The roots of Indian dance, music and theatre are found in Natyashastra – the treatise from III AC, believed to be written by the famous prophet Bharata. The myth depicting the origin of Natyashastra says that all the gods asked Brahma – the mightiest among them all – to create some amusement, something nice to look at and pleasant to listen to. Therefore, Brahma took the four most important things from four Veda’s (the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, thought to be “not of human agency”): that which could be read – the intellectual content; that which could be sung – the music; the abhinaya - mimetic art and the rasas - the emotional content. Out of these four aspects Brahma compiled the fifth Veda – Natyaveda, Natyashastra.
Chhau
It is a semi-classical (or classical – according to the Indian Ministry of Culture) dance form, based on an art of combat with sword and shield. The three Chhau styles are specified as: Seraikella – from the Jharkhand state, Purulia – from Bengal and Mayurbhanj – from Orissa. We perform and teach the Seraikella style, in a graceful, dynamic, rhythmic and energetic way imitating moves of different animals, household activities and nature. In the Seraikella style dancers wear beautiful and colorful masks and thus all emotions and moods have to be shown by “body language” itself.
