Dance and the Art of Painting - Informative Article by Ms. Rajashree Oak

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(copyright) Rajashree OakKathak Guru, researcher, blogger, writer

The art of dance and painting, despite being fine arts have more fundamental differences than similarities. Dance is audio-visual and a performing art whereas painting is visual and stationery. Dance has momentum while paintings are still. Dance vanishes after the performance ceases. On the other hand, the output of the art of the painting ‘ the work of art’ lasts and can be relished repeatedly. The artists themselves are the medium of art in the case of dance, whereas the medium of painting is different from the artist, in the case of painting.

While dissimilar in medium and process, both arts have influenced each other for ages and during their evolution, they have been connected with each other in many ways.

Creative use of space is common to dance and painting. Lines are crucial in both the arts. This is especially true with styles like Kathak, where space is navigated mostly in straight lines. . The painter colors space with lines of the brush. The dancer too creates imaginary lines and designs with their body movements. This process of painting on canvas is more eminent in the group dance where every dancer is the line that completes the painting. The painting of dance becomes perfect only when the movement of every dancer is perfect.

Comparable subject matter in both the art forms:

Indian classical dance and painting have evolved in the same socio-cultural environment. Indian literature traditions have an equal impact on both the arts hence, a similar subject is observed to be handled by both mediums. The majesty of Dashavtara has been portrayed in paintings as well as in dance traditions.

The delicate Shringar in Geetgovind has enchanted painters as well as dancers. The paintings of Geetgovind reflected how the same poetry was portrayed through dance. (See the attached picture no.2) Ashtanayikas are celebrated in all classical dance styles and are equally popular in the Pahadi and other miniature paintings.

Painting inspired by Dance:

Dance has been an inspiration for paintings and illustrations for ages. Artists are fascinated by the idea of capturing and representing the energy and adrenaline rush of dance through brush strokes. The primordial cave paintings have many dance paintings where the tribe is seen dancing with the joy of hunting. See the painting from Bhimbetka caves in picture.

The refinement in classical dance styles, the symmetries, and the perfect postures have kindled the creativity of brushes. The various paintings in Ajanta caves and Brihadishwara temple are the perfect examples of what can be called ‘a dance painting.

Famous miniature paintings of Kangra, Pahadi, Mughal styles have frequently depicted the Nayika in a dancing posture or stance. The detailing of the facial expressions in these miniature paintings implies that they are portrayed after witnessing them in dance form.

Paintings as evidence for the history of dance:

Dance has inspired paintings for years and is seen reflected in the brush-strokes of the artists in every period of time. These artworks have played the role of evidence in dance history providing clues about the dance, dancers, their costumes, performances, dance training, etc.

The earliest evidence of dance is the paintings from the caves in the prehistoric period. The Ajanta paintings give insight into the costumes of the dancers, the accompanying instruments in the contemporary period. Miniature painting in the medieval, post-medieval, and Mughal period throw light on the many aspects of the style of Kathak.

This picture in the Kangda miniature painting style depicts a dance performance in the courts of Raja Rajasingh of Chamba. The pose of the dancer is similar to a common pose of ‘thaat’ of Kathak. The accompanying instruments are observed to be tabla and tanpura. The night sky and moonlight reveal that the performance was held at night.

Painting from the British period preserved in a museum at London. The dancer is seen in the Jhumar-gat stance. The costume shows influence from Islamic courts.

Paintings used for documentation and scriptures or handbooks of dance:

Since dance is a visual art, in its documentation, be it handbooks or manuals of dance, paintings have helped illustrate its practicalities. Dance manuals use drawings to show Mudras, Shirobhedas, Karanas, etc.

Dance handbooks have used pictures and sketches until recently. Even given the convenient option of photographs, books still use the sketches creatively. Pandit Birju Maharaja ji’s book Angakavya in recent days has artistically used clip-arts and sketches more effectively than actual photographs to show Hastak bhedas in Kathak.

Painting supplementary to dance:

Dance presentations have been frequently supplemented by the visual aid of paintings and illustrations. In the past story-tellers narrated stories by singing and dancing. They sometimes used a roll of Patta-Chitra. They unrolled the pictures as the events in the story unfolded in the dance or while taking the story ahead through dance, they used the picture roll to show the details that were beyond the scope of dance.

Even today, the paintings are used as the backdrop for dance and drama.

Pictures used for the notation of the dance:

Many dancers have attempted to make a notation system for dance using sketches or clip-arts, so as to document the movement patterns of the composition. Dance notation has been quite used extensively in western dance. Even in Indian, some classical dance styles have attempted certain dance-notation systems. Acharya Parvati Kumar had attempted and used such pictorial notation system for Bharatnatyam and the same was propounded by Pandit Birju Maharaj ji for Kathak. However, the pictorial system loses its relevance in the era of photography and videography. But paintings, hand-sketches, and illustrations have scope for creative enhancements, pushing the envelope, capturing details and emotions that a frozen picture or a real-time recording cannot. The mind creates while the machine records, both have their merits and demerits that must be used to aid the arts.

Today classical dance has expanded its boundaries and is being presented in multiple formats on different platforms. The new age has seen a new relation of these two art forms where both of them are presented simultaneously on the stage. The dancer creates various lines and patterns through their body movements. At the same time, the artist inspired by the lines as well as the emotions created by the dancer, portrays them live on the canvas with brush and colors. The audience is mesmerized by the same emotion and the feeling manifesting in two different media at once, dance and painting. This is definitely a new aspect in the relation of painting and dance which has much scope for exploration and innovation. While this new format of presentation is interesting, it would be even more gratifying to see how the intertwined relationship between painting and dance gives rise to novel ideas of presentation and representation in the future.

Editing by Shriti Das