All about Dance... ANISHA GOEL
All
about Odissi
Odissi is considered to be one of the oldest surviving dance forms based on archaeological evidence. The traditional dance form of Orissa, it owes its origin to the temple dances of the devadasis (temple dancers). Possibly, the oldest classical dance form in the country, Odissi has been mentioned in inscriptions, depicted on scultures, in temples like the Brahmeswara and the dancing hall of the Sun Temple at Konark. In the 1950s, the entire dance form was revitalised, thanks to the Abhinaya Chandrika and sculpted dance poses found in temples.
Odissi as we know it today is the result of a long process of reconstruction from various dance traditions of Orissa, for instance the Maharis, the Goti puas and the Bhandanritya traditions. Maharis are the counterparts of the devadasis of the South. Goti puas are men who dressed as female dancers and danced like the Maharis. These artistes are not allowed to dance in temples after the age of 18. Kelucharan Mohapatra, an erstwhile Goti Pua, is the greatest exponent and guru of this ancient dance form.
Technique: The two main postures used in Odissi are the tribanga and chouka. Tribanga is a three-body-bend (head, bust and torso) in essence, and is very feminine in nature. The chouka of Odissi is comparable with the aramandi used in Bharatanatyam, except that chouka is essentially wider. The mudras and the expressions are similar to those of Bharatnatyam. Odissi performances are replete with lore of the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, Lord Krishna. It is a soft, lyrical classical dance which depicts the ambience of Orissa and the philosophy of its most popular deity, Lord Jagannath.
Odissi is based on the popular devotion to Lord Krishna and the verses of the Sanskrit play Geet Govinda are used to depict the love and devotion to God. The Odissi dancers use their head, bust and torso in soft flowing movements to express specific moods and emotions.
Repertoire: A typical Odissi repertoire consists of the invocatory item 'mangalacharan', a tribute to Lord Jagannath and the other Gods, also with stanzas to welcome the audience and to thank one's Gurus. There are 'pallavis', which are pure dance pieces performed to bols (strings of rhythmic syllables). 'Abhinaya' is a dramatic piece where mudras, facial expressions and body language are used as tools to emote or describe. In Odissi, abhinaya pieces are performed to both Sanskrit and Oriya songs. 'Moksha' is a pure-dance piece where the dancer tries to merge with the divine. Other common items include dasavatara, a dance describing the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, and batu nritya, based on Lord Shiva.
Costume and Music: Odissi dance attire like other Indian Classical dance has a stitched costume (pyjama style) made out of the special Orissa handloom sarees. The Odissi dance jewelry is in silver. The dancers also wear an intricate head piece, delicately made out of solo (Styrofoam), representing flowers around the hair, and a piece protruding upward, representing the top of a temple.
It is a lyrical form of dance with its subtlety as its keynote. The intimate relationship experienced between the poetry and music in Odissi is a feature on which the aesthetics of the style is built. The musical accompaniment of Odissi dance is essentially the same as the music of Orissa itself. There are various views on how the music of the Odissi relates to the music of greater North India. It is usually considered just another flavour of Hindustani music, however there are some who feel that Odissi should be considered a separate classical system.
There are a number of musical instruments used to accompany the Odissi dance. One of the most important is the pakhawaj, also known as the madal. This is the same pakhawaj that is used elsewhere in the north except for a few small changes. One difference is that the right head is a bit smaller than the usual north Indian pakhawaj. This necessitates a technique which in many ways is more like that of the tabla, or mridankgam. Other instruments which are commonly used are the bansuri (bamboo flute), the manjira (metal cymbals), the sitar and the tanpura.
