Indian Mythology Through Classical Dance

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Guru Dr. Shovana Narayan is perhaps the only example of a person who has relentlessly pursued two parallel exacting professional careers, achieving distinction and great heights in both. Not only is she India's most eminent and venerated Kathak Guru-performer-choreographer but she has also served in the civil services, Indian Audit and Accounts Service (1976 batch) till her retirement. An MSc in Physics and holding 2 MPhil degrees and a Doctor of Letters (HC), she is a keen educationist and a research scholar who has served/ is serving on various Governing Bodies of prestigious academic institutions. She has authored over 16 books, several research papers and well over 300 articles.

Shovana has been decorated by the Government of India with the Padmashri award in 1992, central Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2001. Delhi Government's Parishad Samman in 1992 and Bihar Government's Rashtriya Samman in 2021 besides being a recipient of over 40 national and international awards. She is acknowledged as a classical example of a true Kathak, multifaceted and dynamic, presenting a challenge to today's spectators. Her life, her works, her dignity and demeanour have made her a role model and peer for millions of girls of the younger generation today:

GEETIKA KALHA An Indian Administrative Service officer for over 30 years, Geetika Kalha has done extensive field work in Northwest India to promote the revival, documentation and dissemination of art and culture. With a background in history, Kalha is now a writer and a consultant who specializes in rural tourism, museums and cultural interpretation.

An avid traveller, birder, painter she also leads an NGO that provides under- ground wastewater management systems in villages. She is presently working on her next book.

for a classical dancer, the enactment of dance is inextricably linked to the world of mythology, for an art historian, the message within the visual imagery excites curiosity and becomes a trigger for research Together we explored different cultural thoughts and practices through the ages. If one of us understood the creative process, the other joined to uncover the inner essence of the story our combined energies became part of a fascinating process of exploring the world of mythology and its allegories.

In Hindu mythology gods themselves danced- Shiva's Tandavs and Krishna's Leelas are well known. In Greek mythology Terpsichore, one of the Nine Muses, is worshipped as the goddesses of the arts. The Bible in Palms 1493. Says "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp" The importance of dance in the dissemination of religious Beliefs is visible in all cultures Music and dance have formed part of the telling of mythological tales around the world, and people mostly shamans, elders, priests and others have used this medium to convey didactic messages.

Many rituals and religious beliefs are communicated through tales such as Shiva's dances which are said to be both creating and destroying the world, all at once symbolizing the ever moving cadre of life and death. The necessity of the sun for life, is the essence of the mythological tale attached with Ame-No-Uzume-No-Mikota, Japanese Shinto goddess of dance which reflects her prayer and entreating the sun to come out of hiding Native Australian dance ceremonies are performed which recreate the events of creation. It is believed that "the ceremony helps the life force at the site to remain active and to keep creating new life if not performed, new life cannot be created".

The power of stories narrated with music and dance has been known through the ages. Myths have captured human imagination and the artistry of dancers and singers who performed to these mythological legends, have struck resonating chords in the minds and hearts of the people. These stories and their delineations, however, have not been static, they have been dynamic adjusting to the needs of the time. It has been a fascinating to see the contemporization of mythology, by present-day dancers.

In this book we not only, expose the tight bond between dance and mythology, and how it disseminates much of our cultural values and thinking, but also show how mythology is used by artists to reflect present-day circumstances. It is this exploration that is being shared by us during the process of writ mere were confronted with a host of regional or popular versions (some of which at variance from the original Sanskrit text) of the same legend. We spent hours deciding which version repetitions or popular versions, of an incident, we should take up for consideration healed our hearts to decide.

We would like to acknowledge or gratitude to our families who understood and supported us through our preoccupation domestic helps who plied us with the much needed beverage and refreshments Tak Narang, for going through the manuscript and giving her valuable observations, to Sandehors Dr. Mishra, Calcutta University and Dr. Rishiraj Pathak, Delhi University for cleaning or doubts, to the Kathaks of UP whose 'Nritya Sewa' we were privileged to witness and to our publisher, Sanjay Arya for placing his trust in us and for entrusting this project to us.

S tory telling is probably the oldest art in the world. Any event whether true or made up can be narrated as a story A good story is one that the audience finds either interesting or important. What is it about mythological stories that has ensured that they are repeated again and again over centuries? Are they interesting or important? Myths entertain, they inform, they can make us laugh and cry, but most importantly they truthfully reflect human strengths and weakness and give us power to overcome almost anything. Myths can explain and illustrate abstract ideas or concepts in a way that makes them easy to understand, accept and adopt. Once they are adopted they become part of our cognitive social, emotional and cultural environment. The reason why myths are repeated century after century is because they make important things interesting. Truth is an important ingredient in any great powerful mythological story, it is for this reason that many nations believe their mythology reflects history. In India mythology is referred to as itihas or history.

But what is a story without a storyteller? The power to influence the human mind through stories has been known across the world. All ancient cultures conveyed their histories, traditions, values, and culture through stories. It was the responsibility of the elders or the priests to transmit this knowledge to the community. Whenever this transfer of knowledge was verbal, it was accompanied by music and dance. According to Guber some think that dance, music and storytelling is purely about entertainment. "But the use of the story not only to delight but, to instruct and lead, has long been a part of human culture. We can trace it back thousands of years to the days of the shaman around the tribal fire. It was he who recorded the oral history of the tribe, encoding its beliefs, values, and rules in the tales of its great heroes, of its triumphs and tragedies. The life or death lessons necessary to perpetuate the community's survival were woven into these stories Myths are great stories not only because they have their base in truth but also because the storyteller is seen as an embodiment of integrity and wisdom.

Shamans, elders and in India the Brahmins who are thought to be personifications of integrity and wisdom, are responsible for expounding mythological tales that explain philosophical concepts such as a human being's place in creation and to remind people of their duty or dharma. They tell the people that every action has a consequence-called the law of karma. They teach them that all things are connected and if there is disconnection it creates discord in society and in nature. They do this through telling of 'inhas' (mythological stories) and its meaning to people regardless of their class or caste. Shamans teach and expound values during dance ceremonies; in north India, the Kathak Brahmins enact these stories in temples and festivals with music and dance.

**Contents and Sample Pages**