Natya Sastra remains an authority on drama, dance and music. The binding aspects in the treatise distributed in thirty-six chapters follow a sacred pattern having sprung out of the divine dancing duo Siva-Uma through Brahma. While the ancient period can be called Margi or conventional, it was only during the medieval period with texts like Sangeeta Ratnakara or Nrittaratnavali and others that the Desi or regional dances became prominent.
Many of the medieval texts highlighted the emergence of classical dance as a distinct phenomenon and the stage got set to focus on full-fledged dance performances. Each classical dance has drawn from Natya Sastra for the basic technique, execution and essence. The adoption of specific movement and gesture distinguished one from the other.
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The modern period saw further growth and propagation of classical dances which moved from the temple to the proscenium theatre. With the invasions and plundering of temples, Natya gradually ceased to be an important feature of temple worship. Dancers, however, gathered lessons from the erstwhile temple dancers and brought in innovations to suit changing tastes. In short, the term Diva replaced the Dasi. Sanskrit receded to the background while regional languages flourished. All these processes opened up a gamut of influences on dance. Some of them were:
a) A projected connection with the basis in Agamas bereft of in-depth understanding.
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b) Blurring lines between different classical dance forms such as Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam or Odissi and Bharatanatyam.
c) A gap between practice and theory, including the lack of basic knowledge of the original texts and allied arts like music, which is important for the artistes.
d) Fading benchmarks in standards
e) Freedom that resulted in outrageous improvisations
f) Diminishing guru-sishya bonding and absence of a vibrant pedagogy.
g) Mushrooming of schools with autonomous fee structures and teaching styles.
While one understands that art continuously evolves, one cannot afford to forget its origins. Call it Veda or Tantra or Agama, Natya Sastra is an ocean of knowledge, which prescribes a scientific method to be developed by a practitioner under the tutelage of the preceptor, who guards a vibrant tradition, which ultimately leads to transcendence.
A dancer enters the stage, invoking the grace of higher deities. The geometry in the dance consecrates the space on the stage, enlivened by the music ensemble. The portrayal of emotions representing the changing world drama connects the dancer to the spectators as and when the latter discover these inherent predominant moods within themselves. The hand gestures employed in the dances, having evolved from temple ritualistic gestures, certainly possess high spiritual value. The tapping of the feet continuously, to set rhythmic permutations and combinations, highlight the histrionic depiction of legendary content.
Divine energy
Just as a sculpted image comes alive through worship, the dancer gets literally transformed into a channel to transmit divine energy. Added to the personality of the dancer is the relevant attire, consisting of motifs that vibrate these subtle forces within the microcosm.
The Sun and Moon shaped ornaments relate to the solar and lunar energy and the central channel adorns the crown while even the fingers and toes are painted symbolising the five elements.
Solo dancing becomes a powerful medium with the dancer wearing a uniform costume but enacting multiple roles, harnessing the flow of the stories through the different expressive modes. The poetry sung as melodious composition becomes a visual spectacle as the original thought and word of the poet gets into the firmament of imagination of the dancer.
As the curtains open up, one mostly hears hymns to propitiate the elephant-faced remover of obstacles, Ganesa. The obstacles are those connected to the earth that may prevent us from rising above into the elevating spheres. The large face denotes the wise head which was planted by the supreme consciousness, Siva over the form created by the supreme energy, Sakti. When every saint eulogised Ganesha as the one who rules over Mooladhara, he reiterated that this Lord controls the serpent power resting at the base of one’s spinal cord. It is obvious that when this vital centre is firm and cleansed of negativities that bind to distress and difficulties, any journey becomes smooth. The flexible trunk epitomises the ease with which one can carry on with every action if performed with detached attachment. The dancer thus makes an offering to this Adi Devata and at the same time makes a symbolic offering of the entire being with salutation to Mother Earth in order to stay grounded with magnetic forces while reaching out and accessing the world of the stars.