Thread: Talk to me about Indian dance

I realize it's not belly dancing, but I know that some of you out there also study Indian dance forms as well. I'm interested in learning some Bollywood style dancing, but don't really know where to begin. Should I study Classical Indian dance? If so, what style is best? I'm not really interested in Bhangra--too bouncy for my taste, but it just may be the performances I've seen.

So... talk to me about Indian dance... (and assume I don't know anything, because I don't!) ,r:;

Ohhh, good question! I've been wondering this myself too after googling around to see what's being taught, and realizing that I wouldn't know where to begin.

Depends on what's available in your area. If theres someone teaching Bollywood dance then go for it. There's a lot of folk dance influence in it but it's also pretty contemporary and eclectic. Classical South Indian dance ( Baratha Natyam) is very lovely and complex. Try it if there's someone who teaches adult beginners. But don't be surprised if the stance and gestures take a while to get. Ac ouple other forms you might get instruction in are Kathak and Odissi. Odissi is my favourite form... very fluid and uses ribcage isolations reminiscent of bellydancing. But all of these forms will confuse you a bit if you are used to a certain way of standing or even thinking about your movement vocabulary. I suppose that's true of any dance tradition with a long history though.

Go watch some Indian dance recitals and see what moves you. Have fun.

Bollywood dance is based on classical dance and also requires a deep understanding of Hindi. You can't lose by going to the roots and learning classical, and it will also help your understanding of Hindi by learning it in an applied context (and I guess Sanskrit, too? Either way, you'll be a linguistic whiz!)

I agree: I heart Odissi and like Kathak (but can't handle prolonged spinning ..c::) , but I would take whatever is available in your area. Remember that any classical dance takes years to master, so try to find someone who studied for years with a legitimate guru. Some teachers come to this country claiming to be gurus, so it's a good thing to keep in mind.

I would think Kathak is the most useful for Bollywood dance, but solid training in any classical dance form will give you the skills to master any cheesy Hindi film move!

I've heard arguments about Bharatanatyam being bad for your knees, and some movements in Odissi, too ..cr.: However, I think many moves in many dance forms are ultimately bad for your body, so as with taking on any new dance training, listen to your body!

I think it depends on your goals.
I studied Kathak several years ago and although it is very beautiful it is very rigourous and extremely disciplined, at least my old school style teacher was. It was very interesting, but I realize it would have taken years to even start to get it. An example we spent whole classes speaking rythms that we would be learning with our feet- Kathak is foot based, apparently related to flamenco. Other classes we spent doing precise eye movements, pretty intense just moving your eyes for an hour.
If you more want to have fun try a less confined style try and find a folk Indian-maybe Rajasthani style or Punjabi-or Bollywood style dance class. Not that it easy but Bollywood is simple, but it is much more invented and modern than classical forms that have developped for hundreds of years.

Samantha

I have been studying Bharata Natyam for 10 years. Like everything else, if you do it right, it's not bad for your knees - but you need a good teacher who is aware of the dangers (mine is also a yoga teacher).

It is a very good base for Bollywood dance but not the only one. Most importantly, studying a classical Indian dance form will teach you how to use mudras (hand gestures) to express the lyrics. And this is very important because as mentioned before, Bollywood dance is a narrative dance form.

You should also watch as many Hindi films as possible to get an understanding how the dance numbers are incorporated in the films, what costumes are worn for which style, which instruments are used...
You will find that there are a lot of Western influences. If you have ever done HipHop, it will come in handy

Then learn about cultural backgrounds. There are little details like don't wear a bindi (dot on forehead) if you are doing a style like Mujra or Qawwali because they are rooted in Muslim traditions.

Now for shameless advertisement: I have produced a DVD that teaches a full Bollywood choreography and am in the process of doing the next. You can find the info on my website.

And feel free to ask more questions ..g.:

MEISSOUN
(Bollywood dancer since 8 years)

Thanks guys, this is very helpful! Meissoun, I didn't realize you had a Bollywood DVD. Will definitely check it out!

Hi M!!!!
I love your DVD instructional.
So, here's the package deal, get M's DVD then if you are in the states, bring in "Mr. Bollywood" (DaVid) to teach full on Bollywood or Bollywood for Belly dancers, then grab M when she comes back to the US for another workshop and show with DaVid....OMG, now this is shameless promotion.
I would say in keeping with this thread, to please please if you are trying to do your own choreography to an Indian song, please know what is being said.
Bollywood is generally based heavily on the words of the song being danced.
We have seen some unintentional but horrible misuse of songs by dancers who thought that just because the beat was catchy, it was OK to dance BD to.
Example, a full on bellydance number in Indian skirts to a Punjabi Martar song.
Smiling faces and alot of joy to dance to a song about Punjabi's being put to horrible deaths.

As people are saying above "Bollywood" is not just one style- it is a fusion of many, or maybe it's more accurate to say there are many fusion styles in Bollywood.
It's good to note that in some classical forms the mujras (hand gestures) have specific meanings, in others, such as Kathak they are actually more open to dancer/choreographer interpretation. There is a "vocabulary of movement"- but there is not the same "this gesture= this meaning" as in other classical Indian dance styles.
The word Kathak comes from the Sanskirt word for "storyteller"- and it's especially important to remember this when learning Kathak based Bollywood mujra dance. Hindi has very different grammar from English- you need word for word translations (if you don't know the language) as well as cultural context in order to narrate the stories. Urdu words are also commonly found interspersed in the mujra numbers. The movie subtitles are not enough to go from if you want to perform accurate storytelling dances.
Banghra is bouncy and fun. A great workout, too. As this Bollywood style is not rooted in the classical dance styles (that I know of anyway) it likely offers a quicker path to "I can do this" than learning some of the other styles.

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

It's good to note that in some classical forms the mujras (hand gestures) have specific meanings,.

Just a little correction of a spelling error ..g.:
Mudras are hand gestures
Mujra/mujrah is a sub-style of kathak, danced by courtesans

One hand gesture can express various things, depending on how it is combined with movements.

In classical Indian dance there is
- pure technical dance where the mudras are only decorative
- narrative dance where the hands tell the story (including general body language)

Bhangra is a Punjabi folk dance, so you are right that it's not rooted in classical dances.

Oh, and I too have seen a dancer hopping over the stage, selling sloppy Bharata Natyam as Bollywood dance, smiling happily to a song that's all about heart break.

BW dance is all the rage in Germany right now and there are presentations in various degrees of quality to be seen on the festival stages...

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by meissoun

Just a little correction of a spelling error ..g.:
Mudras are hand gestures
Mujra/mujrah is a sub-style of kathak, danced by courtesans
MEISSOUN

Thanks Meissoun. My teaching has been all from Indians and all verbal- so the spelling difference was never clearly defined.

FYI, if you're on Netflix, they have performance dvds of some Indian dances:

Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Navasandhi Kauthuvam, Bharatanatyam are the ones I've found so far. They're under Special Interest, and I think world dance, or you can search the above titles.

I was entertained. I have no idea if the dancers are experts or anything, but they looked professional.

Originally Posted by aazura

I realize it's not belly dancing, but I know that some of you out there also study Indian dance forms as well. I'm interested in learning some Bollywood style dancing, but don't really know where to begin. Should I study Classical Indian dance? If so, what style is best? I'm not really interested in Bhangra--too bouncy for my taste, but it just may be the performances I've seen.

So... talk to me about Indian dance... (and assume I don't know anything, because I don't!) ,r:;

If you're interested, I can provide you with a recommendation for a good Bharata Natyam teacher in the Boston area. A friend of mine who studied Bharata Natyam as a kid has taken it up again as an adult and loves her teacher. My friend is in India for a few weeks right now though so I probably won't get a response from her particularly quickly.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a Bharatanatyam teacher in Chicago? I'm still not making a connection with anyone. Thanks!

You could contact your local Indian association and ask them.

MEISSOUN