Beat the Time: The Dance (Part One)

“Dance, dance, dance,
let the sky gather
your steps in garlands
of notes, with the body streaked with sweat
and the face covered with veil.”
(Stefano Romano)

 

Bharatanatyam dancer on rest. 
ROME – 16 February 2018

Dance derives from the Sanskrit tan which means tension, or the spiritual tension between man and nature, between man and God.

In the East it's said that the God Shiva-Nataraja created the cosmos by dancing. In Buddhism he is the Lord of Dance, Shiva dance and the matter around him is created and destroyed in a vortex like flame.

 

Photographing the dance means participating in it, because we do not attend it like everyone else, immobile and capable of observing it in its entirety and complexity, but having to choose moments to photograph we isolate ourselves from the rest and follow only a couple of dancers, or one only, one hand, a detail of the dress and we follow every movement, we become part of it.

True, we do not fully enjoy them like any other spectator, but we have a more intimate vision, we are in the muscle stretched under the skin, in the sweat of the face, in the bell that rings at the ankle.

Dance is a splendid moment to photograph, in its difficulties: it is like tearing a page from a book that you leaf through quickly. Each dance is a story, especially the Indian ones, and of all those gestures and movements we have to choose which one we like best, thanks to which those who cannot read that book entirely can still get an idea of it.

There is the beauty of the clothes, its colors, the make-up, the facial expressions, the intimacy between the dancers.

A good dance photography should not only make the complexity and wonder of the dance itself, but also tell its sounds, the panting of fatigue, the tension and the release.

 

This is a tribute to many years of photographs and dances, and to their dancers who – very often – have become my dear friends.

In the choice I did not include many photos of Bolivia or Thailand because I had already mentioned it in other articles.

I don't even want to describe, to weigh down the lightness of bodies and clothes with words. Get carried around the world by their movement, from West to East, and finally with the portraits of the dancers.

And let the music be in your eyes and in your hearts.

 

“Tinku Dance” from Bolivia

Tinku, a Bolivian Aymara tradition, began as a form of ritualistic combat. In the Quechua language, it means “meeting-encounter”. During this ritual, men and women from different communities will meet and begin the festivities by dancing. The women will then form circles and begin chanting while the men proceed to fight each other; rarely the women will join in the fighting as well. Large tinkus are held in Potosí during the first few weeks of May. 

ROME – 2 March 2014

“Funky Afternoon”

World Break-Dance contest

Breakdance (also called breaking, b-boying or b-girling) is a type of dance that is done by people who are part of the hip hop culture. B-boy means boy who dances on breaks (breakbeats). Breakdancing was invented in the early 1970s by African American and Latino American inner-city youth in the South Bronx in New York City. The dance style evolved during the 70s and 80s in big cities of the United States.

ROME – 4 September 2011

Dance from Africa

African masks are not simply beautiful artistic objects to be admired. Rather, they are part of a ceremonial costume. They are not meant to represent actual people or even animals.

These masks served as a way for people to communicate with the spirit world. The spirits that take up residence in the masks can be ancestors or natural entities.

When the mask wearer puts on the mask, his identity is taken over by the spirit represented by the mask.

ROME – 4 September 2011

READ ALSO:
•         Three Days with Ileana and Saswat: Odissi in Rome (Part One) 
•         Three Days with Ileana and Saswat: Odissi in Rome (Part Two)

 

Dance from Sri Lanka

“Pradeep Shastra Dance Group”

There are three main styles of Sri Lankan classical dance:

The Kandyan dances of the Hill Country, known as Uda Rata Natum;

The low country dances of the southern plains, known as Pahatha Rata Natum;

Sabaragamuwa dances, or Sabaragamuwa Natum.

ROME – 24 April 2017

 

“Berlin Kultural Karnival 2017”

Indian contingent.

A long day of parade through the streets of Berlin with dances from all over the world.

BERLIN – 4 June 2017

 

“Traditional Indian Dance”

Subham Mukherjee from Kolkata

BERLIN – 18 March 2017

Bharatanatyam dance from India

“Bumi Devi”

Irine e Anisha – Bharatanatyam Kunti Devi Group

Bharatanatyam is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated thousands of years ago. Bharata Natyam is the oldest classical dance tradition in India. It was nurtured in the temples and courts of southern India since ancient times It is one of eight forms of dance recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (the others being Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Manipuri and Sattriya) and it expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism.

Tradition says that Bharatanatyam dance is intimately connected with religion. It is also claimed that the fundamental rhythm involved in cosmic creation was used as the basic material for this form of dance. In looking for the origin of this dance, in fact, we end up going back to stories woven of legend and mythology.

ROME – 20 May 2017

 

READ ALSO:

•          The Mystical Dances of The Bolivians in Rome (Part One)
•          The Mystical Dances of The Bolivians In Rome (Part Two)
•          Khon – Classical Siamese Dance

 

 

Kathak dance from India

Anurekha Gosh from Kolkata

Kathak is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards of ancient northern India known as Kathakars or storytellers. The term Kathak is derived from the Vedic Sanskrit word Katha which means “story”, and Kathakar which means “the one who tells a story”, or “to do with stories”. Wandering Kathakars communicated stories from the great epics and ancient mythology through dance, songs and music. Kathak dancers tell various stories through their hand movements and extensive footwork, but most importantly through their facial expressions. Kathak evolved during the Bhakti movement, particularly by incorporating the childhood and stories of the Hindu god Krishna, as well as independently in the courts of north Indian kingdoms. Kathak is unique in having both Hindu and Muslim gharanas and cultural elements. Kathak performances include Urdu Ghazals and commonly use instruments brought during Muslim rule.

ROME – 21 November 2016

 

Indian dance from Rajasthan

DHOAD Gypsies

DHOAD Gypsies is a collective of consummate, wise and spirited musicians, vocalists and dancers of all generations.

The mesmerizing, spectacular, fabulous show of poets’ troubadours, musicians, dancers and fakir (fire eater) from the country of Maharajas.

With six musicians, one dancer and one Fakir/Fire-eater. The DHOAD Gypsies are dedicated to gathering the leading figures of the Rajasthan musician castes.

In whole India, Rajasthan is the name for rich diverse culture and tradition. The liveliness of Rajasthani traditions and culture reflects through Folk music and dance. For Rajasthanis, folk music and dance are the life and they habituated them as their part of life.

ROME – 24, 29 March 2017

 

Kuchipudi dance from India

Chitrangee Murugan

The Kuchipudi dance, originally from Andhra Pradesh, in Southern India, is considered a classical dance. “Kuchipudi” or “Kuchelapuram” is also the name of the village of the same name located in the district of Krishna overlooking the Gulf of Bengal, where, for generations, the holders of this art form live together with their families.

The Kuchipudi dance technique is lively and sparkling, characterized by a remarkable fluidity in the movement of the torso and arms, in contrast with rapid and dry movements of the feet. With the dance Bharatanatyam shares several characteristics, such as the musical accompaniment which is carnatic and some typical pieces of the Bharatanatyam repertoire which in recent times have also become part of the Kuchipudi one: the “jathiswaram” and the “tillana”. Other pieces, such as the “tarangam” which includes a part where the dancer performs, moving on a brass tray (and often also with a jug full of water on her head) are peculiar to Kuchipudi. Music pieces in the Kuchipudi style are mimicked with enticing facial expressions, quick glances and fleeting emotional states that evoke rasa.

ROME – 29 April 2017

 

Me and Kaoru Kobayashi from Japan.  ROME – 24  April 2017

 

RELATED POSTS: 

Beat the Time: The Dance (Part Two)
Beat the Time: The Dance (Part Three)

 

Italian version