Dance Elements Essay

Literal subject matter of the word kathak is related to katha, the contrivance of fiction-telling, Katha Kahe So Kathaka Ka fill, which meat one who tells a degree is a bilgewater-teller. harmonize to M. Monier Williams, Katha denotes conversation, legend, speech, tale or fable. Katha in wish soundly manner means to sing in measure, to say or anyege something. Thus, kathakars were origin in ally a caste of report-tellers who were inclined to temples in certain pliberal arts of Federal India.These kathakars used to go around the countryside narrating the stories of the Epics and opposite Legends. The modes employed were poetry, symphony and dance. All these three arts were closely inter-linked. The aim of kathaks was to spring up the people in the knowledge of Gods and mythologic Legends. Historically kathak dates back to the Vedic design which atomic number 18 full of descriptions and stories which give us an insight into the mind of those who wrote or peacefu l jthem. Kathak dance is evolved from religious and unreal concepts.In Ramayana period, we after part see many glimpses of unison and dance. The Ramayana tells the story of an i bundle heroic prince Rama of Ayodhya and his use married woman Sita. This ancient tale has been wanted and retold for countless generation in both Hindu house they worshipped Rama as the seventh incarnation of master key Vishnu. In Ramayana we find a mention of recitors who were specialize in story-telling. Lava and Kusha, the both brave sons of Rama rendered Ramayana in verses undisturbed by Sage Valmiki. part reciting the stories, they also added the element of acting-Abhinaya.From that time wandering(a) bards who narrated the Ramayana were cognize as Kushilavas. As a matter of fact, the term kushilavas has been associated with dancers and actors. Likewise, many mythical stories were depicted through gestures, postures and abhinaya. The another story of Ramayana which tells us that how Ravana , the king of Lanka worshipped headmaster shivah with song and dance. Also the story of Ravana assaulting Rambha, one of the main Apsareticular activating system. tally to Kapila Vatsyayan, in Ramayana, the Apsaras argon the most distinguished mythic characters who danced and performed both in heaven and earth. at that positioning be sundry(a) other instances equivalent the stories of the grand act of breaking Shivas bow in Sita Swayamvar, the reprehensible plotting of Kaikayee, the Banishment of Rama to a fourteen-year exile, Sitas cunt by Ravana and the war that ensued leading to Ramas victory and Sitas rescue. Thus, Ramayana is rich in incident and moral concept. We come crossways many references to perfomances of dances from the Mahabharata. In this period, worship and reverence of Bramha, Vishnu and Mahesh started with medicinal drug and dance.Krishna is the Sutradhara (around whom the entire Mahabharata developed) and he was an right dancer. The Mahabharata depic ts episodes of Krishnas life that how he is adopted and raised by a family of cowherds. The stories of his puerility of stealing thatter and milkmaids cognise as MakhanChori. His dance of his juvenility with Radha and Braj n ares is known as Rasa Lila. His spiritual love dance with Gopis or Milkmaids by the bank of Yamuna river in dreamy night is known as MahaRaas. The story of Kaliya Daman which tells us how Krishna defeated the poisonous ophidian Kaliya and danced on his hoods.The story of Govardhan Dharan which tells us how krishna picked and nominate the Govardhan mountain to protect the people of Vrindavan from flagitious rain. Another important episode of Mahabharata is known as Vastraharan, in which Krishna saves the honour of the Pandava fairy Draupadi. The story goes that Dushasana, one of the Kaurava brothers attempted to humilate her by disrobing her. Draupadi called out to Krishna to save her and miraculously, as degree after layer of her saree was pulled, the round of sarees went on increasing. This episode is a public theme in Kathak dance.Mahabharata also depicts the story of the five Pandava brothers who were unjustly deprived of their res publica by their cousins, the kauravas, and of the great battle of Kurukshetra that complete the victory of the Pandavas after much woeful and bloodshed. The Mahabharata also describes Krishnas role as the Charioteer of Arjuna during the battle of Kurukshetra, and his conversation on the flying field constitutes the text of the Bhagavad-Gita, the celebrated philosophical work. Thus, it is overt that by the time of Mahabharata, the arts of symphony and dance developed sufficient content, form, course to be taught in a imperious order.The training also seems to be lucubrate with rules and regulations. Natyashastra is an encyclopedic work having 36 chapters and it deals with various topics such as the first 3 chapters deal with the origin of Natya, construction of theatre, Rangapooja, etce tera , 4th and 5th chapters deal with the varieties of Dance. The sixth and 7th deal with Rasa and Bhava. From the eighth chapter of the fifteenth one, the assorted poses of Dance are world dealt with. The different aspects of Abhinaya are described in 15 to 22 and from 22nd to twenty-eighth describe the costumes elaborately.The chapters from 28th to 34 deal with medication and melodyal instruments and the last twain deal with the different characters and costumes. Natyashastra also describes the heaven-sent character and dance of the Nataraja, the leap Lord Shiva who is considered the king of actors and dancers and also the compulsive Lord of Dance. The moon which he adorns in his head is the image complete sway of his senses. The serpents wound around his body is the create of his complete control over racy life forces. His foot raised senior high school over the wicked demon, a symbol of victory over the ego.This divine art form is performed by Shiva and his wife Godd ess Parvati. The Dance performed Lord Shiva is known as Tandava, which depicts his violent nature as the destructor of the Universe. The Dance performed by Goddess Parvati is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, comely, erotic and it is also called the feminine version of Tandava. Therefore, according to Kapila Vatsyayan, Bharata attri barelyes to dancing a divine origin, a literary and religious heritage both in thought and technique and aesthetic temporal purpose.It has also been mentioned in Natyashastra, how to interpret the different sense of humors of man accompanied by Bhava, Raga and Tal all directed to create rasa or perception in the spectators who are called Rasikaas. From the 7th and 8th century, Sangeet occupied a prominent place in the society. The art of sculptures also do great strides and most of the sculptures depicted various dance poses. Temples were the places of origin whereas the dancers or the priests danced in praise of the Lord ordaining various mythological stories. Temples sprang up where the devotees gathered to pray to the shaper God or hear stories near Him.The Temple connection is well establish as can be seen in the art of Kathavachakas who carry on the customs to this day in the northern in the Temple boundaries and in open spaces. With the passageway of time, in the medieval period, the Bhakti movement influenced all over India. The vast spiritual empire established by Vaishnavism in the North embraces life in its totality. The fine arts found a fuller style by the 15th and the 16th centuries A. D. Literature, music, dance, word-painting and other fine arts flourished with the business deal extended by the temples, priests and devotees.In incident the Rasa Lilas in Braj and the neighbouring areas of Mathura in the North keep up the tradition that centered round Vishnu and his recognization as Krishna. The Bhakti movement inspired a on the whole new school of poetry, dance and music. Krishna and radha are the presiding deities of Vaishnavism and it was on the basis of Leelas of Krishna that precious and typical art heritage of Vaishnavism was built up. Mirabai, Surdas and Tulsidas for e. g. wrote goodish devotional verses on longing and separation, expressing the yearn of the human soul for union with God.They chosen the themes was the love of radha for krishna. Krishna Leela though brought out in high relief by Vaishnavism but it had its origin in the past and it can be traced easily to the periods of Mahabharata and Bhasa. In Braj, the Rasa lilas developed as a combination of music, dance and narration that was used to enact the Krishna Legends especially the Radha-Krishna idea and stories of Krishnas youth with the gopis or milkmaids. Hence, the earliest compositions in kathak were found on the religious and stylised music of North India, notably the Dhrupad, Keertan, Hori, Dhamar, Pad and Bhajan.According to Mohan Khokar, Keertans are similar style to dhrupad, b ut they may, unlike the latter, also be render in chorus. Keertan is a spiritual perform belonging to the path of Bhakti (devotion). Keertan more specifically means the chanting of sacred sounds or mantras. The Rasa Lila miracle plays of Braj were one time staged to the accompaniment of keertan music only. Keertans were meant both for singing and dancing. Whereas Bhajans are rigorously devotional songs and are in praise of deities such as Krishna, Shiva, Rama, Ganesha, Durga, etc.The songs are rendered in ragas, but improvised tunes are also freely used. Stories and episodes from scriptures, the teachings of saints and description of Gods have all been the subject of Bhajan. Bhajans of Mirabai, Tulsidas, Surdas, Kabir, the Ashtachhap poets and other composers are a part of kathak repertoire. Some of the noteworthy Bhajans of Mirabai is the avocation Baso more nanun mein nandlal, Mor mukut makrakrit kundal, arun tilak diyo bhal, Mohni murat saavari surat, naina bane bisaal, Adh ar sudha ras murli rajat, ur baijanti maal.Chhudra ghantika kati tat sobhit, nupur sabad rasaal, Mira prabhu santan sukhdai, bhagat bachhal gopal With the advent of the Mughals, the Hindustani music underwent a drastic change. The stylised music absorbed the Mughal influence in a remarkable manner. The dancers moved from the temple court of law to the palace dubar and this necessitated changes in presentation as Muslim kings could not enjoy the bhava of Bhakti Rasa. Kathak received encouragement at the hands of nawabs and Rajas. Whereas formerly it was religious and devotional in mood and temperament, now it turned into a means of entertainment.The forms like Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal evolved and became a part of the Hindustani music. The word Thumri has been derived from a combination of two terms i. e. thumak (or the chaal) and rijhana (or to please). Thus, together meaning graceful stamping of the foot. Thumri is a verse that has Krishna and Radha or Krishna and Gopis as its cent ral theme. It is essentially establish on the divine romance limning both aspects of separation and union. The last Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah was an accomplished dancer and musician. He make up thumries in classical style and these were call by the kathak dancers.His contemporaries and the court musicians like Kadarpiya, Akhtar Piya, Lallan Piya, Sikandar Piya and others contributed to its popularity. Although he was a muslim, he like the Radha-Krishna themes. He himself presented a dance on the Rasa Lila which he called Rahas. His famous thumries are the pursual Babul mora nehar chhuto jaye, Chaar kahar mil, doliya uthave, Apna begana chhuto jaye. Another Thumri Jab chod c impel lucknow nagri, Tab hale ali par kya guzri, Mahal mahal mein begum rove, Jab hum guzre duniya guzri. According to PeterLamarche Manuel, Bindadin Maharaj is regarded as one of the most important figures in the development of Thumri as well as Kathak. The kathak Masters Bindadin and his brother Kalka Prasad composed Thumries that were suitable for kathak dancing. Some of the famous Thumri of Bindadin Maharaj is the following Mohe chhedo na, nand ki suno challa, Badi der bhai, ghar jane de mohe.