Classical Dances of India

The principles of Indian Classical dance is derived from ‘Natya Shastra’ by Bharat Muni. He traces its origin from lord Bramha & dictated that Lord Bramha created a fifth veda known as ‘Natyaveda’, representing the essence of four existing Vedas. Pathya (words) were taken from Rigveda, Abhinaya (gestures) from Yajurveda, Geet (music) from Samaveda, Rasa (emotions) from Atharvaveda.

• Can only be performed by trained dancers + have very particular meanings for each step, known as “Mudras”.
• Three main components form the basis of these dances viz.

• There are two basic aspect of Indian classical dance viz.

Bharatnatyam (Tamilnadu)

• One dancer takes on many roles in a single performance → Also known as Poetry in motion
• Style was kept alive by the devadasis (young girls ‘gifted’ by their parents to the temples & who were married to the gods)
• Devadasis performed music and dance as offerings to the deities, in the temple courtyards
• Bharatnatyam leans heavily on the abhinaya or mime aspect of dance → Dancer expresses the sahitya through movement

• The performance ends with amangalam invoking the blessings of the Gods.
• The accompanying orchestra consists of a vocalist, a mridangam player, a violinist or veena player, a flautist and a cymbal player.
• The person who conducts the dance recitation is known as the Nattuvanar

Kathak (Uttar Pradesh)

• Kathakars or story-tellers, are the people who narrate stories, largely based on episodes from the epics, myths and legends
• Probably started as an oral tradition with Mime & gestures added lately to make the recitation more effective
• Vaishnavism (15^th century) became the prominent range of lyrics and musical forms – Krishna and his leela
• Dance in Raslila was mainly an extension of the basic mime and gestures of theKathakars
• In both Hindu & Muslim courts, Kathak became highly popular source of entertainment
• Weight of the body is equally distributed along the horizontal & vertical axis

• Full foot contact is of prime importance; with no use of sharp bends of the upper or lower part of the body
• Torso movements emerge from the change of the shoulder line rather than through the manipulations of the backbone
• Both the drummer and the dancer weave endless combinations on a repetitive melodic line
• Being the only classical dance of India having links with Muslim culture, it represents a unique synthesis of Hindu and Muslim genius in art.
• Kathak is the only form of classical dance wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian music

Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)

• This dance originated in Kuchipudi village, Krishna district of modern Andhra Pradesh.
• It was conceived in 17th century by Vaishnava poet Siddhendra Yogi.
• It begins with an invocation to Lord Ganesha followed by Nritta (non-narrative pure dancing), Nritya (narrative dancing) and Natya.

• The dance is performed on Carnatic music where singer is accompanied by musical instruments like mridangam, violin, flute and tambura.
• Marked by fast rhythmic footwork & sculpturesque body movements.

Kathakali (Kerala)

• Kathakali is a blend of dance, music and acting and dramatizes stories, which are mostly adapted from the Indian epics
• Conducted at night & ends in early morning → Originated from Ramanattam (Ram story via 8 plays)
• A mixture of rice paste and lime is applied to make the chutti on the face, which highlights the facial make-up
• The face of the artist is painted over to appear as though a mask is worn
• The lips, the eyelashes and the eyebrows are designed to look prominent
• The technical details cover every part of the body from facial muscles to fingers, eyes, hands and wrists.
• The weight of the body is on the outer edges of the feet which are slightly bent and curved.

• The movement of the eyebrows, the eye-balls and the lower eye-lids as described in the Natya Shastra are not used to such an extent in any other dance style
• The characters in a Kathakali performance are broadly divided into Satvika, Rajasika & Tamasika types
• Satvika characters are noble, heroic, generous and more refined

Odissi (Odissa)

• Archaeological evidence of this dance form dates back to the 2^nd century BC → Found in the caves of Udayagiri & Khandagiri near Bhubaneshwar
• Probably it the the oldest classical dance of India & denotes the worship of Lord Jagannath
• The Sun Temple at Konarak, built in the 13^th century, with its Natya mandap or Hall of dance, marks the culmination of the temple building activity in Orissa
• These dance movements, frozen in stone, continue to inspire Odissi dancers even today
• Themaharis, who were originally temple dancers came to be employed in royal courts which resulted in the degeneration of the art form
• Facial expressions, hand gestures and body movements are used to suggest certain feelings or emotions
• With the lower half of the body remaining static, the torso moves from one side to the other

• Great training is required for this control so as to avoid any shoulder or hip movement
• There are certain foot positions with flat, toe or heel contact; with almost all leg movements being spiral/circular
• Prominent Feature → independent movement of head, chest and pelvis
• The techniques of movement are built around the two basic postures of the Chowk (above) and the Tribhanga (left).
• The chowk represents a very masculine stance with the weight of the body equally balanced.
• The tribhanga represents a very feminine stance where the body is deflected at the neck, torso and the knees
• Odissi dancer still reaffirms the faith of the maharis where they sought liberation or moksha through the medium of dance
• The accompanying orchestra includes Pakhawaj , flute, Sitar / Violin and Manjira 

Sattriya (Assam)

• Introduced by the great Vaishnava saint, Mahapurusha Sankaradeva in Assam around 15^th century
• Nurtured & preserved till today with great commitment by the Sattras (male dancers) in Vaishnava monasteries

Manipuri (Manipur)

• Manipur dance has a large repertoire; however, the most popular forms are the Ras,  Sankirtana & Thang-Ta
• There are five principal Ras dances of which four are linked with specific seasons, while the fifth can be presented at any time of the year
• In Manipuri Ras, the main characters are Radha, Krishna and the Gopis
• Dancers feet never strike the ground hard
• Radha wears a short fine white muslin skirt with a dark velvet blouse; & a traditional white veil to cover the face.
• Krishna wears a yellow dhoti, a dark velvet jacket and a crown of peacock feathers

• The Kirtan form of congregational singing accompanies the dance which is known as Sankirtana in Manipur.
• The martial dancers of Manipur – the Thang-ta – have their origins in the days when man’s survival depended on his ability to defend himself from wild animals.
• The main musical instrument is the Pung or the Manipuri classical drum

Mohiniyattam (Kerala)

• A feminine classical dance form; literally meaning the Dance of the Enchantress
• It is deeply rooted in femininity, Grace (Lasya) and Beauty (Sringara)  forming the quintessence of this dance form
• Distinguishing feature → Characteristic body movements, marked by the graceful sway of the torso
• What is unique is the easy going rise and fall of the body, with emphasis mainly on the torso
• The movements are never abrupt, but dignified, easy, natural, restrained and yet subtle

• The swaying coconut trees in the gentle breeze is reminiscent of the soft and languorous movements of Mohiniyattam
• The traditional costume worn in Mohiniyattam is white with a gold border, along with the gold ornaments
• The unique coiffure with hair gathered on the left side of the head reflect its aesthetic appeal
• Accompanying music → Sopana style, which in its lyricism, is evocative of the spiritual element