The classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministry of Culture are
Classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Bharatanatyam, from Tamil Nadu Kathak, from Uttar Pradesh Kathakali, from Kerala Kuchipudi, from Andhra Pradesh Manipuri, from Manipur Mohiniyattam, from Kerala[ Odissi, from Odisha Sattriya, from Assam
Classical dances recognised by the Ministry of Culture
Chhau, from Eastern India (Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal) Gaudiya Nritya, from Manipur and West Bengal
The Natya Shastra is the foundational treatise for classical dances of India, and this text is attributed to the ancient scholar Bharata Muni. Its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE,but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE While the Natya Shastra is the revered ancient text in the Hindu tradition, there are numerous other ancient and medieval Sanskrit dance-drama related texts that further discuss and expand on the classical repertoire of performance arts, such as the Abhinaya Darpana (author- Nandikesvara), Abhinava Bharati, Natya Darpana, Bhava Prakasa and many others. Indian classical dances are traditionally performed as an expressive drama-dance form of religious performance art, related to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, pan-Hindu Epics and the Vedic literature, or a folksy entertainment that includes story-telling from Sanskrit or regional language plays. As a religious art, they are either performed inside the sanctum of a Hindu temple, or near it. Folksy entertainment may also be performed in temple grounds or any fairground, typically in a rural setting by travelling troupes of artists; alternatively, they have been performed inside the halls of royal courts or public squares during festivals. However, this is not the case for Kathak, Manipuri and Chhau as it has their own uniqueness. Kathak can be also performed on courtyards of mosques and had Muslim elements while Manipuri had the huyen langlon genre which focuses on combat. Like Manipuri, Chhau also had elements on combat. All major classical Indian dance forms include in repertoire, three categories of performance in the Natya Shastra. These are Nritta, Nritya and Natya:
The Nritta performance is an abstract, fast and rhythmic aspect of the dance. The viewer is presented with pure movement, wherein the emphasis is the beauty in motion, form, speed, range and pattern. This part of the repertoire has no interpretative aspect, no telling of the story. It is a technical performance, and aims to engage the senses (Prakriti) of the audience. The Nritya is slower and expressive aspect of the dance that attempts to communicate feelings, storyline particularly with spiritual themes in Hindu dance traditions. In an Nritya, the dance-acting expands to include silent expression of words through gestures and body motion set to musical notes. The actor articulates a legend or a spiritual message. This part of the repertoire is more than sensory enjoyment, it aims to engage the emotions and mind of the viewer. The Natyam is a play, typically a team performance, but can be acted out by a solo performer where the dancer uses certain standardized body movements to indicate a new character in the underlying story. A Natya incorporates the elements of a Nritya. In Hindu classical dances, the artist successfully expresses the spiritual ideas by paying attention to four aspects of a performance:
Angika (gestures and body language),
Vachika (song, recitation, music and rhythm), Aharya (stage setting, costume, make up, jewellery), Sattvika (artist's mental disposition and emotional connection with the story and audience, wherein the artist's inner and outer state resonates) Abhinaya draws out the bhava (mood, psychological states)
IMPORTANT FACTS:
1. KATHAKALI
i. Evolved from earlier forms of dance drama such as Koodiyattam, Ashtapadiyattom,
Krishnattam and Ramanattom. ii. The language of the songs used for Kathakali is Manipravalam, a blend of Sanskrit with the local language, Malayalam. iii. A text written to be produced as a Kathakali is referred to as "Aattakkatha." iv. Even though the songs are set for “ragas” based on Carnatic music, there is a distinct style of rendition, known as the “sopanam” style, incorporating the moods of temple songs that were sung at the time when Kathakali was evolving. v. Recently, as part of an attempt to popularize the art, stories from other cultures, such as the story of Mary Magdalene from the Bible, Homer's Iliad, and Shakespeare's King Lear have also been adapted into Kathakali scripts.
MOHINIYATTAM
i. It follows the Lasya style described in Natya Shastra, that is a dance which is delicate, eros-filled and feminine. ii. It is traditionally a solo dance performed by women after extensive training, though nowadays men can also perform the dance. iii. The repertoire of Mohiniyattam includes music in the Carnatic style, singing and acting a play through the dance, where the recitation may be either by a separate vocalist or the dancer themselves. iv. The song is typically in Malayalam-Sanskrit hybrid called Manipravalam. BHARATANATYAM i. A description of Bharatanatyam from the 2nd century CE can be found in the ancient Tamil epic Silappatikaram, ii. The solo artist (ekaharya) in Bharatanatyam is dressed in a colorful sari. iii. Tillana – nritta of Bharatanatyam KUCHIPUDI (ANDHRA PRADESH) i. Just like the Carnatic music style, Kuchipudi shares many postures and expressive gestures with Bharatanatyam, such as the Ardhamandali (half seating position or a partial squat, legs bent or knees flexed out). ii. Margi and Desi – different styles of Kuchipudi ODISSI i. Classical Odia literature & the Gita Govinda set to traditional Odissi music are used for the abhinaya. ii. Traditional Odissi exists in two major styles, the first perfected by women and focussed on solemn, spiritual temple dance (maharis); the second perfected by boys dressed as girls (gotipuas)[18] which diversified to include athletic and acrobatic moves, iii. The three primary dance positions in Odissi are:[16]
Samabhanga – the square position, with weight equally placed on the two legs, spine straight, arms raised up with elbows bent. Abhanga – the body weight shifts from side to side, due to deep leg bends, while the feet and knees are turned outwards, and one hip extending sideways. Tribhanga – is an S-shaped three-fold bending of body,
KATHAK i. Kathak performances include Urdu Ghazals and commonly used instruments brought during the Mughal period.[6] As a result, it is the only Indian classical dance form to feature Persian elements ii. Kathak is a diffuse tradition, of which three gharanas (schools) are more well known and studied – Jaipur, Benares and Lucknow.[ iii. Kathak is normally performed in a standing form with legs and torso typically straight, while Bharatanatyam extensively utilizes bent knee form (ara mandi, half sitting position iv. Kathak - Only classical dance based on Hindustani classical music. v. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah – important patron of Kathak MANIPURI i. It is a portrayal of the dance of divine love of Lord Krishna with goddess Radha. ii. It is one of the only two Indian classical dance forms to feature violence as a motif (the other is Chhau).
SATTRIYA (ASSAM) i. It is a dance-drama performance art with origins in the Krishna- centered Vaishnavism monasteries of Assam, and attributed to the 15th century Bhakti movement scholar and saint Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev ii. Ankiya Nat is a subgenre consisting of one-act plays of Sattriya.
