Kuchipudi
There
is a legend concerning the origins of kuchipudi. It is said that there was once
an orphan of strikakulam who was raised by the village. These kind people had
him married at childhood as was the custom of the time. However, for hi
training he went to Udipi for vedic studies. During his study he acquired the
name sidhendra yogi. After a time he returned to Srikakulam. However, the
village elders ordered him to go to his wife’s house to assume his family
responsibilities. On the journey he came upon a river. As he was swimming
across the river he suddenly realized that he could swim no further. He then
prayed to god to give him the strength to make it across. He did make it, and
upon reaching the shore he vowed to become a sanyasi and devote his life to
religious affairs.
He
then settled in the village of kuchelapuram and started teaching. Here, he
instructed Brahmin boys in devotional dance dramas based upon religious themes.
These religious plays were presented as offering to god in the tradition of the
natya Shastra.
Kuchipudi
flourished as a dramatic form of dance for hundred of years. It was held in
high esteem by the rules of the deccan. For instance tana shah in 1678 granted
the lands around kuchipudi to the Brahmins who performed the dance.
At
times the dancers could even wield political and social power. One example was
a play-cum-social commentary performed in 1502. It seems that a group of
artists performed before immadi narasa nayaka. In this play, they indicated
that the people were being unfairly treated by a local raja. The dancers
succeeded in freeing him people from the abusive practices of the raja, but the
artist at one point required the protection of the army.
Modern
kuchipudi acquired its present from in the 20th century. A number of
people were responsible for moving it from the villages to the performance
stage. One of the most notable was guru lakshminarayan shastry. After him, a
number of other luminaries would mould it into its present shape. Some notable
names are vempati china satyam, C.R. acharyalu, and Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna.
Manipuri
Manipuri
is unique among the classical Indian dances in that the instrumentation is a
central part of the dance, rather than as a side accompaniment. Dances are very
much based upon the cymbals and the cylindrical drum known as Manipuri mridang
or pung. Unlike other classical, dances where the instrument is merely used as
an accompaniment, the pung and kartal are actually used in the dance. Other
common instruments are the harmonium, pena, bansuri, shankh and esraj. The
songs used in manipri are usually from the great poets of old such as jaydev,
vidyapati, chandidas, govindadas or gyandas. Any of a number of language may be
used such as Sanskrit, Maithili, brijbhasha or others.
There
are a number of forms in Manipuri. These are the ras lila, the pung cholom,
nupa cholom, tholbi and a host of others.we will now look at them in greater
detail.
The
ras lila is the most important dance form in the Manipuri style. The theme
resolves around the love of Krishna and the milkmaids. Although the themes are
romantic, we must remember that the bhakti school of Hinduism considers
physical love as a metaphor for spiritual longing. There are five ras lilas
that deal with divine love of radha and Krishna. These are: maharas, vasantras,
kunjaras, nityaras and divaras. Others ras deal with various aspects of krishna’s
life such as karnabheda, marriage, etc. the performance of ras lila is
generally performed in a special enclosure in front of the temple called a nat
mandap.
Manipuri
dance is purely religious and its aim is a spiritual experience. Development of
music and dance has through religious festivals and daily activities of the
Manipuri people. According to the legend, the indigenous people of the Manipuri
valley were the dance-expert gandharvas mentioned in the hindu epics like
Ramayana and Mahabharata. Not only is dance a medium of worship and enjoyment,
a door to the divine, but indispensable for all socio-cultural ceremonies. From
the religious point of view and from the artistic angle of vision, Manipuri
classical form of dance is claimed not only to be one of the most chastest,
modest, softest and mildestnbut the most meaningful dances of the world.
The
most obliging aspect of Manipuri culture is that, it has retained the ancient
ritual based dances and folk dances along with the later developed classical
Manipuri dance style. Among the classical categories, ‘ras leela’-a highly
evolved dance drama, choreographed on ‘vaishnavite padavalis’ composed by
mainly eminent Bengali poets and some Manipuri gurus, is the highest expression
of artistic genius, devotion and excellence of the manipuris.
Manipuri
dancers do not wear ankle bells to accentuate the beats tapped out by the feet,
in contrast with other indian dance forms, and the dancers feet never strike
the ground hard. Movements of the body and feet and facial expressions in
Manipuri dance are subtle and aim at devotion and grace.
The
history and development of Manipuri dance is interesting. It is said that king
khuyoi tompok was a great patron of the arts and developed Manipuri in the 2nd
century AD. However, it is not very like that this early form of Manipuri had
much in common with contemporary forms.
It
is more likely that Manipuri began to tke a familiar form with the introduction
of Vaishnavism in the 15th century AD. This was first introduced by
king kyamba and greatly expanded under the support of later kings such as
khagemba, chairairangaba and a host of others.
The
earlier forms of Manipuri had not been codified or given a scientific base.
This was accomplished in the 18th century by king bhagychandra. He
invited the major teachers and performers from all over the area to codify
their art into a coherent system.
Today,
Manipuri is generally acknowledge as a classical dance form of very high artistic
and technical standards.
MohiniAttam
MohiniAttam
Mohiniattam
is the feminine dance form of kerala, a state in the south western most part of
india. It is danced by women and is known for its very sensual themes.
Mohiniattam has an extremely, slow seductive quality. It has only been in
recent decades that mohiniattam has risen in popularity and acceptability.
The
myth of mohini is central to the performance. According to the story, brahma
tells the order gods how they can obtain amrit; amrit bestows immortality and
great power. He informs them that they can do so by churned up the ocean of
milk. Unfortunately, the job is so great that the gods are forced to seek the
assistance of the demons. The demons agree to help, but are secretly plotting
to keep it all for themselves.
There
is a typical costume for mohiniattam. It is generally simple and white, or
off-white. Usually there is a gold brocade, possibly with a border of red. One
of the most characteristic signs of the mohiniattam dancer is the bun of hair
worn off-centre. This is very much a characteristic of women from kerala.
Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
is one of the most cherished and the most popular of classical indian
dance-forms, not only within the country but also outside it. It is considered
the epitome of indian of cultural expression.
Lately,
Bharatanatyam is also the focus of criticism. It is damned as archaic and
irrelevant to the modern times, especially by those who frown on its
predominant nayika-nayaka theme. At the same time, evan among its
practitioners, it is often misperceived as being bound witth bhakti alone,
while in fact Srinagara or love has been its dominant motif.
Generally,
the practitioners of the dance fall into four broad categories: those content
with whatever they have been taught and staying the course without adding
anything of their own; those adding through their creativity, a minty freshness
even to the traditional repertoire; those exploring new dimensions within the
framework of tradition; and, of course, the rootless ones of modern times who,
not knowing which way to go, thinker with the art to the point they degrade it.
The middle two categories overlap to an extent. Those who use the technique of
bharatanatyam as only one element in their composite works embracing martial
arts, etc., are a group apart, outside the penumbra of Bharatanatyam.
The
god and goddesses pleaded lord brahma to create another veda which would be
simple for the common man to understand. It is believed that considering this
request lord brahma created the Panchamaveda, ffift veda, natyaveda, an essence
of the other four vedas. It is believed that he has taken pathya form the
Rigveda, abhinaya from the Yajurveda, geet from samaveda and rasa from
Atharvaveda to form thefifth veda, natyaveda.
Sharada Pokle SU150386
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized
classical dance – drama form which originated from Kerala in the 17th
century. This classical dance form is particularly noticed for dancer’s
elaborate costume, towering head gear, billowing skirts, and long silver nails.
Recent developments in Kathakali over the years include improved looks, refined
gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming. Kathakali
is performed regularly at festivals in temples, at culturals shows for
connoisseurs and also at international events, occasionally in fusion dance
experiments.
Kathakali
is a combination of literature, music, painting, acting and dance. “Katha” means
story and “Kali” stands for dance. This is a form of dance firmly confined only
to the festival stages in temples. It symbolizes a blending of the Aryan and
Dravidian cultures, for shaping its technique.
The
technique of kathakali includes a highly developed language of gesture, through
which the artist can convey whole sentences and stories. The major original
kathakali styles included Vettathu Sampradayam, kalladikkodan Sampradayam, and
Kaplingadu Sampradayam.
Kathakali
is a dramatic performance in which the actor interpret their emotions through
highly sensitive medium. This is done by its vivid and persuasive mudras,
natural and impressive gestures, graceful and rhythmic movements, wealthy of
imagery.it belongs to the imaginative type spoken of in Bharatas Natyashastra.
Kathakali is a male art and the dancing is masculine.
kathak
Originating
from north Indian states, in ancient Indian temples Brahmin priests used to
narrate the stories of gods and goddesses through dance, they were known as
(kathakar) and the dance came to be known as “Kathak”. Kathak traces its
origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathak, or movement.
From the 16th century onwards it absorbed certain features of Persian dance and
central Asian dance which were imported by the royal courts of the Mughal era. There
are three major schools or gharana s of Kathak from which performers today
generally draw their lineage: the gharanas of Benares, Jaipur and Lucknow.
Kathak
was primarily associated with an institution known as the tawaif. This is a
much misunderstood institution of female entertainers, very much like the
geisha tradition of japan. It was a profession which demanded the highest
standards of training, intelligence, and most important civility. It is said
that it was common for royality to send their children’s to the tawaif for
instruction in etiquette.
odissi
Odissi,
also known as orissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It
originates from the state of Odisha, in eastern India. It is the oldest
surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. There
are mainly three books of Odissi. The classic treatise of Indian dance, natya shatra,
refers to it as odra – Magadha. 1st BCE bas-reliefs in the hills of udaygiri
testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British raj, but has been
reconstructed since India gained independence.
It is particularly distinguished from other
classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the Tribhanga,
the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis and upon the basic square
stance known as chauka or chouka that symbolizes lord Jagannath. This dance is
characterized by various Bhangas, which involves stamping of the foot and
striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures. The common Bhangas are Bhanga,
Abhanga, Atibhanga, and Tribhanga.
Odissi
dance was held in high esteem before the 17th century. Through a
very old dance form, Odissi got recognition as a classical dance from the
central government officially, after efforts by many scholars and performers in
the 1950s, including a powerful lec-dem in April 1958 by kavichandra kalicharan
Pattanayak.on Oriya poet, dramatist and researcher. Pattanayak.on is also
credited with naming the dance form as “Odissi”
sattriya
Sattriya,
or Sattriya Nritya is one among eight principle classical Indian dance traditions.
Whereas some of the other traditions have been revived in the recent past, Sattriya
has remained a living tradition since its creation by the founder of
Vaishnavism in Assam, the great saint srimant sankardeva, in 15th century Assam.
Sattriya dance performed at Guwahati Rabindra Bhawan.
Sankardeva
created Sattriya Nritya as an accompaniment to the Ankia Naat, which were
usually performed in the sattras, as Assam monasteries are called. As the
tradition developed and grew within the sattras, the dance form came to be
called Sattriya Nritya. Today, although Sattriya Nritya has emerged from within
the confines of the sattras to a much wider recognition, the sattras continue
to use the dance form for ritualistic and other purposes for which it was
originally created circa 500 years ago. It also has recently become one of the Indian
Classical Dances.
The
core of sattriya Nritya has usually been mythological stories. This was an
artistic way of presenting mythological teachings to the people in an
accessible, immediate, and enjoyable manner. Traditionally, sattriya was
performed only by bhokots in monasteries as a part of their daily rituals or to
mark special festivals. Today, in addition to this practice, sattriya is also performed
on stage by men and women who are not the members of the sattras.
Shivali Gaonkar SU150207
Shivali Gaonkar SU150207
fugdi
The Fugadi is a traditional dance of goa that is quite
popular among the women folk of goa. This dance is devoted to the Hindu
Elephant god, lord ganesha. Fugadi is a folk dance performed by the women in
the Konkani region during Hindu religious festivals like ganesh chaturthi and
vrata or towards the end of other dances like Dhalo. Fugadi is an art form that
can be traced to the primeval cultural traditions of goa. It is performed
during various religious and social occasions.
Fugadi is generally
performed during the month of Bhaadrapada, an occasion for the women to take an
temporary break from their normal, monotonus schedule. The women sing and dance
while enacting varied formations in a circle or in rows. Usually women in the
villages dance Fugadi in circles and women in forest settlements formulate
rows. The dance starts with invocation to Hindu gods. The pace is slow in the
beginning, but soon attains a fast pace, reaching climax. No percussion support
is provided. At the maximum pace, the dancers match the rhythm by blowing air
through the mouth that sounds like “FOO”. Hence the same Foogdi or Fugadi. Fugadi
this dance is performed at a slower pace. This is one of the most common dances
that is performed in goa.
Dhalo
Dhalo usually begins on a Wednesday or on a Sunday. Prior to
the celebrations, the women decorate the pen space of their house and the
temple with rangoli. Women from the villages are also welcomed to participate
in the dance. However, widows do not take part in the dhalos.
The performance takes place in a sacred open space known as
mand where all the village folk gather to sing, dance or play music as per part
of ritualistic performance. Around midnight the various dances and games begin.
The dancers arrange themselves in two parallel rows of 12, facing each other.
They form a link within themselves in a tribal fashion with an arm around the
back arrangement. In general, two rows of women face each other by swaying
forward and backward while singing the stories of their life and the
contemporary society. This dances are performed on the first six nights of
Dhalo. Originally the themes of the songs sung during the dhalo were about Krishna’s
romance, Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Virabhadra is described as a warrior who eventually blinded
Bhaga and broke, among many other countless Gods. Virabhadra also known as
veerabhadra belongs to Rajaka. The origin of Virabhadra is related to the
mythological story of Daksha Yaga. Lord Shiva created him by thrashing his
matted lock in his deep anger and sorrow due to the self-immolation of sati Devi.
The history of Dasha Yaga and sati Devi’s
self-immolation had immense significance in shaping the Sanskrit literature.
It led to the development of the concept of Shakti Peethas and there by strengthening
Shaktism. Enormous mythological stories in puranas took the Daksha yaga as the
reason for its origin.
It is an important incident in Shaivism resulting in the
emergence of shree Parvati in the place of Sati Devi and making Shiva a
grihastashrami. Kttiyoor Vysakha Mahotsav a 27 day yagnja ceremony, conducted
in the scene hilly jungle location in North Kerala is a huge religious
pilgrimage attracting thousands of pilgrims. It is a festival commemorating the
Daksha yaga and self-immolation of sati Devi. The Daksha yaga is said to have
located in this place, Sati Devi is said to have committed suicide here. The
rites and rituals of the temple were classified by Shri Sankaracharya.
Goff
Goff dance also called “ribbon dance” is one of the popular
folk dances of goa. It is performed during the shigmo festival in Phalguna
month. Gaon peasants mainly prtaice this dance after the harvest as a
manifestation of their enjoyment. This dance has an affinity with tribal dance
forms of Gujarat state. The dance is a major attraction during the festive
season and it attracts audiences from various parts of the country. Generally
this folk dance is performed I a group. The dance can be performed by a group
of males and females. Each dancer hold a colourful cord which hangs at the
centre point of the ‘mand’ which is the place of dance performance. The dancers
start dancing intricately forming a beautiful, colourful, intricate braid at the
first movement. The music begins once again and the dancers reverse the pattern
of dancing in such a skilful manner that at the end of the second movement, the
braid gets unrevealed and all the cords are loose and single once again.
There are four different braids of Goff dance. The songs
that are sung during the Goff dance performance are mostly devoted to Lord
Krishna. Ghumat, Samael and surta Shansi or melodic musical instruments
accompany the dance performance.
The costume of this folk dance is varied however all the
attires are traditional. Some male groups prefer to wear Kurta-pyjama and some
kurta dhoti. One the other hand, some female dance groups clad themselves in
ghagra-choli while some sari.
Sanashri Shirodkar SU150437
Sanashri Shirodkar SU150437
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