DANCES OF INDIA - MOHINIATTAM

Mohiniattam, is essentially a feminine dance of Kerala recorded to have begun between the 3rd and 8th century AD. Legend says the Lord Vishnu took the form of Mohini to entice the asuras (demons). During the churning of the ocean, the asuras rushed towards the bowl of nectar. Vishnu appeared in the feminine form of Mohini to entice the asuras and took the bowl away.
Literally meaning the dance of the enchantress, Mohiniyattam was mainly performed in the temple precincts of Kerala. This dance form found acceptance in the 16th century and in 19th century Maharaja Swati Tirunal of Travancore encouraged it. The most popular padams in Mohiniattam, composed by Swati Tirunal, describe the heroine's yearning for her lover. Lord Vishnu or Sri Krishna is more often the hero.

Mohiniattam was conceived as a form of social diversion. It is essentially a solo dance performed by women with tender and graceful body movements in the lasy style. Hand gestures play an important role as a communication system. The dominant emotion in this dance form is shringara or love for the Divine.

The dancer wears a white sari resplendent in a gold border. On festive occasions, young girls perform this dance ina circle with simple movements, while singing songs.

The repertoirs of Mohiniattam follows closely that of Bharatanatyam. Mohiniattam, like other forms, follows the Hasthalakshana Deepika as textbook of hand gestures. The basic steps in this dance form are adavus-toganam, jaganam,dhaganam and sammisram. The adavus or steps are set to musical compositions. The varnam has a simple format with greater emphasis on abhinaya and less on nritta or pure dance.

The performance begins with Ganapati stuti or invocation followed by mukhachalam, a pure dance item in which the graceful delineation of charcteristic movements is seen. The repertoire of Mohiniattam consists of five principal items, starting with cholkettu, then vrnam, jatiswaram, padam and concluding with tillana. Varnam combines pure and expressional dance, while padam tests the histrionic talent of a dancer and tillana reveals her technical artistry. Jayadevas Gita-Govinda is most popularly performed to depict the divine love of Radha and Sri Krishna.

The most well-known performers of this dance are Ms Kanak Rele and Ms Bharati Shivaji.

classical dances

BHARATA NATYAM    KATHAKALI   KATHAK    MANIPURI    KUCHIPUDI    ODISSI    MOHINI ATTAM   
Folk dances


BHANGRA    DHUMAL    ROUF    LAMA DANCE    PANGI DANCES    LOSAR SHONA CHUKSAM    RAAS   GIDDA    DHAMYAL    DUPH    LAHOOR    DHURANG     MALI DANCE     TERA TALI

BIHU    NAGA DANCE    HAZAGIRI    BAMBOO DANCE    NONGKREM    THANG-TA    KARMA    PONUNG    BRITA OR VRITA    HURKA BAUL    KALI NACH    GANTA PATUA    PAIK   DALKHAI

GENDI     BHAGORIYA    JAWAR     GARBA     DANDIYA     KALA    DINDI    MANDO

DOLLU KUNITHA DANDARIA    KARAGAM    KUMMI    KUTTIYATTAM    
PADAVANI   KOLAM    LAVA    NICOBARESE


Musical Instruments

DANCES OF INDIA - ODISSI

Odissi, is a popular dance form of Orissa the lies on the eastern coast of India. This area is studded with caves and temples. The walls of Rani-Gumpha cave at Udayagiri are adorned with sculpture of a dancer accompanied by musicians performing in front of a king. It is assumed that the roots of this performing art had their genesis in 2nd century AD According to the local inhabitants, Lord Shiva and his son Ganesh taught dance to a beautiful apsara (dancer from heaven) called Manirambha. Shiva was found portrayed as Nataraja in the postures of tandava dance in parasurameswar temple. They also believe that sometime between 2nd century BC and 2nd century AD Sage Bharata taught the dance to Sage Attahas, who taught it to the maharis-the temple dances of Orissa or Odhradesh as it was called then. Poet Jayadeva wrote a beautiful Sanskrit poem called Gita-Govinda, that is about the love of Radha for Sri Krishna and her desire to be united with him. Radha became central during the Chaitanya era from 16th century onwards. The neo-Vaisnavism of this period created the right environment for development of the dance tradition.
The maharis lived as servants of the deity, Lord Jagannath and on support from the temple funds. Maharis were the only ones to be permitted into the inner shrine of the temple. Then there were the nachunis who danced in the royal court. Finally there were gotipusa or young boys who were trained in gymnastics and performed before the public. With the advent of British, the maharis faded out of the picture and the nachunis too disappeared. only gotipuas survived and from them the Odissi dance style developed. Some artistes even revived the dying art of Odissi by looking at sculptures carved on walls of temples and by studying the treatise, Abhinaya Chandrika.

Odissi has emerged as a sculpturesque dance style in which the head, bust and torso move in soft flowing movements to express specific moods and emotions. The basic chawka position is a half-sitting posture used constantly by the dancer. The form is curvaceous, based on the tribhang or division of body into three parts-head, bust and torso. The mudras and expressions and similar to those of Bharatanatyam. The dance is replete with love for Sri Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Load Vishnu.

Odissi is divided into nritta (pure dance) and abhinaya (ecpressional dance). In a classical Odissi performance, the invocatory dance is called mangalacharan. The dancer enters carrying flowers to place before the image of Lord Jagannath on the stage or the dancer can begin her performance with bhoomi pranam. Sanskrit slokas are recited in praise of Ganesh, Saraswati and Vishnu. Mangalacharan is performed with the hands joined in anjali in front of the heart in greeting. This includes movement in eight directions to cover the stage and concludes with trikhandi pranam, hands held aloft to the gods,the guru and the rasikas (the audience). The recital continues with vatu nrittya, which paints the entire gamut of Odissi nritta. The instruments used in Odissi are the mardala (drum), the manjira (cymbals), the flute and the violin. The dancer wears the typical Oriya sari and silver jewellery.

The legendary figure in Odissi dance is Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Who with his disciple, the late Sanjukta Panigrahi contributed to the establishment of this style.

classical dances

BHARATA NATYAM    KATHAKALI   KATHAK    MANIPURI    KUCHIPUDI    ODISSI    MOHINI ATTAM   
Folk dances


BHANGRA    DHUMAL    ROUF    LAMA DANCE    PANGI DANCES    LOSAR SHONA CHUKSAM    RAAS   GIDDA    DHAMYAL    DUPH    LAHOOR    DHURANG     MALI DANCE     TERA TALI

BIHU    NAGA DANCE    HAZAGIRI    BAMBOO DANCE    NONGKREM    THANG-TA    KARMA    PONUNG    BRITA OR VRITA    HURKA BAUL    KALI NACH    GANTA PATUA    PAIK   DALKHAI

GENDI     BHAGORIYA    JAWAR     GARBA     DANDIYA     KALA    DINDI    MANDO

DOLLU KUNITHA DANDARIA    KARAGAM    KUMMI    KUTTIYATTAM    
PADAVANI   KOLAM    LAVA    NICOBARESE


Musical Instruments

DANCES OF INDIA - KUCHIPUDI

Kuchipudi, the dance-drama (referred to as Ata Bhagavatham) from Andhra Pradesh, is based on themes drawn from the Hindu epics, The Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It is a Folk-dance style quite close to Bharatanatyam while retaining its folk origin. Kuchipudi has been the result of the Bhakti movement in the 6th century. In the 17th century, Siddendra Yogi, the progenitor of the form, presented a dance-drama with boys from the village of kuchipudi. the techniques used then were passed on to the subsequent generations.
Kuchipudi plays are performed in the open air on an improvised stage at night. The sutradhar, or master of ceremonies, Plays an integral rol in introducing the characters, providing humour and tying together the show. The fast-paced nature of the form has made it a popular dramatic form. today it is better known as solo dance.

Kuchipudi costumes look similar to those worn in Bharathanatyam dance. Elegant footwork is an important aspect of Kuchipudi. Another distinctive aspect of this dance is that in special performances, the dance is executed on brass plate and moving the plate with the feet to the tune of the accompanying music. Yet another is the formation of beautiful floor patterns using efficient feet movements. The performer has to express through dance and gestures, the speech and song. The artiste, apart from being a dancer and actor, has to have a high proficiency in Sanskrit and Telugu languages, Music and the texts for the performance.

The Kuchipudi performance begins with recital of extracts from the four Vedas as these symbolise the composition of the Natyaveda.This followed by Ganapati stuti before the entry of the sutradhar who narrates the dance-drama with its implications and introduces the artistes. Each dancer is introduced with pravesa daruva orentrance number accompanied by song and rhythmic syllables. The word daruvu means rhythmic pattern. There is nritta, nritya, and natya. The nritta part is composed of teeermanams and jatis; the naitya consists of sabdams indroduced to enrich the dance and natya is acting with mudras to enact the stories of yore.

Kuchipudi classical dance comprises of a blend of tandava and lasya elements. The music is this dance from is classical and the costumes are conventional. Bhagavatula Ramayya, written by Hari Madhavayya, introduced the dance-drama in the Kuchipudi repertoire; and today vachikabhinaya (verbal expression) has become a special feature of Kuchipudi dance-drama.

Vedantam Laxmi Narayana Sastry Introduced solo items and laid the foundation of the Kuchipudi repertoire. Today Raja and Radha Reddy have taken this dance from to new heights.

classical dances

BHARATA NATYAM    KATHAKALI   KATHAK    MANIPURI    KUCHIPUDI    ODISSI    MOHINI ATTAM   
Folk dances


BHANGRA    DHUMAL    ROUF    LAMA DANCE    PANGI DANCES    LOSAR SHONA CHUKSAM    RAAS   GIDDA    DHAMYAL    DUPH    LAHOOR    DHURANG     MALI DANCE     TERA TALI

BIHU    NAGA DANCE    HAZAGIRI    BAMBOO DANCE    NONGKREM    THANG-TA    KARMA    PONUNG    BRITA OR VRITA    HURKA BAUL    KALI NACH    GANTA PATUA    PAIK   DALKHAI

GENDI     BHAGORIYA    JAWAR     GARBA     DANDIYA     KALA    DINDI    MANDO

DOLLU KUNITHA DANDARIA    KARAGAM    KUMMI    KUTTIYATTAM    
PADAVANI   KOLAM    LAVA    NICOBARESE


Musical Instruments

DANCES OF INDIA - MANIPURI

Manipuri is a traditional dance of Manipur in north-east of India.This dance form with its lyrical movements takes the mind on a peaceful journey . The people of the land were called Meithei and performed the ritual dance, the jogoi or circular dance, which is the precursor to present-day Manipuri. The Manipur tradition of worshiping their gods through dance and music was an integral part of the peoples life. One of the oldest rituals is called Lai Haraoba Where the dance portrays the process of creation of the universe.
According to legend,Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are said to have danced in the valleys of manipur and this tradition of dance continues till today.

Contrary to the convention of the later Hindu temples, maibis or the high priestess, and not the priests, conduct the ceremonial functions in temples. The greatest cultural evolution took place in the 18th century during the reign of king bhagyachandra, one of the most enlightened kings, who was a devotee of lord vishnu. During his reign began the resurgence of arts in Manipur. He founded the Rasleelas and Nat Sankirtana. The art of sakirtana involves singing and beating of the drum to narrate the story of sri krishna.

The male sankirtana is called nupapala while the female is nupipala. The dancer is always male.

There are two dance forms in Manipur-Pung cholom or drum dance, and Kartal cholom or cymbal dance, where the performer plays a musical instrument or claps while dancing, The bent-knee position, with the torso, slightly bend forward is the basic stance. Majority of the movements, including various jumps and turns with complicated footwork, are carried out in the position. Some of the most exciting movements are mid-air rolling pirouettes while playing the instrument.

Rasleela forms the core of the classical tradition. There are different kinds of Rasleelas where Radha and Sri Krishna dance with the gopis.Every Ras is preceded with a rupapala or a male Sankirtana which serves the purpose of purvaranga or the prelude. Themes from Geeta Purana, Bhagwata Purana and compositions from the Gita-Govinda predominate the repertoire. The Radha-Krishna legend is frequently performed in Manipuri. A symbols of the female and male forces in Nature, their union and creation constitue the principal themes. The dance tradition recreates the life and deeds of Radha and Krishna.

The Manipuri dance lays emphasis on involving the entire body rather than the facial expressions. Rasleela lays emphasis on lyrical grace and delicacy of hand gestures. The different movements of the male and female dances is very clean in Manipuri. The female dancer is very poised and gentle. The male dancer is powerful and energetic. Facial expession is minimal and movements are circular in form, flowing from one to another. The hands and wrists are used constantly. The costumes are very simple. Two young children usually play the role of Radha and Krishna. Women play the roles of the chief sakhi and gopis, all of whom wish to be united with Sri Krishna. This is called shingara-bhakti for God.

Guru Singhajit singh and his wife-cum-disciple charu seja Mathur are Versatile exponents of this dance form.

classical dances

BHARATA NATYAM    KATHAKALI   KATHAK    MANIPURI    KUCHIPUDI    ODISSI    MOHINI ATTAM   
Folk dances


BHANGRA    DHUMAL    ROUF    LAMA DANCE    PANGI DANCES    LOSAR SHONA CHUKSAM    RAAS   GIDDA    DHAMYAL    DUPH    LAHOOR    DHURANG     MALI DANCE     TERA TALI

BIHU    NAGA DANCE    HAZAGIRI    BAMBOO DANCE    NONGKREM    THANG-TA    KARMA    PONUNG    BRITA OR VRITA    HURKA BAUL    KALI NACH    GANTA PATUA    PAIK   DALKHAI

GENDI     BHAGORIYA    JAWAR     GARBA     DANDIYA     KALA    DINDI    MANDO

DOLLU KUNITHA DANDARIA    KARAGAM    KUMMI    KUTTIYATTAM    
PADAVANI   KOLAM    LAVA    NICOBARESE


Musical Instruments

DANCES OF INDIA - KATHAK

Kathak, a dance form of north India, derives its name from katha (story) since it originated from the devotional recitation by story-tellers or kathakars, who were attached to temples. The kathakars used to tell the story through music and dance. Douring medieval period it recived special patronage from both the Mughal and Hindu rulers.
The Kathak presentation is divided into three distinct parts: the natya (drama), the nritta (pure dance) and the nritya (expression,mimetic). While nritta is a logical extension of words and imagery of movements, inclusion of the natya to the dance gives it substance. Nritya combines dancing and action while interpreting the story. In delineation of these aspects, the rasa or emotion charges the atmosphere radiating ananda (bliss) on union with god. Known for its intricate compositions, rapid chakkars or bhramaris (pirouettes), complex tatkar (footwork) and stylised facial expressions, Kathak hails from three gharanas-Banaras, Luckow and jaipur. While the jaipur gharana focuses on layakari or rhythmic permutations, the Lucknow gharana expounds on bhava or moods and emotions with graceful movement and delicate placing of hands. This dance style was influenced by the Awadh royalty.

The costume of Kathak dancer resembles the dress worn by figures in mughal miniature paintings and the dance is performed by both men and women.

Inextricably tied to Hindustani music, the dance revolves around the Radha and krishna themes. The dancer dances with 200 ghungroos (bells on the feet) and the musical accompaniments are the sarangi and tabla. This dance form has gliding movements with no jerky or angular gestures. With a straight back, one arm is held vertically while the other is extended at shoulder hight. While the body remains still,the dancer executes fast-paced dance steps. Traditionally a solo dance, it lends itself to group compositions too, as in Rasleela a vrindaban which is an expression of operatic treatment. Items revolving around the themes of nava-rasas (nine moods) and the ashta-nayikas (eight states of maiden in love) are part of abhinaya.

The Most well-known performers of Kathak today are Guru Birju Maharaj and Shovana Narain.

classical dances

BHARATA NATYAM    KATHAKALI   KATHAK    MANIPURI    KUCHIPUDI    ODISSI    MOHINI ATTAM   
Folk dances


BHANGRA    DHUMAL    ROUF    LAMA DANCE    PANGI DANCES    LOSAR SHONA CHUKSAM    RAAS   GIDDA    DHAMYAL    DUPH    LAHOOR    DHURANG     MALI DANCE     TERA TALI

BIHU    NAGA DANCE    HAZAGIRI    BAMBOO DANCE    NONGKREM    THANG-TA    KARMA    PONUNG    BRITA OR VRITA    HURKA BAUL    KALI NACH    GANTA PATUA    PAIK   DALKHAI

GENDI     BHAGORIYA    JAWAR     GARBA     DANDIYA     KALA    DINDI    MANDO

DOLLU KUNITHA DANDARIA    KARAGAM    KUMMI    KUTTIYATTAM    
PADAVANI   KOLAM    LAVA    NICOBARESE


Musical Instruments