Indian Classical Dance "..abstraction of Upanishadic thought which is assiduously translated in to well designed concrete language of artistic media."

It all started with Natya Shastra

Said to be written 2000 years ago by Bharata Muni, it is the seminal source book for dancers and performers. The mammoth book covers all technical and aesthetic aspects of the art of the Indian Theatre and Dance.

From the purpose of natya, to the architectural format, stage rituals, Rasa, Bhava, Abhinaya, gestic communication, music, types of instruments. 37 chapters that together form the nucleus of this fascinating performing art. Later century works like Abhinaya Darpana, Abhinaya Chandrike, also have great relevance to the dancer today.

Legend has it that the Devas (Gods) had vanquished the Asuras (Evil) and were relating the happenings to Brahma, the God of Creation. The Asuras thought this was a renewed attack and retaliated. Brahma intervened - "This is only a performance, hence forth it will only be held on earth".

And Brahma passed on all the information on Dance and Drama to Bharata Muni who compiled it as the Natya Shastra.

Bharat Natyam is compounded from 'bha' for bhava or
emotional projection, 'ra' for raga or melody and 'ta' for
tala rhythm. Natyam means the art of dance.

The key posture of this dance form requires the upper part of the body to be erect, the legs bent halfway down with the knees spread out, and the feet positioned like a half open fan. Practically every part of the body has its distinct movement.

The art form takes its name from the village of its birth, in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi was the result of the Bhakti Movement in the 6th Century, Siddendra Yogi, the progenitor of the form, presented a dance drama with boys from the village of Kuchipudi. Consciously they raised the form above the reach of Devdasi. The boys were committed to an annual presentation of the form and they passed on the techniques to the next generation. So a tradition and a form were born.

The performer has to express through the language of gestures, speech and song. The Kuchipudi artiste, apart from being a dancer and an actor has to have a high proficiency - in Sanskrit and Telegu languages, music and the texts of performance.

Mohini Attam is one of the youngest Indian Classical dances. This form of dance came into its own by the 16th Century and was evolved under the patronage of Maharaja Swati Thirunal of Travancore (present day south Kerala).

Mohini means a maiden who excites desire and her dance is known as Mohini Attam. From the inception itself, Mohini Attam was conceived as a form of social diversion. The themes of the songs were both religious and social.

Kerala presents to the country one of the most imposing and colourful spectacles of dance Kathakali. It is heroic, majestic and epic in character.

Though this form of art is not more than 300 years old, the actual roots can be traced to 1500 years earlier. It symbolises the blending of the Aryan and Dravidian cultures and is presumed to have evolved out of the various ancient theatre traditions of the region like Krishnattam, Ramanattam, Koodiyattam, Mudiyyetu and Teyyam. Mahakavi Vallathol of Cherutoorthi (Palakkad) contributed greatly in the revival of this art by forming Kalamandalam, the famous teaching institution, set up in the thirties.

A dance form born in the state of Orissa, manifested in temple sculptures from 2nd century BC, practiced and enriched by the Devadasis or maharis (as the temple dancing girls are called in Orissa). With the construction of the Jagannath Temple in Puri in the 12th century, the practice of dedicating maharis in the service of the temple was initiated and continues to this day.

At once sensuous and spiritual, it has the ability to portray erotic sentiments in a deeply reverential manner. Odissi is a highly stylised dance with tribhanga or the three-bend attitude of Hindu sculpture. The bhava or feeling is chaste and orthodox, with flashes of heightened dramatization.

The Manipuris have song and dance woven in to their lives and regard themselves as the descendents of the Gandharvas. Their love for dance reflects their rich lore of legend and mythology.

There is no authoritative record of the history of Manipur's dance and music prior to the 18th Century AD.

However the lasting developments in technique and methods took place during the time of Jai Singh (1764-1789), who was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and a follower of Vaishnavism

Kathaks were originally story tellers who used to dance to illustrate 'Kathas' or stories. They were attached to the temples of North India.

With the advent of Muslim rule, Kathak went from the temple to the courts. Consequently Kathak flowered as a form in the Hindu courts of Rajasthan and the Muslims courts of Delhi, Agra and Lucknow. Court patronage evolved Kathak into a highly technical and stylished art with emphasis on the solo performers and their virtuosity.

Indian folk and tribal dances are simple , and performed to express joy. Folk dances are performed for every possible occasion, to celebrate the arrival of seasons, birth of a child, a wedding and festivals. The dances are extremely simple with minimum of steps or movements. The dances burst with verve and vitality. Men and women perform some dances exclusively, while in some performances men and women dance together. On most occasions, the dancers sing themselves, while being accompanied by artists on the instruments. Each form of dance has a specific costume. Most costumes are flamboyant with extensive jewels.

The northeast part of the country is the home for over 60 tribes. Each tribe has its own range of tribal dances. The exciting dances of the Nagas and the Bihus of Assam, are performed to celebrate spring and harvesting.

The chief folk dance of Gujarat, the Dandiya, is performed using sticks. Each performer holds two sticks, which they strike alternately to the right and left while the group dances. They also move diagonally, clockwise, anti-clockwise, as they strike the sticks.

The Bhangra dance of Punjab is performed by men, to the rhythm of the drum. The dance includes a wide range of leaps and jumps. Dancers stand on each other's shoulder while dancing to the music.

There are hundreds of Indian folk and tribal dances. Each region of India has its own folk dance. Both men and women perform the bamboo dance of Mizoram. While the men hold the bamboo, the women folk dance between the bamboo. In this performance, the sound of the bamboo hitting each other is the rhythm. Though dangerous if a rhythm is missed, these experienced dancers perform with grace and with care.

Temples were raised to the house the Gods and became the focal point for the community. They also became centres of learning and contributed to the advancement of such arts as sculpture, painting, music and dance. Mostly built by Kings, who were also the patrons of arts, encouraging a continuity and enriching rituals of worship, the earliest basis of the classical performing arts.

It was from the temple that the Devdasi cult (Temple Dancers who performed for the Lord) began. Once a practice countrywide - the Kulvantalu in Andhra Pradesh, the Maibi in Manipur, the Devdasi in Tamil Nadu and the Mahari in Orissa, all trace their roots to the temple. The countless sculptures of dance poses in the temples, hint at the potency of dance as a path to spiritual exaltation and lays out a complete lexicon of dance techniques.

For instance, it is said that the greater part of vocabulary of Odissi dance is preserved in stone.

A rich heritage to be brought alive by the artist.