Dances of India - Part III

This episode features a popular folk form of Tamilnadu – Kummi – a simple dance performed only by women by the clapping of their hands.  It is a very common form performed in all villages for any happy occasion.  A number of poets including Subramaniya Bharati encouraged this art form.  Another dance form prevalent in the villages of Tamilnadu is Pinnal Kolattam.  This is a rhythmic number performed with sticks, which are tied with coloured ropes from a single point above.  As the dance finishes the coloured threads are knotted in a design.  The costumes of Bharatanatyam classical dancers were just as simple as the village dancers until about 70 years ago.  It was Rukmani Devi Arundale who gave a glamorous at the same time dignified status to the dancer and the dance form.  This episode shows the designer jewellery shops and a tailor’s den where specially designed silk costumes are tailored in large numbers to cater to dancers around the world.  This is followed by a demonstration of danseuse Gita Krishna Raj who explains the term Rasa and Bhava common to all dance forms.  She also performs a traditional Bharatanatyam Padam.

Dances of India - Part IV

This episode features a duet in the classical Odissi style by Surups Sen and Bijoyini Satpati, senior dancers from the dance village Nrityagram, Bangalore, founded by the famous danseuse Protima Gauri Bedi.  Surupa also explains the nuances of Odissi specially highlighting the 12th century Guru Maheshwara Mahapatra’s book Abhinaya Chandrika as one of the most sought after works on this classical form.  In the second half, we move onto another classical form of India – Kuchipudi which derives its name from the village where it originated.  This episode features leading Kuchipudi dancer Shoba Naidu.  This episode also features  a semi-classical dance form of Andhra Pradesh, Perrinin – an all male dance ensemble.  Inspired by the Rammappa temple in Warangal built by the Kaktiya dynasty about 700 years ago, Guru Nataraja Ramakrishna recreated this lost art form.

About 700 years ago, the male members of the royal family of Kakatiya dynasty and the warriors danced the Perrini Shiva Tandavam to invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva.  This episode features another number of Perrini popularly called the dance of the war lords.  Another classical dance form of Andhra Prades – Andhra Natyam – originally called Lasya Nartana was practiced by temple dancers.  This vibrant style of the Telugu people is today popularly called Andhra Natyam.  A dance number where a make successfully impersonates and performs the female role of Satyabhama is performed by Kalakrishna.  About 500 years ago, some European traders touring the city of Hampi in Karnataka had remarked, “this city seems to be bigger and more beautiful than London”.  Karnataka has various and varied folk dance forms which exhibit the values and attitudes of the local people – the three beautiful and versatile dance forms of “Somana Kunitha, Marammana Kunitha and Kasale” are clubbed together and presented as one dance number.

Dances of India - Part V

The dances of Manipur, a North Eastern state of India are influenced by the religious movement of Vaishnavism, the worship of Lord Vishnu.  A sense of music and rhythm is inbuilt in the citizens of Manipur.  The classical dance form of Manipur is Manipur where the dancers wear vells, along with cylindrical mirrored was popularized by three dancers the Jhaveri Sisters.  One of them, Darshana Jhaveri, explains the intricate movements of the Manipuri style of dancing and performs an Ashtapati.  Somana Kunitha, Marammana Kunitha and Kasale.  This is followed by “pontha jagoi” a dance competition between Krishna and Radha in Manipuri performed by Darshana Jhaveri and her senior disciple Latasana Devi.  This is followed by the all male ensemble of Manipur performing Sankirtana with symbols and dholak.  The male dancers also performs a vigorous, rhythmic “Pung Cholam” with the Dholak in hand.

Another variety of dance in Orissa is Chau, a stylized masked dance form.  Chau combines folk, tribal and martial traditions and yet covers the Nritta, Natya, and Nritya aspects of classical dance.  It is a complex combination of the folk and classical traditions.  Three styles of Chau exist in the three different regions of Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa, Seraikella Chau, Purulia Chau, and Mayurbhanj Chau respectively.  Each character has a special mask unique to that character only.  This episode features extracts of five different Chau items.   From Eastern India, we move westwards to the Golden temple of Amritsar, the famous Sikh temple in Punjab.  The men of Punjab perform Bhangda, full of masculine vitality, to celebrate the sowing of the wheat crop.  Pairs of dancers take turns to execute complex acrobatic movements. From the vigorous Bhangda performed by men-folk of Punjab we have the women-folk of Punjab performing a graceful, gentle Giddha.  This number is performed to celebrate a wedding and is characterized by its spontaneous energy.

Dances of India - Part VI

This episode starts with the state of Madhya Pradesh (MP) in Central India.  The world famous Khajuraho group of temples is located in MP.  MP is well known for its diamond mines and dense forests.  Where does a forest stand without rains?  The village folk of MP are overjoyed on secing rain clouds and perform the rain dance Phagun.  This episode also features Tere tali – a Rajasthani folk dance where small symbols or manjiras are tied to the hands and legs of the dancers and bells sound in rhythm as they dance.  This is followed by another Rajasthani number Duff Dance, performed with small circular drums in hand, during the Holi festival.  The men and women of Gujarat perform Dhandiya Ras – a vigorous and rhythmic dance with batons, where the dancers leap and crouch in twirling patterns.

This episode starts with a Rajasthani folk number “BHAVAI” danced by balancing several pots one above the other.  Most of the folk dances evolved as a spontaneous way of life rather than entertainment.  For example, “TIPPANI” was danced as the women labourers were laying roads much before the arrival of mechanized gadgets for road laying.  Indeed rhythm is the backbone of dance and the tribes of Mizoram in Eastern India perform the Bamboo dance, weaving intricate patterns in and out of the bamboo sticks.  As we travel about 3000 kms from Nagaland to Southeastern India, we come to the green landscape of Kerala, known for its backwaters coconut trees and martial arts, besides dance forms.  This episode also features Mohiniattam – a classical dance form of Kerala, performed gracefully by Nandita Prabhu.

There is no city or state in the world, which does not celebrate a wedding.  However, there are some people who celebrate it with pomp and splendour like the Rajasthan is.  Here is a dance Baaraat describing a Rajasthani wedding.  We move back to Tamil Nadu where we started and show a small folk number Kolattam performed by young girls in villages.  All the dance form we have seen in this serial, the classical and folk forms of India, have a common heritage, derived form Natyashastra.  This aspect of Unity in diversity had been well researched by Dr. Padma Subramanyam and forms the basis of her style Bharata Nrityam.  This episode features a Kuyilpattu Varnam (a song by poet Subramaniya Bharati) performed by Dr. Padma.  The serial concludes with a montage of the various dance forms portrayed in these 13 parts.