Indian classical dance is a relatively new umbrella term for various codified art forms rooted in Natya, the sacred Hindu
musical theatreMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
styles, whose theory can be traced back to the
Natya ShastraThe Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written at an uncertain date in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
of
Bharata MuniBharata was an ancient Indian musicologist who authored the Natya Shastra, a theoretical treatise on ancient Indian dramaturgy and histrionics, dated to between roughly 400 BC and 200 BC. Indian dance and music find their root in the Natyashastra...
(400 BC). These are:
- Dances performed inside the sanctum of the temple according to the rituals were called Agama Nartanam. Natya Shastra classifies this type of dance form as margi
Margi is village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Before 1960, the village half of the population was made up almost exclsively of Turkish Cypriots....
, or the soul-liberating dance, unlike the desiDesi or Deshi refers to the peoples, cultures, and products of South Asia...
(purely entertaining) forms.
- Dances performed in royal courts to the accompaniment of classical music were called Carnatakam.
Indian classical dance is a relatively new umbrella term for various codified art forms rooted in Natya, the sacred Hindu
musical theatreMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
styles, whose theory can be traced back to the
Natya ShastraThe Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written at an uncertain date in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
of
Bharata MuniBharata was an ancient Indian musicologist who authored the Natya Shastra, a theoretical treatise on ancient Indian dramaturgy and histrionics, dated to between roughly 400 BC and 200 BC. Indian dance and music find their root in the Natyashastra...
(400 BC). These are:
- Dances performed inside the sanctum of the temple according to the rituals were called Agama Nartanam. Natya Shastra classifies this type of dance form as margi
Margi is village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Before 1960, the village half of the population was made up almost exclsively of Turkish Cypriots....
, or the soul-liberating dance, unlike the desiDesi or Deshi refers to the peoples, cultures, and products of South Asia...
(purely entertaining) forms.
- Dances performed in royal courts to the accompaniment of classical music were called Carnatakam. This was an intellectual art form.
- Darbari Aattam form of dance appealed more to the commoners and it educated them about their religion, culture and social life. These dances were performed outside the temple precincts in the courtyards. Both Carnatakam and Darbari Aattam in particular were predominantly desi
Desi or Deshi refers to the peoples, cultures, and products of South Asia...
forms.
For lack of any better equivalents in the European culture, the British colonial authorities called any performing art forms found in India as "Indian dance". Even though the art of Natya includes nritta, or
danceDance is a sport and art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
proper, Natya has never been limited to dancing and includes singing,
abhinayaAbhinaya is a concept in Indian dance and drama derived from Bharata's Natya Shastra. Although now, the word has come to mean 'the art of expression', etymologically it derives from Sanskrit abhi- 'towards' + nii- 'leading/guide', so literally it means a 'leading towards' Aside from its clear...
(
mimeA mime most frequently refers to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech...
acting). These features are common to all the Indian classical styles. In the
margiMargi is village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Before 1960, the village half of the population was made up almost exclsively of Turkish Cypriots....
form Nritta is composed of
karanaKarana may refer to:*Karana dance, poses in classical Indian dance*Karana, the main character in Scott O'Dell's novel Island of the Blue Dolphins, who is based on the historical Juana Maria*Karrana, a village in Bahrain...
s, while the
desiDesi or Deshi refers to the peoples, cultures, and products of South Asia...
nritta consists mainly of adavus.
The term "classical" (Sanscr. "Shastriya") was introduced by
Sangeet Natak AkademiSangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
to denote the
Natya ShastraThe Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written at an uncertain date in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
-based performing art styles. A very important feature of Indian classical dances is the use of the
mudraA mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
or hand gestures by the artists as a short-hand
sign languageA sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
to narrate a story and to demonstrate certain concepts such as objects, weather, nature and emotion.
Sangeet Natak AkademiSangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
currently confers classical status on eight Indian dance styles:
- Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam is a classical Indian dance form originating in Tamil Nadu. This dance form denotes various 19th and 20th century reconstructions of Cathir, the art of temple dancers. Cathir in turn, is derived from ancient dance forms. Bharatanatyam is usually accompanied by the classical music...
- Tamil Classical Dance
- Odissi
thumb|right|Sharmila Biswas performing Odissi in a dance festival in keralaOdissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India....
- Orissa Classical dance
- Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form from Andhra Pradesh, a state of South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a small village in the Divi Taluq of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practising this traditional dance form, it acquired the present...
- Telugu Classical dance
- Manipuri
Manipuri dance is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. It originates from Manipur, a state in north-eastern India on the border with Myanmar . In Manipur, surrounded by mountains and geographically isolated at the meeting point of the orient and mainland India, the form developed its own...
- Manipur Classical Dance
- Mohiniaattam
Mohiniyattam is a traditional South Indian dance from Kerala, one of the eight Indian classical dance forms. It is a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniyattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam"...
- Kerala Classical Dance
- Sattriya
Sattriya, or Sattriya Nritya, is one among eight principal classical Indian dance traditions. Whereas some of the other traditions have been revived in the recent past, Sattriya has remained a living tradition since its creation by the Assamese Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva, in 15th century...
- Asamese Classical Dance
- Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylised classical Indian dance-drama noted for its attractive make-up of characters, their elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
- Malayalam Classical Dance
- Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from northern India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or story tellers...
- North Indian Classical Dance
Out of the 8 styles, the only 2
temple danceTemple dance denotes a religious performance held in the temples, such as sadir, prescribed by Agamas...
styles that have their origin in
Natya ShastraThe Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written at an uncertain date in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
and are prescribed by the
AgamaAgama is a term for scriptures in Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism:* Āgama * Āgama * Āgama The corresponding adjective is Agamic.Agama can also refer to:* Agama, common name for lizards in the Agamidae family...
s are
BharatanatyamBharatanatyam is a classical Indian dance form originating in Tamil Nadu. This dance form denotes various 19th and 20th century reconstructions of Cathir, the art of temple dancers. Cathir in turn, is derived from ancient dance forms. Bharatanatyam is usually accompanied by the classical music...
and
Odissithumb|right|Sharmila Biswas performing Odissi in a dance festival in keralaOdissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India....
. These two most faithfully adhere to the Natya Shastra but currently do not include Vaachikaabhinaya (dialog acts), although some styles of Bharatanatyam, such as
Melattur styleThis Bharatanatyam style was developed largely out of the devadasi traditions and MelatturBhagavata Mela by Mangudi Dorairaja Iyer , a sanyasi following Srividya Upasana. He re-established the Suddha Nrittam , Bhattasa Natyam and Perani Natyam...
, prescribe the lip movements indicating Vaachikaabhinaya.
KuchipudiKuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form from Andhra Pradesh, a state of South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a small village in the Divi Taluq of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practising this traditional dance form, it acquired the present...
, which also prescribes the lip movements indicating Vaachikaabhinaya, and
MohiniaattamMohiniyattam is a traditional South Indian dance from Kerala, one of the eight Indian classical dance forms. It is a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniyattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam"...
are relatively recent Darbari Aatam forms, just as
KathakaliKathakali is a highly stylised classical Indian dance-drama noted for its attractive make-up of characters, their elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
, and two eastern Indian styles,
ManipuriManipuri dance is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. It originates from Manipur, a state in north-eastern India on the border with Myanmar . In Manipur, surrounded by mountains and geographically isolated at the meeting point of the orient and mainland India, the form developed its own...
and
SattriyaSattriya, or Sattriya Nritya, is one among eight principal classical Indian dance traditions. Whereas some of the other traditions have been revived in the recent past, Sattriya has remained a living tradition since its creation by the Assamese Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva, in 15th century...
, that are quite similar.
KathakKathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from northern India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or story tellers...
was created in the
MughalThe Mughal era is the historic period of the Mughal Empire in India, it ran from the early sixteenth century, to a point in the early eighteenth century when the Mughal Emperors' power had dwindled...
period under the influence of
Persian dancePersian dance refers to the type of dancing from Iran. Upper body motion is emphasized, with hand motions, trunk undulations and facial expressions being points of attention. Although often compared to Arabic dance, Persian Classical dance is actually very distinct, especially in its lack of hip...
and various other folk dance forms. As it does not adhere to any shastra and cannot be called Shastriya (classical).
Currently,
Sangeet Natak AkademiSangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
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 ShastraThe Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written at an uncertain date in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
's precepts, is considered as a variety of Bharatanatyam.
Classical Indian dance in the British Raj and since 1947
The
British RajThe British Raj was the British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; it can also refer to the period of dominion, and even the region under the rule...
in India was a time of cultural hardship where these traditional dances were viewed by the British rulers as debauched and of doubtful morality. Furthermore, they were all labelled broadly as 'Indian dance' with no regard to the specifics of style. Later, linking dance with
tawaifTawaif was a courtesan who catered to the nobility of South Asia, particularly during the Mughal era.The tawaifs contributed to music, dance, theatre, film, and the Urdu literary tradition.-History:...
s and
devadasiDevadasi is originally described a Hindu religious practice in which girls were "married" and dedicated to a deity , although in practice, they are also subject to providing sexual favours to the clergy...
s (both groups whom the government considered to be prostitutes), British rule prohibited public performance of dance. In 1947, India achieved independence. The classical forms and regional distinctions of dance were re-discovered, ethnic specialities were honoured.
See also
External links
-- over 250 links to Classical Indian Dance resources