Chidambaram Dance Festival

 Chidambaram Dance Festival has become renowned as it hosts the dance performances by distinguished dancers from all over the country. In addition to that, the dance festival has gathered fame as Natyanjali temple provides a magnificent background for the festival. This dance festival is held during the months of February and March. It continues for five days. The festival is organized in collaboration with the Department of Tourism (Government of Tamil Nadu), The Ministry of Tourism (Government of India) and The Natyanjali Trust (Chidambaram).

Nataraja is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and was built as a tribute to His dancing form. The temple bears beautiful ornate carved pillars, with portrayal of Lord Nataraja in 108 poses of Bharatanatyam classical dance. Thus, the temple plays an ideal venue for the dance festival. The Natyanjali Dance Festival is organized in the ancient Nataraja temple of the city. This dance festival is held during the months of February and March and continues for five days. The festival is organized in collaboration with the Department of Tourism (Government of Tamil Nadu), The Ministry of Tourism (Government of India) and The Natyanjali Trust (Chidambaram). Natyanjali Dance Festival begins with the auspicious festival of Mahashivratri, the birth anniversary of Lord Shiva. Dancers from across the country take part in this festival. Nataraja Temple serves as the backdrop for splendid performances during the festival. The festival aims at conveying the message of 'Unity in Diversity' through the language of music and dance.

The holy city of Chidambaram, known as the 'city of the Cosmic Dancer' is located 245 Kms away from Chennai. The ancient Nataraja temple of Chidambaram pays special tribute to Lord Nataraja- the dancing Shiva. The magnificent gold roofed temple situated in the middle of the town has a bronze image Bharat Natyam Dance of Nataraja in a dancing pose known throughout the world as the most perfect synthesis in metal art. The temple has carved pillars depicting Lord Nataraja in 108 poses of Bharathanatyam classical dance in the eastern tower.

Smitha Rajan

 Smitha Rajan was born in the year 1969. She is one of the popular Mohiniattam Dancers from Kerala. She is the granddaughter of Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, and daughter of Sreedevi Rajan, who is a reputed Mohiniattam Guru. Smitha took her initial training from her mother. Her father, T R Rajappan, died when she was very young. She became a professional dancer at the age of 12. In 1980, Smitha accompanied her grandmother, her mother, and her aunt to popularize Mohiniyattam in India and other countries. She was the leading performer of Kerala Kalalayam from 1979 to 1992. She has assisted her mother, grandmother, and aunt in teaching Mohiniyattam to a number of today's Mohiniyattam performers. In 2014, she received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award.

Today, Smitha lives in St. Louis, Missouri, along with her family, and is running the institution Nrithyakshetra "Temple of Dance" as a branch of the institution Guru Sreedevi Rajan started in Kochi, in association with the parent institution Kerala Kalalayam.

She produced as well as appeared in the 2019 documentary on Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma titled "Mother of Mohiniyattam," which was directed by Dr. Vinod Mankara.

To know more about Smitha Rajan, Visit the page link

 

Padayani Dance

Padayani dance is one of the popular traditional folk dances of Kerala state of India. Generally, padayani dance is associated with the festivals of  certain temples in southern Kerala like Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam district. It is performed in Bhagavati temples in honour of Bhadrakaali.

Padayani means a 'row of warriors'. This dance form is an amalgamation of music, dance, theatre, satire, facial masks, and paintings. In relation with this folk art, there are mainly series of divine and semi-divine impersonations in the performance of the dance.

Padyani is a modern form of Kolam Thullal, a ritual dance, which had been performed by the magico-medicine men of Kerala (The Tinta endogamous section of Ganaka community) .In olden days, this elaborate and expensive event was carried out to heal illnesses of deep psychological dysfunctions without any identifiable serious physical cause, and cases that seemed to be not amenable to medical modalities of intervention. This form of psychic or spiritual healing other wise known as Kolam Thullal, was solely designed, controlled and performed by the Tinta sub sect of the Ganaka community, as a method of exorcism. The folk art, Padayani made its development from this dance performance, as a divine ritual tradition in association with festival occasions of Bhagavathy (Bhadrakaali) temples of Kerala.

"Elanthoor Padayani" is being performed along with 8 days long Padeni maholtsavam at Elanthoor Bhagavathikunnu Devi Temple during February–March month of every year (Malayalam month of kumbam)(starts on makayiram naal). 8th day from makayiram naal is the grand padeni or Valya Padeni. Large crowd on valya padeni's procession is a main attraction follows kaappoli program. Main kolams are Ganapathi, Pishaachu, Sivakolam, Marutha, Koottamarutha, Rudra Marutha, Naayattu, Kuthira, Pakshi, Sundara Yekshi, Anthara Yekshi, Maya Yekshi, Arakki Yekshi, Erinaaga Yekshi, Maadan, Karinkkaali, Kaalankolam, Nina Bhairavi, Bhairavi, Kaanjiramaala and Mangala Bhairavi. Other performances include Velakali, Thaavadi, Pulavrittham, Pooppada and various types of Vinodhams such as Kaakkarashi Drama, Paradeshi, Sharkarakudam, Ammumma, Pattarum Pennum, Ooraali, Pulayan, Naadukaani, etc.

 

Jhora Dance

 Jhora is one of the famous folk dances of Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It is basically a dance form which is performed by the people belonging to both the high and low caste. This is a community dance form where all the barriers related to the caste system are thrown to the wind. This dance form is performed with the accompaniment of songs.

The men and women join hands and move in the circular formation. They bend their bodies smoothly. The dancers sway their bodies with every beat starting from left to right.There is no restriction on the number of people who can participate. Everyone keeps on joining with every beat of the song. The whole place gets full of people enjoying the dance very soon.Jhora dance is incomplete without the famous traditional drum known as “Hurka”.  Imagine the drum beating in the background and a large group of people dancing their feet on the beats. The beats are different from traditional Indian drums.

This type of folk dance is usually conducted when the spring season starts and the local tribe dance twice a day, morning and evening, throughout the season. It is also performed during the weddings of the local tribe and during the festivals and fairs conducted in the town or village. Many people from across the state and country come and visit the town to witness the colour Jhora dance performance by the local tribe.

Costumes of Jhora

Costumes are a critical part of the tradition and women turn up in their glamorous best. They also adorn themselves with certain simple ornaments like bangle, necklace and ear ring.

Shambhu Maharaj

 Pandit Shambhu Maharaj was born in the year 1910 and was a famous name among the classical dancers fraternity. He was a dancer who belonged to Lucknow Gharana of Indian classical dance form, Kathak.

Early Life and Training:-

Shambhu Maharaj was born in Lucknow as Shambhunath Mishra. He was the youngest son of Kalka Prasad Maharaj who was at the court of the Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah. Kalka Prasad's father was Thakur Prasad was known to have taught the intricacies of Kathak to the Nawab. While reporting Shambhu's death in 1970, The Indian Express wrote, "The Kathak, as we know it today, can be wholly traced to this dilettante's patronage and the body of work written at his court for this mode of dance."Shambhu received his training from his father, uncle Bindadin Maharaj and his eldest brother Achchan Maharaj. Dancer Lacchu Maharaj was also another his older brothers. He learned Hindustani classical music from Ustad Rahimuddin Khan.

He had two sons, Krishnamohan and Rammohan and a daughter, Rameshwari. Amongst his pupils, the most noted exponents of Kathak are his nephew Birju Maharaj, Kumudini Lakhia, Damayanti Joshi, Maya Rao, Bharati Gupta, Uma Sharma, Vibha Dadheech and Rina Singha. His son Rammohan was also his disciple and continues to perform his style. Shambhu was tre ated for throat cancer at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences in New Delhi for three months before he died on 4 November 1970 there.

Harsh Mohan Mishra is the son of Pt. Ram Mohan Maharaj and nephew of Lt. Pt. Birju Maharaj, who is a renowned Film Maker and Visual Effects Supervisor in Bollywood Industry.

Shambhu Maharaj died of throat cancer in Delhi on November 4, 1970. Birju Maharaj, his nephew, and others were with him till the last. His work lives on through his students such as Maya Rao, Uma Sharma, Kumudini Lakhia and his two sons Ram and Kishan Mohan.

 

 

Fire Dance

 Fire dance is one of the unique dances performed in the desert region of Rajasthan state of India. This dance is the marvelous example of the Jasnathis of Bikaner and Chum’s lifestyle who are well known for their tantric powers throughout Rajasthan. Fire dance is very tricky and difficult to enact and is mainly performed by the Banjara community who are well versed with the art. Some of the dance steps involve awe-inspiring fire stunts wherein the performers dance by holding fire rods in their hands and filling up their mouths with kerosene.

Fire performance is a group of performance arts or skills that involve the manipulation of fire. Fire performance typically involves equipment or other objects made with one or more wicks which are designed to sustain a large enough flame to create a visual effect.

Fire performance includes skills based on juggling, baton twirling, poi spinning, and other forms of object manipulation. It also includes skills such as fire breathing, fire eating, and body burning; sometimes called fakir skills. Fire performance has various styles of performance including fire dancing; the use of fire as a finale in an otherwise non-fire performance; and the use of fire skills as 'dangerous' stunts. Performances can be done as choreographed routines to music (this type being related to dance or rhythmic gymnastics); as freestyle (performed to music or not) performances; or performed with vocal interaction with the audience. Some aspect of fire performance can be found in a wide variety of cultural traditions and rituals from around the world.

The devotional and exciting performance of fire dance can be seen at late nights of winter in Rajasthan. The music which plays during fire dance rises in tempo and ends like a crescendo. The Rajasthani folk music play with dhol, nagada, and dholak during fire dance. The drumbeats give a tempo for the performance and gradually rises & sets a dance in a fast tempo. At a certain point, it reaches at a crescendo, where the dancers seem to be in a trance like state. Some of the traditional folk dances, performed by the Banjara Community of Rajasthan is also sometime called as the fire dance, but is completely different from the above-mentioned performance. Here, the dance is performed around the Fire. The person dancing usually takes two flamed sticks in his hands and fills up his mouth with kerosene oil. With the accompaniment of some dancing steps, he throws the oil over the lamps.