What is Indian dance?

I) Overview of Indian Dance

Indian dance has a long history. As early as the Indus civilization, Indian ancestors liked dancing very much. Among the cultural relics unearthed in Harappa and Mohenjodaro, there are bronze statues of dancers and stone statues of male dancers, which are evidence of popular dances at that time.

In the Vedic era, Indian dance developed obviously and was recorded in writing. Dancers were recorded in Rigveda in 1500 BC. Qiu Sha is dressed in shiny clothes, like a dancer. "Men wear gold jewelry and perform scenes about war by dancing", "Young men and women dance together" and "there is even a caste that specializes in dancing and singing for a living". It can be seen that the dance had developed quite well at that time.

In the 4th century BC, the great Indian legalist bonini also mentioned the word "dance". As for Ramayana, one of the Indian epics, there are even more records about dance. "Ramayana" wrote: "Dances and concerts were held day and night in the city god for the king to enjoy", and "a dancer's graceful dance intoxicated Lophana".

However, the monograph on dance art should be represented by the earliest literary theory work in ancient India, Bharata's Dance Theory. Generally speaking, it is the product of the 2nd century AD, but its content should be earlier than the writing time of the book, perhaps before the AD .. Dance theory is a poetic work, which comprehensively discusses all aspects of drama work, from theory to practice, but mainly to meet the needs of practical work and play the role of a drama work manual. It involves drama, performance, dance, content and emotion analysis, physical performance programs, poetry rhythm, language, drama classification and structure, genre, style, makeup, performance, role, and finally, it involves music more widely. Once this comprehensive generalization appeared, it had a great influence on later literary theories. Although it is basically a book that pays attention to actual performance, it still touches some important issues in theory and expounds various parts of beautiful art such as music and ballet. Later, Shannon Devo made a detailed study of dance in his book "Rodern of Gollum", mentioning the types of dance and so on. The book talks about "Dangdewo dance" (a kind of Shiva dance). Shiva is the ancestor of this dance, and Shiva passed on this dance knowledge to her students and Brahmaponi. When Devo dance is a kind of dance about the end of the world, when the world began to be destroyed, Shiva performed the dance of "Anand Dangdewo" at the request of the immortals in Bujeri and Oye. At that time, Brahma applauded him all around, Vishnu drummed for him, and Denbaru and Narodha sang for him.

During the Carlito period (5th century AD), Indian dance developed greatly. Kalidasa has many works, and his plays have reached the peak of ancient Indian drama creation. He is not only famous for his poems, but also a famous playwright. His plays Sacondaro, Moropica and King of Fire Friends are all famous. Prose and poetry in the play are rich and freely interspersed, and there are dances and songs in the play. The theory of music and dance is also fully studied in the first and second acts of Morobica and Friends of the Fire Lord. The close relationship between dance and performance is also mentioned in Kalidasa's works. These have played an important guiding role in the development of dance later.

Like music, dance art is also a means of making a living. There have been dancers dancing in temples in India since ancient times. Dawakali once described dancers in some temples at that time. In Bai Na's Journey to the Lord of the Rings, the maid who danced for his son's birthday was mentioned. However, according to historical records, the social status of dancers at that time was not high. Even during the Miluo period, professional musicians and dancers were discriminated against by society. At that time, the immortal Bharata wrote a long story describing the humiliation suffered by actors, which showed their humble position in society. However, the art of music and dance itself is highly valued, and men and women of all classes learn these two arts.

Geographically, Indian dance can be divided into North Indian dance and South Indian dance. North Indian dances mainly include Ketak dance and Manipur dance. The classical dances in South India mainly include Bharata and Getakri.

Besides the classical dances mentioned above, there are many folk dances all over India. These folk dances, with strong local characteristics and life flavor, are deeply loved by the masses and are an important part of India's splendid culture.

(B) Indian dance categories

According to the content and nature of dance, Indian dance can be divided into two categories: classical and folk. There are four kinds of classical dances, namely Manipur dance, Brahma dance, Getakri dance and Kedak dance.

1. manipuli dance

Manipur dance is one of the four classical dances in India, which originated in Manipur area, hence its name. Manipur has always been called "the hometown of dance". Dance is an important part of Manipur people's life and a necessary virtue for women.

Manipur dance is developed from beautiful folk dance. According to folklore, in ancient times, Shiva and the goddess of snow mountain created a dance and chose a valley suitable for this dance, but it was low-lying and submerged in the water. So Shiva used his trident to split the mountain and drain water, filled the depression and opened up a place for dancing. This place is Manipur today. The first dance of Shiva and Snow Mountain Goddess in Manipur was called Raiharoba. Raiharoba dance is the original form of Manipur dance, and it is a kind of dance to pay tribute to the village gods. When dancing, the whole village often takes part.

Manipur dance is a general term for several dances, including Banger Jalan 'en dance (quickstep dance), Gladar Jalan 'en dance (high-five dance), Lakar dance (partner dance), Tabard Kingby dance (moonlight dance) and so on. What people usually say is also the famous Manipur dance in India, which refers to the erotic Laslila dance. It is said that about 1700 years ago, Manipur had a king named Jasinger. Once, he saw Laszlo dance in his dream and heard beautiful music, so he taught his daughter to learn this dance. Since then, this dance has spread to this day.

Laslira dance also includes Wasenderas dance (spring dance), Gula dance (Lin dance), Mahara dance (Grand Dance), Nidieyera dance, Divora dance and so on. All these dances show the scenes of love and frolicking between Krishna and Goby girl (a kind of shepherd). The main roles in the dance are Lata and Krishna.

Lata and Gaby girls are wearing a round skirt called Baniger, which has no pleats. The skirt is covered with tulle, with a belt around the waist, a tight coat, a scarf and a hat. Krishna is dressed in yellow. The colors of their costumes are in harmony with the dance atmosphere, which makes the dance more beautiful.

2. balata Dance

Balata dance is a traditional dance in Tamil Nadu, southern India, and one of the four classical dances in India. Indian scholars believe that this dance originated from Aryan culture in North India, but it has been developed and perfected in South India. The development of the southern bharata dance is closely related to the slaves in the southern temples. It is said that the fairy Prabharata is the founder of this dance.

There are different opinions about the origin of the bharata dance, but whatever it is, it is related to Azuna. There is a story that when he lived in a foreign land in Azzona, he taught this dance to the humble princess Eulate. Later, this dance spread from Vilat (today's Jaipur) to all India; Another way of saying it, A Zhou taught this dance to Jitlonda, the daughter of King Jitlavaheng (she later married A Zhou) when she was in Malag Badenmo, the capital of Jelinga. So in South India, it is generally believed that Kit Da Lang later became a god slave, and Ariunaa didn't go with him when he returned to China. There is also a saying that this dance is developed from Gulawangi, a famous folk dance in Tamil Nadu. Gulawingi is a mobile mountaineer. They live all over the state and make a living by reading palms and dancing. The dance they danced was called Gula Wengi. Gulavingi dance is simpler than balata dance, but it is very popular.

Pantomime performance is the characteristic of the dance of "Bharata", which expresses rich thoughts and feelings, such as war, love and hatred, through the movements of various parts of the body. It needs props, and wearing various masks to express different stories is also a major feature of this dance. Bharata dance is usually accompanied by goellner Tucker music. As soon as Alai's piano rang, the actor put his feet together and raised his hands above his head. Then, with the sound of musical instruments directing the actors' movements coming from behind the scenes, the actors freely express their thoughts with the movements and expressions of their necks, mouths, eyes, hands and other parts of their bodies.

3. Hetakri dance

Getakri dance is the most famous dance in Kerala and one of the four classical dances in India. The Hetakri dance is actually a unique dance that tells stories and praises the gods. The great poet Valadeau called the Hetakri dance "the queen of art". Stories, poems, music, dances. The ingenious combination of performance and painting is a major feature of Getakley dance.

The Hetakri dance is usually performed in the evening during the temple fair, and all the roles in the play are played by men. The form of performance is pantomime, but accompanied by percussion instruments. The story in dance is expressed in the form of poetry. The poem was written in Sanskrit Malayalam and read by a person behind the scenes. The posture and gestures of the actor's body have certain symbolic significance. The content of the poem is expressed by the jumping speed of feet, the movements of hands and fingers, and the different movements and expressions of eyes, nose and lips. Actors only perform without talking. Excellent Hetakri dancers are very proficient in the movements and performance skills of all parts of the body. They can express all kinds of thoughts and feelings with their eyes, and display circles, Arabic numerals "8" and so on at the speed of their eyes. They perform the movements of swans, snakes, monkeys and other animals, and their images are very realistic. They can even perform hatred and anger with half of their faces and joy and joy with the other half.

Facial makeup plays an important role in Getakli dance. This kind of makeup is a special painting art, and the face after makeup is helpful to express various ideological contents of dance. They made a thick paste of rice flour and applied it to their faces. According to different roles, they paint five colors, such as green, red and yellow, and the faces of the positive characters are painted light green and white. The villain's face was painted several layers of white powder, his nose was painted red, his eyes were painted black and he had a red beard. The female horn is painted with a layer of white on a yellow and red background.

Hetakri dance is generally based on two epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, but now some people use it as a means of political propaganda.

The art of Hetakri dance is not easy for ordinary people to appreciate, but in Kerala, everyone can understand its artistic beauty, and all cities and villages can perform Hetakri dance.

4. Ketak Dance

Ketak dance originated in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. It is a famous dance in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and one of the four classical dances in India.

Ketak is a caste, specializing in dancing and making a living by busking. The dance they dance is called Ketak dance. Ketak dance was originally a court lap dance. In the feudal emperors' era, it was exclusively for the leisure of princes and nobles. Now it's a dance that everyone dances.

Ketak can be danced by both men and women. The content is mainly about the love story of Krishna and Lata. There are many small copper bells tied to the feet of Ketak dancers, and the actors make different sounds with the change of drums, sometimes sonorous and sometimes noisy; Sometimes it's thin, sweet and beautiful. Because drums and music use the movements and facial expressions of various parts of the body to express various feelings, some people call them dancing in various postures. At present, this kind of intermission mostly appears on the screen and in the ballroom.

Besides classical dances, there are many famous folk dances in India. Indian folk dance has a long history, which is recorded in the classical literature Night Veda and two epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Some are religious, some are seasonal and so on. They are not only rich in content, but also have their own characteristics and are deeply loved by the masses, so some folk dances can be passed down from generation to generation. Now the choice is described as follows:

Pengola dance is a kind of Qingfeng dance that Punjabi people dance during the harvest season. Dancers of all ages can participate. As long as there is open space, a group of people can get together to beat drums and jump up. At first, it danced in a circle. Newcomers can join at any time without interrupting the continuity of the dance. The drummer stood in the center of the field and the dancers circled around the drummer. The drummer drummed the drum for a while, and then raised the drumstick upward. When the dancer saw the raised drumstick, he quickened his pace, jumped faster and faster, shook his whole body rapidly, landed on one foot, held his hands high, and kept jumping in circles. When they jumped to the climax, they clapped their hands and said "Bale! Bale！” Or "wow! Wow "shouts. The shouts were unusually majestic and the dance was lively. People who jump are often ecstatic, while those who watch are often dancing. After the climax, it becomes a slow dance. With the sweet music, one foot dances slowly. At this time, one of them suddenly put his hand over his left ear and sang a song, and everyone immediately danced wildly as at first. So fast and slow, repeated several times, the jumping time can be as long as several hours. Skilled pengola dancers can even do very complicated acrobatics, such as the trunk approaching the ground, the back of the spine or the dancer standing on his shoulders while he dances on his knees. Because there are no strict rules, pengola dance gives people a fresh, natural and energetic impression. The movements of this dance clearly reflect the masculinity of Punjabi people.

There are several kinds of pengola dances, mainly including Rudy dance, Chumo dance and Shagny dance, which are slightly different from each other. This kind of dance has superb skills, changeable formations and no affectation. Accompanied by music and tambourine, the melody is beautiful, harmonious and natural.

The dancer's costume is a fashionable headscarf on her head, beautiful trousers on her lower body, and a silk shirt dyed with blue or crimson, which is dazzling. With a foot bell tied to her feet, the dancer's feet are very skilled They vividly show the hard-working and brave Indian people's love for life with the rhythm of music, tambourines and foot bells. Melodious tunes, dexterous movements, graceful dancing and rich expressions reflect the determination and optimism of the Indian people to overcome nature and gain a bumper harvest.

Geta dance is the oldest dance in Punjab. "Geta" means high five. People used to dance the pagoda to please the gods. Today, people also dance this dance at weddings and other festive events.

Gotha dance is simple, but it is very moving. This dance is usually performed on a moonlit night. The dancers form a circle first, and then gradually expand the circle with the rapid drums. At this time, three or four people went to the center of the circle and began to dance. They sang and danced and played leading roles. The song they sing is called Tabai or Bade. Every time the last sentence is sung, others clap their hands and sing it again, and so on until the end.

Gotha dance is generally a female dance, and men can also dance, but they should be separated from women to form a circle. Only when celebrating the wedding can men and women dance.

Autumn Moore dance (that is, crazy dance) is a kind of dance that men dance. Although not as famous as the pengola dance, it is also popular in the vast rural areas of Punjab. Because it is a dance related to agricultural festivals. This dance can be done at any time. It is similar to the geta dance. When dancing, it first forms a circle. Accompanied by drums, sometimes men each hold a short stick and beat each other rhythmically to dance in a circle. People who dance autumn Moore dance should wear a gorgeous scarf with tassels on their heads, a white round neck gown and various pieces of cloth, with both ends tied around their left waist, colorful wide-brimmed clothes reaching to their feet and soft-soled shoes on their feet. Moorish dance in autumn is very beautiful and moving, and it lasts for three or four hours at a time.

In addition, there are Kaka dance and Rudy dance. They are all popular women's dances.

Powayi dance is a famous folk dance drama in Gujarat with a special form. There are music, dance and drama performances in the dance, which are similar to musicals. The roles are all male, and the audience is all male.

Performing Powayi dance drama is the ancestral occupation of Pojige, Nayeg and Dilager ethnic groups. They formed a chorus and toured from village to village. Especially on the Nine Nights Festival, we must perform the Piwai dance to welcome the mother of Bowai, which is the origin of the name of the dance drama.

This kind of dance drama has no stage and is performed in an open square or the courtyard of a temple. However, when performing, it is necessary to put an inaccessible statue of mother in the courtyard or square, and light an oil lamp in front of the statue. Performances often last from the night before to the early morning of the next day. Each Bovai dance is divided into several parts, each part is called a swan, and each swan has one or two roles to perform a fairy tale, historical figure or social figure. Dance dramas are often mixed with satirical jokes to achieve certain teasing purposes, which are very interesting and deeply loved by people.

Garba dance belongs to worship dance and is the most popular folk dance in Gujarat. It has two forms, namely "Garba" and "Galby". Garba is a woman, and Gabby is a man.

When a woman dances a garba dance, she puts the lighted clay pot or tender seedling in the center of the dance floor, then forms a circle, lights the clay pot with a hole in the top of her head, and dances with the accompaniment to express her prayers to Mother Earth. This dance is unique. Because the earthenware pot with a hole in the top of the head is lit, it flashes with the swing of the body, which is as beautiful as a diamond, and the shadow reflected by the light is particularly beautiful. During the Nine Nights Festival, women especially like to dance garba. Beautiful girls with earthenware pots with lights on their heads danced in groups to their home and invited everyone to dance. In the nine-day festival, there are dances everywhere and songs in every household. This dance can be performed on other festivals besides worship festivals, such as Krishna's birthday and Rama's birthday. Garba dancing will also be performed on festivals such as Spring Festival, Daughter's Day and Widow's Day.

Gabby dance is a dance that men dance to commemorate the mother-daughter god during the Nine Nights Festival. This kind of dance is usually not performed at other times. The arrangement of the dance floor and the method of dancing are the same as the garba dance of women, except that men dance without wearing pottery pots on their heads. A gailby dancer is naked or wearing an ancient robe with lace and a pair of Rajasthan pants.

Lashi dance is another famous folk dance in Gujarat with a long history. This is a mixed dance with three forms, namely Deng Lassig (stick dance), Dahl Lassig (high-five dance) and Rahedrasig (performance dance). Dundrasge dance (stick dance) is especially popular in North India. This kind of dance can be seen everywhere in the autumn moon festival, and it is also danced in other festivals. In the past, Ras Dance only performed the life story of the Black God, and only sang songs related to the Black God. The lyrics have changed today, so we can sing other songs. When dancing Lassi, there is no certain dress code. Generally, women wear wide tops and skirts, men wear long gowns or stovepipe pants, and sometimes actors dress up as black gods.

In addition to the dances mentioned above, all Indian states have their own folk dances, many of which will not be introduced here.