Indian classical dance
Indian classical dance, or Shastriya Nritya, is an
Summary
Indian classical dancing started around 200 BCE in India, as a joyful and celebratory activity, often in devotion to Hindu deities. Many of the performances are choreographed to retell stories of the gods and other historical accounts. All styles of Indian classical dance are vibrant, expressive and spiritual. Dance performances usually take place at festivals, universities, various cultural events, and more. The dancers who perform these styles are usually professionals who have devoted years of study and practice in their respective style of Indian classical dance. In performances, the dancers move to the beat of the song or music that is playing; in some styles, such as Kathak, bells are worn around the ankles at times for added rhythmic effect when the feet are stomped. The dancer takes the role of the character that they are portraying in the performance, the composition being specific, and become emotionally connected with the story and the audience.[12]
When dancers perform classical Indian dancing they wear traditional clothes including
Types of classical dances
The
Performance arts and culture
Let Nātya (drama and dance) be the fifth vedic scripture.
Combined with an epic story,
tending to virtue, wealth, joy and spiritual freedom,
it must contain the significance of every scripture,
and forward every art.
While the Natya Shastra is the revered ancient text in the Hindu tradition, there are numerous other ancient and medieval Sanskrit dance-drama related texts that further discuss and expand on the classical repertoire of performance arts, such as the : "Shastriya") denotes the ancient Indian Shastra-based performing arts.
The text Natya Shastra describes religious arts as a form as margi, or a "spiritual traditional path" that liberates the soul, while the folk entertainment is called desi, or a "regional popular practice".[28][29][30]
Indian classical dances are traditionally performed as an expressive drama-dance form of religious performance art,[3] related to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, pan-Hindu Epics and the Vedic literature, or a folksy entertainment that includes story-telling from Sanskrit or regional language plays.[31] As a religious art, they are either performed inside the sanctum of a Hindu temple, or near it.[1][2] Folksy entertainment may also be performed in temple grounds or any fairground, typically in a rural setting by travelling troupes of artists; alternatively, they have been performed inside the halls of royal courts or public squares during festivals.[32]
However, this is not the case for Kathak, Manipuri and Chhau as it has their own uniqueness. Kathak can be also performed on
Like Manipuri, Chhau also had elements on combat.Dance forms
The Natya Shastra mentions four Pravrittis (traditions, genres) of ancient dance-drama in vogue when it was composed – Avanti (Ujjain, central), Dakshinatya (south),
Sources differ in their list of Indian classical dance forms.[38][39] Encyclopædia Britannica mentions six dances.[40] The Sangeet Natak Akademi has given recognition to eight Indian dances.[41] The Indian government's Ministry of Culture includes nine dance forms.[42] Scholars such as Drid Williams and others include Yakshagana and Bhagavata Mela to the nine classical Indian dances in the Sangeet Natak Akademi list.[3][11]
The classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministry of Culture are:[41][43]
Eight classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministry of Culture
- Bharatanatyam, from Tamil Nadu
- Kathak, from northern India
- Kathakali, from Kerala
- Kuchipudi, from Andhra Pradesh
- Manipuri, from Manipur
- Mohiniyattam, from Kerala[a]
- Odissi, from Odisha
- Sattriya, from Assam[b]
Other dances also recognised by the Ministry of Culture
Images
Some famous Indian classical dancers are :
- Bharatanatyam -
- Kathak -
- Kathakali - Krishnan Nair
- Kuchipudi - Mallika Sarabhai, V. Satyanarayana Sarma, Deepa Shashindran
- Manipuri - Devjani Chaliha, Amala Shankar
- Mohiniyattam - Kalamandalam Hymavathy
- Odissi - Sujata Mohapatra, Madhavi Mudgal, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Surendra Nath Jena, Shobana Sahajananan, Minati Mishra
- Sattriya - Indira P. P. Bora, Ghanakanta Bora, Sarodi Saikia
All major classical Indian dance forms include in repertoire, three categories of performance in the Natya Shastra. These are Nritta, Nritya and Natya:[44]
- The Nritta performance is an abstract, fast and rhythmic aspect of the dance.[45] The viewer is presented with pure movement, wherein the emphasis is the beauty in motion, form, speed, range and pattern.[44] This part of the repertoire has no interpretative aspect, no telling of the story. It is a technical performance, and aims to engage the senses (Prakriti) of the audience.[46]
- The Nritya is slower and expressive aspect of the dance that attempts to communicate feelings, storyline particularly with spiritual themes in Hindu dance traditions.[45] In a Nritya, the dance-acting expands to include silent expression of words through gestures and body motion set to musical notes. The actor articulates a legend or a spiritual message. This part of the repertoire is more than sensory enjoyment, it aims to engage the emotions and mind of the viewer.[44][46]
- The Natyam is a play, typically a team performance,[47] but can be acted out by a solo performer where the dancer uses certain standardized body movements to indicate a new character in the underlying story. A Natya incorporates the elements of a Nritya.[44][48][49]
All classical dances of India used similar symbolism and rules of gestures in abhinaya (acting). The roots of abhinaya are found in the Natyashastra text which defines drama in verse 6.10 as that which aesthetically arouses joy in the spectator, through the medium of actor's art of communication, that helps connect and transport the individual into a super sensual inner state of being.[50] A performance art, asserts Natyashastra, connects the artists and the audience through abhinaya (literally, "carrying to the spectators"), that is applying body-speech-mind and scene, wherein the actors communicate to the audience, through song and music.[50] Drama in this ancient Sanskrit text, this is an art to engage every aspect of life, to glorify and gift a state of joyful consciousness.[51]
The communication through symbols is in the form of expressive gestures (mudras or hastas) and pantomime set to music. The gestures and facial expressions convey the ras (sentiment, emotional taste) and bhava (mood) of the underlying story.[52] In Hindu classical dances, the artist successfully expresses the spiritual ideas by paying attention to four aspects of a performance:
- Angika (gestures and body language),
- Vachika (song, recitation, music and rhythm),
- Aharya (stage setting, costume, make up, jewelry),
- Sattvika (artist's mental disposition and emotional connection with the story and audience, wherein the artist's inner and outer state resonates).[52]
- Abhinaya draws out the bhava (mood, psychological states).[52]
See also
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Footnotes
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica excludes Mohiniyattam from the list of the Indian classical dances.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica excludes Sattriya from the list of the Indian classical dances.
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-135-24061-5., Quote: "It would be appropriate here to comment on Hindu classical dance. This developed in a religious context and was given high profile as part of temple worship. There are several regional and other styles as well as source texts, but the point we wish to stress is the participative nature of such dance. In form and content, the heart of dance as worship in Hinduism has always been 'expression' (abhinaya), i.e. the enacting of various themes".
- ^ ISBN 978-1-85567-111-9., Quote: Hindu classical dance-forms, like Hindu music, are associated with worship. References to dance and music are found in the Vedic literature, (...)".
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-972103-0., Quote: All of the dances considered to be part of the Indian classical canon (Bharata Natyam, Chhau, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, Odissi, Sattriya, and Yakshagana) trace their roots to religious practices (...) the Indian diaspora has led to the translocation of Hindu dances to Europe, North America and the world."
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8239-3180-4., Quote: "the Natyashastra remains the ultimate authority for any dance form that claims to be 'classical' dance, rather than 'folk' dance".
- ^ Ragini Devi 1990, pp. 60–68.
- ^ ISBN 9780391032750.
- ^ "6 Classical Dances of India | Britannica".
- S2CID 166744945.
- ISBN 978-81-321-0612-8.
- ^ "Dance | Ministry of Culture, Government of India".
- ^ Yaksagana and Bhagavata Mela.
- ^ Aryan Singh A guide To Indias History
- ^ Aryan Singh A guide to Indias History
- ISBN 978-1-317-32572-7.
- JSTOR 834008.
- .
- ^ a b c Natalia Lidova 2014.
- ^ Tarla Mehta 1995, pp. xxiv, 19–20.
- ^ Wallace Dace 1963, p. 249.
- ^ Emmie Te Nijenhuis 1974, pp. 1–25.
- ^ Kapila Vatsyayan 2001.
- ^ a b Coormaraswamy and Duggirala (1917). "The Mirror of Gesture". Harvard University Press. p. 4.; Also see chapter 36
- ISBN 978-1-61117-108-2.
Quote: "A summation of the signal importance of the Natyasastra for Hindu religion and culture has been provided by Susan Schwartz, "In short, the Natyasastra is an exhaustive encyclopedic dissertation of the arts, with an emphasis on performing arts as its central feature. It is also full of invocations to deities, acknowledging the divine origins of the arts and the central role of performance arts in achieving divine goals (...)".
- ^ "Natyashastra" (PDF). Sanskrit Documents.
- ^ Tarla Mehta 1995, pp. xxix, 131–137.
- ISBN 978-94-011-3594-8.
- ^ Ragini Devi 1990, pp. 18–37.
- ^ Reginald Massey 2004, p. 32.
- ^ Ragini Devi 1990, pp. 67, context: 60-68.
- ISBN 978-0-89581-906-2.
- ^ Ragini Devi 1990, pp. 25–30, 67–68, 166.
- ^ Farley P. Richmond, Darius L. Swann & Phillip B. Zarrilli 1993, pp. 3, 34–36, 47, 171–173, 215, 327–329.
- ^ "Kathak Dance Puts Hinduism and Islam in the Same Circle".
- ^ Chowdhurie, Tapati (13 May 2016). "Gem of a journey". The Hindu.
- ^ "Manipuri Dance: A Journey" (PDF). esamskriti.com.
- ^ "Manipuri dance elbowed out by Bharat Natyam, Odissi, Kathak".
- ISBN 978-81-85026-13-8.
- ^ "Indian Classical Dance". One India. 2009-04-19. Archived from the original on 2009-04-17. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ISBN 9781845571696.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. dance (performing arts) : Indian classical dance. Retrieved 03-11-2010.
- ^ a b SNA || Awards & Honours
- ^ a b "Dance". Indiaculture.nic.in. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
- ^ "Dance | Ministry of Culture, Government of India". indiaculture.nic.in.
- ^ JSTOR 1124019.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-415-99404-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4381-3078-1.
- ^ Kavitha Jayakrishnan (2011), Dancing Architecture: the parallel evolution of Bharatanātyam and South Indian Architecture, MA Thesis, Awarded by University of Waterloo, Canada, page 25
- ^ Reginald Massey 2004, pp. 33–38, 83–84, 207–214.
- ISBN 978-0-8240-4946-1.
- ^ a b Tarla Mehta 1995, p. 3.
- ^ Tarla Mehta 1995, p. 5.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-317-32572-7.
Bibliography
- Ambrose, Kay (1984). Classical Dances and Love of India. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Ragini Devi (1990). Dance Dialects of India. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0674-0.
- Natalia Lidova (2014). "Natyashastra". Oxford University Press. .
- Natalia Lidova (1994). Drama and Ritual of Early Hinduism. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1234-5.
- Williams, Drid (2004). "In the Shadow of Hollywood Orientalism: Authentic East Indian Dancing" (PDF). Visual Anthropology. 17 (1). Routledge: 69–98. S2CID 29065670. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
- Tarla Mehta (1995). Sanskrit Play Production in Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1057-0.
- Reginald Massey (2004). India's Dances: Their History, Technique, and Repertoire. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 978-81-7017-434-9.
- ISBN 90-04-03978-3.
- Kapila Vatsyayan (2001). Bharata, the Nāṭyaśāstra. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-1220-6.
- Kapila Vatsyayan (1977). Classical Indian dance in literature and the arts. Sangeet Natak Akademi. OCLC 233639306., Table of Contents
- Kapila Vatsyayan (1974). Indian classical dance. Sangeet Natak Akademi. OCLC 2238067.
- Kapila Vatsyayan (2008). Aesthetic theories and forms in Indian tradition. Munshiram Manoharlal. OCLC 286469807.
- Kapila Vatsyayan. Dance In Indian Painting. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 978-81-7017-153-9.
- Wallace Dace (1963). "The Concept of "Rasa" in Sanskrit Dramatic Theory". Educational Theatre Journal. 15 (3): 249–254. JSTOR 3204783.
- Farley P. Richmond; Darius L. Swann; Phillip B. Zarrilli (1993). Indian Theatre: Traditions of Performance. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0981-9.
- Revealing the Art of Natyasastra by Narayanan Chittoor Namboodiripad ISBN 9788121512183
- "Andhra Pradesh Portal: Dance". Andhra Pradesh Government. Archived from the original on 2010-12-04. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
- Aryan Sing (2021) Guide to Indias History New Forest High School
External links
- Media related to Classical dance genres of India at Wikimedia Commons
- Classical Indian dance at Curlie