About Dances

Art of Indian Dance and Impact on Society Summary of lecture given by Mythili Kumar Yatho dhrishtis thatho manaha Whither the glances lead there the mind follows, Yatho manas thatho bhavaha Whither the mind goes there the mood follows, Yatho bhavas thatho rasaha Whither the mood goes, there is 'rasa' born Classical dance in India is an eloquent expression of an ancient tradition, in which every action, be it the pursuit of knowledge, skills, craft, or an art form, became a stirring ritual and an offering to the divine. All art for example, poetry, dance, music, sculpture, painting, or architecture, was a way of life and was meant to be the divine torch that led man to spiritual awakening. As dance in particular was intricately woven into the religion, the term ‘art for art’s sake’ did not apply here, because the ultimate goal of the dance was not merely for beauty, aesthetic pleasure, entertainment or a simple diversion from daily life. The goal was to bring one closer to the spiritual oneness when the finite soul merges with the Infinite Being. Origin of Dance in India - Tracing antiquity Mohenjodaro figurine-2300 BC Rg Veda-2000 BC Natya Shastra-200 BC Literary works describing dance Silappadikaram-Tamil - 2nd century AD Malavikaagnimitra-Sanskrit - 4th century AD In ancient India, the arts of dance, drama, and music were fused into one, as seen in the treatise called the Natya Shastra-the Science of Dramatics, written by the sage Bharata around the second century BC (Sanskrit). A description of the origin of the Natya Shastra is seen in the verse translated below: By taking the words, ‘paathya’ from the Rg Veda, the art of visual representation, ‘Abhinaya’ from the Yajur Veda, music, ‘geeta’ from the Sama Veda and Aesthetics ‘Rasa’ from the Atharvana Veda, the creator Brahma fashioned the Natya Veda or Science of Drama and Dance…….This art is indeed capable of securing the four-fold objects of life, namely virtue ‘Dharma’, wealth, ‘Artha’, fulfillment of...