T-a-l-K A-b-o-u-T D-a-n-c-E S-t-y-l-e-S

KUCHIPUDI for the element of Earth

        ODISSI for the element of Water

              MOHINIATTAM for the element of Air

                    BHARATANATYAM for the element of Fire, and

                          KATHAKALI for the element of Sky

All of the above, together, share one common aspect; they are each one of the ‘The Five Major Indian Classical Dance Styles’ that represent one element each of nature.

KUCHIPUDI originates from the South Indian State of Andhra Pradesh. Most of the poses in Kuchipudi are brisk, flat-footed, dazzling and overall curved – having more rounded poses. The dance form reflects the longing of a disciple to become one with the ultimate and the omnipotent God. 

ODISSI originates from the East Indian State of Odisha. This dance is characterised by various Bhangas (Stance), which involves stamping of the foot and the striking of various postures as are seen in Indian sculptures.

MOHINIATTAM originates from the South Indian State of Kerala. It is considered a very graceful form of dance that is meant to be performed as solo recitals by women. The dance involves the swaying of hips and the gentle movements of erect posture from side to side – this is reminiscent of the swinging of the palm leaves and the gently flowing rivers which abound Kerala. The performer uses the eyes in a very coy, sensual manner to enchant the mind without enticing the senses. The word ‘Mohiniattam’ literally means ‘Dance of the enchantress’.

Expression, Music, Beat or Rhythm, and Dance

                   Bhavam, Ragam, Talam, and Natyam
                                  Bha, Ra, Ta, and Natyam

Put the words above together and you have BHARATANATYAM, originating from the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The movements of an authentic Bharatanatyam dancer resemble the movements of a dancing flame.

KATHAKALI originates from the South Indian State of Kerala. It is in dance-drama form that is noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements.
These five dance forms are the most popular and widely performed styles and are practiced by male and female dancers all over the world.

Kuchipudi

Odissi

Mohiniattam

Bharatanatyam

Kathakali

THE INTERVIEW

To listen-in from a performer’s point of view, I caught up with Ms. Amy Kumar, who has been practicing Kuchipudi for several years.

1. How did you begin dancing Kuchipudi? How old were you when you took your first dance class?

I've always been interested in dance, ever since I was a toddler. Bollywood dancing played a major part of my life while growing up. Watching Sridevi and Madhuri on TV always inspired me and I knew it made me happy. It all started when I was nine and I happened to notice girls dancing in the house adjacent to my Dad's office. So, mum and me walked in hoping it was Bharatanatyam (the most well known South Indian Classical Dance form) that was being taught, but it was Kuchipudi (the dance form I've been trained in) instead. It didn’t really matter which dance form it was because all I wanted to do was dance. So, that's how it all began. It's been almost 15 years now and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

2. Do you feel you began at an appropriate age for this particular dance? Why?

Out of experience I personally feel that training at a younger age is always advisable as the energy levels, grasping capabilities and enthusiasm is higher. But then again it's never too late to learn!

3. How do you feel when you stage a performance?

Dancing on stage in front of an audience is the best part of an artiste’s life. I am not one of those dancers who get totally involved in their performance and lose touch with reality. I know it’s important to involve oneself in the act but I believe in maintaining a connection with the audience. I select my dance pieces and music according to the audience I’m going to perform for, because I truly believe that it's very important to innovate and bring about slight changes in order to make progress in any field of life.

4. Do you plan to do something with your training and experience later in life or is it just a hobby?

I have completed my BA in classical dance and have been training students at my dance school - Prerana Pratibha. At present my work keeps me very busy so I’m not able to take time out to teach. But I definitely plan to continue my career in dance probably a MA and PhD as well. For now I've been shortlisted as a Doordarshan Artiste and that recording should happen sometime soon.

5. Can you talk a little about the jewellery and costume and their significance?

Kuchipudi being a very traditional form of dance has a stereotypic dance costume and jewellery to go with it. But nowadays people do try and innovate based on the audiences. The popular form of jewellery used is the ‘temple jewellery’ – The authentic form is very expensive, made of silver, but most people use the imitation jewellery which looks just as good as the original ones. The basic jewellery worn by the dancer is - a long chain, a short chain, earrings and mattal; HEAD SET- tikka, chandiran and surya (symbolic for sun and moon) worn on the head on either sides of the tikka; bangles, waist belt, bells (anklets).

The costume is stitched out of a sari. It has five components – a blouse and pyjama which has a fan in front, a component which covers the blouse to give an appearance of the pallu and a seat component which covers the waist and completes the look.

6. What has Kuchipudi taught you?

As does any form of art, dancing has taught me to be connected with oneself, patient, spiritual on some level and dedicated. Dancing brings me peace and makes me happy.

7. What is your favourite thing about this dance? What is the hardest and easiest thing about this dance?

My favourite part about this dance is when the dancer dances on the sides of a brass plate; this is unique about this dance form. Both the hardest and easiest parts about this dance form are that it is extremely graceful and gives priority to abhinaya (expressions).

8. What are your thoughts on classical forms of dancing? What are your thoughts concerning its popularity in India and world over?

I personally feel that Indian Classical dancing is one of the toughest forms of dance and I’m saying this after training a little in hip hop, belly dancing and contemporary dancing. Every part of your body moves and has to be in sync and rhythm when you do classical dance. It’s not just the moving of your legs and hands but it’s an emotional uplift for dancers because every dance piece has got a story to tell. It's nice that people recognise the importance of our culture and dance forms abroad, sad that it isn’t that appreciated in India though. We have a lot of National Dance festivals as well but it’s the youth of today who don’t find it "cool" enough to be pursued.

** Dance images from Google Images.

--Post by Angela Nayak