Introduction to Indian Dance
All eight forms of Indian classical dance |
It eventually became a part of 'Natya Shashtra', as propounded by Sage Bharata to compile and forge some rules and regulations of entertaining arts. With time, the classical dances evolved to include the expressions and themes from social life and experiences. Lord Shiva is said to be the 'Nataraja' meaning 'King of All Dances', who is said to perform the Cosmic Dance that delicately balances life and death and all that is happening in the Universe in harmonious cycles.
Origin of Indian Dance
In Hindu scriptures, dance is believed to
have been conceived by Brahma. Brahma inspired the sage Bharata Muni to write
the "Natya Shastra", a treatise on performing arts, from which a codified
practice of dance and drama emerged. He used "pathya" (words) from
the Rigveda, "abhinaya" (gestures) from the Yajurveda,
"geet" (music) from the Samaveda and "rasa" (emotions) from
the Atharvaveda to form the "Natyaveda" (body of knowledge about dance).
The best-known of Hindu deities—Shiva, Kali and Krishna—are typically
represented dancing.
In ancient India, there were no dedicated
auditorium halls or theaters, and dance was usually a functional activity
dedicated to worship, entertainment or leisure. Dancers usually performed in
temples, on festive occasions and seasonal harvests. Dance was performed on a
regular basis before deities as a form of worship. Even in modern India,
deities are invoked through religious folk dance forms from ancient times.
Classical dance forms such as Bharata Natyam use mudras or hand gestures also
to retell episodes of mythological tales such as the slaying of Kaliya by
Krishna.
Gradually dancers, particularly from South
India, moved from temples to houses of royal families where they performed
exclusively for royalty. India offers a number of classical Indian dance forms,
each of which can be traced to different parts of the country. Classical and
folk dance forms also emerged from Indian traditions, epics and mythology.
There are many Indian folk dances such as Bhangra, Bihu, Ghumura Dance,
Sambalpuri, Chhau and Garba and special dances observed in regional festivals
such as Lohri and Navratri.
The presentation of Indian dance styles in
film, Hindi Cinema, has exposed the range of dance in India to a global
audience.