Gotipua is a traditional dance form in the state of Odisha, India, and the precursor of Odissi classical dance. It has been performed in Orissa for centuries by young boys, who dress as women to praise Jagannath and Krishna. The dance is executed by a group of boys who perform acrobatic figures inspired by the life of Radha and Krishna. The boys begin to learn the dance at an early age until adolescence, when their androgynous appearance changes. In the Odia language, Gotipua means "single boy". Raghurajpur, Odisha is a historic village known for its Gotipua dance troupes.
Dancers
To transform into graceful feminine dancers the boys do not cut their hair, instead they style it into a knot and weaving garlands of flowers into it. They make up their faces with mixed white and red powder. Kajal is broadly applied around the eyes to give them an elongated look. The bindi, usually round, is applied to the forehead, surrounded with a pattern made from sandalwood. Traditional paintings adorn the face, which are unique to each dance school. The costume has evolved over time. The traditional dress is a Kanchula, a brightly coloured blouse with shiny decorations. An apron-like, embroidered silk cloth is tied around the waist like a ruffle and worn around the legs. Some dancers still adhere to tradition by wearing a pattasari: a piece of thin fabric about long, worn tightly with equal lengths of material on both sides and a knot on the navel. However, this traditional dress is often replaced by a newly designed cloth which is easier to put on. Dancers wear specially designed, beaded jewellery: necklaces, bracelets, armbands and ear ornaments. Nose-piercing jewellery has been replaced with a painted motif. Ankle bells are worn, to accentuate the beats tapped out by the feet. The palms of the hands and soles of the feet are painted with a red liquid known as alta. The costume, jewellery and bells are considered sacred.
History
Long ago, the temples in Orissa had female dancers known as devadasis, who were devoted to Jagannath, which gave rise to Mahari dance. Sculptures of dancers on bas-reliefs in temples in Orissa demonstrate this ancient tradition. With the decline of mahari dancers around the 16th century during the reign of Rama Chandra Dev, boy dancers in Orissa continued the tradition. Gotipua dance is in the Odissi style, but their technique, costumes and presentation differ from those of the mahari; the singing is done by the dancers. Present-day Odissi dance has been influenced by Gotipua dance. Most masters of Odissi dance were Gotipua dancers in their youth. Odissi dance is a combination of tandava and lasya dances. It has two basic postures: tribhangi and chouka. Fluidity in the upper torso is characteristic of Odissi dance, which is often compared to the gentle sea waves which caress the Orissa beaches. Each year, the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre organises the Gotipua Dance Festival in Bhubaneswar.
Repertoire
The dance typically begins with a vandana prayer. The dancers perform a three-step salutation: the first above their heads towards God, the second in front of their faces for the guru and the third in front of their chests for the audience. The Sarigama is a dance celebrating beauty, and highlighting the mastery of technique; it is portrayed by dancers and musicians carved into the outer walls of ancient temples. The Abhinaya is the enactment of a song and interpretation of ancient poetry. This dance depicts Radha Krishna-oriented poems, such as the 12th-century Gita Govinda. The verses used for narration are extremely ornate in content and suggestion. Graceful, fluid, and sensual, the Abhinaya resembles a moving love poem with its facial expressions, eye movement and mudra gestures: "Come and see, my love Here comes Krishna, the flute player, the Supreme Performer Come and see, my love He dances wearing ankles bells So lovely rhythmic patterns he makes Listen to his melodies, the mardala beats Listen to his flute and clappings."
An interesting part of Gotipua is Bandha Nrutya, the presentation of acrobatic yogic postures similar to visual presentations by the pattachitra artists of Orissa. The difficult and intricate poses are known as bandha. To perform this dance, boys need to start learning it at the age of five or six. Musical accompaniment is provided by the mardala, gini, harmonium, violin, bansuri and one or two vocalists. Abhinaya Chandrika provides a detailed study of the movements of the feet, hands, the standing postures, movement and repertoire; it mentions more than 25 varieties of bandha including Gagana, Dhurmukha, Torona and Shayana. Sangita Darpana, a 17th-century text about music and dance, gives a complete repertory and overall style of presentation. Some bandhas are found in oral tradition; these include:
