Sattriya

Sattriya dance in modern-form was introduced by the Vaishnava saint Shankaradeva in the 15th century A.D in Assam. The art form derives its name from the Vaishnava monasteries known as ‘Sattras’, where it was primarily practised. It finds mention in the ancient text ‘Natya Shastra’ of sage Bharat Muni. It is inspired from Bhakti Movement.

Some of the features of Sattriya dance include: The dance form was an amalgamation of various dance forms prevalent in Assam, mainly Ojapali and Devdasi.  The focus of the Sattriya recitals is own the devotional aspect of dance and narrates mythological stories of Vishnu. Sattriya dance also includes Nritta, Nritya and Natya.  The dance is generally performed in group by male monks known as ‘Bhokots’ as part of their daily rituals or even on festivals. Khol (drum), Cymbals (Manjira) and flute form the major accompanying instruments of this dance form. The songs are composition of Shankaradeva known as ‘Borgeets’.

There is great emphasis on rhythmic syllables and dance postures along with footwork. It combines both Lasya and Tandava elements. The Sattriya dance tradition has strictly laid down rules in respect of hand gestures and footwork, and it plays a very important role. Costumes worn by male dancers are Dhoti, and ‘Paguri’ (turban). While, females wear traditional Assamese jewellery, ‘Ghuri’ and ‘Chador’ made in Pat silk. Waist cloth is worn by both men and women. In the modern times, Sattriya dance has evolved into two separate streams – the Gayan-Bhayanar Nach and the Kharmanar Nach. Ankia Naat: a type of Sattriya, it involves play or musicaldrama.

It was originally written in Assamese-Maithili mix language called Brajavali. It is also called ‘Bhaona’, and involves stories of Lord Krishna.

 

Kathak

Tracing its origins from the Ras Leela of Brajbhoomi, Kathak is the traditional dance form of Uttar Pradesh. Kathak derived its name from the ‘Kathika’ or the story-tellers who recited verses from the epics, with gestures and music. During the Mughal era, the dance form degenerated into lascivious style and branched off into court dance. It was also influenced by Persian costumes and styles of dancing. The classical style of Kathak was revived by Lady Leela Sokhey in the twentieth century. 

Manipuri

Manipuri dance form finds its mythological origin to the celestial dance of Shiva and Parvati in the valleys of Manipur along with the local ‘Gandharvas’. The dance form traces its origin to the festival of Lai Haraoba where many dances were performed. However, the dance gained prominence with the advent of Vaishnavism in the 15th century. Then, Krishna became the central theme of this dance form.

It is performed generally by females. 

In modern times, Raja Bhag Chandra of Manipur in the 18th century tried to revive Manipuri dance. Rabindranath Tagore brought back the dance form into limelight when he introduced it in Santiniketan.

Odissi

The caves of Udayagiri-Khandagiri provide some of the earliest examples of Odissi dance. The dance form derives its name from the ‘Odra nritya’ mentioned in Natya Shastra. It was primarily practised by the ‘maharis’ and patronised by the Jain king Kheravela.

With the advent of Vaishnavism in the region, the Mahari system became defunct. Instead, young boys were recruited and dressed as females to continue the art form. They came to be known as ‘Gotipuas’. Another variant of this art, ‘Nartala’ continued to be practised at the royal courts.

Mohiniattam

Mohiniattam or the Dance of an Enchantress (‘Mohini’ meaning beautiful woman and ‘attam’ means dance), is essentially a solo dance performance by women that was further developed by Vadivelu in 19th century and gained prominence under the rulers of Travancore in the present state of Kerala. The patronage of Swathi Thirunal the Travancore ruler in 19th century, is notable. After it had fallen to obscurity, the famous Malayali poet V. N. Menon revied it along with Kalyani Amma.

Kathakali

In the temples of Kerala, two forms of dance-drama, Ramanattam and Krishnattam, evolved under the patronage of feudal lords, narrating episodes from Ramayana and Mahabharata. These folk drama traditions latter became the source of Kathakali, which derived its name from the words ‘Katha’ meaning story and ‘Kali’ meaning drama. It is closely related to Koodiyattam (Sanskrit darama tradition) and other ancient martial-arts performance also. It is a wonderful combination of music, dance and drama.

 However, with the breakdown of the feudal set up, Kathakali strated to decline as an art form. It was revived in the 1930s by the famous Malayali poet V. N. Menon under the patronage of Mukunda Raja.

Kuchipudi

Originally performed by group of actors going from village to village, known as Kusselavas, Kuchipudi derives its name from the Andhra village of Kusselavapuri or Kuchelapuram. In 17th century, Siddhendra Yogi formalized and systematized the tradition. He authored ‘Bhama Kalapam’ and many other plays.

 With the advent of Vaishnavism, the dance form became a monopoly of the male Brahmins and began to be performed at temples. Stories of Bhagavat purana became a central theme of the recitals, and the dancers came to be known as Bhagavathalus. The dance form gained prominence under the patronage of the Vijayanagar and Golconda rulers.

 However, it remained confined to villages and remained obscure till the advent of twentieth century, when Balasaraswati and Ragini Devi revived this dance form. Lakshminarayan Shastry, in early 20th century, brought in new practices such as solo recitals and female participation.

 

Bharatnatyam

Oldest among all classical dance forms, Bharatnatyam derives its name from Bharata Muni and ‘Natyam’ which means dance in Tamil.

However, other scholars have ascribed the name ‘Bharata’ to ‘Bhava’, ‘Raga’ and ‘Taal’.

The origins of this dance form can be traced back to ‘Sadir’ – the solo dance performance of the temple dancers or ‘devadasis’ in Tamil Nadu, hence it was also referred to as ‘Dashiattam’.

With the decline of the Devadasi system, the art too became nearly extinct. However, the efforts of E. Krishna Iyer, a prominent freedom fighter, revived this dance form. Previously, this dance form was performed by solo female dancers; it has since become increasingly popular among male and group artists as well. Rukmini Devi Arundale, another famous proponent of Bharatnatyam, is remembered for giving global recognition to the dance.