Classical Indian musical theatre is a sacred art of the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

temple culture. It is performed in different styles.

Overview

Classical Indian musical theatre theory can be traced back to the

Natya Shastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary ...

Bharata Muni Bharata Muni (Hindi: भरत मुनि) was an ancient sage who the musical treatise '' Natya Shastra'' is traditionally attributed to. The work covers ancient Indian dramaturgy and histrionics, especially Sanskrit theatre. Bharata is co ...

(400 BC). The Sangeet Natak Akademi currently confers classical status on eight styles: #

Bharatanatyam Bharatanatyam () is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of ...

Odissi Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.Kuchipudi Kuchipudi () ( Telugu: ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sa ...

# Kathak # Mohiniaattam #

Kathakali Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...

# Manipuri #

Sattriya ''Sattriya'' ( as, সত্ৰীয়া), or ''Sattriya Nritya'', is a major Indian classical dance. This dance was initially created as part of Bhaona which are performances of ''Ankiya Nat'', one-act plays, originally created by Sankar ...

Classical Indian musical theatre at its best is Natya Yoga, has the most powerful means to lead its worshipers, the artist, to the Divine. It is a sincere depiction of the Divine. It is a sincere depiction of the realities in life, an embodiment of the imagination and gracefulness, the very soul which thereby creates as it were the “Idol of the Beautiful”. While

are the orthodox styles that claim to preserve the knowledge of the

most faithfully, Kathak is different from other styles as it is a mixture of the

Persian dance Dances in Iran or Iranian dances ( Persian:رقص ایرانی) are dance styles indigenous to Iran. Genres of dance in Iran vary depending on the area, culture, and language of the local people, and can range from sophisticated reconstructions o ...

and the Indian folk dance movements. It derives its name from the community of Kathaks, who are custodians of the art. It is from this house (ghar) or family that this form has taken its origin. The words Kathak and Kathakali are derived from katha meaning storytelling and kali meaning play. The Kathak dance style was founded by the master Maharaj Binda Din. Kathak dancing performed by a dancer who stands and moves about and lasya (the aspect) in which the dancer kneels or remains immobile the whole time except for the (gat) a descriptive passage, performed in a gentle rhythm and tells stories with his expressive powers only, with his face and hands. On the physical side the dancer must have perfect control of his body and limbs, which is achieved at least 12 years of study. Special massage is given to the feet. The Kathakali technique of using the face expression is a pure marvel of accomplishment. Some ancient masters of this dance have such control of their facial muscles that they can laugh with one side and cry with the other. Every Kathakali must be master of both tandava (vigorous masculine style at changing from one style to another). Lasya is divided into two categories; one suitable for men (for presenting love scenes, displays of sympathy and sentimed and so on) and the other for women who take female roles. Therefore, women may study Kathakali but do not take part in the pure dance drama which is too vigorous and difficult for them. Indian dancing is not just physical movements of hands and legs, it is a form of physical art with body and mind for both men and women alike as well as a form of worship to the Almighty Divine Gods. An important feature of Indian classical dances is the use of Mudras or hand gestures. Mudras are used by the artists to express their feeling or even the whole story.

Later Indian musical theatre

Ancient Sanskrit drama had a highly stylized nature with an emphasis on spectacle, where

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

and gesture combined "to create a vibrant artistic unit with dance and mime being central to the dramatic experience." Sanskrit dramas were known as '' natya'', derived from the root word (dance), characterizing them as spectacular dance-dramas. Traditional folk theatre became popular from around the 10th century with the decline of Sanskrit theatre. These regional traditions include the ''

Yatra ( sa, यात्रा, 'journey', 'procession'), in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated ...

'' of

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

, the '' Ramlila'' of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...

, and the '' Terukkuttu'' of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

. In particular, Parsi theatre "blended

realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: * Classical Realism *Literary realism, a mov ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

, music and dance, narrative and spectacle, earthy dialogue and ingenuity of stage presentation, integrating them into a dramatic discourse of

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

. The Parsi plays contained crude humour, melodious songs and music, sensationalism and dazzling stagecraft." These traditions in musical theatre have continued in modern Indian cinema, particularly in

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as brea ...

s produced by

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" ...

. In modern days, Kathakali is also learned and performed by women.

Influence on Indian musical films

Classical Indian musical theatre had a profound influence on shaping the conventions of Indian popular cinema, particularly in

and

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union terr ...

s: *Ancient Sanskrit drama, with its highly stylized nature and emphasis on spectacle, where

and gesture combined "to create a vibrant artistic unit with dance and mime being central to the dramatic experience." Sanskrit dramas were known as '' natya'', derived from the root word (dance), characterizing them as spectacular dance-dramas which has continued Indian cinema. *The traditional folk theatre of India, which became popular from around the 10th century with the decline of Sanskrit theatre. These regional traditions include the

, the Ramlila of

, and the Terukkuttu of

. *The Parsi theatre, which "blended

and

, music and dance, narrative and spectacle, earthy dialogue and ingenuity of stage presentation, integrating them into a dramatic discourse of

. The Parsi plays contained crude humour, melodious songs and music, sensationalism and dazzling stagecraft."

Notes

References

* Auntrose, K., Classical Dances and costumes of India * Banerji, P., Kathak Dance through the ages

External links

*{{dmoz, Arts/Performing_Arts/Dance/Classical_Indian/, Classical Indian dance—over 250 links to Classical Indian Dance resources *

Musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...