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History of Bharatanatyam and Raas
The word bharatanatyam is made up two phrases, bharata and natyam. The first phrase, Bharata, has had two interpretations of meaning, the first being the name of the sage and expert who wrote the ancient scripture on bharatanatyam, or the “Natya Shastra.” Some people also believe it is a combination of three words, bhava, raga, and tala, meaning emotion, melody, and rhythm. Natya means dance in Sanskrit. Mythology says that Lord Brahma taught Bharata the art form, and Bharata proceeded to document it in the Natya Shastra. Bharata then taught the dance to his disciples and it became a sacred art form in South India. Bharatanatyam is regarded as India’s oldest traditional dance form, as it originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu, then spreading to the rest of South India where it influenced later forms of traditional Indian dance.
While there is a lot of theory behind this ancient art form, it is important to understand its most integral elements. For example, the two main components of bharatanatyam are “nrita,” meaning pure dance, and “nritya,” meaning expressive dance. The latter includes the use of “abhinaya,” or emotions used in the telling of stories or praise of the gods.This art form is highly religious; known as the specialty of Lord Shiva in his form as Nataraja, bharatanatyam requires not only physical agility and prowess, but also a mental capacity to convey the nine main emotions, or the “navarasa.” While basic steps and early dances do not require abhinaya, more advanced dance knowledge necessitates it. As a part of dance education, dancers are taught elements of pure dance such as hand gestures, as well as emotional elements. It is also expected the artists have at least a basic understanding of theory and history.
There are several estimates as to when the Natya Shastra was completed, but the dance culture is said to have flourished in the early years of the common era, growing with it the devadasi culture. Devadasis were temple dancers who served God through dance, thus emphasizing the intensely traditional and cultural roots of the dance form. However, with the intrusion of British colonial forces, bharatanatyam soon found itself in danger. Christian missionaries along with British colonial governments banned temple dancing in 1910, and subsequently suffocated bharatanatyam’s age-old practices. Disappointed with these colonial policies, several activists and arts lovers participated in a revival movement, including American artists like Esther Sherman, who arrived in India with a mission to learn bharatanatyam. Among noteworthy activists and artists were E. Krishna Iyer, Rukmini Devi Arundale, and Balasaraswati, all of whom were integral to the survival of bharatanatyam.
Today, bharatanatyam has become a global dance, not only by following the Indian diaspora, but also by attracting the attention of Western dancers. Artists who are dedicated to the art form strive to complete an Arangetram or Rangapravesam, an individual debut performance in which they grace the stage as a matured artist. Traditionally, this performance was supposed to be the first time a dancer performs on a stage; it is a marriage of the dancer to the art form at Lord Nataraja’s feet. Today, it serves as a certification process indicating that a dancer has gone well above the basic levels of training. Unfortunately, an increasing trend seen in the modern world is that the arangetram tends to be the final step in the dance journey, as many practitioners fail to continue their dance educations past this point. Bharatanatyam performances require elaborate makeup and costumes, and can also feature live singing and instruments, although this is not entirely common when it is practiced in America. Examples of instruments used in live music include cymbals, flute, veena, violin, and Indian drums called mridangam. Furthermore, the guru keeps beat by doing nattuvangam, which is the process of striking a wooden block with a stick. Cymbals can also be used for this purpose. Today there are many schools and forms of bharatanatyam, and practitioners also incorporate non-religious and fusion elements into their dancing.
Garba raas is considered a folk dance with origins in western India, specifically the state of Gujarat. Raas and garba are actually two distinctive dance forms, although they are usually practiced together. The traditional place of practice is in communal settings during the Hindu festival of Navratri. Navaratri, meaning nine nights, is a festival of goddesses, during which women practice region specific traditions, from setting up doll displays known as golu to performing garba raas. The word garba comes from garbo, which is a pot that holds a small candle inside of it. This candle is then placed in the center of the dancing area along with religious idols, and individuals will dance around the pot in circles. The movements of garba are free flowing, and it includes synchronized steps and clapping to the music. Raas on the other hand uses dandiya, or wooden sticks, that are used in the moves between partners. Although this dance form is also performed at Navaratri, it holds close meaning for Lord Krishna as well. In legends, Krishna would playfully dance raas with the gopikas, who were village girls and devotees. Music used for raas-garba is in Gujarati, and uses instruments like a drum called a dhol, harmonium, and naal. The songs are in praise of many gods and goddesses, but especially Goddess Durga, who goes by names like Amba and Chamunda as well.
Today, raas and garba are still practiced in India and in the Indian diaspora, and it is most commonly associated with celebrations like weddings and Navaratri. The most colorful and energetic displays occur during Navaratri with the exception of the collegiate raas circuit. In the past few decades, garba-raas has reached college campuses across the United States, catalyzing the formation of collegiate teams and competitions. Today, there are over 30 college raas teams in the competitive circuit. All teams strive to perform and display the Gujarati culture, with an additional goal being to win points to the national competition, known as Raas All-Stars, or RAS. In order to reach the national competition, a team must be accepted into several bid competitions, where first second and third place are awarded points. The top eight teams with the highest number of points will be represented at RAS. The collegiate raas circuit encourages traditional garba raas, but also strives to inject energy and modernity into performances. For example, every year each team has a theme which they incorporate into the routine, allowing for greater creative diversity. These themes can range from Spongebob to dentist office to Beyoncé, and they allow teams to show off their creativity through choreography, stage design, and props.