A little Formation of Classical Dance and Western Form

India has always had a rich tradition of classical dance, or shastriya nritya (written and compiled under Natya Shastra, the foundational text for Indian classical dance forms). The origin of dance in India, in fact, can be traced back to 200 BC.

Currently, however, the Sangeet Natak Akademi (the national-level academy for performing arts set up by the government) confers classical status to eight Indian classical dance styles: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (north, west and central India), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (Odisha), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala) and Sattriya (Assam).

The popularity of these apunkagames dance forms can be gauged from the fact that not just Indians, but many western artistes, too, have, over the years, travelled to India to train in them. Take, for instance, 50-year-old theatre artiste Ileana Citaristi who, in 1979, flew down to India with her parents from Bergamo, Italy, to learn the various Indian dance forms. Only 11 years old then, Citaristi fell so in love with Indian classical dance forms, especially Odissi, that she never took the flight back home. “I never thought I would stay here for so long.

Initially, I started with Kathakali and then switched to Odissi. I fell in love with it… Since then, I have never looked back.

Time has flown by,” narrates Bhubaneshwar-based Citaristi. After studying Odissi under Kelucharan Mohapatra, a legendary Indian classical dancer often called the father of Odissi, Citaristi established her own dance school in Bhubaneshwar in 1994 and founded Art Vision (a multidisciplinary arts academy) in 1996 also in Bhubaneswar. In 2006, she became the first dancer of foreign descent to be conferred the Padma Shri for her contribution to Odissi.

Sreya and Citaristi may have different nationalities and tongues, and may be separated by lifestylexplore a generation, but both are united by their common love and passion for Indian classical dance. So what is it that makes these dance forms as attractive and appealing for a 50-year-old as for an 18-year-old?

The answer lies in innovation. At a time when there’s a huge demand and appetite for western contemporary and fusion dances, Indian classical dance forms are innovating to stay in tune with the times to remain relevant in contemporary times.