The dance in India - Introduction.

Combining past and future, sculpture become dancing body .

Dance is present in the village, even classical or folkloric. In daily life, talking with someone you can hear his/ her musical talking,watch the expresivity through the moves of his/her head, the use of the hands,the contact with earth,the shinne in the eyes,the gratitude.
In a salute "Namaskar", joining the hands on the chest slinting the torso or telling hello to some loved and respected person,or to the Guru itself,to kneel to touch his/her feet and then pass the hands together ("anjali" hasta) over the head, forehead and chest.

Dances show the aspect of entertainment,beauty, theatricality,but it research and development has a huge philosophical and religious aspect.
When someone sing,also dance,and pray,it doesnt look for beauty and perfection only with an esthetic purpose,but as a way of giving the best of oneself to God.Art born from inside and find in the World an harmonious real reason.thats why its always beautifull.

There are many types of dancing: rural, tribal, folkloric, classical. Between the classical dance we can recognize the next styles,each one originate in a different region:

BHARATA NATYAM from Tamil Nadu region.

KUCHIPUDI from Andra Pradesh region.

KATHAKALI and MOHINI ATTAM from Kerala region.

MANIPURI from Manipur region.

KATHAK from Uttar Pradesh region.

ODISSI from Orissa region.

The rudiments of dance-theatre are based on a precise knowledge of human anatomy.All the styles are compose by NRITTA,NATYA and NRYTTA.

NRITTA desnt have a descriptive character,its based on the incessant work of feet and the beauty of the lines in the space.

NATYA its the most complete aspect where the technique and expression bind together.The hands gestures("Hastas") tell stories with complex feet movements.The actor-dancer interleaves dancing parts with acting parts.

In NRYTTA singing has an important position, the dancer represent with different characters the story that singing evoke using the hands and face gestures.

Classical dances has many mythological and literary references like Mahabharata with its stories about warriors and love;about Ramayana and about Veda.

Each story,episode in verses,is guided by a "rasa"( taste, flavor, mood) to the audience("rasika",it means someone who can appreciate those moods).

The practice of dance take to the person who study it to the correct life (dharma) finding richness ("artha"), pleassure ("kama") and freedom from the links of the karma ("moksha"). Giving patience, freedom and pleassure help to find the highest spiritual research: spiritual enlightenment through complete beatitude("ananda").

Translated by Elizabeth Rodriguez

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