According to Redfield's model, there are "great" and "little" traditions. This is best illustrated by a simple model put forth by the anthropologist, Robert Redfield in the early to middle part of the 20th century. The ability to span different ethnic groups is another common benchmark. (The relationship between performance, genre, and tradition will be discussed later.) For instance Bharat Natyam as it is thought of today, only goes back to the early 20th century! Since the genre also produces ages which are not acceptable in traditional Indian world views, most Indians would use the tradition to define age. This would be acceptable to many people however if this is used, it is surprising how recently some genre have developed. Although the performance may not be used to determine age, we might consider using the genre. Clearly every performance exists in the here-and-now, so the performance itself cannot be used. This seems simple at first, but it begs the obvious question of how one determines age. It is generally acknowledged that for something to be considered classical, it must have great age. The second is its ability to cross ethnic boundaries, and third is class associations.Īge is the first benchmark to come to anyone's mind. We will use three simple benchmarks to determine whether something is "classical". The problem stems partly from the definition of the word "classical", and partly from the nature of the Indian dance forms. It is particularly problematic to talk of classical Indian dance. Each of these styles has a strong regional connection and none can claim to be representative of the entire Indian subcontinent. Today the acknowledged classical styles are: Bharatnatyam of Tamil Nadu, Kathakali of Kerala, Kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, Manipuri of Northeast India, Orissi from Orissa, and Kathak from north India and Pakistan. Over the centuries different areas have given their own colour to the ancient classical tradition. Even today many of the traditional themes are mythological in nature. This maintained a strong religious flavour to dance. The nature of the old theatre was such that the dancers occupied a central position.įor many centuries the dancers were attached to the temples. The instrumentalists would accompany them all. In the old days of the theatre, the dancers would mime the story while the singers would sing the dialogue. The Natya Shastra, which is the oldest surviving text on stagecraft in the world, spends a considerable time discussing it. India has a very rich tradition of classical and non-classical dance. Homepage > This Page OVERVIEW OF INDIAN DANCE