Eternal India Encyclopedia

DANCE

Eternal India encyclopedia

The musical accompaniments of the Bharatanatyam perform- ance consist of the mridangam (drum) and a pair of cymbals. The items in the repertoire are Alarippu, Jathiswara, Sabda, Padams, Javalis and Tillanas. These items are planned to bring out the salient features of the style. Similarly in Andhra Pradesh and Kar- nataka this style evolved on similar lines maintaining its regional

ayan Yati, who were ardent devotees of Krishna, created this drama by bringing about a synthesis of music, dance and drama for the purpose of expounding the philosophic truths of the epics and puranas. Tirtha Narayan Yati wrote an opera “Krishna Leela Tarangini” and his disciple Siddhendra Yogi wrote ‘Parijata-

paharana’ and presented it at Kuchelapuram, the present Kuchipudi, with a group of boys. The play was received with such great enthusiasm that the village itself has been immortalised as the home of Kuchipudi style of dance. Kuchipudi was patronised by the Vijay- anagar rulers in the 15th and 16th centuries. During the course of its evolution the dramas were influenced by the padas of Kshetragna and other compositions. The repertoire of the Kuchipudi artistes mainly

consist of Bhava Kalapam, Golla Kalapam, Prahalada Charitam, Usha Parinayam. Items like Kannakola and Abhishekams can be performed as solos, independent of the play. The exponents : Chinta Venkatratnam and Venkatramayya, the disciples of Vidya Guru, Vedantam Laxminaryan Shastry, Ven- dantam Satyanarayan and Chinna Satyam. Note : In recent years Kuchipudi has gained recognition as a classical dance form. Hence we find solo dance performers in the style now like Yamini Krishnamurthy, Raja Reddy, Radha Reddy and others. Dr. Natraja Ramakrishna has also rendered yeoman service to the art. KATHAKALI : As a classical dance style of Kerala, Kathakali has evolved from the vernacular and popular dance dramas per- formed by the rural folk and professional troupes who were inspired

Among the exponents of this style, Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, the grandson of Ponniah Pillai, is well known. Kandappa Pillai, the grandson of Chinnaiah, is another able exponent. Bala- saraswathi, his disciple, has earned universal acclaim as the grand lady of Bharatanatyam. Rukmini Devi, who also rendered immense service to the art founded the Kalakshetra at Adyar in Madras for the promotion of Bharatanatyam. While following the pattern of items set by the Tanjore broth- ers, the Mysore school conforms more strictly to the rules of pur- vanga or preliminary rites, mentioned in the ancient texts. The repertoire consists of the following items: Pushpanjali followed by Sabha Pooja, Choornika and Ganesh Vandana. Jetti Tayama, Dasappa, Kittapa and Puttappa were some of the Gurus while Smt Venkatalakshamma is a celebrity. The other forms of Bharatanatyam are Kuravanji and Bhagavat Mela which are more akin to the ‘ Natya' defined by Bharata. Kuravanji is a form of Natya in which six to eight women take part. The theme of the dance-drama is usually ‘the fruition of the love of a girl for her hero’ who is either the deity of the temple or the patron to whom the composition is dedicated. Kutrala Kuravanji is one of the famous Kuravanjis performed in the temples of Tanjore. Bhagavat Mela of Tamil Nadu is a form of dance which was inspired by the Bhakti cult. Only men are allowed to take part in this dance drama which came into existence in the fifteenth and six- teenth centuries. These were performed for temple festivals from the time of Achyutappa Naik, a great patron of art and music. Melattur, Soolamangalam, Oothukadu and other villages in Tanjore were famous for the Bhagavat Melas. Some of their dramas are Prahalada Charitam, Markandeya, Rukmangada, Usha Parinayam and Harishchandra.

by the myths and legends. The roots of Kathakali can be traced back to a thousand and five hundred years. Kathakali (Katha = story, Kali = play) is the most Colourful dance form of India. The themes of Kathakali are taken from the epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and Hindu mythology. By tradition the danc- ers are all male. They wear mask- like make-up and elaborate cos- tumes to represent deities, de- mons, heroes and sages. Kathakali has assimilated vari- ous elements of the Aryan and Dravidian cultures. It also draws inspiration from the traditional

KUCHIPUDI : Kuchipudi is the dance-drama art ot Andhra Pradesh in South India. Swami Siddhendra Yogi and Tirtha Nar-