Footworks of Seraikella Chhau
-
Upload
national-folklore-support-centre -
Category
Education
-
view
1.134 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Footworks of Seraikella Chhau
Footworks of Seraikella Chhau
Chhau dancers (in the photographs)
• Tapan Kumar Patnaik (Director, Government Chhau academy, Seraikella)
• The students of Acharya Chhau academy• Brajendra Kumar Patnaik (Performer and
teacher, Government Chhau academy)
• The Chhau technique has been influenced by the “Phari khanda style” of sword play.(Phari means shield: khanda -sword).Pharikhanda exercises are vigorous, virile, agile and acrobatic. They call for split second timing, sharp turns, bends and baffling postures employed by the warrior of olden times to dodge his opponent.
Location – banks of river Kharkai
• The techniques are generally performed at or before the sun rise, and traditionally at Bhairavasal the place consecrated to Bhairav (Shiva) on the bank of the river. Kharkai, a mile east of the town. There are seven deities representing to sanctify the place
The Phari khanda style may be divided into three
• Chalis – ‘gati’-gait or styles of walk-6• Upalayas (or Upheli)-basic exercise-36• Khels-types of play,of sword and otherwise-10
Pranam- phari khanda style of saluting with the sword
Chalis
The exercise begins with a number of ‘chalis’,Stylized gaits. They are inspired by the gaits of animals and birds. The gait or ‘gati’is in single, double and quadruple tempi with forward, backward and sideways steppings.
Aakash chali – indicates descent of the gods from the sky
Mayur chali- peacock’s walk
Hath Chali – Elephant’s movement
Sarpa gati – Snake’s movement
Hans Chali - swan walk
Prajpati – butterfly movement
Upalayas (or Upheli)
• The Upalayas (or upheli) make up the basic vocabulary in chhahu dance. The traditional movements are first of all acquired through “Uphlei”(meaning leaps and motion) which is destined to inhabit the variegated exposition of body ,limbs and footwork. The Upalayas have been termed round the common place daily activities of a woman but are actually virile leaps and bends and coordinated movements which are masculine in execution.
Gobar kudha – picking up dry cow dung
Gobar goola – mixing cow dung with water
Sprinkling the mixed cowdung water
Kula pachda- husking of paddy
Jhuntiya maja - cleaning toe rings
Pahud maja - cleaning of anklets
Tara Khosa - plucking the stars
Ghoda tobuka- horse trot
Khadu maja- cleaning of choories (wristlets)
Gath bar(or Dub bar) -the bathing dip
Gadhi jibar -going to bathe in the river
Chheli denga- jump of the goat
Harni denga- the jump of deer
Onth muda -twist of the intestine
Para muda- twisting pigeons neck
Surang mara - piercing inside the cave fiercely
Thur thuri- shivering body motion
Khels
• The Chhau dancers feet have a gesture language of their own. After having a thorough mastery of the ‘Chalis’ and ‘Upalayas’ a dancer can execute the complicated ‘khels’-the war exercise of naked sword play with his opponents.
Bangimas
• Bangimas are the rasa’s practiced in Chhau, which would be used by various characters in the compositions. Generally female gestures are practised in Bangimas.
Thank you