as Sadir or Dasi Attam, is a dance form that originated in southern India’s Tamil Nadu. It was originally practiced by dancers who were devoted to temples. It is the first of India’s traditional dances to be reworked into a form of theater art and given a lot of national and international exposure.
Classics like Bharata’s Natyashastra serve as the foundation for bharatanatyam, which is based on principles of performance and aesthetics. It has a lot of songs in Telugu, Tamil, and Sanskrit in its repertoire. The present-day organization of a Bharatanatyam presentation, as well as a significant piece of its melodic sytheses, were made by the celebrated ‘Tanjore Group of four’ of the nineteenth 100 years: Ponniah, Chinnaiah, Sivanandam, and Vadivelu, the brothers. The narrative is told through a highly developed language of Nritta, abstract dance, and Nritya in Bharatanatyam. The topics, which typically fall under the categories of shringara (romantic love) and bhakti (devotion), encompass both human and divine love. The Carnatic music tradition of southern India includes Bharatanatyam. At least one vocalist, a Mridangam (drum) player, and a flutist, violinist, or Veena (lute) player are among the musicians who accompany a dance recital. Additionally, there is a Nattuvanar, also known as a dance conductor, who plays a pair of small bronze cymbals and recites the dance syllables.
Manipuri Dance, Manipur (North-eastern India)
Originating in Manipur, north-east India, Manipuri dance has its roots in the Vaishnava beliefs of the Maitei people, the people of the Manipur valley. Manipur temples remain one of the most important dance performance venues today. Thus, the main theme of Manipuri dance is devotion, and the extensive knowledge of Radha and Krishna gives it episodic content. Over the centuries, the traditional art has undergone various stages of development to become the sophisticated theatrical art it is today.
Manipuri dance is more introverted and reserved than most other dances of India, and performers do not make eye contact with the audience. The movements are circular, continuous and blend into one another. Mudras or hand movements are subtly integrated into the overall flow of the movement. Facial expressions are subtly, never exaggerated. These characteristics are also evident in the more energetic masculine dances.
Jagoi and Cholom are the two main dance disciplines of Manipur, one gentle, the other energetic, and correspond to the rasya and tandava elements described in Sanskrit texts. They form an independent movement, and artists spend their lives perfecting each form within its scope. Jagoi elements predominate in Ras Leela and similar votive performances. In such dances, the legs are bent and the knees are close together, which allows the feet to land softly on the floor and gives the movements a floating momentum. Unlike some other dances of India, the footwork is never heard. Footwork is often used in India to set the rhythm. The pung, drum and flute are the main instruments in Manipuri dance.
Kathak (Northern India)
Kathak is the most important dance in northern India and is currently practiced in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and even parts of western and eastern India. It is believed to be related to the narrative art of the Katakaras, or storytellers, who have explained sacred scriptures, the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, and Puranic literature to the common people since ancient times. The art expanded and refined its movements and expressive language and perhaps entered the royal environment of medieval India, experiencing its greatest flowering under the rule of the Mughal Empire. Later, in the 19th century, royal palaces such as Lucknow, Jaipur and Raigarh emerged as major centers of Kathak dance. In the 20th century, as Kathak training and practice became increasingly supported by official institutions, choreographic work with dance troupes became more prominent in Kathak practice. Though the thematic content of Kathak today spans different worlds, knowledge of Krishna still holds a special place in its repertoire. Kathak is characterised by footwork and pirouettes and is primarily a rhythmic dance. The discourse begins with Amād and progresses to sections on Ghat Nikas, Paran and Tatkar, providing space for dance in different rhythms and tempos and for both abstract and expressive dance. Traditional Kathak music consists of Thumri and other lyrical song forms and the main instruments are Tabla, Pakhawaj and Sarangi. Sitar and other plucked instruments are also relevant to Kathak today.
Thumri is a popular genre of Hindustani music characterized by lyricism expressing various shades of romantic love. It has a special connection with Kathak dance, which was performed in the 19th century at the court of Wajid Ali Shah in Lucknow. Thumri consists of short texts, usually two to four lines, sometimes repeated in stai antara form. The singer extracts and projects new shades of meaning from each repetition of the lyric line through vocal modulations and melodic changes, a process known as bol bana. Thumri is highly ornamented, with melodic filigree and small vocal turns (murki) and shakes. It is usually set to a slow tala, with occasional lively drum interludes called ragis. Thumri has several different singing styles, the most popular being the Punjabi, Puravi (originating from Lucknow) and Benaras styles.
Odissi Dance, Orissa (Eastern India)
Odissi dance originated in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, where it was performed in a rudimentary form by “maharis” or female temple servants as part of temple worship. The traditional dance was reconstructed as a theatrical art in the mid-20th century, incorporating not only existing dance art but also representations of dance in medieval sculpture, painting and literature of Odisha. In its modified form, Odissi dance spread rapidly across the country. The Vaishnava faith of Odisha is inherent in Odissi dance, and the knowledge of Krishna and Radha provides its content. Thus, the love songs from Jayadeva’s Sanskrit work Gitagovindam occupy an honored place in the Odissi dance repertoire, along with Oriya songs by medieval and early modern poets like Upendra Bhanja and Banamali Das. These are interpreted by the dancers using a grammar of hasta hand gestures. The codified footwork of ‘pada bheda’, the walks and steps called ‘chalice’, and the turns or ‘brahmalis’ are other elements of Odissi dance technique. Odissi is partly recreated from sculptural representations of the dance, hence the performance appears sculptural, especially the serpent-like ‘tribhangis’ and the stiff, square postures called chokes. The movements are soft and graceful. The dancers are supported by singers and drummers playing pakhwaj, flute and sitar. The dance conductor also sits with the musicians, reciting rhythmic syllables and setting the beat on cymbals.
Kathakali
+Kathakali, or “narrative theatre”, originated in Kerala, South India, in the 17th century under the patronage of Karnataka princes, who wrote plays for performance based on the epic poem Ramayana in Malayalam, the language of the region. Stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata form the content of most Kathakali plays and have come down to us in a steady stream for three centuries.
Kathakali classifies characters according to their nature and constructs them as symbolic personas using make-up and costume. The actor’s face is painted according to the type of character he is playing; green for heroes, kings and gods, red and black for evil and barbarians, etc. The main feature of the costumes is the large, flowing skirts of the male characters, and a variety of artistic headgear.
The performances of the actors in Kathakali plays leave one totally speechless. The “script” is sung by two singers on stage, accompanied by beats on gongs and cymbals, and two drummers, also on stage, playing the chenda. The story is told using facial expressions and hand gestures.
The traditional Kathakali performance begins in the evening after a prelude that includes devotional drumming at the maddaram and ends only at dawn. Earlier only one play was performed but today selected scenes from two or three plays are enacted.
Mohiniattam
Mohiniattam, belonging to the South Indian state of Kerala, derives its name from the mythical sorceress Mohini. It is a dance of feminine grace and developed from the performances associated with the temples of Kerala.
Prince Swathi Tirunal of Travancore, a patron of the arts and an artist himself, was one of the main architects of dance in the 19th century and composed a vast repertoire of songs to accompany the performances. Mohiniattam is characterised by femininity, without heavy steps or rhythmic tension, and the footwork is gentle, soft and gliding. The dancer’s body rises and falls with a slight grace, with emphasis mainly on the upper body. Restraint of movement is a defining feature of this dance.
Mohiniattam uses rhythms specific to Kerala. The rhythmic syllables used are those of the maddaram, a drum that accompanies the female role in Kathakali theatre. The most important percussion instrument in the performance is the edakka. Other instruments include the mridangam, veena, flute and kuzhithalam or cymbals. The vibrations of the melody match the movements of the dance.
Kuchipudi (Southern India)
One of the most important dance forms in India, Kuchipudi originated in Andhra Pradesh and developed in the 7th century mainly as a product of the Bhakti movement. Kuchipudi derives its name from the village of Kucherapuram, where it was cultivated by great scholars and artists who expanded the repertoire and refined the dance technique. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama consisting of Nrittas, Nrityas and Natyas. Nrittas consist of Teermanams and Jatis, Nrityas with subdams and Natyas performing mudras for songs. Nrittas involve steps and movements in the form of dance patterns, which are artistic in themselves but do not convey any meaning.
Kuchipudi combines language, abhinaya (mime) and pure dance. The Kuchipudi dancer is a complex figure on stage, and this complexity is achieved through rapid changes of pantomime, relying on a combination of naturalism in the dramatic content and symbolism in the poetic emotional intensity of the episodes. The result is an emphasis on the dynamics of movement and the expression of emotion.
Kuchipudi dance is accompanied by Carnatic music. Kuchipudi is currently performed as a solo, duet or group performance, but historically it was performed as a dance-drama with several dancers taking on different roles.
Sattriya Dance
“Satriya dance” refers to the dance and theatre art that developed in the satras or monasteries of Assam since the 16th century, when the Vaishnava faith, popularised by the saint and reformer Shankaradeva (1449-1586), spread to Assam. It is a distinctive genre among Indian classical dance, evolving a language of hand gestures (hastas), footwork (pada karma), movement, (deleted) nritta and abhinaya, and a repertoire focused on devotion to Krishna.
Since the second half of the 20th century, when this monastic art was adopted by artists outside the satras, satriya dance has also been practised as a contemporary theatre art. On stage today, artists present programmes that draw from the traditional repertoire and sometimes add new choreography. It usually begins with an invocation to Lord Krishna or Lord Rama, followed by the dance of the sutradhar, the conductor of the satra performance. A dancer may perform a combination of pure dance and abhinaya based on the extensive Satra literature. These elements are selected to fully demonstrate skills in these areas of dance. Lamdhani, Chari, Mera Nach and Jumla provide the scope for Nritta, while abhinaya can be explored in the form of Geetar Nach. Group dance is also common in traditional and contemporary Satriya dance, sometimes introduced with gayambayan, a short musical “interlude” on drums played by a group of musicians. Even today, completely original dance dramas in the traditional Satriya style are performed on stage. The musical elements of the dance are rich and diverse in their rhythmic, melodic and lyrical aspects.
Chhau (Eastern India)
The Chhau dance of eastern India, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, is a fusion of the region’s martial arts traditions, temple rituals, folk art and pop performance. Episodes from the epics Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas, traditional folklore, local legends and abstract themes are depicted through dance and a musical ensemble consisting mainly of local drums. In a traditional context, the dance is closely linked to the festivals and rituals of the region, the most important of which is Chaitra Parva, celebrated in April. The month of Chaitra marks the onset of spring and the beginning of the harvest season. The melodies are interwoven with reed flutes like the mohri, thuli beri and shehnai. There is no vocal music in Chhau but the melodies are based on Jhumur folk repertoire, religious kirtans, classical Hindustani ragas and traditional Oriya sources. The dhol, dumsa, nagada, chachadi and janji accompany the Chhau dance.
