Booklet on dances of india

Dances of India

Classical dancesThe classical dance forms which have devel-oped, have set rules that have been followed traditionally over the years. On the basic model, various gurus incorporate their own imaginative innovations, leading to various schools within a particular dance form. Apart from the gracious hand & leg postures & movements, the dancers have to acquire the skill of portraying various emotions faithfully in each expression on their face & each fluid movement of their hand, legs & in fact their whole body. Every part conveys some meaning in their graceful motion.

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Kathakali originated in the state of Kerala. It is noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body move-ments presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary per-cussion. It is considered to be a combina-tion of five elements of fine art: Expressions (Natyam, the compo-nent with emphasis on facial expres-sions), Dance (Nritham, the component of dance), Enactment (Nrithyam, the element of drama with emphasis on “mudras”, which are hand gestures), Song/vocal accompaniment (Geetha), Instru-ment accompaniment (Vadyam)

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Bharata Natyam is a classical dance form originating in Tamil Nadu.It has its inspirations from the sculptures of the ancient temple of Chidambaram.Bharata Natyam comes from the words Bhava (Expression), Raga (Music), Tala (Rhythm) and Natya (Classic Indian Musical Theatre). It is considered to be a ‘fire dance.’ It is one of the five major styles (one for each element) that include Odissi (ele-ment of water), Mohiniattam (element of air), Kuchipudi (element of earth) and Kathakali (element of sky).

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Manipuri dance originated from Manipur.The traditional Manipuri dance style embodies delicate, lyrical and graceful movements. The aim is to make rounded move-ments and avoid any jerks, sharp edges or straight lines. It is this which gives Ma-nipuri gives Manipuri dance its undulat-ing and soft appearance. 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.

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Odissi originated from Orissa, in eastern India. It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independ-ent movement of head, chest and pelvis, and upon the basic square stance known as chauka. Like other Indian classical dance forms, Odissi has two major facets: Nritta or non-representational dance, in which or-namental patterns are created using body movements in space and time; and Abhi-naya, or stylized mime in which symbolic hand gestures and facial expressions are used to interpret a story or theme.

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Folk dancesThe folk dances of any community are per-formed on almost every special occasion and festival, to express elation and joy. These dances are also considered to be auspicious by many of the tribal communities in the country. Many folk dances are dedicated to the presid-ing deity of the specific community. The most interesting part of a folk dance is the attire required for its performance. Every folk dance has its own specific costume and jewelry, which differs from dance to dance. They are, in general, very bright and colorful, with tradi-tional jewelries that give a folk touch to the performance.

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flnh /kekySiddi dhamal dance is a unique folk dance form of India performed by the siddi com-munity of Gujarat. According to some, the ancestors of this community came from Africa. For this reason there are some ele-ments of African culture in this form. The dance is more popular in the Sau-rashtra and Rajpipla region of the state. In this dance form the dancers dance with two thin sticks exhibiting their art and skill while dancing. Also known as Mashira Nritya, in olden days the dance was performed by Siddis after returning from a successful hunt of wild animals when they would be overwhelmed with joy and in a state of frenzy.

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Yakshagana is a form of classical fork theatre which originated from Karna-taka. Literally Yakshagana means song or ‘gana’ sung by a Yaksha. Yakshas were an exotic tribe who are mentioned in ancient Indian Literature. It is a product of Vaishava Bhakti Movement. The origins of Yakshagana can be traced as early as eleventh century A.D.It is usually performed in the twilight hours and is an amazing blend of Sanskrit drama, songs that are folksy in origin and the battles and acts of heroism from the great epics of Mahabharata and Rama-yana. The performers of Yakshagana wear colorful masks during their performance which turn their performance into a visual delight for the viewers.

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dkycsfy;k Kalbelia is the one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by the kalbelia tribe. The main occupation of kalbelians was catching snakes and trading snake venom. Hence, the dance movements and the costumes of their community bear a resemblance to that of the serpents. It is performed to celebrate any joyful moment in the community. The Kalbelia dancers wear long black skirts embroi-dered with silver ribbons. As they spin in a circle, their bodies sway acrobatically, sinuously to the accompaniment of the plaintive notes of the “been”, the wooden instrument of the snake charmers.

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HkkaxMkBhangra is a form of dance and music that originated in the Punjab region. It began as a folk dance conducted by Pun-jabi Sikh farmers to celebrate the com-ing of the harvest season. The specific moves of bhangra reflect the manner in which villagers farmed their land. It is based on music from a Punjabi folk drum, dhol, folk singing, a single-stringed instrument called the iktar, the tumbi and the chimta. The accompany-ing songs are small couplets written in the Punjabi language called bolis. The rhythm serves as a common thread that allows for easy commingling between Punjabi folk and reggae.

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