Odissi dance in Indian and international movies and events

Time and again this dance form was projected in many Indian movies as well as international films. In the year1993 Bollywood actress Meenakshi Sheshadri dressed in a resplendent orange sanyasin dhoti, renowned danced a tandava item, composed chiefly in Odissi, in the film Damini – Lightning.

Bollywood actress Rekha was seen imparting Odissi dance lessons to a group of young learners, while Indira Varma was shown learning Odissi steps to the accompaniment of the mardala in Mira Nair's magnum opus film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love in the year 1996

Actress Rani Mukherjee performed a dance at the International Indian Film Academy Awards, 2003, function dressed in Odissi costume. Though this act was later criticised by celebrated Odissi gurus and performers expressed for insulting the integrity of the dance and the costume.

In the Bollywood firm Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2003) Bollywood actress Vidya Balan was seen in an entire sequence of dance in Odissi costume, later Malayalam actor Vineeth was also seen in the remake of this film in Malayalam.

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Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who took Odissi lessons for an India-China joint film venture, The Desire loosely based on the life of Odissi dancer Protima Gauri Bedi.

National Award-winning Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh used Odissi dance in his film Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish(2012). Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee Guru Sharmila Biswas taught Rituparno Ghosh Odissi for his film.

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Internationally , in a short 23 second Odissi dance scene was featured in pop-star  Michael Jackson's music video of Black or White in the year1991.

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Pop-star Madonna was also seen dancing along with Odissi dancers live on stage during the 1998 MTV Award ceremony. US-based Odissi performers, Patnaik Sisters, were chosen to choreograph and perform alongside the legendary pop artist.

Noted Odissi gurus and performers

Most of the present day gurus are Gotipua dancers themselves, and have trained dancers and teachers all over India and abroad. In the early fifties, the outside world began to take note of Odissi. During the eighties and nineties, the golden years of the Odissi renaissance. Few notable Odissi dancers who had played a pivotal role in reviving Odissi in the late forties and early fifties  are Padma Vibushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Deba Prasad Das and Guru Raghunath Dutta. Sanjukta Panigrahi, a leading disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's later popularized Odissi by performing extensively, both in India and abroad.

Kelucharan Mohapatra (Photo Credit:Google Images)

 During the mid-sixties, two other disciples of Kelucharan Mohapatra, Kumkum Mohanty and Sonal Mansingh, were best known for their performances, both in India and abroad. Dancer Shrimati Laximipriya Mohapatra performed a piece of Odissi abhinaya in the Annapurna Theatre in Cuttack in 1948. This is widely upheld as the first ever performance of a classical Odissi dance item after its contemporary revival.

Padma ShriMayadhar Raut had played a pivotal role in giving Odissi dance its classical status. He introduced Mudra Vinyoga in 1955 and Sancharibhava in the Odissi dance items, and presented on stage the enchanting Gita Govinda Ashthapadis, portraying Shringara Rasa. His notable compositions include Pashyati Dishi Dishi and Priya Charu Shile, composed in 1961.

Sanjukta Panigrahi (Photo Credit:Google Images)

 Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi and Dr. Susama Tej represented Orissa in the classical dance category at the Inter University Youth Festival, New Delhi, in 1954 and 1955. It was here that Dr. Charles Fabri witnessed their performances, hailed Odissi as a great classical dance form, and helped Indrani Rehman and Sonal Mansingh study it.

The baton in India was wielded gloriously, and with outstanding success and public acclaim, by Sanjukta Panigrahi, Kumkum Mohanty and Sonal Mansingh, each of whom was a major and distinctive star.
 
Other eminent contemporary gurus and performers of Odissi dance includes Aloka Kanungo, Aruna Mohanty, Bichitrananda Swain, Bijayini Satpathy, Chitralekha Patnaik, Daksha Mashruwala, Dibakar Khuntia, Dr. Bidisha Mohanty, Durga Charan Ranbir, Gangadhar Pradhan, Gita Mahalik, Harekrishna Behra, Ileana Citaristi, Jhelum Paranjape, Jyoti Rout, Kasturi Pattanaik, Kiran Segal, Kumkum Lal, Madhavi Mudgal, Madhumita Raut[1], Manoranjan Pradhan, Meera Das, Muralidhar Majhi, Nandita Behera, Natabar Maharana, Oopali Operajita, Poushali Mukherjee, Ramani Ranjan Jena, Ramli Ibrahim, Ranjana Gauhar, Ratikant Mohapatra, Ratna Roy, Sharmila Biswas, Sharmila Mukherjee, Sharon Lowen, Snehaprava Samantaray, Sonal Mansingh, Sri Mahdeva Raut, Srinath Raut,Sujata Mohapatra, Surupa Sen, Sutapa Talukdar, Trinath Maharana and several others around the world.

Musical instruments used in Odissi

Odissi dance is always accompanied by Odissi music. There are different types of Odissi ragas like Kalyana, Nata, Shree Gowda, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanashri, Karnata, Bhairavee and Shokabaradi.

The musical notes that are accompanied with Odissi dance are the same as the music of Odissa itself. There was a move to classify Odissi as a separate classical system.

Odissi dance is accompanied with a number of musical instruments. One of the most important is the pakhawaj, also known as the madal. This is the same pakhawaj that is used elsewhere in the north except for a few small changes. One difference noticed in the pakhawaj is the right head which is a bit smaller than the usual north Indian pakhawaj. The other instruments used are tabla, or mridangam, bansuri, the manjira, the sitar and the tanpura.

Pakhawaj: Pakhawaj also known as mridangam is the most common north Indian representative of the class of barrel shaped drums known as mridang.  It was once common throughout north India, but in the last few generations tabla has usurped its position of importance. Pakhawaj  has a right head which is identical to tabla accept somewhat larger. The left head is similar to the tabla bayan except that there is a temporary application of flour and water instead of the black permanent spot.  It is laced with rawhide and has tuning blocks placed between the straps and shell.

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Tabla: Tabla is often regarded as the queen of drums and percussion instruments. It is the most popular Indian rhythm instrument. It consists of two drums, the Bayan (big bass drum) and the Dayan.The two of them are almost always played together. Both the two drums as a pair and also the Dayan on its own - as opposed to the Bayan are called Tabla
 

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Bansuri: Bansuri also known as venu are common Indian flutes.  They are made of bamboo or reed.  There are two varieties, transverse and fipple. The transverse variety is nothing more than a length of bamboo with holes cut into it.  This is the preferred flute for classical music because the embouchure gives added flexibility and control. The flute may be called many things in India: bansi, bansuri, murali, venu and many more.

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Tanpura: Tanpura is a drone instrument. It resembles a sitar except it has no frets.  A Tanpura has four strings tuned to the tonic.  The word "tanpura" (tanpoora) is common in the north, but in south India it is called "tambura", "thamboora", "thambura", or "tamboora".  The tanpura is known for its very rich sound.  There are three main styles; the Miraj style, the Tanjore style and the small instrumental version sometimes called tamburi.

Manjira: Manjira is known by many names in India, it is a very ancient instrument. It is also called jhanj, tala, mondira, (small size) kafi (large size), or a host of other names. It is basically a set of small cymbals.  It is mainly used for dance music and bhajans. They are usually made of brass.

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Sitar: The Sitar is the most popular melody instrument in classical northern Indian music today and is, together with the Surbahar and the Tanpura, part of the family of long-neck lutes.The large resonance box is made of a dried pumpkin; - neck, cover and a possible second smaller resonance box are mostly made of Tun wood, an Indian variety of teakwood. Metal strings made of steel (bass strings also of brass or bronze) run across two bridges made of bone. The frets are movable by cords that are tied to the neck and are also made of steel.

Costume and jewelries used in Odissi

Costume and make up

The costumes used in Odissi dance are quite similar to that of the traditional Bharatnatyam costume. The Pallu in Odissi dance is called the Thallaippu. The women Odissi dancers wear the patta sari, a brightly coloured silk sari which is approximately nine yards long and a black or red blouse called the kanchula,  embellish with contrasting stones and gold and silver thread.

 An apron-like silk cloth, known as the 'nibibhanda,' is tied from the waist like a ruffle worn around the legs. The waistband, called the jhobha, is a length of cord with ridge ends. The kanchula of the Gotipuas is quite different as is the method in which the patta sari of Odissi is draped. 'Komchila' is the richly embroidered blouse. The decorative headpiece of the dancer is made from styrofoam, which is shaped like flowers. The headpiece also contains a temple-shaped projecting structure.

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There are three types of hairstyles in Odissi dance, they are namely the ardh-bathaka or semicircular bun, the pushpa-chanda with the hair coiled into the shape of a flower and the kati-beni, which is a single crease down the back.

The eyes are decorated with kohl and there is a small mark on the chin. Some of the contemporary Odissi dancers, however, do not use the authentic costume and ornaments.

The makeup of an Odissi dancer includes Bindi (red dot), applied on the forehead with a pattern made from sandalwood around it, Kajal (black eyeliner) which is applied around the eyes with a broad outline to give them an elongated look.

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Head piece

The Odissi dancers wears a crown or Mukoot , which is made only in the city of Puri in Eastern Orissa. It is formed from the dried reeds called Sola. The reed is carved by a series of cuts into the rod-like stem and forms various types of flowers when a string is tied in the middle of the rod and pulled tight. As the string is tightened, the flowers takes the shape of a flower.

The Mukoot consists of two parts, the Ghoba and Tahiya. The flower decorated back piece, called the Ghoba, sits around the dancer’s hair pulled into a bun at the back of the head. This piece represents the Lotus flower with a thousand petals that lies above the head in the head Chakra which is known as the energy center. The longer piece that emerges from the center of the back piece is called the Tahiya, and this represents the temple spire of Lord Jagannath or the flute of Lord Krishna.


Jewellery
 

Odissi dance is always complemented with elaborate lattice silver jewellery pieces. The jewellery is made from intricate filigree silver jewelry pieces. Filigree, in French, means ‘thin wire,’ and in Oriya it is called Tarakasi in Odisha. The jewellery pieces plays a pivotal part in the Odissi dancer's costume and is comprised of the tikka, worn on the forehead, allaka, a head on which the tikka hangs, unique ear covers in sophisticated shapes, usually indicating a peacock's feathers, with jimkis earrings, two necklaces and two sets of bangles that are worn on the upper arm and wrist.

 

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Different types of movement and postures in Odissi dance

 The most differentiating features of Odissi dance is the Tribhangi. The concept of Tribhang divides the body into three parts, head, bust and torso. The postures dealing with these three elements are called Tribhangi. This concept has created the very characteristic poses which are more twisted than found in other classical Indian dances. Mudra is also an important component of Odissi dance. The term Mudra means ‘stamp’ and is a hand position which describes things. Odissi themes are almost religious in nature and mostly it revolve around Krishna.

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The Mudra system of odissi is derived from the "Abhinaya Darpana" by Nandikeshavara and the ancient Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni.
 
In Odissi the basic unit are known as bhangas. The bhangas are further made up of eight belis, or body postures and movements, combined in different varieties. The motion motion is uthas (rising or up), baithas (sitting or down) or sthankas (standing).
The gaits or movement on the dance floor is called chaalis, with movement tempo linked to emotions as mentioned in the classical Sanskrit texts. Burhas or quick pace suggest excitement and a slow confused pace suggests dejection.
For esthetics, movement is centered on a core, a point in space or floor, and each dancer has her imaginary square of space, with spins and expression held within it. The foot movement or pada bhedas too have basic dance units, and Odissi has six of these, in comparison to four found in most classical Indian dances.

The primary dance positions in Odissi are:
Samabhanga or the square position, with weight equally placed on both the legs, spine straight, arms raised up with elbows bent.

Abhanga is another position where the body weight shifts from side to the other side, due to deep leg bends, while the feet and knees are turned outwards, and one hip extending sideways.

Tribhanga or the S-shaped three-fold bending of body, with torso deflecting in one direction while the head and hips deflecting in the opposite direction of torso. Further, the hands and legs frame the body into a composite of two rectangle, providing an esthetic frame of reference. All of these are described in the ancient Sanskrit texts, and forms of it are also found in other Hindu dance arts, but tribhanga postures developed most in and are distinctive to Odissi, and they are found in historic Hindu temple reliefs as well.

Hasta (Photo Credit: Google image)

Mudras or Hastas are basicallly hand gestures which are used to express the meaning of a given act. Like all classical dances of India, the aim of Odissi is in part to convey emotions, mood and inner feelings in the story by appropriate hand and facial gestures. There are sixty three types of Hastas in modern Odissi dance, and these have the same names or structure as those in the pan-Indian Hindu texts, but most closely matching those in the Abhinaya Chandrika. 

Different types of Position in Odissi dance

Different styles of Odissi dance

  As discussed earlier Odissi tradition existed in three schools: Mahari, Nartaki, and Gotipua

The Mahari tradition (Photo Credit: Google image)

Mahari: Maharis were Oriya devadasis or temple girls, their name deriving from Maha (great) and Nari or Mahri (chosen) particularly those at the temple ofJagganath at Puri. Early Maharis performed mainly Nritta (pure dance) and Abhinaya (interpretation of poetry) based on Mantras and Slokas. Later, Maharis especially performed dance sequences based on the lyrics of Jayadev's Gita Govinda. Bhitari Gauni Maharis were allowed in the inner temple while Bahari Gauni Maharis, though in the temples, were excluded from the shrine.

The service of temple dancing by females began in the Shaivite temples and continued in the Jagannath temple in service of the Lord Jagannath. These dancers were often considered as the wives of Lord Jagannath.

 
Gotipua: In Oriya Gotipua means single boy. Gotipua dance is performed only by boys who dress up as females. During the reign of King Prataprudra Dev, a follower of Sri Chaityana, renewed this dancing tradition by boys.

The Mahari tradition (Photo Credit: Google image)

Developed during the 6th century, the Gotipua tradition was became an emerging tradition. One of the reasons given for the emergence of Gotipuas was because of the Vaishnavas, who did not approve of dancing by women. Gotipuas were boys dressed up as girls and taught the dance by the Maharis. During this period, Vaishnava poets had composed innumerable lyrics in Oriya devoted to Radha and Krishna.

Nartaki: This dance tradition took place in the royal courts, this form was much popular before the British government took over India. During this time the misuse of devadasis came under strong attack, so that Odissi dance addled in the temples and became unfashionable at court. Only the vestige of the Gotipua school remained, and the reconstruction of the style required an archaeological and anthropological effort that has tended to foster a traditional floridness.

The Nartaki tradition (Photo Credit: Google image)