

Bharata describes the four varieties of color for the face, swabhavika, (natural) prasanna (pleasant), rakta (red), and shyama, (dark). The tilak mark in the center of the forehead is done with kasturi and chandan (sandal paste), flower patterns painted above the eyebrows, the ears decorated with earrings, the cheeks are decorated with intricate designs, the teeth are whitened to shine, Necklaces of pearls, Golden bracelets, studded with jewels and rings are the ornaments to be worn, the body is to be smeared with sandalwood paste for the dress. Dresses were even made suitable to sentiments and colored accordingly. The dress varied in each part of the country, it suits the time and the place and the mood of the dance or drama. It is now regarded as one of the "classical" forms of Indian dance.Īharya Abhinaya is the expression through decoration such as make up, jewelry and costumes.

In kathak the hand gestures are merely natural extensions of the dance gestures, though, of course, they carry symbolic messages. Kathak dance has two main techniques: 1) nritya (pure dance) and 2) Abhinaya (expressions). Both sexes wear tight-fitting trousers, ankle bells and, full-gathered or pleated- ghagra skirts with a choli for women and a long-sleeved jacket and often traditional topi hat for men.
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It was originated by Kathakas, professional storytellers who used a mixture of dance, song, and drama. The movements include intricate footwork accented by bells worn around the ankles and stylized gestures adapted from normal body language. Kathak dancers traditionally related stories and moral tales of gods and goddesses and characters from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The characters presented in Kathakali are well defined, and divided into three distinct groups:Ī dance of northern India often a dance of love that features women to a lesser extent men dancing to the rhythm of footwork on the ground and is known for its twirling movements. The costume is elaborate with the kireetam (huge ornamental headgear) and the kanchukam (over sized jackets), and a long skirt worn over a thick padding of cushions. Kathakali orchestra is formed of two varieties of drums - the maddalam and chenda a bell metal gong and cymbals. It retells the great stories of the past, mostly from Indian epics. A "story play" genre of art that combines devotion, drama, dance, music, costumes, and make-up into a divine experience.

Costumes and makeup are elaborate, with faces made to look like painted masks and enormous headdresses.Kathakali is considered to be a combination of five elements of fine art expressions, dance, enactment, song or vocal accompaniment, instrument accompaniment. Kathakali is traditionally performed by boys or men even for female roles. The seventh/ final item in the sequence can be Shlokam or a Mangalam where the dancer calls for blessings on the audience.įrom Kerala it is a religious dance that draws inspiration from the Ramayana and stories from Shiva traditions. The sequence ends with a Tillana closing out the nritya portion and returning to the nritta style. The choreography attempts to express rasa (emotional taste and mood) The dancer performs hands and body telling a story, whether of love and longing or of a battle between good and evil. The performance after evolves into the Varnam, the longest section (30-45 min) The artist presents the play or the main composition. Then the Shabdam (expressed words) is when the dancer(s) present short compositions, with words and meaning.

The Jatiswaram a technical performance (nritta), without any expressed words. Beginning Alarippu, begins with a rhythmic invocation (thank you and blessings from the gods and goddesses, the guru, and the gathered performance team) also a warm-up so the dancer can loosen their body. A traditional Bharatanatyam performance follows a seven-part order of presentation. Bharatnatyam dancers often wear fitted saris that may open like fans, as well as ghungroos. Bharatanatyam style is noted for its fixed upper torso, bent legs, and knees flexed (Aramandi) combined with footwork, and gestures of hands, eyes, and face muscles. In this dance form the dancers use of various eye and hand movements to express different emotions.
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Hands may be used in a series of mudras, or symbolic hand gestures, to tell a story. Bharatanatyam often is used to express Hindu religious stories and devotions. A dance of Tamil Nadu that traces its origins back to the Natyashastra, written by the mythic priest Bharata.
