Indian Dances Thrill

NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE
Correspondent | Monday March 18, 2013 00:00

 

The Natya Prabhava 2013 as the event was called was made possible by the school of Indian Dance and Music students from  the young ages of four to senior students who most of them were in their teens.  The school aims to build a community that understands, appreciates, compliments and respects each culture and tradition through the fundamental principles of learning practice and performance.

As jewellery is part of Indian culture, the dancers looked beautiful and sparkled in beautifully made traditional costumes and jewellery, which were mostly heavy gold ornaments. Their jewellery was made of different materials from silver, glass beads, semi-precious stones, lac, bones, metals and kudan.

The jewellery was made as charms, rings, pendants, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and anklets that had bells that rang as the dancers stomped their feet to the ground.  Each dancer from the 74 who danced that night was wearing their unique design of clothing and jewellery. They were dressed from head to toes and had also painted their nails, palms and feet giving them  divine looks. The audience who clearly looked  happy with the beautiful performances was treated to dances like Bharata Natyam, Mohinyattom, Rasa and Bhava, Deshavatharam and others. Bharata Natyam is one of the oldest dance forms of India that originated in the Southern state of India. It is the embodiment of music in visual form, a ceremony and an act of devotion. The dancers displayed movements, postures and balanced blend of the rhythmic as well as mimetic aspects.

Mohiniyattom is one of the most lyrical dance traditions originating from Kerala State that is said to be the land of coconut trees, backwaters, elephants, Kathakali, Koodiyattom and innumerable folk arts and festivals. Mohiniyattom means dance to the entrances.

Female dancers moved their upper body as their costumes highlighted with gold and eye catching hair styles displayed graceful movements in medium tempo, contributing to the dance's aesthetic effect. Dancers swayed their hips as they gently moved their torso from side-to-side.

Some dances displayed their history that also involves their gods, how they lived, peace, war, sorrow, hunger, peace-making and friendship. Other dances were poetic as the dancers recited the poems as they danced along.