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An introduction to evolution of dance
Note on origin of indian dance in mythology
An introduction to evolution of dance
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There are eight individual and unique classical dances in India. Each has its own distinctive dance movements, make-up, and costumes. The classical dance forms that have developed in India all have set rules which have been followed traditionally over the years. This set of rules that the classical dances follow is called the Natya Shastra. This is the ancient text that all Indian classical dances obey by in order for them to be called a “classic”. The eight forms that have succeeded in reaching the conventions of the Natya Shastra are: the Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi, Mohiniyattam, and Sattriya. Among all eight of these dances I argue that Bharatanatyam is the most elite form of all these dances because if its rich history, its exceptional dance aesthetics and technique and its distinctive costume and the make-up that each devadasi possesses.
Bharatanatyam dance is said to be the oldest of the classical dances. Bharatanatyam is a combination of sculptures poses, with beauty and grace presented by the performer. This Southern born classical dance was developed in Tamilnadu. In the book Indian Classical Dance, by Kapila Vatsyayan, Vatsyayan argues that there are two different sources that somebody can look at to uncover the affluent history of the dance style the Bharatanatyam. The first being, the Tamil sources, “Two important Tamil works, namely Shilappadhikaram and the Manimekhalai of the Sangam literature, refer to the art of dancing. The word used is Kuttu of whose two types mentioned viz. (I) Shanti Kuttu, and the (II) Vinoda Kuttu”(20). Many intellectual people have come to the findings the Shanti Kuttu is the classical form and Vinoda Kuttu represents the entertainment side o...
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...ver the world. With the edition of the superior Carnatic music of the south and Bharatanatyam’s treasured costumes, Bharatanatyam Indian classical dance is one that will be practiced and remember for decades to come.
Work Cited Page
Janet O’Shea, “ ‘Traditional’ Indian Dance and the Making of Interpretive Communities,” Asian Theatre Journal vol. 15, no. 1 (Spring 1998): 45-63.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1124098
Kapila Vatsyayan, “Bharatanatyam,” from Indian Classical Dance, 3rd ed. New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, 1997 , pp. 20-32.
Tamashiro. "Devadasi." Key Words. Print.
YouTube - Dance from The River. Perf. Srimati Radha. Jean Renoir's Movie 'The River', 1950s. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 13 Jan. 2009. Web. 01 June 2010. .
“Who knows only his own generation remains always a child.” This quote from George Norlin echoes the edification that cultural exposure can offer. How does African dance relate to do modern dance? The two are so heterogeneous in their make-up that one would not think of them as having similarities. The truth, however, is that all dance forms are linked in some way or another; they all strengthen and sharpen each other. Modern dance has its roots in African dance with the emphasis placed on the connection of weight and gravity. Brenda Dixon Gottschild names five aesthetics that are present in African dance. A particular piece that draws attention to the relation of the five aesthetics to modern dance is “Split Sides”, choreographed by Merce Cunningham.
Every dance that is created by a choreographer has a meaning and or purpose behind it. The dance choreographed could be used to send a political, emotional, or a social message. Regardless of the message being sent, each dance created possesses a unique cultural and human significance. This essay will examine and analyze two dance works from history and give an insight into what each dance work provided to the society of its time.
Learning about Dance: Dance as an Art Form and Entertainment provides visions into the many features of dance and inspires scholars to keep an open mind and think critically about the stimulating, bold, ever-changing and active world of dance. Learning about Dance is particularly useful for those who do not have a wide and diverse dance contextual, such as students in a preliminary level or survey dance course. This book consists of twelve chapters. Chapter one dance as an art form focuses on the basic structures of dance. Dance is displayed through the human body, it has the control to communicate and induce reactions. Dance can be found in many different places, it enables the participants and seekers to touch and knowledge the joy of movement. Dance is discovered as being one of the oldest art forms worldwide. Dance existed in early cultures was recognized in a sequence of rock paintings portrayed dance. Since this discovery of rock paintings, several other forms of art have been found that depict dance. People used rituals in order to worship the gods and believed that the rituals held magical and spiritual powers. During the ancient period civilizations sentient decisions began to be made with regard to dance. Other periods that had an impact on dance were the medieval period, the renaissance period, and the contemporary period. Chapter two the choreographer, the choreographer is a person who comes up with the movements created into a dance routine. The choreographer expresses themselves through choreography because this is their way of communicating with the audience. In order to be a choreographer you must have a passion for dance. Each choreographer has their own approaches and ways of making up a routine. Choreographers ...
Works Cited Jacquelyin Kilpatrick, Celluloid Indian. Native Americans and Film. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1999.
Strong, Pauline. 1996. “Animated Indians: Critique and Contradiction in Commodified Children’s Culture.” Cultural Anthropology. Print.
Considering descendants’ effort to bring this culture back in society, this entire dancing performance, masks, and the idea of interacting with the outside world must not have been merely correlated to their religious and spiritual ritual. It might have been their identity; a symbolic of their society which their ancestors had built and passed down to them.
Ramsay, B. (2000). Dance theory, sociology, and aesthetics. Dance Research Journal, 32(1), 125-131. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1478286
The Ghost Dance; Ethnohistory and Revitalization. Chicago: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc, 1989. Lawrence, Elizabeth Atwood. “Sun Dance.”
This paper will be a detailed description of what dance was like in the 1950’s specifically focusing on 1954 to 1959. It will also go beyond to demonstrate how the style of dancing is a direct reflection of the society during that time period. The topic will be presented in class and a brief reflection will be included in this paper.
[6] Cohen, Selma Jeanne. International Encyclopedia of Dance: A Project of Dance Perspectives Foundation, Inc. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.
New Dance is described as a developing art form; this dance was articulated in the early 20th century. According to Chapter 8 in History of Dance book, “the new dance emerged as a response to the ballet that populated the variety shows and music halls, which had a rigid formula of steps and poses” (Kassing). The New Dance was a product of several strands that interlaced together dancers’ studies and backgrounds; these strands and others were woven together in a historical, political, and societal framework. For instance, one strand of New Dance consisted of the concepts, techniques, costumes, and stage settings from around the world. These strands influenced major dancers and choreographers, such as, Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, Ruth St. Denis, and Ted Shawn.
Aparna, Bhargava. Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India Since 1947. New York: University of Iowa Press, 2009.
Another example equally as potent and yet sadly overlooked by many particularly those outside India is that of Kathak. A classical Indian dance, today held in great esteem among the 6 great classical dances of India, 21st century Kathak combines incredibly complex technique and elegant, slow abhinaya (or story telling) and owes almost the entirety of its current day form to the Mughals. The transformation that Kathak underwent from its original form to how we see it today that occurred during Mughal Era is perhaps the most underestimated and truest remaining symbol of the vibrant Indo-Islamic cultural melding that occurred under the patronage of the Mughals, and to...
Bharat told Brahma that certain characters of the dance sequences could only be performed by women. Brahma solved the problem by creating twenty-three beautiful ‘Apsaras’.
Dance is an ancient human practice, however the earliest record of human dance remains a mystery. By