KATHAKALI

ORIGIN :Let us take a peep into the origin of this tastefully colourful art form. As we know the word "KATHAKALI" literally means "STORY-PLAY". And it does narrate a story elaborately , mainly from our epics Mahabharata and Ramayana.If we look into the history , there are no authentic records about the same, a popular belief is that once Kottarakkara Thampuran , the Raja of Kottarakkarahappened to view "KRISHNATTAM" and found it quite appealing. This art was being performed those days under the patronage of ZAMORINS' the rulers of Calicut (Kozhikode -Kerala).When the Thampuran requested for the loan of a troupe of performers ,it was blindly rejected by the latter due to political rivalry.In lieu , the Thampuran created another art form called"RAMANATTAM" which later on developed into "AATTAKATHA" which later on came to be known as KATHAKALI. The multicoloured face mask and the rich flowing costumes can be attributed to the strong rivalry between the two rulers to make the artform undoubtedly spectacular.Krishanttam was writeen in Sanskrit and Rmanattam in Malayalam and Kathakali is written in Manipravalam a combination of both.

MOHINIYATTAM

Dancing style :As we have already read the dancing style is unique , and enchanting. Characteristic body movements , marked by the graceful sway of the torso ..and the rise and fall of the body with emphasis on the torso...gives one the feel of the swaying coconut trees of Kerala.The glances, postures ,and gait employed are so subtle and graceful that they convey the infinite suggestiveness of radiant love.It portrays feminine love in myriad forms :carnal,devotional and maternal with accent more on lasya and bhava.

MANIPURI

Special aspects of Manipuri dance :The dancers do not wear ankle bells to accentuate the beats tapped out by the feet , in contrast with other Indian dance forms , and the dancer's feet never strike the ground hard. Movements of the body and feet , and the facial expressions in Manipuri dance are subtle and aim at devotion and grace. The Manipuri dancers dazzle the audience with their colourful costumes, gossamer veils , mirrored skirts and ornaments which create a dream like effect.Intensely devotional in mood Manipuri dances are a part of daly life for the natives.

KATHAK

HISTORY : A conventional Kathak repertoire usually follows a progression in tempo from slow to fast , ending with a dramatic climax.Nritta (pure dance) and Nritya (abhinaya) are the two main features of any classical dance .The kathak dancers frequently performed Nritya on lighter classical music such as dadra , kajri , tappa as well as thumri.This was mainly performed by Tawaifs' in the courts.Such performances in the royal courtsinvolved more of what is known as Nakhra (mischievous playfulness) . With the advent of British raj this was misjudged. The free interchange of ideas beween the court and tawaif dancers thus led to the downfall of kathak during that age.

ODISSI

HISTORY : Getting back to the history of ODISSI , let's analyse the emergence of GOTIPUAS....during the 6th C.E.GOTIPUAS were young boys dressed as girls and were tutored by MAHARIES.The vaishnava cult during these days did not approve of dancing by women.During this period vaishnava poets composed innumerable lyrics in Oriya dedicated to Radha and Krishna.Gotipuas danced to these compositions. They stepped out of the precincts of the temples. Nartaki dance took place in the royal courts , where it was much cultivated before the British period.Devadasies were misused and came under strong attack , and Odissi dance too lost its sheen and glaze in the temples , and became unfashionable at courts.Only the remnants of GOTIPUA SCHOOL remained and the reconstruction of the style required a lot of effort.

KUCHIPUDI

SIDDHENDRA YOGI is remembered as the author of the famous play " BHAMAKALAPAM", about the playful fights between Lord Krishna and his consorts Satyabhama and Rukmini.He developed the most famous part of the Kuchipudi Dacne repertoire ..The Sathyabhama cycle.

Siddhendra Yogi incorporated the principles of Natyashastra (Bible of all Indian classical Dances) into the existing format of the Yakshagana folk dance dramas and gave it a new form.The outcome was a beautiful , distinct and elegant dance form called KUCHIPUDI..! The amalgamation of folk and classical forms has been done with much dexterity.One of the distinctive feature of KUCHIPUDI is the more relaxed flexed knee position , compared to the other classical dance styles of the southern India.The present style has undergone a lot of metamorphosis during the following centuries under the rulership of various kings....

BHARATA NATYAM

THILLANA :Thillana is the concluding or the penultimate piece of a Bharatanatyam repertoire.

It is a fast and vibrant piece of dance form which is a pure delight to eyes and mind. Its a truly visual delight with its flowing music. It contains four segments.

First segment :Single line jathi sung in a preset tune.

Second segment :Two line jathis sung in a preset tune.

Third segment :Sahithyam (content).

Fourth segment :Two or three lines of jathis set to tune.

Between every segment , the opening line (first segment) is always sung. Nritta sequences set in style of korvais are performed.

Happiness , joy and ecstasy are the feelings that are in forefront while performing a THILLANA. The sahithyam is usually in praise of the LORD...none other than NARAYANA...

The last couplet usually ends with a prayer for the overall welfare..!!!