Task two-Bollywood Ensemble Dance, Stylistic Features.

  what is Bollywood dance? 

Bollywood dancing is a colourful, dynamic and highly theatrical dance style seen in Indian films. Having no set rules, Bollywood dancing is the perfect means to encourage freedom of expression.Bollywood dancing is a style of dance that is heavily influenced by Hindu art, music and culture and originated in Bollywood films. Bollywood consists of   a mixture of numerous styles. These styles include belly-dancing, kathak, Indian folk, Western popular, and "modern", jazz, and even Western erotic dancing.  the term of Bollywood dance was created after the two term Bombay and Hollywood were combined together. When Bollywood dance first began it was only common and popular in areas where Indian films were published such as the Middle East and Asian countries. There is a huge history behind Bollywood dance from cultural to religious however one thing that can be stated is that the international appeal of Bollywood dance blew up in the early 21st century. The success of Bollywood dance can be seen through the artists like Britney Spears, Shakira and the Pussycat Dolls incorporating the Bollywood style of dance and music into their songs, videos and concerts.

In the late 50's & 60's group dances began to evolve in Bollywood films & choreographers started managing larger groups of dancers, with influences from folk dances and then the era of colour films, and by then Indian Cinema was blessed with great dancers like Geetanjali, Sandhya, Helen & Mahipal who with their outstanding energy and performance mesmerized the audiences and took dance to the next level. There was no change in the style of dance, as choreographers still followed the classical and semi classical styles of dance.

Bollywood Dance began to change in the 70s. The Cabaret style of dance became more mainstream & was implemented in many movies. Later on Cabaret was replaced by Disco, which was a worldwide phenomenon at the time.

After experimenting with Classical, Semi Classical, Folk, Cabaret & Disco styles of dance, came an era which introduced Bollywood Free Style of dancing which was well represented by dancers like Govinda who developed their own signature style of dance.

Since the 1980's & the inception of MTV , Bollywood dancing has been heavily influenced by Western dance styles, and incorporates elements from the West. In many cases, the musical numbers are released as separate music videos, and the soundtracks are released prior to the film, in order to further advertise the upcoming feature films. In modern Bollywood films, the musical numbers are often based on the Hip-Hop style of dance as well as other variations of Hip-Hop dance. 

Currently Bollywood Dance is still influenced by Western culture, perhaps even more so today than when it began. Elements include the use of frequent costume and location changes during dances, as well as the use of larger dance troupes. And the movements have become more bold & extroverted to capture the audience’s attention. The Evolution of Bollywood Dance is a process that is entirely Indian and yet cross-cultural at the same time.

map of Mumbai-

what are the origins of Bollywood ?

Bollywood Dancing has its origins in India. Throughout Bollywood dance history Bollywood dancing styles have been heavily influenced by Asian cultures. Hindu art, music, and culture are an original source of inspiration for Bollywood dancing and have helped to developed the style overtime. It began with classic Indian and Folk style dancing. These are called Kathak and Bharata Natyam. ​The name ‘Bollywood’ comes from the B of ‘Bombay’(otherwise known as Mumbai) and Hollywood. Merged to create ‘Bollywood’.​The evolution of Bollywood as a style of dance: The main attraction of Bollywood movies are elaborate dance sequences and their own original soundtracks. Over the years Bollywood movies have developed their own signature style of song and dance, which combines a deep array of India’s many classical and folk dances, brought together with elements of Jazz, Hip – Hop, Arabic and Latin forms.​

Stylistic features

hand gestures

  

In the picture above you can see some important hand gestures used within Bollywood dancing, These hand movements act as a form of sign language order to help to tell a story or demonstrate themes such as weather, animals or places when Bollywood dancing. Mudra refers to hand gestures, which are a sort of sign language. They assist in the telling of a narrative, believe it or not.Mudras are a separate set of hand gestures used across a number of classical Indian dance forms. There are about 108 mudras in total, They are done with one hand sometimes and with both hands other times. You will understand what these hand motions represent in the narrative when you study the fundamentals of Bollywood dance. The fluidity is further enhanced by the head and neck motions. This is one of the most apparent aspects of the dance, and it allows dancers to express themselves more facially. In Bharatnatyam these hand movements are called hastas. Asamyukta hastas are done with one hand, while samyukta hastas are done with two.

quotes from professional Bollywood dancers talking about hand gestures use-

"These are very important if you want to be a Bollywood dancer, you have to know the basics," says Kalaria, a London-based dancer, choreographer and performing arts consultant. 

"They are very traditional and very helpful if you want to tell a story."

Foot movements

In the picture above a dancer using a flexed foot is shown, When a dancer uses a flat, flexed foot, this is a nod to a very classic element of dance, rooted in folk style and Bharatnatyam. The posture and position of Bharatnatyam is where you turn out your legs and sit in a demi-plie in first 'ballet feet' position. In Bharatnatyam you bang the feet on the floor and lift up your foot all the way to your glutes .The bounce that dancers often perform in Bollywood dance routines is referred to in English as the chicken step This is what the position is frequently described as. When Bollywood dancing The dancer should put all their weight on one side and lift the right leg from the knee over and over, moving hips in time this makes it a lot more effective.

Facial expressions

Bollywood includes a variety of different facial expressions and emotions, and aims to bring life to the story behind the dance. Facial expression and eye movements are essential components. The emphasis in Bollywood dance is about story telling and expressions contribute to that. When performing The eyes should follow the hands There are a few main facial expressions to show, such as anger, sadness, happiness and love. It should be mainly in the eyes and the eyebrows.

costume

 

I believe that Bollywood costumes are beautiful, Bollywood costumes are designed the way they are in order to accentuate  the hips to show the movement and fluidity of the pelvis and hips when dancing. When Bollywood dancing they have Bells around their ankles these are called the Ghunghroo these are specifically used to emphasise skilled foot work and the dancer's timing with music throughout the dance.Traditionally, jewellery is very elaborate, and can include a choker, a long necklace and a jewelled headpiece.On the headpiece there should be a moon on the left, and a sun on the right," says Mehta. "Traditional dances are very much about the gods and deities, and the sun and the moon reflect that. They are a thank you, or a tribute to them."

physical posture-

When Bollywood dancing the physical posture is extremely important and is a massive asset within this style of dance, Posture is a very important stylistic feature needed within Bollywood, the body posture is predominantly held and upright and each posture means something different and can be used to tell a story.

Bibliography

McMillan, M. (2020, decmeber 2). the history of bollywood dance . Retrieved from the edge : https://www.theedgesusu.co.uk/live/2020/12/02/the-history-of-bollywood-dance/

McMillan, M. (n.d.). the edge.

Townsend, L. (2012, july 10). bollywood dance expalined. Retrieved from bbc: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18686742

 what is bollywood. (2022). Retrieved from ignite bollywood: https://ignitebollywood.com/about/what-is-bollywood/