indian-cultural-dances

Odissi

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:30:24 +0100

Odissi 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.The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as Odra-Magadhi. 1st century BCE bas-reliefs in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneshwar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British 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 tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis, and upon the basic square stance known as chauka.

Kuchipudi

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:21:33 +0100

Kuchipudi (pronounced as 'Koochipoodi') is a Clasical Indian Dance form from Andhra Pradesh, India. It is also popular all over South India.Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form, it acquired the present name.

The performance usually begins with some stage rites, after which each of the character comes on to the stage and introduces him/herself with a daru (a small composition of both song and dance) to introduce the identity, set the mood, of the character in the drama. The drama then begins. The dance is accompanied by song which is typically Carnatic music. The singer is accompanied by mridangam (a classical South indian percussion instrument), violin, flute and the tambura (a drone instrument with strings which are plucked). Ornaments worn by the artists are generally made of a light weight wood called Boorugu.

Yakshagana

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:11:29 +0100

Yakshagana is a musical theater popular in coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is the recent (200 years) scholastic name for what are known in Kannada as Kelike, Dashavatara, Aata, Bayalaata. It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre during Bhakti movement. Yakshagana is popular in the districts of Uttara Karnataka, Udupi, Dhakshina Kannada,and Shimoga of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala. Yakshagana is gaining popularity in Bengaluru since a few years. It has drawn comparisons to the Western tradition of opera. Actors wear costumes and enact various roles. Traditionally, Yakshagana would go on all night. It is sometimes simply called as Aataā in both Kannada and Tulu, meaning "play". Yaksha-gana literally means the song (gana) of a Yaksha. Yakshas were an exotic tribe mentioned in the Sanskrit literature of ancient India.

Yakshagana consists of a Himmela (background musicians) and a Mummela (dance and dialog group) which together perform a Yakshaga Prasanga. Himmela consisting of Bhagawata(singer) who is also the director (is also called the first actor - modalane vesha), Maddale, Harmonium for drone (Pungi was used earlier) and Chande (loud drums). The music is based on pre-Karnataka Sangeeta Ragas characterised by melodic patterns called Mattu and Yakshagana Tala. Yakshagana Talas are believed to be based on the groves which later have evolved into Karnataka Sangeeta Talas. Both Yakshagana Raaga and Yakshagana Tala have some folk influence. A Yakshagana performance begins at the twilight hours with the beating of several fixed compositions on drums called Abbara or Peetike, for up to an hour before the 'actors' get on the stage. The actors wear resplendent costumes, head-dresses, and face paints which they paint themselves .

A performance usually depicts a story from the Indian epics and puranas. It consists of a narrator (Baghawatha) who either narrates the story by singing or sings pre-composed dialogs of characters, backed by musicians playing on traditional musical instruments as the actors dance to the music, with actions that portray the story as it is being narrated. All the components of Yakshagana, music, dance and dialog are improvised. Depending on the ability and scholarship of the actors, variation in dance and amount of dialog may change. It is not uncommon for actors to get into philosophical debates or arguments without going out of the framework of the character being enacted. The acting can be categorised as method acting.

Kathakali

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:48:57 +0100

Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century and has developed over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.
Kathakali originated from a precursor dance-drama form called Ramanattam and owes it share of techniques also to Krishnattam. The word "attam" means enactment. In short, these two forerunning forms to Kathakali dealt with presentation of the stories of Hindu gods Rama and Krishna.

Kottarakkarao complement Krishnanattam, which had its origin under the Zamorins of Kozhikode.

Ignoring the first phase when it was Ramanattam, Kathakali had its cradle in Vettattnad. Here Vettathu Thampuran,Kottayathu Thamparan (This Kottayam is in Malabar and many dedicated artists like Chathu Paniker laid foundations for what is known as Kathakali now. Their efforts were concentrated on the rituals, classical details and scriptural perfection. The Kottaythu Thampuran composed four great works, ...viz. Kirmeeravadham, Bakavadham, Nivathakavacha Kalakeyavadham and Kalyanasaugandhikam. After this the most important changes in Kathakali were brought about through the effors of a single person namely,Kapilgad Narayanan Nambudari (1739–1789). He was from the Northern Kerala, but after basic instructions in various faculties of the art in Vettathu Kalari he shifted to Travencore. In the capital and many other centres he found many willing to co-operate with him in bringing about the reformations.

Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Astapadiattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyattu,Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Pandayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunataham. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called Manipravalam), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience.

Bharata Natyam

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:28:11 +0100

Bharata Natyam or Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form originating in South India, nowadays practiced by predominantly young females and women. It is held as the national dance of India. The dance is accompanied by the classical Carnatic music. It has its inspirations from the sculptures of the ancient tempels od Chidambaram.
Bharata Natyam comes from the words Bhava (Expression), Raga (Music), Tala (Rhythm) and Natya (Classic Indian Musical Theatre). Today, it is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practiced by many dancers all over the world.The Encyclopædia Britannica states that Bharata Natyam is Sanskrit for Bharata’s dancing.

Kathak

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:14:03 +0100

Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from North India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers. These bards, performing in village squares and temple courtyards, mostly specialized in recounting mythological and moral tales from the scriptures, and embellished their recitals with hand gestures and facial expressions. It was quintessential theatre, using instrumental and vocal music along with stylized gestures, to enliven the stories. Its form today contains traces of temple and ritual dances, and the influence of the bhakti movement. From the 16th century onwards it absorbed certain features of Percian dance and Central Asian dance which were imported by the royal courts of the Mughal era.

There are three major schools or gharanas of Kathak from which performers today generally draw their lineage: the gharanas of Jaipur, Lucknow and Benaras (born in the courts of the Kachwaha Rajput kings, the Nawab of Oudh, and Varanasi respectively); there is also a less prominent (and later) Raigarh gharana which amalgamated technique from all three preceding gharanas but became famous for its own distinctive compositions.

The name Kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word katha meaning story, and katthaka in Sanskrit means s/he who tells a story, or to do with stories. The name of the form is properly कत्थक katthak, with the geminated dental to show a derived form, but this has since simplified to modern-day कथक kathak. kathaa kahe so kathak is a saying many teachers pass on to their pupils, which is generally translated, 's/he who tells a story, is a kathak', but which can also be translated, 'that which tells a story, that is Kathak'.