The members of the troupe learn the traditional art form of Kuchipudi and have started touring within India for recitals. Here is a picture of some of the members of the troupe.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Brief introduction of Bhagavatha Melam Dance Dramas
Bhagavatha Melam is a form of dance drama that originated about 500 years ago. It is a composite art that explores all aspects of dance, drama and music. Its specialty lies in a minimal use of stage props and a strong dependence on the portrayal of emotion by the artists.
Traditionally these dance dramas are performed at temples during festivals. A large flat canopy and a small stage are erected in the streets outside the temple. The audience is seated under the canopy and the drama is performed on the makeshift stage. The purpose of performing at the temple is to dedicate the recital to the deity of the temple.
The performance starts with the entrance of the ‘Sutradhara’ or the narrator. The ‘Sutradhara’ is not part of the main story line but is the one who guides the audience through the story and beads together the various ‘acts’ of the dance drama. In a Kuchipudi dance drama recital, the ‘Sutradhara’ is referred to as the ‘Bhagavatha’. The ‘Sutradhara’ or ‘Bhagavatha’ starts by performing a small introductory piece, informs the audience that the main play is about to begin and requests them to watch the entire show patiently.
This is followed by an invocation ritual where a group of musicians start off with ‘Agajanana Padmarkham’ in Natta raaga to invoke Lord Ganesha. A dancer in a mask of Lord Ganesha enters at this point and blesses the play by dancing to the accompaniment of the background music. The arrival of Lord Ganesha sets the stage for an auspicious start to the recital.
The invocation of Ganesha is followed by the traditional Kuchipudi prayer ‘Ambaa Paraku, Devi Paraaku’ to invoke the residing deity of Kuchipudi village before the play begins.
The final part of the invocation is the ‘Rangapooja’. A male dancer moves across the stage, sprinkles holy water on the stage and surrounding areas and lights incense. The ‘Indra Dhwaja’ or the flagstaff of Lord Indra is planted on the stage to guard the performance against outside interference. Women sing and dance with lamps in their hands and once again Lord Ganesha is invoked to bless the performance.
The ‘Bhagavatha’ or ‘Sutradhara’ then sings an invocation song praising Saraswati (goddess of Knowledge), Lakshmi (goddess of Wealth) and Parashakthi (goddess of Parent Energy). After the invocation song, the ‘Bhagavatha’ gives a brief introduction of the story being enacted and introduces all the characters of the drama. This brings the introductory sequence of the dance drama to an end and after this elaborate introduction, the actual drama begins.
Bhagavatha Melam is a graceful dance drama accompanied by instrumental music and smooth vocals which add flavor to the overall performance. Dialogues, with stress on pronunciation and suggestive ‘abhinaya’ or expression are the distinctive features of this art form. Violent parts of the story are not enacted; rather they are narrated as incident. The Bhagavatha Melam is rich with dramatic interest which is enhanced by using classical music and dance.
Traditionally these dance dramas are performed at temples during festivals. A large flat canopy and a small stage are erected in the streets outside the temple. The audience is seated under the canopy and the drama is performed on the makeshift stage. The purpose of performing at the temple is to dedicate the recital to the deity of the temple.
The performance starts with the entrance of the ‘Sutradhara’ or the narrator. The ‘Sutradhara’ is not part of the main story line but is the one who guides the audience through the story and beads together the various ‘acts’ of the dance drama. In a Kuchipudi dance drama recital, the ‘Sutradhara’ is referred to as the ‘Bhagavatha’. The ‘Sutradhara’ or ‘Bhagavatha’ starts by performing a small introductory piece, informs the audience that the main play is about to begin and requests them to watch the entire show patiently.
This is followed by an invocation ritual where a group of musicians start off with ‘Agajanana Padmarkham’ in Natta raaga to invoke Lord Ganesha. A dancer in a mask of Lord Ganesha enters at this point and blesses the play by dancing to the accompaniment of the background music. The arrival of Lord Ganesha sets the stage for an auspicious start to the recital.
The invocation of Ganesha is followed by the traditional Kuchipudi prayer ‘Ambaa Paraku, Devi Paraaku’ to invoke the residing deity of Kuchipudi village before the play begins.
The final part of the invocation is the ‘Rangapooja’. A male dancer moves across the stage, sprinkles holy water on the stage and surrounding areas and lights incense. The ‘Indra Dhwaja’ or the flagstaff of Lord Indra is planted on the stage to guard the performance against outside interference. Women sing and dance with lamps in their hands and once again Lord Ganesha is invoked to bless the performance.
The ‘Bhagavatha’ or ‘Sutradhara’ then sings an invocation song praising Saraswati (goddess of Knowledge), Lakshmi (goddess of Wealth) and Parashakthi (goddess of Parent Energy). After the invocation song, the ‘Bhagavatha’ gives a brief introduction of the story being enacted and introduces all the characters of the drama. This brings the introductory sequence of the dance drama to an end and after this elaborate introduction, the actual drama begins.
Bhagavatha Melam is a graceful dance drama accompanied by instrumental music and smooth vocals which add flavor to the overall performance. Dialogues, with stress on pronunciation and suggestive ‘abhinaya’ or expression are the distinctive features of this art form. Violent parts of the story are not enacted; rather they are narrated as incident. The Bhagavatha Melam is rich with dramatic interest which is enhanced by using classical music and dance.
Some of the dance dramas in Kuchipudi are ‘Bhakta Prahalada’, ‘Usha Parinayam’, ‘Sasirekha Parinayam’, ‘Raama Naatakam’, ‘Harishchandra’ etc.
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