kathak

kathak:

Kathak dances is basically from Uttar Pradesh.

This north Indian dance form is inextricably bound with classical Hindustani music, and the rhythmic nimbleness of the feet is accompanied by the table or pakhawaj.

Traditionally the stories were of Radha and Krishna, in the Natwari style (as it was then called) but the Moghul invasion of North India had a serious impact on the dance. The dance was taken to Muslim courts and thus it became more entertaining and less religious in content. More emphasis was laid on nritta, the pure dance aspect and less on abhinaya

These rahapsodists and minstrels were associated with temples and shrines. Their particular dance-forms, which had its origin in simple story-telling, later came to be known as Kathak. Kathak is danced by both men and women. A Kathak dancer is not required strictly to adhere to fixed steps and stages in a fixed order. He or she can change the sequence of stages to suit his or her aptitude and style of dancing.

kathakali

kathakali:
Kathakali classical dance of Kerala owes its transnational fame to the nearly 300-year-old.

Kathakali literally means story-play and is an elaborate dance depicting the victory of truth over falsehood. Themes revolve around the two great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha.

A Striking feature of Kathakali is the use of elaborate make-up and colourful costumes. This is to emphasize that the characters are superbeings from another world.

The spectators can feel his invisible presence when the heroine or her maid details dreams and ambitions through circular movements, delicate footsteps and subtle expressions. Through slow and medium tempos, the dancer is able to find adequate space for improvisations and suggestive bhavas or emotions.

Costume is designed with lots of paint applied on the face of the artist. The pomp and magnificence of Kathakali is partly due to its decor, part of which include the 'Kireetam' or huge head gear, the 'Kanchukam' or the over sized jacket, and the long skirt worn over a thick padding of cushions.

Make-up which is of five types- Pacha, Kathi, Thadi, Kari and Minukku.

kuchipudi

kuchipudi:

Kuchipudi, one of the art forms of the South had its origin in Andhra Pradesh. Actors sing and dance, and the style is a blend of folk and classical.

Lyrics used in Kuchipudi are usually in Telugu, though Sanskrit verses are also not uncommon.

Kuchipudi dance-dramas, each present a particular episode or a series of episodes. A solo recital, on the other hand, typically consists of such items as the 'Sabdam', 'Bhama kalapam' which is the main item, 'Padams' and 'Tarangams'. In 'Bhama kalapam', the dancer has enormous scope for the dramatisation of characters.

Kuchipudi is a perfect balance between "Nritta", "Nritya" and "Natya". The Nritta is a rhythmic sequence that concludes a song; the Nritya or "Sabdams" in which the rhythmic passages are followed by interpretations and Natya is a complete dance drama with storyline and characters.

Orchestral music is used for began the play which included Mridanga, Madala and a pair of cymbals, followed by an invocation to a deity and appearance of Ganesha, the elephant headed God to bless the performance.

It contained some very complicated items of original footwork such as tracing out an outline of a lion or an elephant with the feet on the floor or dancing with the feet on the edges of a circular brass tray or with a water pot delicately and precariously balanced on the head.

Today Kuchipudi is considerably a different style of dance form than it originally used to be. In most of the cases it is now a solo performance done by female dancers.

dances in india

Diff Dances In INDIA:
Bharata natyam:

Bharatanatyam, whose antiquity is well established, is the most popular of Indian dances, which said to be originated in Thanjavoor (Tanjore) of Tamil Nadu. Bharatanatyam is a purest form of classical dance These three concepts comes into play in Bharatnatayam Bhava, Raga and Thaala.

Bharata Natyam dance has been handed down through the centuries by dance teachers (or gurus) called nattuwanars and the temple dancers, called devadasis. In the sacred environment of the temple these familes developed and propagated their heritage.

The training traditionally took around seven years under the direction of the nattuwanar who were scholars and persons of great learning. The four great nattuwanars of Tanjore were known as the Tanjore Quartet and were brothers named Chinnaiah, Ponnaiah, Vadivelu and Shivanandam. The Bharata Natyam repertiore as we know it today was constructed by this talented Tanjore Quartet.

Bharatanatyam was again revived by activists and dancers like Rukmini Devi and E.Krishna Iyer. Rukmini Devi started the institution "Kalakshetra" in 1936, and since then there has been a wave of reform. Today many recognised universities offer degrees in Bharatanatyam, and artistes are given international recognition and honours. In Bharatnatyam rhythm and enactment go hand in hand to create a beautiful whole. Today there are innumerable male and female dancers all over India and more and more are taking up performing arts as a profession.

Music
The music of Bharatanatyam is based on Carnatic classical music. The chief musical instruments in Bharata Natyam are the 'Mridangam' and a pair of cymbals. Sometimes Veena, Violin, Ghatam and Flute are also used.

Costumes
The costumes of the dancer are very gorgeous, which consists of 'Paijama' or Dhoti and jacket of Kanchipuram silk and Banaras silk. Women wear a tight fitting 'Choli' or bodice of the same colour and material as the dhoti.

AMARAVATHI

Amaravathi :

Amaravathi is a small town situated on the banks of the River Krishna in the Guntur District (of which it is a mandal) of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is famous for its Amareswara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is one of the famous Pancharamas. Amaravati, also known as Dhanyakataka/Dharanikota was the site of a great Buddhist Stupa built in pre-Mauryan times. It was also the capital of Satavahanas, the first greatAndhra kings who ruled from the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE, after the downfall of Maurya empire.

History

According to Vajrayana traditional sources the Buddha preached at Dharanikota/Dhanyakatakam and conducted Kalachakra ceremony, which would take the antiquity of Amaravati back to 500 BCE.^[2] Taranatha, the Buddhist monk writes: "On the full moon of the month Caitra in the year following his enlightenment, at the great stupa of Dhanyakataka, Buddha emanated the mandala of "The Glorious Lunar Mansions" (Kalachakra).

The stupa

The town was the site of a great Buddhist stupa originally built during the reign of emperor Ashoka. It was completed in 200 CE and is decorated with carved panels which tell the story of Buddha's life. The region between Krishna and Godavari rivers was an important place for Buddhism from the 2nd century BCE and some ancient sculpture in low relief has been found here. During the Satavahana period (2nd century BCE-3rd century CE), Dharanikota near Amaravati was chosen as the capital. The stupa was then adorned with limestone reliefs and free standing Buddha figures. During the period of the decline of Buddhism, this stupa was also neglected and it was buried under rubble. There is a 14th century inscription in Sri Lanka which mentions repairs made to the stupa and after that it was forgotten.

How To Reach

It is reachable by road or by boat / coracle on the Krishna River. Amaravati is located 35 km northwest of Guntur. It is connected by the Amaravati road from the heart ofGuntur. It is 46 km south west of Vijayawada. Gannavaram, north of Vijayawada is the nearest airport.