Notes: Religious Foundations in Classical Indian Dance (Slides Summary)

Natya Shastra and Rasas

  • Natya Shastra: a Sanskrit treatise on performance techniques and theories
    • Attributed to Bharata
    • Dated to ca. 200 BCE−200 CE200\text{ BCE} - 200\text{ CE}
    • Describes how performance can embolden, enlighten, and reveal the true essences of humanity and divinity
  • Rasas (emotional states) in the Natya Shastra
    • Rasa: an emotional state
    • Navarasas: the Nine Rasas
    • Nine principal Rasas and their traditional associations:
    • 1. Śṛṅgāra — Love/Erotic (dominant state: Love)
    • 2. Hāsya — Laughter/Comic (dominant state: Mirth)
    • 3. Raudra — Anger (dominant state: Rage)
    • 4. Adbhuta — Wonder/Marvellous (dominant state: Marvel)
    • 5. Veera — Heroic (dominant state: Heroism)
    • 6. Bhayānaka — Fear (dominant state: Terror)
    • 7. Bibhatsa — Odious/Disgust (dominant state: Disgust)
    • 8. Karuṇya — Compassion/Sorrow (dominant state: Pathos)
    • 9. Śānta — Peace (dominant state: Peace)
    • Note: Some slide text presents the rasas and their bhavas in paired columns (sub-states and related feelings) and may show alternative mappings (e.g., astonishment, energy) as related expressions; core set remains the nine navarasas.

Bharatanatyam: origins, context, and global presence

  • Bharatanatyam: a form of classical Indian dance
    • Etymology: Bharata = attributed author of the Natya Shastra; Natyam = dance
    • Origin: temples of South India; performed by devadasis (female temple servants)
    • History: secularization of the form under British colonial rule
    • Current status: global reach; widely taught and performed worldwide

Bharatanatyam technique: Mudras and movement

  • Mudras: symbolic hand gestures used to signal meanings
    • Asamyutha Hastas: single-hand mudras (various named gestures like Pathakam, Tirupathakam, Ardhapathakam, Kartarimukham, Mayuram, Ardhachandran, Aralam, Anjali, Kapotam, Karkatam, Swastikam, Dola, Pushpaputam, Shukathundam, Mushti, Shikaram, Kapitham, Katakamukham, Suchi, Chandrakala, Shivalingam, Katakavardhanam, Kartariswastikam, Shakatam, Sanku, Chakram, Samputam, Padmakosam, Sarpasirsham, Mrigasirsham, Simhamukham, Kangulam, Alapadmam, Chaturam, Pasha, Kilakau, Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Garuda, Nagabandam, Katava, Bherunda, Bramharam, Hamsasyam, Hamsapakshakam, Sandamsham, Mukulam, Tamarachuda, Trisoolam)
    • Samyutha Hastas: double-hand mudras (7 listed as a set in the slide)
  • Nritta vs. Abhinaya (two modes of Bharatanatyam)
    • Nritta: abstract dance emphasizing virtuosity, rhythm, and pure movement
    • Abhinaya: expressive dance that interprets poetry or stories (emotional storytelling and character portrayal)

Bharatanatyam: Nritta and Abhinaya focus

  • Nritta (Nittra): emphasis on technical precision, rhythm cycles, and decorative movement
  • Abhinaya: conveys meaning through facial expressions, hand gestures, body language, and dramatic interpretation
  • Both modes together form the seamless performance that blends technique with storytelling
  • Example frames observed in slides: abstract sequences (Nritta) and expressive sequences (Abhinaya), including media prompts (e.g., “1 MILLION VIEWS” for Nṛtta and “13 MILLION VIEWS!” for Abhinaya) illustrating modern performance/media context

Kathakali: origins, training, and presentation

  • Kathakali: a form of classical Indian dance-drama that enacts epic stories from Hindu mythology
  • Origins: Kerala, India; developed in the 17th century with royal sponsorship; gained public popularity in the 18th–19th centuries
  • Training: typically about 1212 years of full-time training; high level of control of all body parts; emphasis on precise facial expression and hand gestures to communicate rasas
  • Performance style: wordless storytelling; music and percussion support; all roles traditionally performed by men (though some schools now include women)
  • Make-up and costumes: symbolic color-coding to convey character and personality
    • Green: noble, heroic, divine
    • Red beard: evil
    • Green and red combination: complex traits that are nasty yet redeeming
    • Skin-tone or light makeup: gentleness and mercy

Kathakali technique and performance specifics

  • Technique elements:
    • Posture and basic box step (stability and grounded movement)
    • Eye movements and facial expressions (crucial for conveying rasa)
    • Coordinated hand gestures with precise footwork to narrate scenes
  • Training environment: rigorous, long-term study with emphasis on discipline and mastery of akharas (schools)
  • Performance length and scope:
    • Traditional performances can be up to 1616 hours long
    • Modern, commercially oriented performances tend to be shorter
  • Narrative content: often scenes from the Mahābhārata (epic Sanskrit text) or other mythological tales

Classical Indian dance in Bharatanatyam and Kathakali: shared context and significance

  • Core purpose: to dance, teach, and comment upon stories or poems with religious or spiritual significance
  • Cultural formation: dance acts as a form of cultural expression that both shapes and is shaped by the society in which it is practiced
  • Ethical, philosophical, and practical dimensions:
    • Ethical: devotion, discipline, and reverence in performance; the dancer’s role as a conduit of sacred narratives
    • Philosophical: art as a path to transpersonal connection, enlightenment, and shared communal memory
    • Practical: adaptation over time (e.g., secularization, globalization, inclusion of women in Kathakali schools, media presence in Bharatanatyam)

For next class and references

  • View: Alvin Ailey's Revelations by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (33 minutes 44 seconds)
    • Link provided in the original materials
  • For the next class: prepare to discuss how these classical forms continue to evolve in contemporary contexts and their relevance to modern audiences