INDIAN DANCING

Dance career in India covers a wide range of dance and dance theatre forms, from the ancient classical or temple dance to folk and modern styles. In India, dance is an age-old tradition. This career in the midst of the sub-continent has given birth to varied forms of the dancing which has each been shaped by the influences of a particular period and environment All Indian dances portray some expression of life and almost every dance posture has a specific meaning. Dance themes in India are derived from mythology, folklore, legends and classical literature. Dance is the form of art, wherein the body is used as a medium of communication. Indian dances crucially played an influential role in many other realms of art including poetry, sculpture, architecture, literature, music and theatre.




The two main divisions of dance are being classical and folk forms. There are dance forms typical to certain parts of the country and these dance forms are based on ancient dance discipline. The various classical forms in India include Bharatnatyam of Tamil Nadu, Kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, Odissi of Odisha, Kathak, Kathakali and Manipuri. The Indian classical dances are unqiue and devotional in content. Of all these dance forms, Bharat Natyam is believed to be the oldest and the purest Indian classical dance.

Bharatnatyam
All the dance forms are structured around the nine rasas or emotions. This dance form has all kinds of moods: hasya which means - happiness, shoka which means sorrow, krodha means anger, karuna means compassion, bhibasta means disgust, adhbhuta means wonder,

bhaya means fear, vikram means courage and shanta means serenity. The uniqueness of Indian classical dance is that they involve devotional in content. In fact Bharata Natyam was till the early 20th century was only performed by 'devadasis or maids of God', in temples.

Kathakali :
Kathakali has its origin in the courts of the kings of Kerala. It is one of the most refined and most scientific dance forms of Kerala. The stories or attakathas, which are depicted via Kathakali are selected from epics and mythologies. These are written in a highly Sanskritised verse form in Malayalam.

Here, the dancer expresses himself through highly complicated mudras, closely following the text being sung.

Kuchipudi :
This dance of Andhra Pradesh, which originates from Kuchelapuram in Andhra Pradesh, is the corresponding style of the Bhagvata Mela Nataka of Tamil Nadu. Except that the emphasis is on the animation, the grammar is derived from the Natya Shastra.

Each principal character in this kind of dance form like Kuchipudi introduces himself or herself on the stage with a brief composition of dance and song, specially designed for the character to help reveal his or her identity and show the performers` skill in the art. These compositions are called dharu, and there are nearly 80 dharus or dance sequences in the dance drama. The mridanga, violin and clarinet are the common instruments employed as an accompaniment.

Mohiniyattam :
This dance form too belongs to the Devadasi dance heritage, like Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi. The word `mohini` literally means the `maiden who steals the hearts of men`. It is believed that Lord Vishnu took the guise of a `Mohini` to enthrall people, during the churning of the ocean as well as the slaying of Bhasmasura.

Yakshagana :
The origin of this can be traced to the rural areas of Karnataka. It is about 400 years old and is a blend of dance as well as drama. The language used for the `Gana` meaning `music` is Kannada and the themes are based on Hindu epics.

Odissi:
This is also based on the Natya Sashtra and it can be traced back to the 2 B.C. when the Jain king Shastra ruled. He himself was an expert dancer and musician, who arranged a performance of Thandava and Abhinaya. In the 17th century a class of boys known as the Gotipuas came into being. They dressed as women and danced in the temples.

Kathak:
Kathak finds its roots in `katha` meaning 'story'. A band of storytellers attached to temples in Northern India, narrated stories from epics. Later they added mime and gesture to their recitation. The popularity of the Radha-Krishna legend, led to further innovations in the dance form. With the advent of the Muslim rule, it was brought out of the temples and in to the courts of rulers.

Manipuri :
Manipuri is the dance form of Manipur and is inextricably woven into the life of the people of the state. The dance form is mostly ritualistic, which draws heavily from the rich lore of the legend and mythology.



Career options available in these areas are that of a performer, teacher and choreographer.

Teaching:
To be in this field one needs an aptitude to teach, initiative and patience. They must also have thorough knowledge of practical and theoretical aspects of the dance. They should have a perfect sense of rhythm, and some proficiency in music. Dancers who take up teaching as a profession can find opportunities in schools, colleges, universities, dance institutes and even open schools of their own.

Choreography:
The choreographer is one who decides the designs and composes dance sequences and co-ordinates the stage settings, music, costumes and supervises rehearsals. Choreographer must have in himself/herself the creative or imaginative powers and an ability to interpret music and compose dance routines for solo as well as group performances. They must be able to work along with a team. Prospects in this field are expanding with more and more stage and TV shows. Choreographers have innumerable opportunities to find employment in troupes performing stage shows, TV shows and in films.

Performing:
To be a performing artist one must have attractive appearance, facial expression, an ability to interpret roles and stage presence. Performers have to spare time everyday for practicing. They must also have to keep in touch with the interest of the general public. They must travel a lot and give performances to be popular. Besides professional training, dedication, talent and the right contacts can only help a performer to become well established. Performing artists can form their own troupes or even work with other troupes. They also have the option of starting schools and devote time for teaching.

Training for Dance:
Training in Dance should start as early as age six or less, much before the official professional training. Besides an in- born talent, the basic requirement for a full time Professional training is matriculation or 10 + 2. Some institutes at the time of admission even give preference to students having a talent. Careers in this field can be that of a performer, teacher and choreographer.



To be in this field one needs to have an inborn talent, training and guidance can only sharpen these talents.

Educational Qualification: To take up a course in this subject the basic requirement is 10+2. However, for post graduate level courses graduation in the subject is compulsory. Courses offered in dance are certificate courses, bachelor courses, diploma courses and post graduate level courses. Duration of various courses: Certificate course is of one year, Bachelor courses is of three years, Diploma and Post Graduate level courses is of two years. Training in this field is available at a number of schools and institutes all over India. The Kathak Kendra in the city of Delhi, the Kalakshetra in Chennai, Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi are some of the prominent institutes conducting courses in Dance.Course areas include history and evolution of dance and dance forms, the characteristic features of the dance form one specialises in, covering all aspects of dance as a performing art.



Main attributes are talent, versatility, sense of rhythm, dedication, grace, an expressive facial and body language, an ability to interpret roles, attractive appearance, stage presence, creativity, physical stamina etc.

Indian Dance Adarsh Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Sagar( Madhya Pradesh ) Ravindra Bhawan (Near Stadium), Vrindavan Ward , Sagar ( Sagar Dist. ) - 470001 Ajmer Music College, Ajmer( Rajasthan ) Jawaharlal Hospital Road , Ajmer ( Ajmer Dist. ) - 305001 Andhra University being Colleges of Arts and Commerce, Vishakapatnam Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar( Tamil Nadu ) South Arcot, Vallalar , Annamalai Nagar ( Cuddalore Dist. ) - 608002 Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar( Punjab ) Bhagwan Mahavir Marg, New Jawahar Nagar , Jalandhar ( Jalandhar Dist. ) - 144001 Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal( Madhya Pradesh ) Hoshangabad Road , Bhopal ( Bhopal Dist. ) - 462026 Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Pune( Maharashtra ) 495, Shaniwar Peth, Near "Shaniwar Wada", Appa Balwant Chowk, Mehun Pura, Shaniwar Peth , Pune ( Pune Dist. ) - 411030 Government Madhav Music College, Ujjain( Madhya Pradesh ) 1 / 2, Laxmi Nagar, Fring J , Ujjain ( Ujjain Dist. ) - 456010 Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar( Punjab ) P.R.O. Office , Amritsar ( Amritsar Dist. ) - 143005 Khairagarh , Rajnandgaon ( Rajnandgaon Dist. ) - 491881 J.G. College of Performing Arts, Ahmedabad( Gujarat ) ASIA Campus, Drive-in Road, Thaltej , Ahmedabad ( Ahmedabad Dist. ) - 380094 Jain University, Bangalore( Karnataka ) 91/2, Dr A N Krishna Rao Road, V V Puram , Bangalore ( Bangalore (Bengaluru) Dist. ) - 560004 Jiwaji University, Vidya Vihar , Gwalior ( Gwalior Dist. ) - 474011

Menaka Thakkar is a master dancer in three classical Indian styles – Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi. Ms. Thakkar settled in Canada over 35 years ago at the peak of her career as an international soloist. She is credited (along with Kathak dancer, Rina Singha) as having been the first artist to introduce Indian culture to Canadian audiences.

In the early years Ms. Thakkar performed across Canada and soon began to train youngsters in classical bharatanatyam. Eventually she began creating original choreographies that were performed in major venues across Canada. She opened the first school of Indian dance in Canada, Nrytakala.She continued to train new generations of dancers and formed the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company comprised of graduates of her school.

Sobha Naidu was born in Anakapalle, Visakhapatnam district in 1956. Sobha Naidu was an outstanding student of Vempati. She succeeded in popularizing Kuchipudi as a solo form. Sobha played all the lead roles in Vempati`s dance-dramas from a young age. Later she branched off with her own Kuchipudi Art Academy in Hyderabad. Padma shri Dr. Shobha Naidu is one of the famous kuchipudi dancer from Andhra Pradesh India.

She mastered techniques of kuchipudi dance and began dancing lead roles in dance dramas. Shobha Naidu is an excellent solo dancer. Shobha Naidu is the principal of kuchipudi art academy, Domalguda Hyderabad. She has been imparting training to younger students and choreographed several dance-dramas. Shobha Naidu received Padma shri award in the year 2001 and in the year 1990 she received Sangeet natak akademi award for contribution to kuchipudi dance, she also received title of Nritya Choodamani from Krishna Gana Sabha - Madras.