The Rich Tradition of Indian Dance: A Diverse Cultural Heritage

Dance in India, is rooted in longstanding tradition. This vast Indian sub-continent has given birth to varied forms of dancing. Each of them is shaped by the influences of a particular period and environment. These pristine forms have been preserved through the centuries, to become a part of our present culture, a living legacy which is both our pride and delight. Some of the world-famous dance forms that originated and evolved in India are Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam ,Odissi and Sattriya.

All these dance forms use basically the same 'mudras' or signs of hand as a common language of expression and were originally performed in the temples to entertain various Gods and Goddesses.

Various mythological tales have effectively trickled down to the present day through these art forms. 'Natya Shashtra', was propounded by Sage Bharata to assemble and forge some rules and regulations of performing arts. Bharata Muni’s Natya Shastra (400 B. C. ) ii rightly the Bible of all Indian classical dance forms.

Though the basic elements of Nritta and Nritya are fairly common in all the dance forms, the influence of history, region, culture and society over a long period on each dance is very predominant.

Get quality help now

Sweet V

Verified writer

Proficient in: Dance

4.9 (984)

“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Bharatnatyam History: Bharatanatyam is the most popular of Indian dances and belongs to the South Indian state of Tamilnadu. In the past it was practiced and performed in the temples by a division of dancers known as the Devadasis and is almost 2000 years old. The kings and the princely courts patronized the temples, as well as the various traditions sustaining the dance form.

The salient features of Bharatanatyam are movements conceived in space mostly either along straight lines or triangles.

In terms of geometrical designs, the dancer appears to weave a series of triangles besides several geometrical patterns. In nritta (pure dance) to the chosen time cycle and a raga (melody), a dancer executes patterns that reveal the architectonic beauty of the form with a series of dance units called jathis or teermanams. The torso is used as a unit, the legs are in a semi-plie form and the stance achieves the basic posture called araimandi.

The nritta numbers include Alarippu, Jatiswaram and Tillana, which are abstract items not conveying and specific meaning except that of joyous abandon with the dancer creating variegated forms of staggering visual beauty. In nritya, a dancer performs to a poem, creating a parallel kinetic poetry in movement, registering subtle expressions on the face and the entire body reacts to the emotions, evoking sentiments in the spectator for relish - the rasa. The numbers are varnam, which has expressions as well as pure dance; padams, javalis and shlokas.

The accompanying music is classical Carnatic. The themes are from Indian mythology, the epics and the Puranas. The credit of bringing Bharatnatyam to its present form goes to the famous quartet of Chinnayya, Ponniah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu of the Tanjore Court. The various forms of the dance, like Alarippu, Jathiswaram, Sabdham, Varnam and Tillana, were also introduced by them. Even the first dance teachers of Bharatanatyam in Tanjore were the descendants of these four brothers only. Decline of the Dance Form.

With time, the devadasis of the temple turned into narthakis of the royal court and prostitution started replacing the devotion of the women. The original technique and themes of Bharatnatyam were modified to suit the new demands. The sacred connotation of the dance form was sacrificed to make it amenable to the entertainment needs of the kings. Rebirth The person responsible for once again raising the social status of Bharatanatyam is Krishna Iyer. He also contributed positively to the popularity of the dance form throughout the world.

Another name that comes in mind in connection with this is that of Rukmini Devi Arundale. She modified the Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam and popularized it in the West. Rukmini founded the Kalakshetra School in 1936, outside the city of Madras, in order to teach the dance form as well as to promote it. Today, Bharatnatyam has become an integral part of a girl's upbringing in Tamil Nadu. Techniques The major techniques of the classical dance form of Bharatnatyam include Abhinaya (The art of story-telling) Nritta (Pure dance movements, usually performed as an opening) Nritya (Combination of Abhinaya and Nritta).

A typical Bharatnatyam performance includes: Ganapati Vandana (Opening prayer to the Lord Ganesha) Alarippu (A presentation of the Tala with simple syllables by the dancer) Jatiswaram (An abstract dance with drumbeats) Shabdam (Dance accompanied by a devotional poem or song) Varnam (Main performance in which dance is punctuated with complex and difficult movements. A story is told through movements) Padam (Lyrical section where the dancer speaks) Thillana (Pure dance with complex footwork and captivating poses).