Stage decoration in classical dance
Subashini Pathmanathan
Stage decoration is an important side art for Bharatha Natyam, which
enhances the beauty of the dance forms. Any dance form on stage is an
important and unique art form.
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Reverence is essential in classical dance |
The ancient Tamil epic Silapathikaram is considered as one of the
five important Tamil epics. Even a chapter is wholly devoted to a
considerable extent about the stage decor in the Silapathikaram
Arangetra Kaathai.
It gives full information about the stage architecture and the
decoration at that time. During that time, stages were temporarily
built. Yet they followed certain scientific methods for the
construction. Selection of land was an important matter.
It must be free from all the curses, and from all the evils. Strong
and firm bamboos should be the pillars. Even the ancient epic
Silapathikaram clearly indicates the length and width of those bamboo
pillars. These pillars depicted the four-caste system of that time,
Brahmin caste, Kasthiriya caste, Vaishya caste and the Soothra caste.
Bharatha Natyam evolved out of Sathir. Today Bharatha Natyam is a
devotional art. In the Bharatha Natyam, the stages are decorated with
Ananda Thandava statue and kept at the left corner of the front stage.
But earlier dancers did not use the statue of Nataraj on the stage
They wanted to show the devotion and dedication to the lord through
their performances without having a Nataraja statue on the stage.
However, Smt Rukmani Devi first introduced the use of decorated
Nataraja statue on the stage and she encouraged the worship of the
Nataraja. This indirectly reveals that this art originated from temple
culture and the temple tradition. Later in all the performances, the
artistes and the teachers started following the same tradition.
As the result in today’s all the classical Bharatha Natya recitals,
the decorated Nataraja statue is placed on the left side corner of the
front stage.
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Bharatha Natyam is a devotional art |
The statue of Ananda Thandava Moorthy is related to dance because of
this. Moreover, it is universally acknowledged as the symbol of Bharatha
Natyam.
On the right side of the stage the accompaniments sit, which include
the nattuvangamist, vocalist, leather instrument the thala laya
instrument player, namely the mirathangamist, string instrument player
mainly the violinist, and wind instrument player flutist. Their
contribution to the art is very great.
The accompaniments sitting on the right side of the stage also add
beauty to the stage. Besides this, the side curtains, the back curtain
decorations, and along with the decorated cutouts are to a certain
extent play an important role in the stage decor of the present
classical dance recitals.
It is a necessity that the decoration for the dance recitals should
be handled with care.
The modern dance stages are decorated with ready made cut outs,
hardboard pillars, decorated with beautiful paintings, brass lamps,
natural and artificial flowers. Selection of decoration is according to
tastes, and financial status of the artistes.
Sometimes over decorations, distract the real performances. In some
dance recitals nowadays to cover up the real standards and the quality
of the performances the stages are over decorated, to distract the
audience attention which affects the dancer’s performances.
It is important that the stage decorations are very much needed for
this art form but overspending to show their financial strength and
financial status in any way won’t help the art form. The stage décor
should be simple, and sober.
The standard of performances are much important than that of outside
factors. Such ignorant ideas, as over decorating the stages, over
spending for pomp and show, won’t help the art form in any way. |
