Comprehensive Study Notes: Classical Indian and Indonesian Dance Traditions

Key Terminology and Definitions

Agem: Asymmetrical basic stance used in Balinese dance. It must not be mixed up with Aramandi, which is the basic stance used in Bharatanatyam.
Cak: An all-male chorus that provides vocal accompaniment by chanting ("cak-cak-cak").
Devadasi: A female devotee of a deity in Bharatanatyam who functions as a temple dancer.
Ghunghru: Musical ankle bells worn by dancers.
Kalaripayattu: A traditional martial arts form practiced by the warrior caste that serves as the primary movement basis for Kathakali.
Kathakars: Traditional storytellers.
Kerwuhan (Kerawuhan): A state of trance.
Mudras: Specialized hand gestures utilized in both Bharatanatyam and Kathakali.
Sadir: A devotional Hindu dance tradition that directly led to the development of Bharatanatyam.
Semadhi: Divine service, worship, or meditation performed by Bedhaya dancers.
Tawaif: A female professional entertainer or courtesan associated with Kathak.
Wali: The most sacred of the three categories of Balinese dance; includes genres such as Baris and Sanghyang Dedari.

Geographic Origins and Musical Accompaniments

Bedhaya (Badoyo):
- Origin: Java (Indonesia)
- Musical Accompaniment: Gamelan
Baris:
- Origin: Bali (Indonesia)
- Musical Accompaniment: Gamelan
Sanghyang Dedari:
- Origin: Bali (Indonesia)
Bharatanatyam:
- Origin: India
- Musical Accompaniment: Carnatic music
Kathak:
- Origin: India
- Musical Accompaniment: Hindustani music
Kathakali:
- Origin: India
- Musical Accompaniment: Sopana Sangeetham (or Carnatic / vocal drumming tradition of Kerala)

Indian Dance Traditions and Socio-Historical Context

Colonial History:
- India was colonized by the British.
Hierarchical Caste System in India (listed from top to bottom):
1. Brahmin: Priests and Scholars
2. Kshatriya: Warriors and Rulers
3. Vaishya: Merchants and Farmers
4. Shudra: Laborers and Servants
- Excluded Group: Dalits ("Untouchables") are excluded from society and are not formally considered part of the four-tiered caste system.
The Anti-Nautch Campaign:
- British colonial authorities believed that temple dancers were prostitutes, leading to a political and social campaign aimed at abolishing and banning traditional temple dance forms.
Core Performance Categories: Nritta vs. Abhinaya:
- Nritta: Technical, pure abstract dance designed to showcase the dancer's physical technique, rhythm, and movement without conveying a story.
- Abhinaya: Narrative, expressive dance designed to convey spiritual themes, emotional states, and stories from sacred texts.
The Four Categories of Abhinaya:
1. Angika: Expression through body movements and physical gestures.
2. Vachika: Expression through vocal performance, including song, speech, and recitation.
3. Aharya: Expression through decorative elements, including costume, makeup, and jewelry.
4. Sattvika: Expression through the authentic emotional state and inner feeling of the performer.
Kathakali Character Types and Identification:
- Pacha: Characterized by a green face; represents noble, divine, and heroic figures.
- Kathi: Characterized by a green face with red markings and a white ball on the nose and forehead; represents flawed, arrogant royalty or villains.
- Thadi (Tati): Bearded characters, divided into three sub-types:
- Red Beard: Represents vicious and evil characters.
- White Beard: Represents divine and pious characters.
- Black Beard: Represents forest dwellers and hunters.
- Kari: Characterized by a black face and black costume; represents evil females and she-demons.
- Minukku: Characterized by a golden or yellow face; represents women, Brahmins, and sages.
- Teppu: Masked or specialty characters; represents mythological creatures and birds.
Kathakali Performance Practice:
- Performer Gender: Traditionally performed strictly by males because the martial movement style was considered too physically demanding, and the ornate, heavy costumes weighed up to $80\,\text{lbs}$ .
- Eye Movement Training: Kathakali dancers undergo rigorous training in "eye dancing," known as Drishti (also referred to as Drishti Bheda or Netra Sadhana).

Indonesian Dance Traditions (Bali and Java)

Geographic Context:
- Both Bali and Java are islands within the nation of Indonesia.
Baris Variations:
- Baris Gede: A sacred ceremonial dance performed by a large group of men carrying weapons.
- Baris Tunggal: A solo dance performed by a young boy who does not carry a weapon.
Sanghyang Dedari:
- Performers: Pre-pubescent young girls. Performers must permanently retire from this dance form once they hit puberty.
- Sacred Status: Classified under the sacred Wali category.
Balinese Temple Celebrations:
- Known as Odalan.
Bedhaya (Badoyo):
- Location: Royal courts and palaces of Java.
- Performers: Performed by $9$ female dancers.
- Theme: An abstract, divine love story between Sultan Agung and Ratu Kidul, the goddess of the South Sea.
- Ritual Meditation: Incorporates Semadhi (divine service, worship, or meditation).
Cosmological Concepts and the Odalan Ritual Process:
- Kaja: The direction facing toward the mountain. Represents the sacred, holy, and positive realm of the gods.
- Kelod: The direction facing toward the ocean. Represents the dangerous and negative realm where demons reside, as well as the site where spiritual cleansing occurs.
- Role in Odalan Ceremonies:
1. During Odalan, gods are invited down from the holy mountains (kaja) to temporarily inhabit sacred wooden dolls.
2. Because the visiting deities require protection, Baris dancers act as armed bodyguards.
3. The ceremonial procession escorts the deities toward the ocean (kelod) to ritually cleanse and purify them.
4. After purification, the procession escorts the deities back toward the mountains and temple (kaja) to safely re-enshrine them.

Fundamental Elements of Dance

Body
Action
Space
Time
Energy / Effort