Four aspects of abhinaya
Abhinaya means 'to carry towards'. The dancer carries the story and its feeling towards the audience.
Old Indian books on drama list four kinds of abhinaya:
- Angika: using the body. This means face, eyes, neck, hands (mudras), feet and whole-body poses.
- Vachika: using words. In dance this is the song, poem and spoken syllables that tell the story.
- Aharya: what is put on from outside. Costume, make-up, jewellery, stage and lights.
- Sattvika: the true feeling inside. Tears, a shiver or a blush that comes from really living the role.
A good dancer joins all four. A great costume with no inner feeling looks empty.
Two basic Odissi stances
Chauka is a square stance: knees bent out, arms out. It feels strong and steady. Tribhangi means 'three bends': head, chest and hips bend in opposite directions. It looks soft and graceful, like temple sculptures.
Bhava and the nine rasas
A bhava is a feeling the dancer shows. A rasa is the mood the audience tastes. 'Rasa' means juice or taste.
| Rasa | Mood | Main feeling (sthayi bhava) |
|---|---|---|
| Shringara | Love, beauty | Love |
| Hasya | Fun, laughter | Mirth |
| Karuna | Pity, sorrow | Grief |
| Raudra | Fury | Anger |
| Veera | Heroism | Courage, energy |
| Bhayanaka | Terror | Fear |
| Bibhatsa | Disgust | Dislike |
| Adbhuta | Wonder | Surprise |
| Shanta | Peace | Calm |
The first eight are in the old drama text, the Natya Shastra. Shanta was added later by thinkers who saw peace as a mood of its own.
Odissi costume and make-up
- Sari: usually hand-woven Odisha silk with bright borders, stitched so a pleated fan opens between the legs when the dancer sits low.
- Tahia: a crown made of white pith flowers, shaped like the top of a temple. It sits on the hair bun.
- Jewellery: fine silver filigree (silver wire work from Cuttack): earrings, necklaces, armlets, a belt.
- Ghungroo: ankle bells that make the footwork heard.
- Alta: red colour on palms, fingertips and soles, so hand and foot movements stand out.
- Eyes: thick kajal lines make the eye movements easy to see from far away.
Odissi music
Odissi dance is performed to Odissi music, a classical style of Odisha. It uses raga (a set of notes that makes the tune) and tala (a cycle of beats).
- Mardala: a two-sided barrel drum. It keeps the tala and plays the dance syllables.
- Flute, violin or sitar: play the melody.
- Gini (manjira): small cymbals that mark the beat.
- Singer: sings the lyrics. Many songs come from the Gita Govinda, a Sanskrit poem by Jayadeva about Radha and Krishna.
- The guru often speaks rhythm syllables called ukuta (like 'ta tei ta tei').
Parts of an Odissi recital
A recital usually moves from an invocation (mangalacharan) to pure dance (batu, pallavi), then story dance (abhinaya), and ends with a fast dance (moksha).
Folk dances of Odisha
- Gotipua: young boys dressed as girls dance with flexible, acrobatic poses. Odissi took many movements from it.
- Chhau: a strong, martial dance from the Mayurbhanj area, telling stories from epics.
- Sambalpuri (including Dalkhai): a happy group dance of western Odisha with dhol and nissan drums.
- Ghumura: dancers play a big pot-shaped drum tied to the chest.
- Ranappa: dancers balance on tall bamboo stilts.
- Others: Danda Nata, Paika (a warrior dance) and Chaiti Ghoda.
Classical dance follows written rules and long training. Folk dance grows from village life, festivals and work, and anyone can join.
Try it: in the 3D and at home
In the last 3D step, switch between Chauka and Tribhangi and slide through the nine rasas. At home: stand in front of a mirror. Show Hasya, Karuna and Adbhuta using only your eyes and eyebrows. Ask a family member to guess which rasa it is.
Key formulas and definitions
- Abhinaya = Angika (body) + Vachika (words, song) + Aharya (costume, make-up) + Sattvika (inner feeling).
- Bhava (shown by the dancer) → Rasa (felt by the audience).
- Navarasa: Shringara, Hasya, Karuna, Raudra, Veera, Bhayanaka, Bibhatsa, Adbhuta, Shanta.
- Chauka = square stance; Tribhangi = three bends (head, chest, hips).
- Raga = tune; Tala = beat cycle; Mardala = Odissi drum.
Worked examples
1. A dancer's eyes fill with real tears while showing Radha waiting alone. Which kind of abhinaya is this, and which rasa does the audience feel?
Real tears from inside are Sattvika abhinaya. The audience feels Karuna (sorrow), or Shringara in separation if the stress is on longing love.
2. A dancer changes from a plain cotton practice sari to a silk sari, tahia and silver jewellery before the show. Which abhinaya is she adding?
Aharya abhinaya: everything put on from outside, such as costume, make-up and jewellery.
3. Name the instrument in Odissi music that keeps the tala, and the instrument that marks each beat with a ringing sound.
The mardala (two-sided drum) keeps the tala. The gini or manjira (small cymbals) marks each beat.
Common mistakes
- Thinking abhinaya is only facial expression. Facial expression is part of Angika; abhinaya also includes words, costume and inner feeling.
- Mixing up bhava and rasa. Bhava is what the dancer shows; rasa is what the audience feels.
- Saying there are eight rasas and forgetting Shanta. Most teachers today count nine, the navarasa.
- Calling Chhau or Gotipua a classical dance. They are folk or traditional dances; Odissi is the classical form.