Natya – The Spirit of Dance
By Apsara Asia and
Maya Dance Theatre
Pre-Show
Why Dance?
Think-Pair-Share
• When was the last time you danced in a
formal or informal setting?
• Why do you dance? Share the reasons
with your partner.
• How did it make you feel?
• Did you enjoy it? Why or why not?
Why Dance?
Watch the video below
Answer these questions
 What are some of the common reasons why people dance?
 Share these reasons with your class.
*Click on image to link to video
Heritage and Roots of Dance
• Think-Pair-Share
Watch this video and discuss the following
questions with your partner:
 Look at the hands, legs and body. Describe how
the dancer moves.
 Look at the dancer’s face. Describe the
expressions you see on her face.
 Where do you think this dance form comes from?
Indian Dance
Did you know that 9% of Singaporeans are Indians?
This means that the forefathers of these Singaporeans came from India.
Can you locate India on the map?
Bharatanatyam
• The dance you
saw is known as
Bharanatyam.
• From South
India.
• One of the oldest
classical dance
forms in India .
• More than 2000
years.
Source:
http://www.mapsofworld.com/india/maps/southindia-map.jpg
Origin of Indian Dance
• The belief that the world was in a state of chaos.
• Demi-gods and sages approached Brahma, the Hindu
god of creation, to stop the misery.
• He created dance as a way to bring calm and to stop
chaos.
image source: War in Ancient India - By V R Ramachandra Dikshitar
History of Bharatanatyam
• Before the 20th century, Bharatanatyam is the word for
dance.
• Before that, it was danced in temples by women known
as devadasis.
• It has spread beyond India to different parts of the
world.
• Traditionally, it was an Indian dance but it is now open
to everyone, regardless of race, gender or religion.
Features of Bharatanatyam
• Movements often form geometric shapes and
lines.
• Movements consist of:
- hand gestures with meanings (hastas)
- leg patterns
- facial expressions (abhinaya).
• Bharatanatyam goes hand in hand with
Carnatic music, a South Indian classical music
form.
Features of Bharatanatyam
Look at the picture of
the dancers. What
geometric shapes can
you spot in the dancers’
postures?
• Bharatanatyam dancers
often create triangles in
their poses. Can you
spot any triangles in the
poses?
• Lines created are
straight and angular
Let’s Watch
You are about to watch 2 modern Indian dance routines
Video 1:
Video 2 :
So You Think You Can
Dance
Say Shava Shava from
the movie, Khabi Khusi,
Khabi Gham
*click on images
Think and Share
• Did you enjoy the dancing?
• What did you like about it?
• Do you know where these dance styles come from?
What is Bollywood?
• The dance routines come from
Bollywood films.
• Bollywood is the popular name of
the Hindi film industry based in
Mumbai, formerly known as
Bombay.
• Can you guess how the term
Bollywood came about?
What is Bollywood?
The FAST FACTs
• Term is a combination of Bombay + Hollywood = Bollywood
• The term ‘Bollywood’ came about when Hindi films started
overtaking Hollywood in terms of its sheer number.
• Bollywood produces more than 800 to 1000 films a year, and
it is known for its elaborate costumes and song and dance
routines
• Bollywood movies usually consists of 4-5 musical songs in
each film, sometimes more.
• The term Bollywood appears in the Oxford English Dictionary
Dance in Bollywood
• The Bollywood dance style is made up of many
different dance forms like Indian folk dance, classical
Indian dance and modern contemporary dance
• Bharatanatyam hand gestures, leg movements and
facial expressions are sometimes used in a Bollywood
dance routine
Image sources:
http://www.indianetzone.com/1/indian_folk_dances.htm
Natya – The Spirit of Dance
• You will be watching Natya – The Spirit of Dance at
the Esplanade
• Natya means dance in Sanskrit, an ancient
language
• How Bollywood dance routines are influenced by
other forms of dance
• shows how an individual can connect to dance,
regardless of any cultural differences.
While watching the show…
• Find out more about what Bharatanatyam is
• Observe the different dance steps
• Observe how Bollywood dance routines are
influenced by different dance genres
• Have fun and enjoy the music and dance
performances while observing these 12 rules
of theatre etiquette
Presented by
• Apsara Asia was established in 2003 as a performing arts and
arts management company that focuses on promoting and
presenting a variety of cultural dances and art forms
prevalent in Singapore and around Asia.
• Known for creating innovative productions and
performances, Apsara Asia has established itself as a
formidable force in keeping traditional Asian arts alive
through a unique blend of cross-cultural ethnic fusions and
collaborations.
• Apsara Asia is also endorsed as a service provider for arts
education programmes as part of the NAC-AEP scheme.
http://www.apsara-asia.com.sg/index.php?parentMenu=1
• Maya Dance Theatre was founded in 2006 by its Company
Manager, Imran Manaff and dance artists, Kavitha Krishnan
and Juraimy Abu Bakar. This young contemporary dance
company has made its mark locally and on the international
stage with performances in Australia, China, India, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Taiwan, the UAE and US.
• Draws inspiration from Asian traditions and aesthetics,
transcending cultural identities and boundaries, Maya Dance
Theatre has a unique presence in the Singapore dance scene
because of its pursuit of trans-cultural dance as an
independent art form.
• Maya is a proud recipient of the National Arts Council’s SEED
Grant for FY2012-2015.
• http://www.mayadancetheatre.org/