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MUSIC
& DANCE
Dance
in India is a rhythm. Eyes, faces, hands and feet move to varying moods,
reflecting an idiom of the perfection of an ancient art.
 India
is the home of Bharatanatyam, once performed in temples by devdasis,
and of Kathak, a testimony to the court of Lucknow and the
pleasure-loving nawabs. Come watch the great care taken to express
love and its
manifold manifestations in the gestures of a Manipuri dancer. From Odissi
to Kuchipudi to ballet and numerous folk dances, the Indian dance
sequence weavers an intricate rhythm that is the philosophy of dance. In temples
or in courts, from backyards to the great auditoria, Indian dance reflects an
magnificent heritage, individually perfected by each dancer.
The
major percussion instrument is the tabla, pakhawaj
or mridangam played to an intricate beat by
the artist's fingers. Other major instruments are the sitar
and veena, stringed instruments, the
harmonium, a keyboard instrument, and the tanpura
- a stringed instrument used as a drone, the shehnai
and nadaswaram are wind instruments used at
weddings and associated with welcomes and joyous celebrations.
The
excitement of the Bhangra from Punjab never
ceases. The skirts of the women spinning to the Dandiya
Rass flip-flap to the clack-clack of the sticks in their hands. Qawwali
singers clap their hands in time to the beat of the song. And the
milk-maids look beseechingly as Krishna and Radha dance the Raas Lila.
The
living arts of music and dance in India reflect the diverse cultures from which
they have arisen: each is elaborate, improvised, yet formal and beautiful.
For
further information and reservation please contact
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