The Kavita Connection: The relationship between dance and storytelling
Stories have been carried down over generations through different media. Before the arrival of language, stories used to be told with movements and rhythm. Nowadays, how important is the role of a story in dance?
Role of storytelling in preparing for a performance
As children, many have watched dance performances. Before people knew of gestures, techniques and genre, the focus was always on the story the dance narrated to the audience. As people grew up, the mind got conditioned to analyse and critique the movement and technique of the performer. The backbone of the performance seems to be forgotten- the story being told.
Dances are often being critiqued for the emotions conveyed by the dancers. However, the emotions are ultimately dictated by the story that is being told. Hence it is imperative that the focus of any dance performance should be on conveying the story effectively.
Trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Mohiniattam, Soja is a dancer who lives in Bangalore. She works as a counsellor as well. She said the primary function of these dance forms is to tell stories, and in some cases, spread social messages as well.
Bharatanatyam dancer Vibha Vijay is a seventeen year old who pursues her training along with her academic work. She said when she dances, the story keeps on playing at the back of her mind. She also added that it is important for the audience to know what exactly is being told, and that the movements should translate the story.
Avijith Kundu, a professional Bharatanatyam dancer and Lakshmi Kuchibotla, a casual dancer with a PhD in psychology have a different view on the importance of story in dance forms.
“I feel like I can go beyond the story. The ancient dance forms were based on mythologies, folklore, and local stories. I feel that dance has physical, psychological and spiritual levels to it. So, I feel like dance could tell its own story,” said Kuchibotla.
While Kuchibotla said the story is only one aspect of a dance performance, Kundu argued that the story is the outcome of the dance performance.
“In Bharatanatyam, there are two elements to dance, the Abhinaya and the Nritta. While Abhinaya is the storytelling part, Nritta is the pure dance element that is not dependant on the story but involves movement, body language, and emotion. Sometimes the movements make the story,” said Kundu.
The story is a very important part of dance. In order to convey the story to the audience and aid them in connecting the dots, importance must be placed as to how a story is brought out. Different dancers lay emphasis on different aspects of a story. While Kuchibotla focuses on the emotions the melody conveys, Kundu focuses on the lyrics of the song and the message it is carrying to the audience.
How a story is brought out
“The lyrics matter to me. Since I am going to dance to that song, I have to study the emotions expressed in the poem,” said Kundu.
Kuchibotla believes that singing plays an important role in bringing out the story in a performance as it adds bhava (or feeling). She said the mood and speed of the song is based on the raga and the rhythm. She felt that to communicate the message to the audience, emphasis must be laid on the lyrics and the melody. If the performers fail in doing so, the performance will not have an attentive audience.
“There are so many aspects of ourselves that we can connect with. Through the dance in the story, the audience can be made to understand the aspects of themselves as people. They can be touched to reflect on themselves as people,” said Kuchibotla.
While Kuchibotla emphasised on the spiritual connection that dance can give to the audience, Kundu focused on the message that could be given to people to think about.
“I feel like the message portrayed should always be positive. Once, I performed to a bhajan by Meera which talked about the story of Draupadi and the humiliation she faced. Our performance focused on Krishna giving the clothes instead of Draupadi being stripped. I believed that the story should be portrayed in a positive manner, showing the trusting friendship between two
friends,” said Kundu.
Generations of Indians have grown up listening to and watching the Mahabharata, Ramayana and many other epics unfold. In the twenty first century, when different wars are fought and different experiences are had, the question remains as to whether the stories told by dance are relevant.
The relevance of stories told by dance
The dancers agreed that the stories told through classical dance are not obsolete.
“Like a banyan tree, the root grows slowly. If we want to update ourselves, we need to go to our roots. I’m not against new topics, but when there is a good time to learn, learning the old stories is an essential thing to do. Whatever is happening now already happened in the Puranas. Same thing, different time and a different mode,” said Kundu.
Soja agrees with Kundu’s assertion.
“Classical stories have been told for years and years, from generations. That’s why they are called classical stories. They never die,” Soja said.
