Dance in India has a rich and vital tradition dating back to ancient times.The Indian dances are broadly divided into Classical dances and folk dances.The Classical dances of India are usually spiritual and religious in content.Indian Classical dance is also known as the traditional Indian dance which has abundant forms and takes human figure as its basic medium of expressions. Like the Indian culture, Indian classical dances are equally diverse in nature.The folk dances of India are also spiritual and religious in content but the main force behind the folk dances of India is the celebratory mood.There are numerous classical dance forms in India and innumerable folk dances.Each dance form can be traced to different parts of the country. Each form represents the culture and ethos of a particular region or a group of people.
Classical Dances
India has a very rich tradition of classical dance. Each form has its own specialty & grace, along with a set pattern of costumes & make-up.Indian classical dance is a relatively new umbrella term for various codified art forms rooted in Natya, the sacred Hindu musical theatre styles, whose theory can be traced back to the
Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni (2nd century BC).Even though the art of Natya includes nritta, or dance proper, Natya has never been limited to dancing and includes singing, abhinaya (mime acting). These features are common to all the Indian classical styles.The foundation of the conventions and methodical movements and types of dance lies in an ancient book of dance, music and drama called Natyashastra.
According to a popular belief, Brahma, the Creator of the World, combined literature from the Rig Veda, songs from the Sama Veda, abhinaya (expression) from the Yajur Veda and rasa (aesthetic experience) from the Atharva Veda, to form natyashastra .It has has over 36,000 verses. Natyashastra is also known as fifth veda.It explains the nuances of dance, giving stress on mudras (hand formations) and their meanings, the kind of emotions and their categorization.Apart from the abhinaya and the performance of rasa, the audience is amused by the attire and ornaments of the artist. The majority of Indian classical dance forms are focused on the depiction of the nine rasas (Navarasas or the emotions), which includes Hasya (happiness), Krodha (anger), Bhibasta (disgust), Bhaya (fear), Shoka (sorrow), Viram (courage), Karuna (compassion), Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (serenity).
As per the ancient treatises, dance is considered as having three aspects: natya, nritya and nritta. Natya highlights the dramatic element and most dance forms do not give emphasis to this aspect today with the exception of dance-drama forms like Kathakali. Nritya is essentially expressional, performed specifically to convey the meaning of a theme or idea. Nritta on the other hand, is pure dance where body movements do not express any mood (bhava), nor do they convey any meaning. To present nritya and natya effectively, a dancer should be trained to communicate the navarasas.
Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national academy for performing arts, recognizes eight distinctive traditional dances as Indian classical dances, which might have origin in religious activities of distant past.They are:
From the Natya Shastra, 3 religious dance/drama forms developed:
Agama Nartanam: Dances performed inside the sanctum of the temple according to the ritual. This was a spiritual dance form.
Carnatakam: Dances performed in royal courts to the accompaniment of classical music. This was an intellectual art form.
Darbari Aattam: Dances performed more for common Indians which educated them about their religion, culture and social life. These dances were performed outside the temple precincts in the courtyards.
A dance style is classical to the extent it incorporates the Natya Shastra techniques. Some of the styles such as Kathak use very few elements found in Natya Shastra. Other art dances yet to be conferred as classical dances, whose theories and techniques can also be traced back to the Natya Shastra are:
Andhra Natyam - Telugu art dance
Vilasini Nrityam/Natyam - Telugu art dance
Kerala Natanam - Kerala classical dance
Out of the eight recognized dance forms, the only two temple dance styles that have their origin in Natya Shastra and are prescribed by the Agamas are Bharata Natyam and Odissi. These two most faithfully adhere to the Natya Shastra but currently do not include Vaachikaabhinaya (dialog acts), although some styles of Bharata Natyam, such as Melattur style, prescribe the lip and eye movements indicating Vaachikaabhinaya.
Kuchipudi, which also prescribes the lip movements indicating Vaachikaabhinaya, and Mohiniyattam are relatively recent Darbari Aatam forms, just as Kathakali, and two eastern Indian styles, Manipuri and Sattriya, that are quite similar.
Kathak originated as a court dance. Some believe it evolved from Lord Krishna's raas lilas, forms of which have also evolved into the popular Garba-style dances popular in North India and Gujarat. The style gradually changed during the Mughal period under the influence of Persian dance, a major change being straight knees instead of the bent knees used in most other Indian classical forms. Intricate footwork and spins, as well as abhinaya, are the highlights of Kathak.
Currently, Sangeet Natak Akademi does not consider the recently reconstructed dance styles of Andhra Pradesh such as Andhra Natyam and Vilasini Natyam as "classical." Bharatanrithyam, despite being the one most closely following Natya Shastra's precepts, is considered as a variety of Bharata Natyam.
Folk Dances
Folk dance in India is a term broadly used to describe all forms of folk and tribal dances in regions across India(These types of dances can be categorised into two major categories:
Folk and
Tribal dances).Folk dances are numerous in number and style, and vary according to the local tradition of the respective state, ethnic or geographic regions. There are cultural differences between the two forms- folk and tribal dances- the folk dances are the rural extensions of the larger Indian population for example Bhangra of Punjab and Garba of Gujarat. However, the tribal dances are dances by adivasis, which have a very different culture from the larger Indian population. It may be noted here that Indian tribal dances are vastly dissimilar from Indian folk dances, which can never be related. A common example of a tribal dance is the Santhali Dance, indigenous from Chottanagpur region. Other tribal dances of India include the Dhimsa dance by Oriya tribes, the Dhimsa dance, yet another tribal dance from Andhra Pradesh, the Nagaland tribal dances,etc. Each of these aboriginal tribes possesses its own distinguishable dance traditions and invariably all of them are interwoven with the life of the people who dance it.
Indian Folk dances have originated with a view to be a creation of different socio-economic set up and traditions. While Indian classical dance is considered a higher form of art and was practiced in courts, temples and on special occasions, folk dance forms are practiced in groups in rural areas as an expression of their daily work and rituals. Indian folk as well as tribal dances are simple and performed to express joy and performed to celebrate a season, festivals and so on. Its simplicity is shown by its less movement and uncomplicated steps.Some of the popular folk dances that are performed across villages and cities are Bhangra, Garba, Kalbelia and Bihu.Many folk dances are devoted to the presiding God of the specific community. The most appealing element of a folk dance is the requisite outfit for its performance. In Indian Folk Dances the accessories play a vital role, these costumes provide a separate identity to the folk dance. Many a time, folk dances are termed as per the name of the accessory used.
Almost all the regions of the country have their specific folk music and dance, which proves to be a wonderful way of expression of their community and its traditions. Though these folk dances are not as complex as the classical dance forms, they are very beautiful, because of the essence of rawness in them. Folk dances are performed for every possible occasion, to celebrate the arrival of seasons, birth of a child, a wedding and festivals. The folk dances are extremely simple with minimum of steps or movement. Indian folk dances are full of energy and vitality. Some dances are performed separately by men and women while in some performances men and women dance together. On most occasions, the dancers sing themselves, accompanied by artists with instruments. Each form of folk dance has a specific costume and rhythm. Most of the costumes, worn for folk dances, are colorful with extensive jewels and designs.
