[Feature: Changing India and Japan] Indian Dance Spreading Across the Globe

2019/11/05

When people think of Indian dance, they might imagine a scene in an Indian movie where the protagonist dances along with a large group of backup dancers to a song. The rhythm, steps, and choreography of that dance are unique and differ from modern ballet or jazz dance. Indian dance has a long history, and sculptures of dancers can already be seen in murals of temples built in the Middle Ages. It seems the gods also loved to dance; in temples in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India, the dancing Lord Shiva, known as Nataraja, is enshrined. At temples, dances were offered as a dedication to please the gods. Many of the dancers were girls born into musical communities, or girls dedicated to the temple by couples who had been blessed with a child after praying for one. These dancers were called Devadasi (meaning "servant of God") and served at the temple as servants married to the deity. Furthermore, the dance of the Devadasi was called Sadir.

Their dancing captivated kings and local influential figures in courts and temples, leading to their support. In the 19th century, the relationship between Devadasis and their patrons began to be criticized by the British as an act of prostitution. Debates also arose among the Indian intellectual class, and the dancing of Devadasis became regulated. However, there were people who found artistic value in the Devadasi's dance and sought to preserve it as an artistic dance form. Through members of the Madras Music Academy and a woman named Rukmini Devi, who was influenced by Western culture, Sadir was reborn as the artistic dance form Bharatanatyam.

In 1936, India's first dance school, Kalakshetra, was established in Madras. There, Bharatanatyam removed sensual movements from the dances performed in temples and courts, and the music shifted from love poems to themes of devotion to God and mythology. Additionally, while the Devadasi dance could only be performed by girls from musical communities, Kalakshetra opened its doors to everyone regardless of gender, nationality, or caste.

In the 1940s, Bharatanatyam dance scenes began to appear in Indian films. Captivated by the dancing of the child star Kamala, some parents in ordinary Indian households began sending their own children to dance classes. Once children master a certain set of songs, they perform a solo debut on stage. Since the solo stage is entirely funded by the student's parents, girls who have performed a solo stage are considered economically wealthy and possessing a refinement in traditional Indian culture, which is said to be advantageous for arranged marriages.

Nowadays, many students who danced enthusiastically during their school years often stop dancing once they graduate from university and start working or get married. Depending on the spouse, some may be reluctant to have their wives dance in public after marriage. Among those who continue dancing despite such circumstances, they perform on the stages of music festivals. The music festival season runs from December (originally only Christmas week) to February, with song and dance programs performed from morning until night in theaters throughout Chennai. Programs from morning to evening are often free to watch, but evening programs require a fee. The dancers who appear there are considered professionals because they receive a performance fee from the theater.

Although the dance world is predominantly female, male dancers also exude a charm different from that of women. To dance in a large theater, one must pay a registration fee and be selected based on a profile and video. Recently, because Indians living in places like the United States also participate, the competition to dance in large theaters during the season has become high.

People who come to the theaters include those who are well-versed in traditional Indian music and dance and those who are not. Furthermore, people come to watch not only from within India but also from overseas, centered around students of Indian dance. From Japan as well, many people enroll in Kalakshetra or private dance studios, study in India for years, perform a solo stage, and then start their own studios in Japan. What makes Indian dance different from Western ballet or Japanese traditional dance is the use of the face and hands to express various emotions. They express themselves through gestures to poems that sing of mythological stories or feelings toward gods and lovers. While there are scenes consisting only of steps and limb movements, emotional expression is extremely important. The unique body movements, methods of expression, and music of Indian dance are elements that attract people from overseas.

Choreography and music include both traditional pieces and original creations by dancers and musicians. Furthermore, dancers from overseas or other states influenced by contemporary dance have also begun to appear on stage. India sends many immigrants out into the world. Through these immigrants, the seeds of Indian dance have been sown across the globe, growing while absorbing the cultures of those countries. Indian dance is not just a dance by Indians for Indians; it is a culture of expression and an object of appreciation for people of various nationalities and roots.