Complete Art and Culture | LEC 12: Indian Clasical Dance Forms | GS History by Aadesh

Friends, in our India, there has been a rich and important tradition of dance since ancient times. That is why, dance has been a very important part of the religious and social life of Indians from the beginning. Looking at this importance, today we are going to talk about Indian Classical Dance, i.e. Bharatiya Shastriya Nritya. Today, we will understand in detail what is Bharatiya Shastriya Nritya. What are they? Why are these dances performed? And what are their specialties? First of all, let's understand what this term Classical means. Classical in Hindi means Shastriya, which is mentioned in our Shastras, i.e. it has been described in ancient texts. Now, it is obvious that you must be wondering So, friends, the answer to your question is that all the inscriptions, chronicles, literary sources, sculptures, paintings, paintings of kings and artists, etc. in different periods, all of them have been considered as witnesses of different types of dances in India. But friends, the Natya Shastra written by the Indian monk is considered to be the most important source to establish the specialties of dances. And let me also tell you that all the contemporary classical dances are all developed from musical plays from the 12th century to the 19th century. Now, let's understand some basic aspects of Indian classical dances. There are two main aspects of these dances. The first is Lasya. It has grace, emotion, and lust. This is a symbol of the feminine features of dance as an art. And the second is Tandav. It has some movements and dance. This is a symbol of the male features of dance. Now, let's talk about the components of classical dance and the main juices present in it. Components and Russes This was about the different parts of classical dance. If we talk about the juices, there are nine types of juices in classical dance. The first type of juice is Shringar. This is a symbol of love. The second type of juice is Raudra. This is a symbol of anger. The third type of juice is Vibhatsa. This is a symbol of anger. The fourth type of juice is Veer. This is a symbol of bravery. The fifth type of juice is Shant. This is a symbol of peace and serenity. The sixth type of juice is Hasya. This is a symbol of laughter and comedy. The seventh type of juice is Karuna. This is a symbol of tragedy. The eighth type of juice is Bhayanak. This is a symbol of fear. And the last type of juice is Adbhut. This is a symbol of wonder. Friends, so far we have understood the sources of Indian classical dances. What were their components? How many different types of juices are present in it? Now, let's understand the characteristics of each of these classical dances. Where did they originate from? Why and how are they performed? And what do they represent? Popular Classical Dance Forms of India Currently, eight classical dance forms are recognized in India. In which Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Satriya and Manipuri are included. Let's learn about them one by one in detail. Bharatanatyam is a dance form of South India's state of Tamil Nadu. One of the main sources for studying the technique and movements of the body in this dance form is the book written by Nandikeshwara, Abhinayadarpana. Bharatanatyam dance is also known as Ekharya. In which the dancer performs different roles in the same performance. In this dance, the transitional movements of the feet, shoulders and arms are included. The dancer moves his expressive eyes to express his feelings. And at the same time, he also uses the gestures of his hands. While performing Bharatanatyam dance, the orchestra that is present, various types of instruments are used. Like Mridangam, Violin, Veena, Bansuri, Cymbal etc. Apart from this, the person who conducts this dance is called Natuvanar. In its normal form, Bharatanatyam dance is divided into 7 main parts. Which are Alaripu, Shabad or Shabdam, Varna or Varnam, Paada, Thillana, Shloka and Jathi Swaran. Friends, an interesting fact related to Bharatanatyam dance is this. The coins of this dance have been painted on the gate of the very popular Chidambaram Temple in Tamil Nadu. This shows what is the value of Bharatanatyam in Tamil Nadu. In today's time, as much as Bharatanatyam is known or sometimes read about it. So, somewhere it belongs to two great personalities. E Krishnayar and Rukmani Devi Arundel. Who have played an important role in bringing Bharatanatyam dance to its lost popularity and present state. So friends, after knowing the dance of South India, Bharatanatyam. Now let's go to a famous dance of North India, which is Kathak. What does this word mean? Where is it performed? What is its specialty? How is it performed? Let's see. Kathak Friends, the word Kathak is derived from the word Katha, which means story. It is mainly performed in a village or temple. In which performers used to tell stories written in ancient scriptures. If we talk about its evolution, then in the 15th and 16th century, Kathak began to develop in a different form of dance with the spread of the Bhakti movement. In folk dramas called Ras Leela, the stories of Radha Krishna were mentioned. In which folk dance was associated with Kathak, the basic gestures of storytellers. Friends, during the rule of the Mughals, Kathak was performed in the court in front of the Mughal emperors and their nobles. Where it acquired its current specialties and developed in the form of dance with a different style. Later, in the protection of the last Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, it developed as a major art. If we talk about some important features of Kathak dance, then Kathak is usually a solo performance. The dancer often stops to read the verses and then executes them through movements. More attention is given to footwork. Movements are skillfully controlled. And performed by dancers wearing anklets on their straight legs. Kathak is a unique form of classical dance that is associated with Indian or North Indian music. And the classical style of Kathak has been revived by Lady Leela Sokhi, who is also known as Menaka. So friends, these were some interesting details of a very beautiful North Indian classical dance. Come, now let's take you back to South India. Kathakali Friends, in the performance of Kathakali, music, vocal performance, dance, and hand and face gestures are synthesized to express thoughts like all Indian classical dance. However, Kathakali is different in the sense that it also includes movements of ancient Indian martial arts and the athletic tradition of South India. Where other Indian classical dances were mainly developed in Hindu temples and schools of mathas. Kathakali was developed in courts and theaters of Hindu states contrary to other Indian classical dances. Friends, Chakiyarkuttu, Krishnattam, Kuryattam, and Ramanattam are some of the ritual performing arts of Kerala that have a direct impact on the form and technique of Kathakali. Kathakali is a mixture of dance, music, and acting, and gives the stories a dramatic form that is to a large extent adapted from Indian epics. Heavy makeup and magnificent costumes such as big masks, large skirts, and large headdresses are used in this dance art. The dancers play the roles of kings, gods, and demons with special makeup and costumes. The singers tell the story and the dancers play the instruments. The colors of different faces represent different mental states and characteristics. For example, green color represents greatness, while black color is used for evil. And red patches are considered the combination of royalty and evil. In this dance, the gestures of the hands, the expressions of the face, and the movements of the eyes are very important. The weight of the body is on the outer edges of the feet, which are slightly bent and curved. The most prominent artists of Kathakali dance are Raman Kutty Nair and Kalamandalam Gopi. Now let's go to Andhra Pradesh, where a dance form, Kuchipudi, is very famous. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, which has a very old tradition of dance drama. It is commonly known as Yakshagan. In the 17th century, Kuchipudi style of Yakshagan was imagined by Siddhendra Yogi. He was involved in the Yakshagan tradition, guided by his guru, Tirthanarayan Yogi. He wrote a poem in Sanskrit called Krishna Leela Tarangini. It is performed as a dance drama, that is, it is also performed in groups and as solo items. Costumes, ornaments, and jewelry play a very important role in this dance. Some of the solo items of Kuchipudi dance are Mandukshabdam, which is the story of a young frog. Bal Gopal Tarang, in this, by placing a clay pot filled with water on his head, he stands on the edges of the brass plate and dances. Tal Chitra Nritya, in this, while dancing, pictures are made with the fingers of the feet. Yamini Krishnantittu, Yamini Krishnamurthy and Raja Reddy are considered to be two prominent artists associated with Kuchipudi dance. Friends, our next famous and famous classical dance is Mohini Yatham. Mohini Yatham or Mohini Nritya is the classical solo dance form of Kerala. Mohini is the name of an avatar of Lord Vishnu. References of Mohini Yatham can be found in 1709 in the Ghosh Yatra written by Mala Mangalam Narayanan. It was put in the current classical format by the kings of Travancore, King Kartika Tirunal and his successor King Swati Tirunal. This dance is performed solo by girls with mostly circular movements, delicate steps and light expressions. The movements of Mohini Yatham have been borrowed from Nangiyar, Kuthu and female folk dances, Kai Kottikali and Thiruvathirakali. In this dance, Bharatnatyam, which is also the element of grace and elegance and Kathakali, i.e. vigour. But it is more erotic, lyrical and delicate. Realistic makeup and ordinary dressing are used in Mohini Yatham, which is used in Kerala's Kasabu Saree. The lyrics are written in Maniprawala language, which is the language of medieval South India, which is a combination of Tamil, Malayalam and Sanskrit. The main artists of this dance are Pallavi Krishnan and Sunanda Nair. Friends, after understanding Mohini Yatham, let us now move towards the state of Odisha, where there is a very famous classical dance called Odissi. The main themes of the Odissi dance performance are the stories of the avatars of Lord Vishnu and the verses of Jaydev's song Govind. It is a dance that keeps the similarities of Bharatnatyam in the context of a soft dance supported by soothing lyrics and in the context of coins and emotions. It is also called a mobile sculpture. Two main coins are included in this, the first is Tribhanga, in which the body is deflected on the neck, torso and knees. And the second is Chowk, in which a square is made by the dancer. The famous artists of Odissi dance are considered to be Sonal Bansingh and Kelu Charan Mahapatra. Come friends, now we know about a very popular dance of Assam. Satriya Dance Satriya dance was presented in the 15th century A.D. as a medium for the promotion of Vaishnava faith by Vaishnava saint and reformer of Assam, Shankar Dev. Later, Satriya dance developed and expanded in a distinctive style. Due to its connection with its religious character and enemies i.e. Vaishnava mathas or monasteries, this dance style has been given the name Satriya. The Satriya dance tradition is governed by strictly defined principles in the context of coins, footwork, food, music, etc. Two different streams of this dance tradition can be seen, in which the list of performances related to the traditional drama Bhavna of Assam is included from Gayan-Bhayanar dance to Kharamanar dance. And in the second stream, such dance numbers are included, which are independent, such as Chhali, Rajgarhia Chhali, Jhumura, Naadubhangi, etc. The specialty of Chhali is gracefulness and elegance, while the specialty of Jhumura is vigour and majestic beauty. Let's move towards North-East India and know some interesting facts related to Manipuri dance of Manipur. Manipuri The origin of Manipuri dance was in ancient times, which is considered to be the dance of pre-recorded history. In Manipur, dance is associated with rituals and traditional festivals. The legendary references of dance are the gods and goddesses who created Shiva, Parvati and the universe. Laiharauba is the earliest form of dance, which is the basis of all stylized dances in Manipur. The literal meaning of this dance is the merry-making of gods. It is performed as a ceremonial offering of song and dance. The performers of this dance are called Maibas and Maibis, i.e. Priests and Priestesses, who re-enact the theme of the creation of the world. The popular dance of Manipur originated in the reign of King Bhagyachandra of the 18th century. Manipuri dance itself has a collection of many forms. However, the most popular form is Raas, Sankirtana and Thangta. The collective singing is performed with dance, which is known as Sankirtana in Manipur. In this dance form, male dancers play the pang and khartal while dancing. Manipuri dancers do not wear anklets to stamp out the rhythm in the theatrical display, because it interferes with delicate body movements. So friends, these were the very important and famous classical dance forms of India. In this video lecture, we understood some very important facts about them. These dance forms are a living example of India's ancient heritage, art and tradition. In the coming lectures, we will talk about such dance forms opposite to classical dance, which are associated with the folk tradition of the country, i.e. folk dance forms.