Sankriti Indian Dances

This dance recital was part of the incredible India celebration, I saw the Monday evening show. I felt the first half was wonderful, with each dance form, starting with Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Mohiniattam and ending with Kathak was well done. After the break the composite section which included the above dances and also featured, Kathakali and Manipuri dances was well conceived and spectacular. But then a repeat of all dances was tedious and unnecessary and took away from the magic of the evening. The Composite presentation was choreographed by Madhavi Mudgal.

Here is a bit of history on Indian dance and on each of the styles.

Indian dance follows the tradition of Natyashastra- a treatise on dance written by Bharata.

Bharatanatyam- comes from Tamil Nadu. It has songs in Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit. The Tanjore Quartet of the 19th century created the structure, format and musical compositions for present day performances. The dance deals with nritta, abstract dance and nritya which unfolds the narrative. The music belongs to the Carnatic school.

Odissi- originated in the Indian state of Orissa and was performed by female temple servants. Much of the dance was recreated by looking at medieval temple sculptures, painting and literature. The lore of Krishna and Radha supply the content for the dance.

Manipuri-is from Manipur and is staged in temples. The Bhakti element is the predominant theme. The dance is introverted and restrained in comparison with other Indian dances.

Kathak- is the principal dance of North India. It originated from storytellers retelling the Scriptures, the epics Ramayan and Maharbharat and Puranic literature. It soon transited to the secular realm in Medieval India and achieved it's flowering under the Mughals. It is characterized by its scintillating footwork and pirouettes. The music consists of thumris and other lyrical song forms.

Kathakali- or story-play began in Kerala in the 17th century under the patronage of the prince of Kottarakara. Stories from the Mahabharat and Ramayan provide the context for most Kathakali dramas. The characters are classified according to their nature, makeup and costume build up these characters. The faces are painted to represent- green for heroes, kings and divinities, red and black for evil and fierce personalities. The actor's performance is speechless, the libretto is sung by two singers on stage. The story is interpreted by the use of facial expressions and hand gestures or Mudras.

Mohiniyattam has originated in Kerala. It is closely related to Bharathanatyam of Tamil Nadu, which was originally called 'Dasiyattam'. It started as the temple dance performed by Devadasis, it portrays feminine love in its myriad forms - carnal, devotional and maternal. In this dance facial expressions are more important than the rhythmic steps.