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play the most important role (usually depicting the origin
of the dance), with each country having its distinct style.
The Pataka or flat hand of India has its prototype in all countries
of the East but one is never identical to the other. The Neck
and Shoulders as well as the face plays an integral part as well.
1) BURMESE
pre 1257 AD India and China - Non Fighting,
Dance of Gesture, Fun, Love and Flights. The dance is characterized
by an out-curving back bone, and bent knees. Deep waist bends
(masc. & fem.) with the head dropping to the floor.
The hands are gentle and pliable with the character being gay
and smiling.
2) JAVANESE
Java - 1200 AD (Worship drama)
The Wayang Topeng or Raket developed first with masked actors,
for magic and ancestor worship. Then came the Wayang *Poerwa or
shadow play (sometimes *Klitik or *Kroutjil), from these grew
the Wayang Golek or Wooden Marionettes, with the Dalang (operator)
speaking to his dolls. Later came the Topeng Dalang or Topeng
Barrangan with the Dalang giving the lines and the masked Actor
portrays them. These forms all combined to create the Wayang Wong,
the most popular of the Javanese dance dramas. Some of these plays
will last several hours and sometimes even days. The movement
is very slow and sedate, almost slow motion like with the aim
being to soothe and extremely orthodox. There are five styles
of technique for the women; The Djoged allus (lyric hero),
Djoged Kasar (the demons, giants), The Clown (ad libs),
The Shrimpis (royal blood, groups of four), The Badayas
(attached to court, groups of nine). The Ronggengs, or
professional dancers are not recognized by the Krida Beksa Wirama.
There originally being two centers for Javanese dance drama 1)
Soerakarta (solo) and the 2) Djokjakarta or Djokja (faster)
with the men doing the Djokja and women doing the solo.
3) JAPANESE
The origin of the dance is said to be the mimic
steps which the Ame-no-Iwato offered to the Sun goddess. Some
prehistoric dances exist today such as the Kume-mai type. The
Gigaku a religious masked dance is said to be of Indian origin.
After the Gigaku, the Bugaku arrived. The Noh-drama is an offspring
of the Bugaku with the Noh being the artistic perfection of all
ancient aristocratic dances (Sugizama and Fuujima). The
Shosagota originated among the folk but today is refined and beautiful
as is the Kabuki being a modern version of the Noh as well as
being a much faster pace. In the Japanese temples are found the
enfants-bonzes, the small boys who perform religious dances before
the Buddha. They wear footless stockings, and with a charming
suppleness and lightness execute cadenced movements which have
been heretically taught them. Their dance is accompanied by the
chant of priests, who recite the litanies in a gay measure.
The Nihonbuyo
is divided into three classes; Mai (Slow),
Odori (gay), Shosa or furi (dramatic or Mime).
Pieces are used to mime effects such as a fan or scarf as well
as the sleeves of the Kimono. Men have spread knees while the
women can hold a card between hers.
The Guéchas
(Geishas), who perform their choreographic
exercises in the teahouses. Were trained in the conservatory of
Yedo, and also the Djorôs, exhibit more art in their dances
than the ballerines of Africa. By their graceful movements they
depict heroism, glory, and love, especially love, says Jean d'Argène
in his Arc-en-ciel. A great many qualities are required of a Japanese
dancing girl, or Maiko; she must be young, beautiful, graceful,
musical, and witty. No feast in Japan is considered complete without
the Maikos, who are taught at an early age to perform their figures
to the chant of the national poems. Dancer and singer are one.
When the Maiko has lost the first blush of youth she makes place
for others, becomes a Geisha-girl, and accompanies the dancers,
strumming and chanting the tune of the melody. A Maiko moves very
slowly and in gliding fashion; but above all she is an artist
in posturing, and she continually changes from one perfect pose
to another.
4) INDO-CHINA
800 AD Chinese and Indian mix. (Including
Siam and Cambodia).
The Indian and Chinese cultures met here but the Indian is much
more fluent here except in costume (pagoda type, prachadee
headdresses etc.) with masks sometimes worn by villains. Double
jointed elbows turn inside out and wrist turn back again. The
dance is performed in the Hall of the Dance before a palace or
temple.
5) BALI
The Origin is attributed to the old Hindu God
'Indra'.
Bali`s kingdoms are now gone, but the Hindu religion is still
alive and well and continues to be practiced by the vast majority
of the island’s population. Ritual dance is vital to Balinese
Hindu ceremonies. Every move and gesture has a religious or spiritual
meaning. Balinese gods were all accomplished dancers. Very little
Hindu nature in the dance, the dance drama reflects daily living
and may last throughout the night. The dance being mainly done
for exhibition and not communal. The dance is vigorous and moved.
The most beautiful of the Bali dances is the heavenly dance of
divine myths called the Legong, a pantomime
done by two girls with straight backs, bent knees and lightning
quick movements.
The dance starts with an introductory
solo dance by the 'Condong'. The Condong moves with infinite suppleness,
dipping to the ground and rising in fluid endless motion, her
torso raised, elbows and head held high, with her fingers dancing
around her wrists, slowly she turns to meet the arrival of the
legongs. Of all classical Balinese dances, it remains the quintessential
expression of femininity and grace, performed by young women who
must be the prettiest and most gifted pupils. It is highly stylized
drama of a most purified kind - intended to display the supreme
talent and perfect artistic talents of the performers. A modern
version of the Legong is the Djoged with the boys in the audience
dancing with the girls. The Sang Byang is a Legong danced in a
trance. Puppets and a Dalang are sometimes used in these dramas.
The plots are taken from two Indian
Epics; the Dedori (Bali Nymphs) and the Topeng (two-three
actors). The romantic history is preserved in the ardja (erotic
opera sort). The Baris (ritualistic weapons type) and
Ketjak (Choral type) are performed by men. The traditional
Kebyar or Kebiyar is another modern version created by Mario except
that it is performed sitting down. It has the dancer leaning forward
and arching their backs, dancers perform the graceful steps. Kebyar
was the first Balinese dance to be performed from a sitting position.
While sitting, the dancer must often create movement by beginning
to rise, and his movements are dictated by the music.
The Yudapati, is another traditional
dance of Bali. This dance uses stunning choreography a warrior
about to embark upon a battle. Interestingly, although the dancers
are sometimes men, it is generally women who carry out the performance
- clad convincingly in male costumes and elaborate headdresses
or crowns. The ceremonial Janger is a youthful dance that is only
performed by a group of twelve men and women who dance face-to-face,
taking turns singing a local song. The men dance very energetically
and the women sway from side to side as they sing. The women are
usually adorned with an elaborate headdresses and use the traditional
fan. Traditional Ramayana, is an ancient tale of love, epic warfare,
knightly quests, and daring exploits which is very popular among
the villages.
6) CHINA
AD 618-907 - Virtuously lost thru time, but
still done today. The Chinese word for dance is 'Ou'
.
The Emperor Shun, ( 2255 B.C.,) was the first to introduce the
dance into the ceremonies; in the third year of Yung-Ming, AD
485, an Imperial decree ordered the dance to be kept as part of
the Confucian rites. The Emperor Cheên-Kuan, (AD 650,) introduced
military dances into the ritual. There were civil dancers, who
held a long feather in one hand and a stick in the other, dressed
in full court dress, and military dancers, who wore full uniform
and held a shield in one hand and an axe in the other. Masculine
and Feminine techniques differ widely. Men spread knees being
the most obvious. Each character has his/hers own hand posture.
An example would be the strong spread fingers of the Shen (male)
and the helpless hands of the Tan (female). Within the
tan roles there are seven different types. Lao-tan (old woman),
Chini (Virtuous women), Hua-tan (soubrette), Kuei-men-tan
(young), Tao-ma-tan (military), Ch'an-tan (Comedienne),
Tsi-tan (wicked). Costume color indicates the character;
Yellow =royal, Red =Honorable,
White =Young etc. Face paint color also reflects
character. The steps are very small with some waist movements
while the head is never quite still.
7) HINDU
The Bayaderes
, who dance in the temples of India, perform these religious
exercises with chaste and cautious movements; but the Bayaderes
are divided into two classes: Those who are not consecrated to
the temples dance in the palaces for the amusement of the maharajahs;
they are artists in their way, maintaining a special attitude,
and are regarded with respect. They are very well-informed, poets
and musicians, and as an accompaniment to their dances they extemporize
songs and set them to music; copper castanets are used by many
of them.
8) HINDU-EGYPTIAN-Almèh
In Old Hindu Religious writings, the Hindu "dancing
girls" were called Almèh, because they were better educated
than the other females and of high morals of the country, in which
they formed a celebrated society. The entertainment which they
supplied was well respected and called natch, or the feats of
dancing-girls. The almèh of the higher class knew, perfectly,
all the new songs and dances; they committed to memory the most
beautiful elegiac hymns that bewailed the death of a hero, or
the misfortunes incident to love. No festival was complete without
their attendance; nor was there an entertainment in which the
almèh was not an ornament, or the chief excitement of pleasurable
sensations. The most distinguished class of the almèh were
introduced into the saloons of the great, not alone for their
merits as dancers. They repeated with exceeding grace, and sung
the unsophisticated harmonies or airs of their country. The Almèh
gained admittance to the favor of the public, and were solicited
to attend marriages and every kind of entertainment, including
funerals and other occasions of solemnity. There was a lower class
of Almèh, who were basically a low class of dancers.
Other:
The TAM-TAM
The Soudaniens of Cordofan have the tam-tam,
but it requires very skillful men. The dancers wore girdles composed
of goats' feet, and the clashing of the small sabots provides
an accompaniment which served as music.
The EGG DANCE
India invented the egg-dance before Mignon.
The dancer, dressed in a very short skirt, wears as a crown a
wicker wheel of moderate diameter. A number of threads are attached
to it at an equal distance from each other, and on the end of
each is a slip knot, held open by a glass bead. In this equipment,
the young girl approaches the spectators; she carries a basket
filled with eggs which she asks them to examine that they may
be sure of their reality and not think them an imitation. The
musicians play a monotonous air, the dancer begins to turn rapidly.
Seizing one of the eggs, with a quick movement she throws it into
a slipknot in such a skillful manner that it at the same time
tightens the knot.
The rapid whirling of the dancer
produces a centrifugal force which draws the threads straight.
One after another the dancer must throw the eggs into the slip
knots. When she has finished this difficult operation, it seems
as though her head were surrounded by a halo. The speed of the
dance still increases until it reaches a point where the features
of the young girl are no longer distinguishable. The moment is
critical; at the least false step, at the least want of measure,
the eggs would strike against one another...But how is the dance
to be finished? There is but one way of ending well; the dancer
must withdraw the eggs in the same manner as she has placed them.
INDIA'S MYSORE
At the canter of the hall ceiling is fixed a
ring from which eight cords hang, each one of a different color.
Four small girls and boys hold the ends of these cords. The music
begins and the eight children start a dance, the movements of
which are ruled so that the young performers twist the cords together.
After they have turned in this manner, the orchestra plays another
air and the twist is unwound; it is reformed and again unwound.
The play of colors which unite and separate, as if by enchantment,
produces the most pleasing effects. The color of the clothing
of each child is the same as that of the cord which it holds.
This is very pretty; isolated from each other at the moment when
the cords are separated, they cross, mingle and blend to form
the brilliant twist under which they appear in a group, combining
all the colors (Sounds similar to the Maypole
dance.) The graceful enfantine of Mysore may be performed
by as few as four of our young girls and boys.
PORTUGUESE DANCE
These dances were said not to be specially graceful;
they are slow in movement, and similar to Oriental dances, reminding
us of the East because they consisted mostly of movements of the
body and arms, and because they have no steps worth mentioning.
Threshing-floor is generally the scene of the dance, and its season
is mostly that of harvest or vintage. |
