STUDY GUIDE

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::::::::::::::::::::::: ABOUT INDIA GEOGRAPHY & POPULATION More than 1 billion people live in India today, making it the second most populated country in the world. India is in South Asia, and is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the Indian Ocean. The biggest city in India is Mumbai, which used to be called Bombay. More than 16 million people live in Mumbai. (That’s twice the population of New York City!) India has 28 states. Before 1947, many of the states were governed by kings who gave up their thrones in order to join the new country of India. CURRENCY Indian money is called rupees. 1 rupee = of 100 paise 46 rupees = 1 U.S. dollar GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY India is a democracy. It is the biggest democracy in the world! The Prime Minister and Parliament are elected by the people. India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. India’s economy is diverse and includes agriculture, handicrafts, textiles, manufacturing, financial services, and software and high tech industries. India also has a booming movie industry. India makes more movies per year than Hollywood. LANGUAGES & RELIGIONS There are 15 major languages spoken in India and over 3,000 dialects. English is the official language of India. The national language of India is Hindi, which is spoken in the area around the capital, New Delhi. There are 7 major religions in India. 80% of people belong to the Hindu religion. 10% are Muslim, 5% are Sikh or Christian, and the rest are Buddhist, Jewish, Parsi, and several other religions. CULTURE & DANCE Indian culture is more than 2,000 years old. The modern country of India was founded in 1947 when India gained independence from the British. India is a very diverse country. Each state has its own language, customs, traditional dress, ways of cooking, holidays, styles of music, and styles of dance. The oldest evidence of dance in the world is a 4,000-year-old bronze statue of a dancing girl discovered by archaeologists in the ruins of the ancient Indian city of Mohenjodaro.

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ABOUT THE COMPANY

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Ragamala Dance presents Bharatanatyam—the classical dance of South India—and seamlessly carries this classical dance form into the 21st century. Groomed in Bharatanatyam by their guru (meaning “teacher”)—the world renowned dancer and choreographer Alarmel Valli, who is considered one of India’s greatest living masters—Ragamala’s Artistic Directors Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy are committed to preserving and carrying on her legacy. Ranee and Aparna see Bharatanatyam as a living tradition that allows infinite room for creativity and exploration. Deeply rooted in the classical tradition, Ragamala’s original approach and creative artistry have inspired new ideas and collaborations with composers, choreographers, poets, playwrights, and artists from around the world. Ragamala has toured throughout the United States and around the world to such venues as the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C), New Victory Theater (Off Broadway, NY), New Jersey Performing Arts Center (Newark, NJ), Krannert Center (Urbana, IL), CalTech’s Beckman Theater (Los Angeles, CA), The Music Center (Los Angeles, CA), Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (Sarasota, FL), Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN), Lied Center (Lawrence, KS), Bali Arts Festival (Bali, Indonesia), Open Look Dance Festival (St. Petersburg, Russia), Festival of Spirituality and Peace (Edinburgh, U.K.), Soorya Music and Dance Festival (eight-city tour of Kerala, India), Miao-Li International Mask Festival (Taiwan), and a three-city tour of Japan. “The Ramaswamys aren’t primarily interested in showing the dance of another place and time. Their work is firmly grounded in Indian classical tradition, but the result could be called American contemporary dance in the truest sense... Ragamala shows a way into the twenty-first century for all classical forms.” —MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL MAGAZINE

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ABOUT

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: BHARATANATYAM BHARATANATYAM (BAH-rah-tah-NAT-yam) Bha (Bhava) - expression Ra (Raga) - melody Ta (Talam) - rhythm Natyam - dance

The Indian dance system is the oldest and most comprehensive in the world, and Bharatanatyam is amongst the oldest of its classical forms. Originating in the ancient temples of South India more than 2,000 years ago, Bharatanatyam has come down through the centuries, integrating elements of music, theater, poetry, sculpture, and literature. Bharatanatyam is traditionally a solo dance form. It is a blend of two aspects: Nritta is “pure” dance. It uses a vocabulary of movements to create complex rhythmic patterns and intricate dances. Nritya is “expressive” dance. It uses abhinaya —a language of hand gestures, facial expressions, body movements, and emotions—to tell stories and convey feelings. Some things to look out for include: Arai Mandi — bent-kneed, “half-sitting” position Arambasthanam — beginning arm position Attami — subtle side-to-side movement of the head, used as ornamentation Ulukku Nadai — a stylized, lilting walk Bharatanatyam has a structured set of steps, postures, and rules, which offer a beautiful language that can be used in extremely creative ways. Just like a poet can use English words to write his or her own poetry, a choreographer can use the Bharatanatyam vocabulary to create his or her own dances. Once a dancer or choreographer has deeply studied the form for a long time and knows the grammar very well, it is possible to be very creative. This makes Bharatanatyam a perfect medium for personal expression.

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ABOUT

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: BHARATANATYAM ...continued

THE HASTAS

Hand gestures are very important in Bharatanatyam. They are called hastas or mudras. In pure dance, hand gestures are used to complement the body movements. In expressive dance, they are used like sign language to tell a story. There are 28 single-handed gestures and 24 double-handed gestures. Each one can mean many different things, depending on how it is held around the body, the way the dancer moves, and what facial expressions are used. Some important hand gestures are:

Patakam can be used to show a group of people, the sky, a book, a sword, a door, or a mirror. Tirupatakam can be used to show a crown, a temple, the branch of a tree, a mountain, sandals, or an alligator. Katakamukham can be used to show a woman, birds, or braiding hair. Katrimukham can by used to show eyes, tomorrow, confusion, evil, lightning, or a vine. Alapadmam can be used to show a flower, a glass, the moon, a mountain, beauty, joy, or love. Hamsasyam can be used to show an elephant, time, plucking flowers, perfect, life, or putting on earrings. Simhamukham is used to show the face of an animal, for example a lion, a dog, or a deer. Shakatam is used to show a demon. Dolam is used to show femininity and grace. Shikaram can be used to show a man, a bow, or hugging. Mayuram can be used to show a peacock or a feather.

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GETTING READY FOR A

PERFORMANCE ::::::::::::::::::::::: COSTUME A classical dance costume reflects the history and tradition of the region from wher e the dance originated. Tamil Nadu, the region where Bharatanatyam originated, featur es a costume made of colorful silk fabric containing borders embroidered with fine gold thread. There are two styles of Bharatanatyam costumes known as the pant-style costume (pant costume) and the saree costume (skirt costume). The pant-style costume consists of five parts: (1) Blouse: The top part of the costume with the sleeves. (2) Davani: The part that wraps around the blouse. (3) Pleats: The fan-like piece that is attached to both legs of the pants. (4) Seat: The part that hugs the pants and the fan at the hip area. (5) Pants The saree costume consists of five parts: (1) Blouse: Same as above. (2) Davani: Same as above. (3) Skirt (4) Pleats: A long fan that hangs from the waist alongside the left leg. (5) Fan: A small fan that is tied around the waist.

MAKE UP Eyes: To accentuate and elongate the eyes, a dancer uses black eyeliner and applies it in thick layers around the curves of the eyes. Cheek bones: To define the facial features, red blush is used to accentuate the cheeks. Lips: Dark-colored shades of lipstick such as maroon complete the overall facial appearance of the dancer. Pottu: Dot on the for ehead

JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES South Indian dance jewelry is called “Temple Jewelry.” It is traditionally made of rubies, gold, and pearls. These days, many dancers wear costume jewelry which is made of silver coated with gold and artificial gems. The jewelry comes in nine parts: (1) Chutti: The head piece (2) Sun and moon: The jewels that are attached on the top of the head on each side of the chutti (3) Necklace (4) Mattal: The jewels that are attached to the earrings and run over the ears (5) Earrings (6) Jimiki: The dangling jewels of the earrings (7) Mukuthi: Side nose ring (8) Bullaku: Center nose ring (9) Bangles: Gold bracelets Other accessories: Flowers: Flowers decorate the hair of a dancer. They may be real flowers or fake flowers made of soft paper in colors of orange and white. Belt: A belt is worn to define the hip of a dancer. Bells: Like tap dancers wearing tap shoes, a Bharatanatyam dancer wears bells to accentuate the rhythm of the music. They are generally made of brass and leather.

PAINTED FEET & FINGERTIPS Red dye known as alta is used to paint the fingertips of the hands and toes of the feet to resemble henna. The red color accentuates the hand gestures and feet movements of the dancer.

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SACRED EARTH WHAT YOU WILL SEE ::::::::::::::::::::

Through classical dance, ritual, and folk art forms from India, Sacred Earth celebrates the harmony between humans and nature. Sacred Earth is inspired by two folk visual art forms from India— the dynamic folk paintings of the Warli people of western India, and the intricate kolam floor drawings done by women in southeastern India. Ragamala Dance uses the vibrant and expressive dance form of Bharatanatyam to bring the spirit of these folk art forms to life. Both Warlis and Kolams come from Indian traditions in which maintaining the balance between humans and nature is of central importance. This is an ancient vision that carries a timeless message for our modern world. Ragamala artists will guide students through the performance of Sacred Earth, including explanations of the dance form of Bharatanatyam, the traditions and art forms of kolam and Warli painting, and their relevance to the modern world. Students will also have the opportunity to see a demonstration of the creation of a Kolam, and a display of original art works by master Warli folk artist Anil Chaitya Vangad.

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ABOUT

KOLAM :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Each day before sunrise, in the region of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India, millions of women create kolams, pinching rice flour through their fingers to create intricate designs on the ground in front of the main entrance to their homes. These “painted prayers” are formed using a pattern of dots that are connected with lines or graceful curves to form elaborate patterns and designs. Kolams bring good luck, welcome guests, and bless those who enter and leave the house. Kolam is a living tradition, passed on from mother to daughter in Tamil Nadu to this day. As humans, we often take the earth for granted, taking many things from it every day. Kolams are a conscious act of giving back to the earth a little bit of what we have taken from it. Throughout the day, birds and insects eat the rice flour. The designs scatter as people walk over them, blessing and being blessed as they enter and exit the home. Erased by sunset, kolams remind us that things of beauty do not last forever.

In modern India, cutting-edge technology and popular culture exist side-by-side with ancient traditions. Over the last half-century, as in many parts of the world, women in India have become more educated and more likely to work outside the home, leaving little time for old traditions like kolam. However, while more and more girls in Tamil Nadu today grow up without learning the art of kolam, one can still see kolams lining the roads not only in the small towns, but also in the major city of Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. It is not at all uncommon to step over a kolam while entering an internet café to check your email! Many communities have begun holding formal kolam competitions in order to keep this beautiful and meaningful tradition alive.

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::::::::::::::::::::: ABOUT WARLI PAINTING The Warlis are an indigenous tribal group from the forested areas of the state of Maharashtra, in western India. They are known as an adivasi community, which means “first people.” They speak their own, unwritten language (although many of them speak and read other Indian languages as well). Their beliefs, customs, and mythology are unique, unlike those of any other group in India. The Warli people respect the land, and believe in the importance of harmony between humans and nature. To this day, the Warli communities living in small, isolated villages in the forests of Maharashtra strive to live according to the traditional practices of their ancestors—to strike a balance between their traditional values and modern India. For over 4,000 years, the Warlis have painted on the mud walls of their homes as a form celebration and blessing during important rituals such as marriages and harvests. These folk paintings, done in rice paste using a brush made of the frayed end of a stick, use a simple pictorial language made up of shapes and lines to show strong images and dynamic scenes such as a harvest, a spiraling folk dance, a wedding, or the tree of life. These paintings celebrate the Warlis’ life lived in harmony with nature. Until the 1970s, very few people knew about Warli folk painting. Even in India, this art form was known only in the isolated Warli villages. To this day, very few people in the United States know about Warli painting, and there have been only a handful of exhibits in this country. In the 1970s, as collectors and critics in the Indian art world began to notice the Warli artists, the artists began creating their paintings on canvas—rather than on walls—in order to allow the paintings to be moved outside their villages. These artists began to expand their art beyond the villages, and to use this rich art form to express their individual creativity.

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ABOUT

ANIL CHAITYA VANGAD ::::::::::::::::::: Anil Chaitya Vangad is a traditional painter of the indigenous Warli craft. Warli painting has been in his family for three generations. Since 1991, his work has been exhibited throughout India, highlighted by the Mumbai Festival (Mumbai), Government Craft Museum (New Delhi), Sarojini Naidu Hall (Hyderabad), Swobhumi Craft Mela (Calcutta), Shivaji Nagar Hall (Pune), Gandhi Shilp Bazar (Mysore), Neerja Modi Visual and Performing Art Center (Jaipur), Gramotsav, (New Delhi), and Mahalaxmi Saras (Mumbai). He has been commissioned to create murals for the Bank of Muskat (Bangalore), the home of the Chairman of the Bhoruka Corporation (Bangalore), and Dumdum Park (Kolkata), to name a few. He has led workshops at the International School of Bangalore and the National Traditional and Folk Artist Camp in Jaipur. Anil lives in the small, isolated village of Ganjad, in the forested areas of Maharashtra, India. Ganjad is located only 90 miles north of the bustling, 12 million-person metropolis of Mumbai (Bombay), yet Ganjad is accessible only by dirt roads. Anil lives in a traditional family compound and follows the ancient customs of his ancestors. He and his family observe holidays and traditions that do not exist elsewhere in India. Their home does not have running water, and they only use the gas stove when they have guests. However, Anil has access to email and is able to take digital photos of his artwork, which he can post to his website to be seen by people all over the world. Anil’s life and his work are a clear example of the way in which the traditional and the modern exist side-by-side in India.

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:::::::::: ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES :::::::::: Can you be a mountain, or a bird, or a tree? Try to make up your own hand gestures for the things you find in nature: a mountain, a tree, a flower, a river, the sun, the rain, a bird, a snake, or a deer. What other parts of your body do you need to use to make people believe that your hands can turn into all of these things? (You may need to use your eyes and face to express the feeling of the thing, or move your body into different positions, or use your arms to move the gestures around your body.) Now try to think of your own ideas of what you would like to show without words.

Can you show nine different emotions without using words or sounds? In Indian dance, we have nine basic emotions: joy, sadness, anger, love, humor, disgust, bravery, fear, and peace. How would you use your face and body to show each of these emotions?

Can you tell a story without words, using only your hands, your eyes, your face, and the movements of your body? Choose a fairy tale, or a story that everyone in your class would know, and see if you can act it out without using any words.

How many ways can you make sounds with your feet? In Bharatanatyam, we use different parts of our feet to make different sounds. Play a CD of music, and see how many different sounds you can make by hitting your feet on the floor.

How did the dance and music make you feel? Write a journal entry about how the dance and music made you feel. Share and compare what you felt with your classmates. Consider how you would describe Bharatanatyam to a friend who has not seen it.

How is Bharatanatyam different? There are five distinct styles of Indian classical dance—Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathakali, Manipuri, and Kathak. You have learned about Bharatanatyam; now explore the other four forms. Look up information in the library and on the internet, and try to find clips on YouTube. How are they different from one another? And how does Bharatanatyam compare to other styles of dance that you have studied or seen?

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REFERENCES

Ragamala Dance’s official website: www.ragamala.net Watch video of Ragamala Dance: www.ragamala.net/media_room/video_gallery Anil Chaitya Vangad’s official website: www.addiwashi.blogspot.com Official website of a 2006 exhibit of Warli art at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania: www.birthofthepaintedworld.com www.birthofthepaintedworld.com/abouttheexhibit.pdf Indian Government’s official website: www.india.gov.in “Kids’ Corner”: www.india.gov.in/knowindia/kids.php