“Khantaanyat Lambayat Geetam
Hastana Artha Pradakshayat
Chakshubhyam Darshayat Bhavom
Padabhyam Tala Acherait” – Natyashastra
(Keep the song in
your throat
Let your hands
bring out the meaning
Your glance should
be full of expression
While your feet
maintain the rhythm)
Dance is a natural expression - moving the
body to a rhythm is part of our basic instincts. In fact, not dancing (or
singing or painting) is a learned behavior stemming from misplaced social
conditioning. The pre-historic cave paintings of Hoggar Mountains in the Sahara
region dating back to 10,000 BC, the cave paintings of Magura in Europe dating
to about 8000 years BC and paintings on caves found in Southern India dating
back to 3000 BC, depict men and women dancing together. They may have been
dancing to the simple rhythms of clapping hands or to the strains of the flute
like instruments that have been excavated and dated between being 42,000 and
43,000 years old. In essence, each painting perhaps represents the human’s
primal drive to be one with a Universal rhythm.
Before the era of the defined grammar of
classical music and the creative experimentation of contemporary forms there
was the music of the people, or what is known as folk culture. In the Indian
sub-continent, the beats of folk music is indigenous and dates back to the pre
- Aryan invasion of the region. India has approximately 255 indigenous groups
and most have their specific folk articulations. From the drum beats of the
Santhali of Eastern India and the Dhimsa of the South, to the music, costumes
and dance of the Lotha Naga tribes, Indian folk is similar to the rhythms of
the indigenous music across world. It speaks to the universal language of
music, tracing back to the time when the continents were all joined together as
one world. As the continents separated, humans drew boundaries which separated
civilizations. But in their hearts, the people carried with them their music
which forever formed a universal bond of love. One variation which most
traditionalists would not think of as a credible genre of folk music, emerged
from the Indian film industry. But film based dance and music are products of
popular culture and borrow freely from typical folk dances. In essence it is
folk, the music of the people. From the “Dhoe Mahobe Ghat” in Pukar released in 1939 and “Aayi Aayi Besanti Bela” in 1960’s, to
the newest popular songs like “Nagada Sang Dhol Baajey from Ram Leela, the
Indian film industry has used variations of traditional folk as musical pieces,
over the last 90 years.
The Aryan invasion of India dates back to
about 7000 BC. The warrior tribes that came in from Europe pushed the
indigenous Dravidian people into Southern India and into the forests and hills
of the subcontinent. The Aryans also brought with them the folk music of their
homeland, including the rhythm of the nomadic gypsies, which were then absorbed
in the folk music and attire of Northern and Western India. The twirling
movements and the mirrored skirts of the Banjaras in Rajasthan as they dance
the Kalbeliya or the beats of the Faag dance from Haryana, carry with them the
legacy of the Roma nomadic gypsys. The language and culture of present day
mainstream India is Aryan in ethnicity, and is also known as the Indo Germanic
way of life. The mother language of all Indian Aryan languages is Sanskrit. The
refined culture of the Aryans defined the grammar of Indian dance, articulated
in a manuscript known as the Natyashastra.
Natyashastra, believed to have been written by
Sage Bharata around 3000 B.C. is a discourse that details all aspects of
classical Sanskrit theatre. Though there is mention of 12,000 verses in an
ancient script, only 6000 verses remain and have been translated. The chapters
contain comprehensive treatments of the diverse forms that are regarded as the
classical Indian concept of drama, including dance, music, poetics, and
technical requirements such as stage design and size. Another significant
component of the treatise is its justification of Indian drama as a
representation of religious enlightenment. This is in sharp contrast to the
folk forms which primarily reflect the daily lives and challenges of the common
people. The temple dance Bharatanatyam was the first defined dance form of
India, with its methodical levels of instruction and practice, incorporating
both drama (Natya) and pure dance (Nritya).
The use of hand gestures, known as mudras, symbolizing objects and
emotions were detailed. As the dance form evolved, more such gestures were
added to the possible original 55 mudras. The traditional method is retained in
the Tanjavore arrangement whereas the Kalakshetra form is a more stylized
presentation of the dance. Though Bharatnatyam is the oldest known classical
dance form of India, other major classical forms also emerged such as
Kathakali, Manipuri, Odissi, Kuchipudi and Mohiniyattam. All the classical
forms traditionally emerged as artistic representations of the Vedic religious sentiment.
Northern and Western India were the origin
of the folk form of telling stories through dance by travelling artistes known
as Kathaks – or narrators. They adapted some of the grammar of the Natyashastra
and in the 16th century, evolved into the classical from of Katthak in the
courts of the Mughal Emperor. The two
broad traditions of the classical form of Kathak are the Jaipur Gharana and the
Lucknow Gharana. The Bhakti movement was the core of Kathak’s spiritual
articulation. While the Jaipur Gharana retained its spiritual element, the
Lucknow Gharana slowly became popular in the Moghul courts and absorbed various
other elements, highly stylized to entertain the courtiers. Kathak is known for
its intricate footwork to various rhythmic patterns and ending in a series of
pirouettes.
Southern India was the birthplace of several
classical dances. The dance form of Kathakali can be traced back to 17th
century in the present state of Kerala. It is a refined version of the much
older performing arts of Kootha and Koodiyattam. Kootha is an ancient form of
dramatic theatre, where a solo artist narrated a story of the Divine, but its
practice was confined to the Chakyar community. This form later evolved into
Koodiyattam which translates literally to “dancing together”, and is recognized
as the oldest form of Sanskrit theatre. After many other modifications, the
theatrical dance form of Kathakali emerged. Elements were added to the
presentation including two singers for harmony, cymbals to provide the beat, a
powerful drum originally used in temple and a defined method to introduce the
characters from behind a large satin curtain held at the front of the
stage. Later modifications included the
use of Malayalam in addition to the Sanskrit lyrics, to make the performances
more popular and accessible to the less erudite.
The state of Kerala is also the birthplace
of the semi-classical dance, Mohiniyattam. Unlike Kathakali, were the
performers are traditionally all male, Mohiniyattam by name suggests that it is
performed by women. The first mention of the dance form dates back to the 16th
Century AD, gaining patronage in the royal courts. The dance is similar to
Kathakali in its use of hand gestures and storytelling.
`In the 17th century, another classical
dance form emerged in a tiny village called Kuchipudi in the modern day state
of Andhra Pradesh. This style of dancing evolved from an old tradition of dance
drama referred to as Yakshagana. A poet
of some repute, Siddhendra Yogi, initiated young Brahmin boys of Kuchipudi
village to perform his compositions. The presentation of one such poem became
very popular and caught the attention of the royal court. The Nawab of
Golconda, granted the village of Kuchipudi to the families of Brahmins who
pursued this art. At that time all the actors were male. The dance includes
techniques like dancing on the rim of a plate, with a pitcher full of water on
the head and other acrobatic presentations.
Eastern India witnessed the emergence of two
classical forms – Odissi and Manipuri. Like the dances of southern India,
Odissi also has its roots in the tradition of temple dances, and is rich in its
lyrical expression of emotions and divine love. It gained popularity in the
17th century but its practice saw a steady decline, especially during colonial
rule. The society-at-large and the British regarded it more as a representation
of the Devdasi culture. I can only guess that, since the dance and culture of
Southern India were better insulated against colonial influence and was safely
protected by traditionalists, the classical dances of the region were much less
affected by such misplaced interpretations that adversely affected the practice
of Odissi. In the post-independence era,
Odissi saw a revival and rightfully regained its place a codified classical
dance. A unique feature of this form is the Tribhangi, which is not found in
the other classical dances. It is a graceful pose where the body is bent at
three specific points. Like other forms, Odissi also uses the Natyashastra
grammar and mudras to symbolize objects and emotions.
Manipuri is a classical form which emerged
in the present day state of Manipur, with its roots in the ancient dance form
Lal Haraoba, meaning the festivities of the gods. Staged as a ceremonial
offering, its performers are the maibas (priests) and maibis (priestesses) who
through dance, express the theme of the creation of the world. It’s with
arrival of Vaishanivism in the region during the 15th century, that the Divine love
of Radha and Krishna became the focal point of Manipuri structured
compositions. The most performed repertoires in Manipuri are Ras, the
Sankirtanaand the Thang-Ta.
Contemporary dance in India emerged as an
independent form, borrowing from folk and classical genres, as well as global
dance forms. I consider it a misnomer in essence, since contemporary would mean
anything belonging to the times – which would then mean anything of that era.
Hence, as a dancer, I do think the term post-modern creative movements is more
apt in describing the genre. Rabindranath Tagore first fueled such
modernization by encouraging a separate genre called Rabindranrtiya – which was
a true amalgamation of folk and classical forms, and the first attempt at
contemporizing traditional Indian dance. The dances were greatly influenced by
Manipuri and were choreographed to Tagore’s vast repertoire of songs. The
immensely talented dancer, Uday Shankar pioneered the movement as a popular
mainstream art and presented Indian post-modern dance on the global stage.
Modern India offers a rich palette of dance
forms – from traditional folk to post-modern movements. Stalwarts such as
Yamini Krishnamurthy, Mallika Sarabhai. Pandit Birju Maharaj. Rukmini Devi
Arundale. Shovana Narayan. Sonal Mansingh and Uday Shankar to name a few, have
enhanced each dance form and have presented their art to the world. While
formal training in dancing allows for a stylized presentation of various dance
forms and for formal experimentation, the natural act of dancing calls only for
recognizing the rhythm which lies within us. Then we let that rhythm take over
and we unfetter our physical and spiritual selves, giving heed to our elemental
calling and becoming one with the Universe.
[TILOTTAMA BOSE]
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