Ballet

I always wanted to learn ballet; thinking about each dancers fluid movements and how spectacular the show would look on a whole. I went to a few lessons when I was younger, but the other students would be much younger than me, making me feel really awkward, and so I never really got around to learning.

Ballet is a theatrical dance form with a codified technique. Developed from the Renaissance, ballet was renewed under Louis XIV's control, who in 1661 established France's Académie Royale de Danse, where Pierre Beauchamps developed the five feet positions.

Image from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carla-escoda/mariinsky-ballet_b_1963829.html

There were many significant developments in the early 19th century, including pointe work (this is balance on the extreme tip of the toe) and the rise of the prima ballerina. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Russia became the centre of ballet production and performance, since then, ballet has appeared on stages and in dance schools around the world.

Ballet in Canada got a huge boost when schools sent performance groups to the six Canadian Ballet Festivals that took place between 1948 and 1954.

These are some categories of ballet dancing seen today:

Ballet d'action tells a story, usually a sad one.

Ballet jazz is a fusion of classical ballet and some elements of jazz dance.

Comédie-ballets are comedic plays that contain considerable amounts of music and dancing.

Ice ballet is the art of ballet on skates.

Neoclassical ballet is from the 20th Century. It is has been extracted from 19th Century Russian Imperial dancing.

Psychological ballets reveals the emotions of characters and studies feelings, such as grief and anger.

Rock ballet is ballet performed to rock music.

Here is a short exerpt from the Nutcracker:

Sources:
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/dance101/forms.asp
https://prezi.com/mnar7ub0hkza/the-geography-of-ballet/

Salsa

Today, I've decided to write about Salsa. I think this form of dance is really interesting and fun. So, I chose to find out more about it.

Salsa is a popular form of dance from New York with heavy influences from Latin America, particularly Cuba and Puerto Rico. The movements of salsa have its originate from Cuban Son in the mid-1970s. It was extracted from Latin and Afro-Caribbean dance forms. A European touch was added when the Danzón was brought over from France. From this we know, salsa dancing has been deduced for many different styles and therefore no single country or culture can take credit for it.

Image from: http://suzhoupengyou.com/group/suzhou_salsa_dancing

The term, salsa,  also refers to a variety of Hispanic styles; Rhumba, Són Montuno, Guaracha, Mambo, Cha cha cha, Danzón, Són, Guguanco, Cubop, Guajira, Charanga, Cumbia, Plena, Bomba, Festejo and Merengue.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsa_(dance)
http://www.salsa-dance-professional.com/salsa-history.html
http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/salsa.htm

Irish Dancing

Since I live in Ireland, I thought I should do our own national dance, Irish Dancing. The dancing traditions of Ireland grew with traditional Irish music, however its origins are quite blurry, it is known to have begun in and around the 16th century.

Image from http://www.dancestudiolife.com/trinity-irish-dancers-high-step-to-big-scores-at-na-championships/

The earliest recorded practitioners of this form are the Druids. They did Irish dancing to honour the oak tree and the sun in religious rituals. The dance was supposed to express their praise and love of their beliefs. When the Celts came to Ireland, they brought with them new moves to the original dances and methods which made the dance slightly more difficult. Then the Anglo-Normans came who brought their Norman cultures with them. They learned the dance from the native people and altered it with styles of their own. As you can see, Irish dancing has been influenced by many dance forms from over the continent, especially by Quadrille from France, which introduced the formations. Travelling Irish Dance Masters also largely contributed to Irish Dancing by introducing new movements and teaching others. Irish Dancing is a popular dance, with many different versions, performed all over the world.

Riverdance is a concert of Traditional Irish Dancing and Music. Heres a video of Ireland's performance at the Eurovision Contest in 1994:

Sources:
http://www.irelandseye.com/dance.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_dance

Classical

In my previous post, I mentioned some Indian Classical styles, such as Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, etc. I thought I would explain them today.

In India, they used to and still do, dance as a sign of worship and expression of emotions to their Hindu Gods. The Devadasis dancers were temple dancers who learned routines and performed sacred dances in front of their fellow villagers to please specific Gods. These dance routines involved signs of praise and gratitude to Hindu Gods. The Indians believed that their Gods would keep their families happy and help them have a good harvest for their crops. Sometimes these dances were performed in front of cows, which are sacred in Hinduism. Today these dances have been modernised and are performed as a form of entertainment.  Some of these styles are considered to be representations of the physical elements of life; Bharatnatyam (fire), Odissi (water), Kuchpudi (earth), Mohiniyattam (air) and Kathakali (sky).
These styles originate from all over India, but are now performed by artists from all over the globe.

Image from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VUggHmzofS8/T__5qw_A9lI/AAAAAAAAAws/bfBm8YvN3Ak/s640/Untitled-1.jpg

As you can see from the image above, each classical style is individual, representing the culture of that part of the nation.

Bharatnatyam is a dance form from a state in southern India, called Tamilnadu. At first in the 19th century, it was practised and performed in temples, as a prayer. Bharatnatyam is known for its purity, grace, tenderness and sculpturesque poses.

Kathak is a style from a north Indian state, called Uttar Pradesh. Kathak teachers often say 'Katha kahe soh kathak' to their students, which means, to do kathak is to tell a story; therefore we know that it is a form of storytelling. The 'ghungroo' (bells worn around ankles) are worn individually instead of on a belt, separating the style from others. Kathak has certain features of Persian dance, form the 16th century.

Kathakali is a style from a state called Kerala, in south India, begining in the 17th century. You may think it is similar to kathak, because the words are so similar, but they are totally different. By looking at the image above, you might be able to tell that this style is more theatrical and dramatic as the dancers reenact the life and activities of Lord Krishna (a Hindu God). 

Mohiniyattam is also from Kerala, believed to have originated in the 16th century. It is considered to be very graceful and performed solo by women. The word literally means 'dance of the enchantress', involving the swaying of hips and gentle movements of a straight posture.

Kuchpudi is a form from Andra Pradesh, also in the south. The name is derived from the name of a village and the surname of the original practitioners of this dance form. The dance is fortified with alluring and swift looks. Kuchipudi shares many elements with bharatnatyam.

Manipuri is from east India, 17th century Manipur. This state is located within mountains and is quite isolated, hence making the style unconventional to the others. The dances are based mostly on the 'raslila' (romance) of Lord Krishna and Radha. 

Odissi is from Odisha, also from the east. It is very old, surviving dance, tracing back to the 1st century. All the moves are based on the 'chauka', a square stance that symbolises Lord Jagannath.

Sattriya is also from eastern India, from Assam, originating in the 15th century. It is established upon mystical stories and traditionally performed by male monks, but now performed by both genders.

There are also some other styles that are not as widely recognised; Chhau, Gaudya Nritya and Thang Ta.

Image fromhttp://www.dollsofindia.com/images/products/brass-statues/lord-shiva-as-nataraja-AE54_l.jpg

The picture above is of a Natraja statue, another incarnation of Lord Shiva as the Hindu God of dance.

In classical dancing, your expressions are the most important feature, as they communicate your emotions, telling the audience a story. It is also better to learn classical dancing from a young age, as you need a particular posture which easier to build at a younger age.

Sources;

http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/dances/dances.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_classical_dance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharata_Natyam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathak

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohiniyattam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuchipudi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipuri_dance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odissi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sattriya

Bollywood

As I am a Bollywood dancer, I think it make sense for it to be the first style I talk about. I hope you enjoy my description of Bollywood dancing!

The name of Bollywood came from the name of Indian cinema, as this style of dance first appeared in Bollywood movies. Now, the word, Bollywood, came from abbreviating Bombay(now Mumbai) and Hollywood. 

When you say Bollywood dancing, you usually think about a crowd of Indians dancing in bright, sparkly clothing. However, Bollywood dancing is not only Indian, it is a mixture of various different dance styles from all around the world. Yes, it first began in the Indian sub-continent and is predominantly performed by people of that area. Over the years Bollywood dancing has hugely developed, now incorporating many other dance styles.

The evolution of Bollywood dancing began in and around the 1950's and 1960's. Before then the dance style was based on classical dances (e.g. Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi,etc.) and folk dances (e.g. Bhangra, Dandiya, Garba,etc.) from various parts of India. Then, more emphasis was put on the folk styles, probably because they are easier to learn and dance. In the 1970's, Jazz and Cabaret was introduced to Bollywood. Jazz coming from the Africa and Cabaret from numerous parts the the world, Bollywood dance was already multicultural and diverse. Later on, Cabaret was replaced by Disco, adding a touch of America to Bollywood. After experimenting with all these styles, came a period of free styling, allowing dancers and Bollywood actors to add a personal touch to their performance. The latest change to Bollywood came from Hip-hop, westernizing the style.

Bollywood dancing has altered so much in the last few decades that it can reflect any type of culture or personality. The music and costumes add affect to this.

I have attached two videos, one is traditional bollywood and the other is more modern.

I am in both of these dances, lets see if you can find me. :)

Source: http://www.rhythm-india.com/bollywood-dance.html

Introduction

Hi! My name is Swarupa, and this is my blog about The Geography of Dance.

I chose this topic because I have been Bollywood Dancing since a young age and have a passion for learning various other styles from around the world. My interest for this arose from watching dancers move so gracefully on my T.V. and laptop screen. Dance is not just moving along to the beat, it is depicting a story and expressing yourself. There is cultural depth in every dance style and I hope to share what I found with you in this blog!