INTRO

The Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music.Natya Sastra is a treatise of Bharatha Muni which was a classical gift to Indian science of dancing art.

Indian classical dance is classsified into two.They are Nritta and Abhinaya.Abhinaya mens portrayal of feeling and expression.It is of four kinds: SATVIKA ABHINAYA,VACHIKA ABHINAYA,ANGIKA ABHINAYA,AHARYA ABHINAYA.

Natya sastra after discussing the above four Abhinayas, it also discusses the aspects of stage maintenance, stage making, entry of roles and characters in a play.

DATE AND AUTHOR

The text, which now contains 6000 slokas, is attributed to the muni (sage) Bharata and is believed to have been written during the period between 200 BC and 200 AD. The Natya Shastra is based upon the much older Gandharva Veda (appendix to Sama Veda) which contained 36000 slokas. Kapila Vatsyayan has argued that based on the unity of the text, and the many instances of coherent reference of later chapters from earlier text, the composition is likely that of a single person. near the end of the text we have the verse: "Since he alone is the leader of the performance, taking on many roles, he is called Bharata" indicating that Bharata may be a generic name. It has been suggested that Bharata is an acronym for the three syllables: bha for bhāva (mood), for rāga (melodic framework), and ta for tāla (rhythm). However, in traditional usage Bharata has been iconified as muni or sage, and the work is strongly associated with this personage.

TITLE

The text consists of 6,000 sutras, incorporated in 36 or 37 chapters. Some passages are composed in a prose form.The title can be loosely translated as “A compendium of Theatre or a A Manual of Dramatic Arts”.The discourse is set in a frame where a number of munis approach Bharata, asking him about nāṭyaveda The answer to this question comprises the rest of the book, which is thus loosely a dialogue.

Bharata says that all this knowledge is due to Brahma. At one point he mentions that he has a hundred "sons" who will spread this knowledge, which suggests that Bharata may have had a number of disciples whom he trained.

The creation by Brahma of natyaveda is associated with an egalitarian myth called the fifth veda: since the four vedas, also created by Brahma, were not to be studied by women and lower castes, he created this fifth veda, the art of drama, to be practiced by everyone _­

INDIAN DANCE THEATRE- NAVA RASAS

Indian dance theatre is based on the facial expressions called Nva Rasas.The exprerssions of the artists create feelings in hearts of the viewer and the viewer’s emotional response to the expressions of the artist is called as “RASA”.Each rasa experienced by the audience is associated with a specific bhava portrayed on the stage.Today Nava Rasas are popular for portraying the artistic feelings but the Natyasastra identifies eight rasas and eight corresponding bhavas:

Rasa Bhava

Adbhuta(Marvelous) Vismaya(Astonishment)

Hasya(comic) Hasya(Mirth)

Sringara(Erotic) Rati(Love)

Bibhatsa(odious) Jugupsa(Disgust)

Vira(Heroic) Utsaha(Energy)

Karuna(Pathetic) Soka(Sorrow)

Bhayanaka(Terrible) Bhaya(Terror)

Raudra(Furious) Krodha(Anger)

After Bharata wroye his Natya Sastra, Abhinaya assumed such importance that Nandikeswara wrote a seperate treatise called “Abhinaya Darpana”.

Other classical books of Indian dance theatre include ‘Hastha Lakshana Deepika’, ‘Kohala Bharatham’ , ‘Dathilam’ and ‘Sangeet Ratnakara’.

INDIAN DANCE FORMS

India offers a number of classical dance forms, each of which can be traced to a different part of the country. Each form represents the culture and ethos of a particular region or a group of people. The most popular classical styles seen on the Indian stage are Bharatanatyam of Tamil Nadu, Kuchipudi of kerala, Kathakali of Kerala, Odissi of Orissa, Kathak of Uttar Pradesh, and Besides these, there are several semi-classical and folk dances that contribute to the plethora of Indian dances. The common root of all classical dance forms can be traced to Natyasastra The Indian dance forms are based on the instructions in the Natyasastra. It also contains deliberations on the different kind of postures, the mudras or hand formations and their meanings, the kind of emotions and their categorization, not to mention the kind of attire, the stage, the ornaments and even the audienceThe dances differ where the local genius has adapted it to local demands and needs.

To appreciate natya or dance drama, one has to understand and appreciate Indian legends. Most Indian dances take their themes from India's rich mythology and folk legends. Hindu gods and goddesses like Vishnu and Lakshmi, Rama and Sita, Krishna and Radha are all depicted in classical Indian dances. Each dance form also draws inspiration from stories depicting the life, ethics and beliefs of the Indian people.

BHARATHA NATYAM

Bharatanatyam is a classical Indian dance form originating in Tamil Nadu,India. In ancient times it was performed as dasiattam by mandir Devadasis. Many of the ancient sculptures in Hindu temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures karanas. In fact, it is the celestial dancers, apsara's, who are depicted in many scriptures dancing the heavenly version of what is known on earth as Bharatanatyam. In the most essential sense, a Hindu deity is a revered royal guest in his temple/abode, to be offered the "sixteen hospitalities" - among which are music and dance, pleasing to the senses. Thus, many Hindu temples traditionally maintained complements of trained musicians and dancers, as did Indian rulers.Bharata Natyam, it is said, is the embodiment of music in visual form, a ceremony, and an act of devotion.

Dance and music are inseparable forms; only with Sangeetam (words or syllables set to raga or melody) can dance be conceptualized. Bharata Natyam has three distinct elements to it: Nritta (rhythmic dance movements), Natya (mime, or dance with a dramatic aspect), and Nritya (combination of Nritta and Natya).

The Tamil country especially Tanjore, has always been the seat and centre of learning and culture. It was the famous quartet of Chinnayya, Ponniah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu of the Tanjore Court during the Marathi King Saraboji’s time (1798- 1824) which made a rich contribution to music and Bharatanatyam and also completed the process of re-editing the Bharathanatyam programme into its present shape with its various forms like the Alarippu, Jathiswaram, Sabdham, Varnam, Tillana etc. The descendants of these four brothers formed the original stock of Nattuvanars or dance teachers of Bharatanatyam in Tanjore. Originally, they formed a community by themselves and most of them were Saivite non-brahmins.It is believed that Bharatanatyam is mainly a renewal of Cathir, the ancient art of temple dancers.This dance form denotes various 19th and 20th century reconstructions of Cathir, the art of temple dancers f rom ancient dance forms.

Famous artists of this dance forms are Rukmini Arundale, Bala Saraswati, Mrinalini Sarabhai.

KUCHIPUDI NATYAM

Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form from of Andhra Pradesh, India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practising this traditional dance form, it acquired the present name.

The performance usually begins with some stage rites, after which each of the character comes on to the stage and introduces him/herself with a daru (a small composition of both song and dance) to introduce the identity, set the mood, of the character in the drama. The drama then begins. The dance is accompanied by song which is typically Carnatic music. The singer is accompanied by mridangam, violin, flute and the tambura. Ornaments worn by the artists are generally made of a light weight wood called Boorugu.

Famous gurus of this dance form are Vedantham Satyanarayana, Vempati Chinna Satyam, Sobha Naidu.

KATHAKALI

Kathakali is a Classical Indian dance form of kerala which from a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for its attractive make-up of characters, their elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century AD and has been updated over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.

Prime importance is given to the movement of eyes and decorative dress.Mostly males perform iot.Famous dance gurus are Guru Gopi Chand, Champakulam Parama Pillai,Vallathoal Narayanan Menon.

ODISSY

Odissi is is a Classical Indian dance form of Orissa. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as Odra-Magadhi. First century BCE bas-reliefs in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneshwar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British raj but has been reconstructed since India gained independence.

It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis and upon the basic square stance known as chauka.

Famous gurus of thios dance form : Samyukhtha Panigrahi,Kolacharan Mahapatro, Gurupankaj Charana.

KATHAK

Kathak traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers. These bards, performing in village squares and temple courtyards, mostly specialized in recounting mythological and moral tales from the scriptures, and embellished their recitals with hand gestures and facial expressions. It was quintessential theatre, using instrumental and vocal music along with stylized gestures, to enliven the stories. Its form today contains traces of temple and ritual dances, and the influence of the bhakti movement. From the 16th century onwards it absorbed certain features of Persian dance and Central Asian dance which were imported by the royal courts of the Mughal era.

There are three major schools or gharanas of Kathak from which performers today generally draw their lineage: the gharanas of Jaipur, Lucknow and Banaras (born in the courts of the Kachwaha Rajput kings, the Nawab of Oudh, and Varanasi respectively); there is also a less prominent (and later) Raigarh gharana which amalgamated technique from all three preceding gharanas but became famous for its own distinctive compositions.

Famous Gurus: Brij Maharaj, Sundara Prasad, Damayanti Joshi

IMPACT

Natyashastra remained an important text in the fine arts for many centuries; so much so that it is sometimes referred to as the fifth veda. Much of the terminology and structure of Indian classical music and Indian classical dance were defined by it. Many commentaries have expanded the scope of the Natya Shastra; most importantly we may include Matanga's Brihaddesi (5th-7th c.), Abhinavagupta's Abhinavabharati (which unifies some of the divergent structures that had emerged in the intervening years, and outlines a theory of artistic analysis) and Sharngadeva's Sangita Ratnakara (13th c. work that unifies the raga structure in music) The analysis of body forms and movements also influenced sculpture and the other arts in subsequent centuries. The structures of music outlined in the Natya Shastra retain their influence even today, as seen in the seminal work Hindustani Sangeetha Padhathiby Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande from the early 20th century. The theory of rasa described in the text has also been a major influence on modern Indian cinema, particularly Bollywood, in addition to Bengali films such as The Apu Trilogy, which itself has had a major influence on world cinema.

CONCLUSION

There are folklore dance theatres spread throughout India.On every aspect of Indian dance style whether classical or folklore, the impact of Natya sastra is immense. As all rivers merge into ocean, so do all dance forms merge at the holy feet of Nataraja, the cosmic dancer.

Hence we all should respect this science of dancing art “NATYA SASTRA” and should not let that go......