Odissi Dance

Introduction

One of India's earliest traditional dance genres, Odissi, can be traced to Natya Shastra, a revered Sanskrit book on performing arts. After obtaining royal backing, it developed further. Odissi was discovered at the Udayagiri Monastery, and the tradition persisted unabatedly until roughly the sixteenth century AD.

Woman performing Odissi dance

Description-Odissi, also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Odisha

History & Evolution

• The Indian state of Odisha is where the Odissi dance style first emerged. One of the eight traditional dance forms in India, it is noted for its lyricism, sensuality, and emphasis on bhakti bhava (attitude of devotion and surrender).

• When Odissi began to be performed on theatre stages in the 1950s, it became more well-known both in India and abroad. Since then, dancers and scholars have maintained that the Odissi dance, which was previously performed in the temples of Odisha, is the oldest classical dance tradition in India.

• From the middle of the 20th century on, a variety of historical influences, including the artistic and performance traditions of pre-modern Odisha and the works of artists in post-Independence India, had an impact on the development of Odissi as a “classical” dance form.

Who Started Odissi Dance?

• The 'Natya Shastra,' an old Hindu Sanskrit scripture that discusses several performing arts, is where this dance form's roots may be found, demonstrating its antiquity.

• In this literature, dance is split into two distinct forms called "nrita" and "nritya."

• Nrita is a type of pure dance that emphasises flawless hand gestures, whereas Nritya is a type of solo expressive dance that emphasises the elements of expression.

• The work sheds light on several notions relating to Indian classical dances, such as the Tandava dance of Lord Shiva, standing positions, fundamental steps, bhava, rasa, acting techniques, and gestures.

Traces of the Performance Art from the Medival Era?

• Odisha's Hindu, Buddhist, and Jaina archaeological monuments. These locations include the Ranigumpha at Udayagiri as well as the temples and caves in Alatgiri, Ratnagiri, and Lalitgiri, and Jagannath temple in Puri.

• Odissi is carved into Buddhist images such as Marichi, Vajravarahi, and Haruka in dancing positions.

• Odissi dance poses such as Chuaka and Tribhangi are used as decorative elements in the cover and margins of manuscripts of the Jain text "Kalpasutra”.

• Dancer and musician sculptures in the Brahmeswara Temple in Bhubaneswar and the Sun Temple in Konark.

What is special about Odissi Dance?

Repertoire

• The first of four components of an Odissi performance is an invocation, followed by nritta, nritya, natya, and moksha. After the prayer known as Mangalacharana, Pushpanjali, a flower offering, and Bhumi Pranam, an homage to the earth is performed. Following that, a pure dance or nritta is performed as a devotion to Lord Shiva, such as Batu, Batuka Bhairava, Battu Nrutya, or Sthayee Nrutya. It is not recited or sung; it is simply performed to rhythmic music.

• The next section is nritya, which combines expressive dance or Abhinaya with hand gestures or mudras, emotions or bhavas, as well as eye and body movements, to portray a story, a song, or a poem.

• A dance drama based on Hindu epics and mythologies is included in the following segment of the natya. The last dance step in an Odissi performance is a movement called Moksha, which aims to evoke a sense of spiritual liberation.

Costumes

• The female dancers dress in vibrantly coloured saris, typically made of local silk and decorated with regional customs and patterns like the Bomkai Saree and the Sambalpuri Saree. She wears silver jewellery around her neck, arms, wrists, head, and ears.

• She is clad in elaborate belts around her waist and musical anklets called ghunghru, which are formed of leather straps and embellished with little copper bells. Her hands and feet are coloured with red dyes called Alta.

• She emphasises the shape of her eyes with Kajal and wears a tikka on her forehead to draw attention to them. Her hair is styled with Seenthi and tied in a bun. The hairstyle may be adorned with a peacock feathered Mukoot, a reed crown that represents Lord Krishna, or a moon-shaped crest made of white flowers.

• The lower body of a male dancer is covered from the waist down by a dhoti, which is elegantly folded in the front and tucked between the legs.

Odissi dancers attire and make-up

Description-The Odissi dancer wears shola pith flowers around her hair bun, and it is topped with a tiara of shola pith flowers representing the spire of Jagannath temple

Instruments & Music

• This dance form distinguishes itself from others by incorporating ragas from both the south and north of India, demonstrating the exchange of performing arts and ideas between the two regions of the country. "Shokabaradi," "Karnata," "Bhairavee," "Dhanashri," "Panchama," "Shree Gowda," "Nata," "Baradi," and "Kalyana" are the primary ragas of Odissi. Tabla, pakhawaj, harmonium, cymbals, violin, flute, sitar, and swarmandal are among the musical instruments.

Conclusion

Odissi has many roots and multiple perspectives when it comes to understanding it. Odissi's creators maintained dialogue with history and the modern world while also being influenced by their times in order to establish Odissi as a globally recognised Indian classical dance form. The history of Odissi gives practitioners the tools they need to reflect on the nature of change in their practise and consider it as something that is constantly changing.

FAQs

Q1. Shed some information on performance art remnants from the Mughal era.

Ans. In Odisha, Muslim armies attacked temples and monasteries, as well as other institutions. These raids harmed the advancement of all artistic disciplines as well as the freedom of artists.

Throughout this period, the arts were in decline, and what little remained, particularly as court entertainments, was made possible by the generosity of a few kind-hearted kings.

Temple dancers entertained the Sultans' households and courts while also playing the concubine role.

Q2. Explain the decline in the Odissi dancing style under British rule.

Ans. Classical dancing styles like Odissi had been mocked and discouraged. The dancers were also monetarily repressed by being pressured to stop receiving assistance from their audiences.

Q3. What actions were taken to revive Odissi's dance form?

Ans. A large group of classical art revivalists has brought back ancient classical dance forms such as Odissi. Kavichandra Kalicharan Pattanayak, an Oriya poet, playwright, and researcher, was one such revivalist. He not only worked to revive the dancing style but is also credited with giving it the name "Odissi."