The Miracle of Yoga

Infinite varieties of Indian classical dance

There is sculptural evidence from India that underlines the rich tradition of dance that flourished over a thousand years ago. Through this evidence, we see that in ancient India, dance and music were not only seen as ways to celebrate, but also as offerings of worship and thanksgiving to the deity. Over the course of time, the dance forms practiced in different parts of the country were codified and developed distinct identities according to the geographic, socio-economic and political conditions of each region. All dance forms were structured around the nine ‘rasa’ or emotions. They are hasya (happiness), shoka (sorrow), krodha (anger), karuna compassion), bhibatsa (disgust), adhbuta (wonder), bhaya (fear), viram (courage) and shanta (serenity).

Bharatanatyam is amongst the oldest of the contemporary classical dances of India. Bharatha stands for Bhavana which is mood, Raga is music, and Tala is rhythm, while Natyam stands for Nritya or dance. Overwhelming literary, architectural and epigraphical evidence testifies to its antiquity, but the dance in its present form is not more than two hundred years old, having had its beginnings in ancient Tamil culture mingling with Sanskrit culture. The origins of the dance can be traced to the Tolkappiyam, a work of Tamil grammar offering insights into the art and life of the people. The earliest architectural evidence of dance in Tamil Nadu is found in the Jaina rock-cut caves.

The term Kathak etymologically derived from Katha or story, stands for a class or community of storytellers referred to as Gaur Brahmins. The word Kathaka in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana refers to rhapsodists like Kusilava narrating the story of Rama. In time, Kathak came to stand for the stylized dance form believed to have evolved out of the vocabulary of the storyteller’s art. Kathak is the only Indian dance style combining both Hindu and Islamic influences. It is also the only Indian classical form with a vast body of abstract dance, enabling entire recitals to be sustained on the rhythmic content alone without interpretative dance built on a word based text. Another distinguishing feature is the upright stance, the body of the dancer held absolutely erect. A stylistic feature is the pirouette rendered with one foot anchored to the floor.

The historicity of Odissi is irrefutable, for even the Natya Sastra mentions Odra Magadhi as one of the four regional dances. The name Orissa is believed to be a corruption of the Sanskrit term Odra Desha. Originally, this form of dance was performed in temples as a religious offering by devadasis or temple dancers. The dance tries to capture human emotions of love and passion while keeping the performance soft and lyrical. Odissi dance performances involve a balance between pure dance and expressional dance with a combination of acting.

Kathakali revels in the confrontation of opposites, its heroes and anti-heroes from the Puranas and epics exaggerated out their desires and antagonisms in unabashedly exaggerated theater. Paradoxically, the painted faces hiding the real person under the thick coat of color, are designed to highlight each facial muscle moving in a grand play of emotion. In a matrilineal society, Kathakali evolved as an all male tradition, the female roles played by male artistes being small but thematically central. The actor evokes a stylist world with his elaborate vocabulary of hand gestures, set to subtle micro rhythms. It is the traditional dance of Kerala and is one of the oldest forms of theater in the world. The facial expressions and hand gestures are an important facet of this dance form, enhanced by traditional make-up and costumes.

Mohini Attam, literally Dance of the enchantress, has its seeds in Kerala’s past. The repertoire of Mohini Attam, which had no temple connections or a Kootambalam history, has nevertheless a strong devotional element. It is essentially a solo dance, performed only by women. The word Mohini occurs in an eighteenth-century Malayalam commentary of the Vyavahamangalam Narayanan Nambudiri. The performers depict love and devotion to God and the dancers depict purity by wearing a white sari and blouse.

One of the most beautiful dance styles of India, Manipuri is completely different in its visual manifestation. The theme of Manipuri is based on Raas Leela, which depicts the cosmic dance of Krishna and the cowherd maidens. The beautiful embroidered skirts of the dancers are long and flared from the waist with translucent veils. This along with Krishna’s costume with a tall peacock feather crown, adds to the radiant appearance of this dance as the performers sway and twirl to an ascending tempo.

Kuchipudi performances are dance dramas, commonly referred as Ata Bhagavantham. It was once practiced by Brahmin performers of an Andhra Pradesh village, Kuchelapuram, but today a majority of female exponents perform in what was once an all-male tradition. Stylized mime, using hand gestures and subtle facial expressions, is combined with acting. Themes are derived from the scriptures and is accompanied by Carnatic music. A typical orchestra for a Kuchipudi recital includes the mridangam, flute and violin.

One of the ways to experience the diversity of Indian culture and tradition is through its folk art. Folk dances have different faces in different regions. These dances are more popular than classical dance forms as they are simpler to understand and perform.

NOTEBOOK: A notable publication detailing the dance form is “Indian Classical Dance: Tradition in Transition” by Leela Venkataraman, published by Roli Books, New Delhi , India . ISBN 81-7436-216-9.