In ancient times dancing, as a religious service, was before and to the Lord; in modern times it is too often a dissipating amusement for and to the devil. India is a land of myraid cultural distinctgions. India has several dance, music and literature forms. These keep changing frequently and that is what makes our country so unique.
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Dance is an inseparable part of Indian culture and it is manifested in all festivals, social and religious occasions. It is depicted through painting, sculpture, music and literature. Many times it forms the part of the rituals. Traditional dramatic forms of India are full of dancing and singing.
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Classical dance has many and varied forms in india, viz., Odissi, Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Chakiarkoothu, Kathakali, Koddiyattam, Krishattam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Mohiniattam. Each region has evolved its distinct style with its special nuances, though the basic roots are the same.
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Odissi
This is the most popular dance form of Orissa. It is based on Barat's Natya Shastra and the early evidence of this dance form in 2nd century BC when the Jain king Kharavela ruled Orissa. Himself an expert in dance and music, he arranged a performance of Thandava and Abhinaya. This format consists of Bhumi Pranam, Batu, Pallavi and lighter items like the Ashtapadi ending in Moksha.
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Kathak
This form of dance has its roots in the ancient Katha stories where groups tellers were attached to temples in North India, who narrated stories from epics. Later, they added mime and gestures to their ricitation to give it a new look. The stage next in its evolution came in the 15th and 16th centuries AD with the popularisation of the Radha-Krishna legend. With the advent of the Muslim rule in India, Kathak moved from temples to courts and became popular in places like Jaipurk, Lucknow and Benaras. While Jaipur gave predominance to pure dance with emphasis on rhythm, Lucknow had drifted into erotica.
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In Benaras practitioners of this dance also struck to pure dance but it provided for the sensuous aspects by delineatingepisodes from the Radha-Krishna legend. This patron kind of the Lucknow style was Wajid Ali Shah who spent extravagantly on art. The place of women in Kathak was of a different order. They were known as nach-walis who adorned the courts of the Mughals. Apart from this, they were used for entertainment of the pleasureseeking rulers and their fawning toadies. Eventually they came to be categorised as women of easy virtue. The Kathak dance goes through regular format mostly concerning on rhythm, vasriously called Talkar, Paltas, Thoras, Amad and Parans.
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Bharatanatyam
This form of dance looks like poetry in motion. Its history can also be traced to the origin of Natya Shastra, written by the grat sage, Bharat. Bharatanatyam is traditional and stylised dance form. Crystallised in the cast-iron mould of Bharat's technique, this art form disallows any frangled innovations or gimmicks. Emerging far back in the labyrinthine twists of ancient history, Bharatanatyam has been imortalised from time to time and many have given their versions in successive generations, as much by the sensuous grace of great dancers as by the mimble fingers of renowned sculptors who have demonstrated the perfection of Bharat's technique in the flowing lines of temple sculptures.
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The present form of Bharatanatyam has evolved by the Tanjore brothers Poniah Pillai. Earlier variously know as Dasi Attam and Sadir, this form was practised by Devdasis of the South Indian temples. Meanwhile it went into disrepute due to economic and social conditions and it wasRukmini Devi, who later gave it a new life and respectability. Its format consists of Alarippu (invocation), Jathi Swaram, Shabdam Varanm, lighter items like Padams and Javalis and finally the Thillana.
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Chakiarkoothu
The popular belief says that this form of dance was introduced in kerala by the early Aryan immigrants and is performed only by the members of the Chakiar caste. This form of dance is highly orthodox in nature and has a very selected class for its entertainment.
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This form can only be performed inside templesand witnessed by the Hindu community of the higher castes. In this the story is recited in a quasidramatic style with emphasis on eloquent declaration with appropriately suggestive facial expressions and had gestures. The only accompaniments are the crymbals and the drum known as the mizhavu, made of copper with a narrow mouth on which is stretched a piece of parchment.
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Kathakali
This form of dance is the most refined, the most scientific dance form of Kerala. This form is more than 300 years old, but its roots can be traced even to remote past. It is a very exciting art form demanding not only complete control of practically every fibre of the artiste's body, but also intense sensitivity of emotions.
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The stories for attakaths (the verse text for the Kathakali piece) are selected from various epics and mythologies and are written in a highly Sanskritised verse form in Malayalam. In this dance form the performer doesn;t speak, but expresses himself only through highly complicated and scientifically ordained mudras and steps, closely following the text being sung from the background of the stage.
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The domain of Kathakali is peopled by superhumans, gods and demons and animals who are presented in a larger than life format. What strikes the spectator first and most is the splendour of the costumes, ornaments, and facial make-up which transform the actor dance into a type rather than a particular character. A character can be identified by the colour he sports. A green painted face stands for nobility, honour, valour and such higher qualities.
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Koddiyattam
This form of dance which is popular in South India has always been a long drawn out affair and may take anything from a few days to a number of weeks. It is very entertaining. In this form the vidhushaka rules the roost.
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Krishnaattam
This form of dance is devoted to Lord Krishna and is presented on eight successive nights to unfold the entire story of Lord Krishna. The style is almost akin to Kathakali.
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Kuchipudi
It is the dance drama of Andhra Pradesh. It corresponds to the Bhagavata Mela Natak of Tamil Nadu, except that the emphasis is on the animation. The grammar is derived from the Natya Shastra and in all aspects it is akin to Bharatanatyam.
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Manipuri
From the 15th to the 18th century, Vaishnavism came to be adopted in Manipur and this ushered in a new era in the development of this style. For Manipuris, dance has been so inextricably woven into their pattern of life. Thisdance form is mostly ritualistic. It has still preserved the dance technique which draws heavily on the rich lore of legent and mythologies.
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Mohiniattam
It is also the heir to Devadasi dance heritage like Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi. The Mohini literally means a maiden who exerts desires or steals the heart of the onlooker. There is the well-known story of Lord Vishnu taking on the guise.
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