Indian Music and Enchanting Emalagam of Dance (An Old and Rare Book)

Classical Music and Dance are some of the very proud treasures of the heritage of our nation. The authorwishes to analyze the extent and scope for Abhinaya leading to dramatic potentials, as available in most of the Kritis of eminent composers of Carnatic Music. Both Carnatic Music and Dance have prominent place in the Cultural and Fine Arts set up. This has not only swayed the Hearts of the ethnic Indian community but also the hearts of the Universe breaking all barriers. Together they have a great role in the Cultural Diplomacy to make the world a better and befitting place to Live. The author shares her experience in the dance field as a vocalist with different dancers to select this particular subject for her analysis. This experience of her singing for different dancers and for different dance forms, which inspired the author for a special study. As, an attempt for a comprehensive study, covering all the composers, and their entire compositions for review, it would be very voluminous, the author has taken the study of the Musical Trinity and few of the prominent post period musical Trinity composers. During the course of deep study of these composers the author has realised greater potentiality specially in the kritis of Tyagaraja for portraying different types of Abhinaya, which further propelled her interest on the subject. She has also made a comparative study of the compositions of these composers under review.

Dr. Smt. Vasanthy Krishna Rao hails from a family of musicians. Her father, Late Sri. Kumaraswamy Iyer was an eminent artist , who spent his whole life in the service of carnatic music. He retired as Principal of Sri. Swati Tirunal College of Music, Tiruvanandapuram. Dr. Vasanthy Krishna Rao had her initial training from her father. She graduated in music from Women's Col-lege, Tiruvananthapuram. She then qualified for M. A. and M.Phil. in carnatic Music, with distinction from Delhi university. She got Doctorate from the same university in the year 2000. Dr. Vasanthy is an accredited A graded artist of the all India Radio, and Doordarshan. She has travelled widely in India and abroad for her performances. Dr. Vasanthy is currently working as Reader in the faculty of Music and Fine arts of the Delhi University.

Music and Dance are some of the Divine Gifts to Humanity. One may not be a Musician or a performing dancer, but even to enjoy the splendors of these divine arts is a gift something ordained by God. No doubt Classical Music and Dance are some of the very proud treasures of the heritage of our nation. This phenomenal heritage has not only been sustained and protected but embellished with meticulous care and fostering. One salutes the excellence in Human Endeavors, which makes this possible.

There used to be panic among senior musicians who were in the top of their performing career (and their staunch rasikas) as if the tradition of classical music and dance would end with them. It only indicated the limitation of their understanding. Like, as one recalls a line from the Great Bard Milton worrying on his blindness and the consequent shortcoming in the services to the God-then realizes that-it wouldn't be so.

That is to say-our This heritage is so profound that there is tremendous source of treasure and mystery still to be explored and relished and that would take us to still greater levels of Critical appreciation and enjoyment. It's a continuing journey. Both for Carnatic Music and Dance-the Kritis play a vital role as the vehicle to facilitate expressions.

My essay entitled "Indian Music and An Enchanting Amalgam of Dance"is an attempt of mine to analyze the extent and scope for Abhinaya leading to dramatic potentials, as available in most of the Kritis of eminent composers of Carnatic Music.

A solo dance performance in South India, Bharatanatyam has a history of over 2000 years. The dance form has been reconstructed from references in important works in Tamil and from sculptural evidence. It is generally believed and accepted that Bharatanatyam belonged chiefly to the temple and its precincts. Historical evidence does support the possibility that the traditions of temple dancing and court dancing had much in common. The stigma against the temple and court dancing impacted Bharatanatyam. However with maturing civilization and values a movement of reconstruction led by E. Krishna Iyer among others and later with involvement of Smt Rukmini Devi, belonging to the high social status Brahmanical society, the fragments recombined into a new whole. Now both Carnatic Music and Dance have prominent place in the Cultural and Fine Arts set up. This has not only swayed the Hearts of the ethnic Indian community but also the hearts of the Universe breaking all barriers. Together they have a great role in the Cultural Diplomacy to make the world a better and befitting place to Live.

Natya, right from the days of Bharata Muni, means Drama, which includes Angika, Vachika, Aharya and Satvika Abhinaya. In this treatise, wherever the term Natya is mentioned - particular reference is made to denote Bharatanatyam only which is one of the most popular classical dances of India, the other genre being Kuchipudi, kathakali, Manipuri, Kathak, Odissi and Mohiniattam. Bharathanatyam is one of the most celebrated classical dances of South India. In this, the Vachikabinya means the vocal support given by the musician. Dramatic climax is formed by the single dancer (or a group) with the support of accompanists consisting of a nattuvanar or conductor, Musician (Vocalist), Mridangist who helps to keep the rhythm, and other embellishments like Veena, Venu and violin. Natya here means the elaboration of a particular idea contained in the song. Nritya is abhinaya or gesticulation and natya is the exposition of a particular line of the song in which there is more scope for nritya or abhinaya, which can be well depicted with the inclusion of stories (depicted through sanchari bhavas) and thus evolving to a dramatic climax in a dance performance

. In addition to my carnatic classical vocal concerts, my experience in the dance field as a vocalist with different dancers for the last two decades inspired me to select this particular subject for my research. This experience with singing for different dancers and for different dance forms like Jatiswaram, Padam, Padavarnamm, Tillana, Jawali and other items made me evince interest in the subject under study and opting the same for special study. Further, during the last few years, various sabhas in Delhi and else where, while celebrating the Trinity festivals, have been adding a new dimention to the festivals by introducing Bharatanatyam as an intrinsic part of the festival. This has given chance and scope for the Bharatanatyam dancers to study, bring out and expose the vast and varied elements of Abhinaya contained in the kritis of Sri Tyagaraja, Sri.Dikshithar, and Sri. Syama Sastry, Sri.Papanasam Sivan and others. Music is an ocean and the numbers of composers of kritis are many and the kriti-compositions are innumerable. It is not practically possible to attempt a comprehensive study covering all the composers and their entire compositions for review, as it would become volumenous.

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