Dancing in its widest sense is the personalised human reaction to the appeal of a general rhythm which marks not only human life but the universe. Dancing is an arrangement or pattern in space, as architecture and painting and sculpture are, and employs spacial rhythm. And like music, it is an arrangement in time employing rhythm. Thus dance is the only art which can be called time-space art, employing rhythm in both the spheres – audible and visual.
The Natya Shastra
Historically the flowering and popularity of the performing arts have fluctuated from era to era. Upon a systematic inquiry, there emerges a very definite and precise set of rules which guide these performing arts – specially music, dance and drama. Another fact that emerges is that the authenticity of any performing art is tested on the dicta of this particular set of rules. And unanimously this set of rules has been attributed by scholars of every era to a unique text called the Natya Shastra ascribed to the legendary sage Bharata.
The Natya Shastra (Science of Dramaturgy) is a unique work of Sanskrit literature. Judging by its title, this voluminous text should deal with theatre, but it is, in fact, an encyclopedia which deals with allied subjects and arts which go with the theatre and successful stage presentation. The aim of not only the art natya but all arts according to the ancient Indian art thought, which can more appropriately be termed as Hindu thought, is the creation of Rasa (the aesthetic object) through the Rasavada (the aesthetic experience).
Here it must be borne in mind that though the two arts, dance and drama in the Indian tradition were irrevocably interconnected, they did maintain their individuality and at no given time did they get totally merged into one.
Classification of dance
Let us now turn to the classification of dance itself which came into currency in Bharata’s time or immediately after him.
Nritta: Pure non-representative dance made up of beautiful movements of limbs of the body. This type of dance does not convey any specific meaning nor does it project any emotions; it is purely for the purpose of beautification; by its very nature Nita is bound by the concept of rhythm – tale.
Nritya: Representative dance which is designed to convey specific meanings and the accompanying emotions. Very naturally in this type of dance the face plays a very important role to convey various emotions. The meaning of the song that is being danced is translated by the “hastas” or “hand gestures” into the language of dance.
In the later centuries when the technique of dance emerges as distinct from drama proper, it becomes apparent that dance utilizes drama as one of its aspects in the same manner as naatya utilises dance. Similarly, in the later years dance comes to be further classified into taandava (vigorous) and lasya or sukumara (gentle) types. Again, the Natyashastra does use these words but not in the manner of this firm classification. The 4th chapter of the Natyashastra deals exclusively with dancing calls it taandava probably as emanating from Tandu & lasya which is mentioned as lasyaanga in the chapter 20 dealing with the Dasharupakas (ten types of dramas). But the later writers very definitely give the two fold division into naatya, nritya and nritta on one hand and taandava and lasya on the other hand. But whatever the era and its classification, the components of the technique remain the same.
Major components of dance are:
Sattvika Abhinaya:
Sattvikabhinaya is that sentiment (rasa) which is created by the psychological state (bhava) of the mind of the dancer. It is the Sattvikabhinaya of the dancer which guides the enjoyment and experiences of the spectator, in whom the sentiment or rasa is created directly due to the bhava as being expressed by the dancer.
Bharata lists eight basic emotions (sthayi bhavas) giving rise to the eight sentiments (rasas) at the aesthetic, universalised, depersonalised, but intensely human level.
To these was later added the Shanta Rasa which came up as a result of the intensely moving bhakti cult appealing to the masses.
Bharata also lists 33 vyabhichari bhavas or transient states.
Angika Abhinaya:
This abhinaya deals with the physical activities and movements of the body and is represented by gestures and postures.
Bharata divides the bodily movements as
- Sharira – Pertaining to the body itself and is manifested through the major limbs (angas) – shira (head), vaksha (chest), kati (waist), parshva (sides), trika (hips), uru (thighs), hasta (hands) and pada (feet).
- Mukhaja – Pertaining to the face and is manifested through the minor limbs (upangas) – bhru (eye brows), puta (eyelids), tara (eyeballs), nasa (nose), adhara (lips), chibuka (chin), ganda (cheeks), danta (teeth).
- Cheshtakrita- Pertaining to body in general which is again of three types – sakha, ankura and suca.
Vachika Abhinaya:
This abhinaya deals with the use of speech in theatrical representation. This would include the svaras (the musical notes to be used in the songs, playing of instruments etc.), sthana (pitches), Kaku (intonation) etc.
Aharya Abhinaya:
This abhinaya deals with the use of costumes, jewellery, make-up etc., in theatrical representation. The contemporary classical dance styles even till date follow Bharata’s dicta and include the classification discussed above.
The differences that we find in their technique are due to the fact that each style has evolved from the ancient practices that were prevalent in their respective geographical regions. Also, though religio-philosophical in content, revolving around Indian mythology and aiming at common goals of creating Rasa and guiding the practitioner as well as the beholder towards selfedification, the paths that each followed was different from the others. Analysed and studied minutely, a good deal of commonality surfaces amongst these dance styles and thus the entire practice is enjoyed and venerated all over the world simply as “Indian Classical Dance”.
There are 7 recognised classical dance styles:
1. Bharata Natyam
2. Kathakali
3. Kathak
4. Manipuri
5. Kuchipudi
6. Mohini Attam
7. Odissi
We will learn and understand more about these dance forms in our series on Indian Classical Dance.