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Writer's pictureDivya Hoskere

Redefining Nṛtta: Insights from Indian-Aesthetics

-Divya Hoskere



Namaste. I am so happy to be sharing my very first blog post. As one of the initial projects of my PhD (a practice-based in Bharatanāṭyam and Alankāraśāstra) at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), my PhD Supervisor, Dr. Deepti Navaratna tasked me with reading the entire ancient treatise of the Nāṭyaśāstra in its original Sanskrit to locate possible elements and principles of aesthetics that one can adapt into the current practice of dance. Now this was no easy task, but as I began, it was perhaps the most joyous few months of my life. Whilst I was immersed in the pages, an understanding of art that is beyond the mundane emerged. Hidden in that great text are layers of meaning which, when combined with my own practical experience, made clear the depth and breadth of the purpose of art.


While all of that sounds magical, what research emerged from this enriching process? The result was an original thesis that explores nṛtta (dance without meaning) within the framework of the aesthetic experience of art – rasa.


Let me share with you a small glimpse into the fundamentals of this research (a preprint of the research paper is available here for those interested in the technical details - https://www.divyahoskere.com/research ).


In a nutshell, through my interpretation of chapters 4 and 7 of the Nāṭyaśāstra, along with my lifelong experience of dancing nṛtta, I developed a definition of non-representational nṛtta within the framework of the rasa sūtra (a dictum on rasa, or the aesthetic experience of art, given by Bharata):

              Non-representational nṛtta can be defined as an anubhāva to the vyabhicāri bhāva of harṣa (joy).


What this essentially tells us, is that nṛtta when performed must embody the vyabhicāri bhāva of harṣa or joy. A vyabhicāri bhāva is that emotion that is transient. It comes and goes and does not sustain. Just as in life, a momentary joy makes us jump, in dance too, this fleeting harṣa is the essential root of what we have as a developed technique of beautiful movement called nṛtta.


When we begin dancing, the first thing we are taught is to smile. It is a feature evident across Indian classical dances. This definition and its theoretical validation (available in the full paper) that tell us that if we aren’t communicating any meaning in dance, we must be expressing a fleeting joy, justifies the practice of the smile (or rather, justifies the natural urge to smile while dancing). And we must use this nṛtta only with a seamless transition to and from the on-going emotion without which the inclusion of nṛtta is a heavy cause of rasa-bhaṅga or aesthetic incoherence.


One could ask, why must it be only joy? If an emotion other than joy is intended to be conveyed through nṛtta, it would fall under the category of representational nṛtta (which is sometimes referred to as nṛtya). Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam’s work gives us a clear picture of such usage with the karaṇas giving ample scope. The aḍavus are also nowadays adapted to convey an emotion and meaning and these fall under this category of representational nṛtta.


But with non-representational dance, joy (harṣa) is the only possible representation (see paper for theoretical proof https://www.divyahoskere.com/research). The way of art is to carry forth an exalted imitation of the way of life. Imagine a woman who is distraught or angry. Would she jump up in dance? Sounds ridiculous. A very keen observer of life and emotional phenomena that take place around us will have all answers to aesthetic conundrums, just like this one. Art is not unnatural; it is simply more than natural. It must first draw from this world before it takes flight, much like an airplane uses a runway. These very accurate observations have been made by sage Bharata himself in the Nāṭyaśāstra which tells us one thing for certain – that this text is a result of not just the practice of nāṭya, it is a practice of drawing beauty from life around, of delving into the very depth of emotions, and of applying life into a space called the stage. It aims to draw from this world, yet transport you to another altogether.


Throughout my PhD research, I apply this framework of nṛtta usage into practice. For this purpose, I conceptualized and choreographed a production titled Shringara Sharanagati. Along with the progression of the research, I have been re-working the production, applying all the theoretical aesthetic principles. As of now, I have completed two versions of the production and a third is underway and nearly complete, making a strong case study for the work. The usage of nṛtta in this production has followed the aesthetic frameworks outlined in the paper aiming for an answerability to rasa in its structure by ensuring a seamless coming together nṛtta and abhinaya. Link to the details of the production: https://www.divyahoskere.com/ss 


Behind the scenes of the research:

While this has emerged from both a study of the text and my experience with dance, there are three people without whom none of this would have been even remotely possible. A practice-based research project demands a practitioner with a deep and comprehensive understanding, and I owe much of the performer I am today to the guidance of my guru, Sri P. Praveen Kumar. Training and imbibing Bharatanāṭyam in all its beauty from him over the years has seeded these experiences and thoughts within me. His choreographies have always had this aesthetic approach to nṛtta in their inner essence, and therefore I submit this thesis as simply an extension of my learning with Praveen sir. The second is Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh sir. The shining sun amongst the stars of scholars of the era, yet the kindest most generous source of knowledge. During the one year that we worked on this paper, I visited him often, for inputs, for criticism and for direction. While his insights into this are innumerable, it was his observation during the review process that nṛtta is an anubhāva that prompted me to dig deeper and understand that nṛtta functions as an anubhāva to the vyabhicāri of harṣa in its usage in dance today.


While these two men have been instrumental in shaping this paper, a third most significant influence has been Deepti ma’am. I am fortunate to have her guidance—her kindness is matched only by the brilliance of her sharp mind, making her one of the most remarkable individuals I've had the privilege to learn from. This paper, co-authored with her, is essentially a result of our un-ending intellectual conversations that are never dry and are full of life. One day, after reviewing the first draft, she just had one thing to say – “its all fine, but there isn’t anything original here. There isn’t any interpretation, it’s just analysis”. This was precisely the catalyst that clarified the very notion research for me and highlighted the necessity of widening my horizons to uncover something original. The resulting paper stands as a testament to her invaluable mentorship and the collaborative effort that transformed initial analyses into meaningful, original contributions to the world of dance research.

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