Kathak as a Śāstrīya Nṛtya: The Rediscovery of the Nāṭyaśāstra and the Invention of Classicism in Indian Dance. (original) (raw)
Related papers
Revival and Reinvention in India's Kathak Dance
MUSICultures, 2010
Although Euro-American musical revivals are usually connected to folk music, the postcolonial Indian revival privileged “classical” music and dance as objects of priceless national heritage. Yet, the revival in India was not a straightforward process of cultural recovery in the wake of occupation. Issues of authority, authenticity and appropriation are woven into the process of reclamation. Through a comparison of this period in Indian dance history with themes in current theories of revival, this article moves towards a model of “revival” as a global phenomenon seeking to broaden our understanding of cultural continuity and change.
The paper explores the ambivalent nature of poems that are part and parcel of the kathak dance repertoire in the context of a changing system of dance patronage during the 19th and 20th centuries in North India. Through a textual analysis of selected ṭhumrī songs, the author investigates the use of śṛṅgāra rasa (erotic sentiment) in this poetic genre in relation to its original, secular function and its interpretation in religious idioms. The comparison of traditional ṭhumrī s with the compositions prevalent on the modern, classical dance stage shall underline a shift in the character of kathak performance (from romantic, sensual and intimate to devotional and impersonal). The attempts to locate ṭhumrī in the shastric framework and to 'purify' the content of these poems from the imprints of its lineage with tawā'if s culture is examined as part of the process of reinventing kathak in response to the tastes of a new class of patrons and performers and matching this art to the vision of Indian cultural heritage, propagated by nationalists.
How Modern India Reinvented Classical Dance
NCPA, 2020
Despite considerable material progress, the world still views India as an ancient land steeped in spirituality, with a culture that stretches back to a hoary, unfathomable past. Indians, too, subscribe to this glorification of its timelessness and have been encouraged, especially in the last few years, to take an obsessive pride in this tryst with eternity. Thus, we can hardly be faulted in subscribing to very marketable propositions, like the one that claims our classical dance forms represent an unbroken tradition for several millennia and all of them go back to the venerable sage, Bharata Muni, who composed Natyashastra. No one, however, is sure when he lived or wrote this treatise on dance and theatre. Estimates range from 500 BC to 500 AD, which is a rather long stretch of time, though pragmatists often settle for a shorter time band, 200 BC to 200 AD. This is approximately when the Mahabharata and Ramayana were also composed. While linking current traditions with the oldest dates possible surely confers more awe and respect upon Indian classical dance, it will become increasingly clear that this may not be accurate. In this article, as we navigate through the dance traditions we celebrate today, we realise that what we see now is really not what was performed centuries ago.
NAUTCH GIRLS: The Hidden Gems of Indian Dancing History with Special reference to Kathak Dance
India International Rural Cultural Centre, New Delhi, 2022
Nautch Girls were a unique class of Courtesans who played a significant role in the society during the 18th -19th centuries in India. They were - a dancer, singer, performer, and occasionally a provider of sexual favors. But in the whole context, they were the preserver of dance. They embodied a delightful blend of various dance styles, including both classical and popular dance, making numerous appearances throughout the ages. The paper is an attempt to give an account of the journey of a dancing girl and their transition from Apsara to the Nautch Girls who were the real hereditary women dancers of what we see today as Kathak dance.
New Directions in Indian Dance
Dance Research Journal, 2004
Illustrated with stunning photographs which brilliantly capture the dynamism of the act of dancing, this volume is not only a delight for the eye, it is also intellectually stimulating. This is a book which marks a seminal moment in the historiography of Indian dance. Written for a non-specialist readership, it takes stock, examines, and celebrates, for the first time, the exciting work, increasingly known as modern/contemporary dance to differentiate it from the classical tradition, created by Indian performers throughout the twentieth century. Most of the essays have been written by practitioners reflecting on their experience but there are also contributions by non-practitioners, such as an essay on the pioneering choreographer Uday Shankar by Kapila Vatsyayan, a most influential Indian writer and scholar who has been instrumental in initiating critical debate within Indian dance, and other essays written by dance critics such as Kothari himself, Arundhati Subrahmanyam, and Sanjoy Roy, a journalist based in the United Kingdom. After a measured introduction by Kothari, the reader is taken on a historical journey, beginning with a section entitled Early Experiments. Here one encounters a reprint of Vatsyayan's 1974 essay on Shankar and his associates, covering work from the 1930s to the early 1970s. The essay is augmented with an "Afterthought" authored by Vatsyayan in 2002, in which she reiterates the difficulty of attempting to "chalk out" any "linear graph" concerning developments, emphasising that classical and contemporary are not mutually exclusive and experimentation occurs across the board. What is lacking, says Vatsyayan, is a critical discourse within the Indian context which matches "the proliferation and eclecticism in performance" (31). This is indeed a gap which should be filled and this volume makes a first move in this direction. The next essay is by the late Manjushri Chaki Sircar, founder of the Dancers' Guild in Calcutta, where a new methodology, later turned into a full-fledged dance technique, known as navanritya, was fashioned by her and her daughter Ranjabati, whose essay on navanritya appears in the following section. Chaki Sircar writes about Tagore and the modernisation of dance, foregrounding the great Bengali poet's cosmopolitanism which led him to embrace western and Southeast Asian influences. He was also inspired by traditional Indian forms such as Kathakali and Manipuri, distilling his own concept of dance and his own idiom out of this interesting amalgam. Chaki Sircar
Genesis of Dance and Song in Nāṭyaśāstra -A Brief Approach
Lokaprajna, 2021
Dance is the most natural and universal action, by which we can unite ourselves with the creation and the Creator. It is not limited to humans only; all nature is associated with dance. Peacock is a prime example of this. Indian classical dance forms, are of the most ancient forms still surviving. Ācārya Bharata has a legendary contribution behind all this. In his text, he explained how different elements are added in dance and their requirements in stage. In new era of course it has some things changed but the basic elements still appear in many forms. An attempt is being made in this article to give a brief account of dance.
South Asian dance studies. nritta-nritya: choreography, aesthetics, heritage
2021
This issue of the International Review of Social Research addresses Indian dance forms across the prevalent labels of classical, contemporary, commercial, and somatic practice from interdisciplinary perspectives. The contributions critically engage with particular forms within their technical precepts, choreographic works, and canonical repertoire, embedding them within sociopolitical contexts. The issue is looking to present the wide scope and appeal for Indian dance in indigenous and international environments. In this issue, papers have theoretical foci ranging from established disciplines, such as religious studies, queer theory, critical cultural theory, performance studies, feminist theory, and practice-as-research. The voice of both artists and theorists are heard in this issue of the International Review of Social Research, a journal published by the University of Bucharest, Romania.