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Bharat
Natyam & Sacred Dance
   Whereas
spontaneity in Indian dance was previously cherished,
over the course of time it evolved into a methodical
performing art with various schools and strict disciplines.
Over 2000 years ago, Bharata Muni wrote the Natya
Shastra, or the science
of drama which included a comprehensive guide to sacred
Indian dance. In this work Bharata Muni says that
Brahma, the predominating demigod of this universe,
brought the entire science of natya,dance
and drama, to the Earth in ancient times.
Bharat
Natyam
Bharata
Muni, it seems, possessed a mind that delved deeply
into the mysteries of that knowledge which comes with
yogic meditation and contemplation, and his inner
visions of beauty, perfect rhythm, and noble attributes
of the symbolic movements provided a formidable prerequisite
to his composing his manual. Amazingly enough, most
sacred dance in India still follows the outlines and
rules laid down in the Natya Shastra.
As
in other sacred arts in India such as architecture,
some regard the ideal forms—or postures—as
symbolic of truth, while others prefer to see them
as being in perfect harmony with the cosmic rhythm.
Some schools consider that when the sacred dance is
properly performed, the divine entities of Godhead
and the celestial beings which the performers portray
"manifest" themselves onstage; thus the
sacred dance becomes one with reality in that it has
the ability to uplift the human consciousness from
the mundane world to the supernal. Since this requires
the disciplined use of the entire body and all of
its means of expression, in the Natya Shastra,ten basic postures of the body,
thirty-six of the hand, nine of the neck, and thirteen
poses of the head are delineated. The various schools
of dance have elaborated on these principal postures,
each of which has a specific meaning constituting
a precise body language capable of telling complex
stories to audiences familiar with these conventions.
The dancer requires exacting coordination of footwork,
bodily movement, hand gestures, placement of arms,
and movements of the head, eyes, eyebrows, and neck,
synchronized with the finely intricate beats of a
drum.
The
most striking feature of India's sacred dance is undoubtedly
the hand gesture known as the mudra.By
a beautiful and complicated code, the hand alone is
capable of portraying not only a wide range of emotions,
but gods, mortals, animals, natural scenery, action,
and so on, and each posture and body movement creates
an effect which invokes transcendental emotion. It
is a traditional belief that certain currents generated
by repeated rhythmic movements of the body create
moods and atmosphere that bring powerful results affecting
man and nature alike. Thus seasonal dances, festival
dances, and ritual dances evolved.
Ultimately,
through practice of the standard dance forms sacred
dancers could so awaken their spirituality as to dance
their way to divine consciousness. In order to attain
this elevated state of consciousness, the Indian dancer
had to achieve a true unison of the inner self and
the physical being and become immersed in the divine.Katha
Kali - top
Before
the advent of Buddhism in India, dancers were generally
recruited from the upper classes of Indian society.
Princesses and women of culture counted dancing as
an accomplishment and cultural asset demanding serious
study. And study they did, as sacred dance, being
a holistic art and science, required well educated
and well rounded performers for success. Therefore,
prospective dancers from an early age had to learn
not only dance, but dramatics, perfume-making, make-up,
music, grammar, and the art of conversation, and had
to be learned in philosophy and theology.
The
ascendancy of Pali Buddhism in India after 500 B.C.
interrupted the full and continuous evolution of sacred
Indian dance. This form of Buddhism emphasized a more
abstract form of spirituality and all of the sacred
arts declined during this period, especially since
members of the higher echelons of society were forbidden
to dance or sing or play on musical instruments. But
around the time of Christ, Vedic concepts of philosophy
and spirituality in India rebounded to enjoy a strong
renaissance, fueled by the immense popularity of the
great Vedic classics Ramayanaand
Mahabharata.During the first
and second centuries A.D. this resurgence gained new
heights of achievement for the Vedicarts, including dance,
which continued unabated for almost a thousand years.
The
Chola dynasty (ninth century to thirteenth century
A.D.) gave new impetus to all the sacred arts, especially
dance, by rich patronage and devotion. Elaborate temple
construction was a special tour de force of the Cholas,
and they established schools of sacred dance in their
newly-built temple complexes-hence, sculptures of
dance in Orissa, Andhra, and all over South India
highlighted the unique status of sacred Indian dance
during this period.
  Under
the weight of the British occupation of India and
the secularizing effects of modernization in the nineteenth
century, sacred Indian dance suffered a dramatic decline
for the second time; however, the Nobel Prize-winning
poet Dr. Rabindranath Tagore and other concerned members
of India's high society worked to repopularize sacred
Indian dance and make it more accessible to the general
public. With the new rise of popularity, dancers were
now welcome from almost any sector of society: dancing
was no more the elite privilege of the upper classes.
In
the twentieth century sacred Indian dance has regained
a prominent place on the international stage due to
the brilliant work of such dancers as Uday Shankar,
whose dancing is applauded on four continents. His
performance in the Radha-Krishna Ballet is especially
appreciated for bringing to light the grace, power,
and subtlety of sacred Indian dance to contemporary
audiences.
There
are many schools of sacred Indian dance--Bharata Natyam,
Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Orissi, Mohini Atam,
Krishna Atam, and Bhagavat Mela--all loved by the
Indian people. To them the sacred dances represent
divine beauty in motion, deliberate steps leading
to divine consciousness. Among these schools, two
are exceptional for surveying as they are prominent
and representative of the rest: Bharata Natyam and
Kathakali.
Bharata Natyam
Bharata
Natyam is sometimes called "an art for eternity"
because its practice today is virtually the same as
it was thousands of years ago. It is the most common
dance style performed throughout all of India, although
the tradition is most popular in the southern states
like Tamil Nadu and Kanartaka. Bharata Natyam is the
mother art for most of the other sacred dance systems
of India and is the main source of inspiration for
the allied arts of sculpture, painting, and icon-making.
Although Bharata Natyam was originally a child of
the temples, it has now become extremely popular on
the secular stage as well.
The
derivation of the word "Bharata" to describe
this system is most intriguing: many experts claim
it to be a compilation of the first syllables of the
three main elements of Bharata Natyam—bhaas
in bhavaor mood, raas
in ragaor melody, and taas
in talaor rhythmic timing.
In
ancient times a group of holy adepts known as the
Nattuvanars preserved the art of Bharata Natyam and
taught it to others. While the Nattuvanars taught,
the female temple dancers known as devidasisor
"handmaidens of God" performed. Undergoing
rigorous training, many devidasisstarted developing
their skills at the age of five. Some stone inscriptions
in Tangore mention that in the eleventh century A.D.
nearly 400 devidasispracticed
their art of dancing at the famous Brihat-Ishwara
temple, while about 100 were attached to the Shiva
temple at Kanchipuram. The monarchs of the time made
the devidasisan established
institution by paying them a salary for their religious
duties.
Traditionally,
over the last 1000 years women almost exclusively
performed Bharata Natyam with one exception-the Bhagavatars,
who were members of the brahman or priestly class
who found the dance drama the best medium for interpreting
the great philosophic teachings of the Bhagavatamscripture,
which contains a biographical study of the life of
Sri Krishna. The Bhagavatars' performances were known
as Bhagavat Melas.Their
dramatic action, lyrical composition, choice music
and classic dance form were mingled to glorify the
spiritual pastimes of Sri Krishna and other incarnations
of Godhead in such an entertaining and artistic way
as to create an art which truly expounded dance as
Bharata Muni had conceived it in his Natya Shastra.
Katha
Kali
 The
trends of modernization have scarcely made any inroads
on the naturally isolated state of Kerala in southwest
India; therefore, the Kathakali dance style indigenous
to this area continues to flourish without any impediments.
Because villagers performed this art for other villagers,
and village life is so stable in Kerala, this state
affords us one of the purest visions of ancient Vedic
life and culture.
Kathakali
literally means "story play," and is unique
in its avant-garde approach toIndian sacred dance
form. The performances are based on incidents contained
in sacred Sanskrit classics like Mahabharataand
Ramayana,on Kerala's
own ancient Sanskrit drama Kudiyattam, and on pastimes
from Sri Krishna's life that were popularized in Kerala
around 1650 A.D.
 Sacred
Indian dance is divided into two categories-vigorous
or masculine, and gentle or feminine. Kathakali is
most vigorous and is performed by men, yet a similar,
gentler form also exists called Kummi in which the
performers are mostly women. In either case, the players
are spiritual initiates who treat their green room
like a shrine and hold all of their paraphernalia
to be articles for worship. While following the principles
of Natya Shastra,Kathakali has developed
its own manual as well, the Hastalakshana Dipika,which
contains Kathakali's own special contributions to
sacred Indian dance.
Kathakali
dancers are highly esteemed in Kerala. In bygone days
the leading houses of the land organized their own
Kathakali troupes. No expense or trouble was considered
too great; the upper classes in Kerala happily patronized
Kathakali and continue to do so even to this day.
 The
Kathakali dancer never stands erect. His stance may
seem unnatural, but is actually like that of a yogi,
whose activity is dictated by a conscious inner force.
The dancer's angular movements, tense and virile,
create a fabric of rhythms which he weaves with a
sustaining strength. Make-up and masks used in Kathakali
reveal and enhance the personality of the characters-from
head to toe, the Kathakali costumes make for an elaborate
presentation. Powerful expression, religious fervor,
and pantomime also continue to distinguish Kathakali,
with the dancers' faces used more in Kathakali than
in any other sacred Indian dance style.
Everything
about Kathakali deals with the major archetypes of
life. The stage, whether in the courtyard of an ornate
temple or in a village meeting place, is about sixteen
square feet. The stage represents the world that has
come into being in space by the primal act of the
creator. In order to evoke the mysteries of existence,
Kathakali is never performed during daylight. At sunset
the evening's stillness is pierced by vigorous drumming
to announce that night's performance, and expectancy
is aroused in the people for the open-air, all-night
journey into the heart of life.
The
only illumination for the performance are two coconut
oil-fed lamps supported by tall, shining brass stands.
The thicker cluster of wicks faces the stage and represents
the sun. The thinner cluster is set towards the audience
and symbolizes the moon. These oil-fed lamps have
a distinct personality and function in the drama.
The lamps both vivify and subdue—an effect that
can hardly be improved by the most advanced lighting
schemes of the modern stage. The dancing flame of
the oil lamp, sometimes leaping and sometimes flickering,
pulsates with an almost intelligent energy that seems
to be reacting to the rhythmic cadences and moods
of the play. The spiritual and mysterious atmosphere
of Kathakali is heightened by the lamps, especially
in combination with the natural outdoor setting.
The
first drumming of a Kathakali show vibrates, "Pralaya,
prayala dimurdala," which signals the end
of the cosmic deluge and the start of a "New
Age." There is no scenery or backgrounds because
Kathakali involves the pastimes of Godhead and the
demigods who are beyond time and space. Before the
main story is told, there is a section of the show
called purappad,which means
going forward, as in the grand pageant of life on
Earth. In the purappad
the various phases and moods of this world are depicted.
The
drumming, singing, and dancing go on all night and
into the early morning. The dance progresses like
a serious sacred rite impelled by the force of some
mysterious power. Like the waves of an ocean, it surges
forward. Sometimes gentle, then rising and swelling,
the dance becomes turbulent and overwhelming. Like
the avant-garde theater of modern times, when the
action in Kathakali is larger than the stage, it spills
over, around, and through the audience, as in the
performance of the story of Sri Krishna and his poor
brahman friend Sudama. First we find Krishna alone
with his wife Rukmini in their Dwaraka palace; then
suddenly, Krishna becomes restless, looks intently
into the distance, and plunges into the densely packed
audience. From the rear of the audience we see the
thin figure of Krishna's boyhood friend Sudama approaching
us in tattered clothes. The performers then return
to the center stage.
 In
Sudama's genuine joy at meeting Krishna again after
many years of separation, he forgets why he came—to
ask Krishna for financial help. Repeatedly, Krishna
bows down and then embraces Sudama, offering him all
comforts. Overwhelmed by Krishna's kindness, Sudama
eventually leaves the palace, satisfied with his reunion
with Krishna, but with his pockets empty. Upon returning
home, however, he finds that Krishna has built him
a palace and stocked it with all the riches necessary
for a long and comfortable life.
When
the red horizon announces the dawn of a new day, the
Kathakali performance comes to an end. The lamps around
the stage go out, but the experience, the joy, and
the realizations of divinity live on within both the
performers and the audience.
Whatever
the form of sacred dance in India, the ultimate goal
is to bring its participants to higher and higher
levels of self-realization. To the uninformed observer
it may appear that the dance is meant for a good evening's
entertainment, but entertainment is an experience
of the mind and body, whereas the real experience
of sacred dance is transcendental to all the material
senses. Proper understanding of the inner meaning
of sacred dance enables all of its participants to
be drawn closer to the "stage" of divine
consciousness through the medium of sound, movement,
and emotion.
Articles Vedic
Age
Bharat
Natyam - top
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