152-460: Art of Central Asia Art of East Asia Art of South Asia Art of Southeast Asia Art of Europe Art of Africa Art of the Americas Art of Oceania Indian Art consists of a variety of art forms, including painting , sculpture , pottery , and textile arts such as woven silk . Geographically, it spans the entire Indian subcontinent , including what
304-467: A folk dance , a social dance , a group dance such as a line , circle , chain or square dance , or a partner dance , such as in Western ballroom dancing , is undertaken primarily for a common purpose, such as social interaction or exercise , or building flexibility of participants rather than to serve any benefit to onlookers. Such dance seldom has any narrative. A group dance and a corps de ballet ,
456-593: A nomadic people who lived in Central Asia , the Caucasus , and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. The nomadic nature of Hun society means that they have left very little in the archaeological record. Archaeological finds have produced a large number of cauldrons that have since the work of Paul Reinecke in 1896 been identified as having been produced by the Huns. Although typically described as "bronze cauldrons",
608-518: A 5–6 meter tall statue (which had to be seated to fit within the height of the columns supporting the Temple). Since the sandal of the foot fragment bears the symbolic depiction of Zeus ' thunderbolt , the statue is thought to have been a smaller version of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia . Due to the lack of proper stones for sculptural work in the area of Ai-Khanoum, unbaked clay and stucco modeled on
760-495: A characteristic appearance, with belted jackets with a unique lapel of their tunic being folded on the right side, a style which became popular under the Hephthalites, the cropped hair, the hair accessories, their distinctive physionomy and their round beardless faces. The figures at Bamiyan must represent the donors and potentates who supported the building of the monumental giant Buddha. These remarkable paintings participate "to
912-601: A characteristic tempo and rhythmic pattern. The tango, for example, is usually danced in 4 time at approximately 66 beats per minute. The basic slow step, called a "slow", lasts for one beat, so that a full "right–left" step is equal to one 4 measure. The basic forward and backward walk of the dance is so counted – "slow-slow" – while many additional figures are counted "slow – quick-quick". Repetitive body movements often depend on alternating "strong" and "weak" muscular movements. Given this alternation of left-right, of forward-backward and rise-fall, along with
1064-513: A citadel, a Classical theater, a huge palace in Greco-Bactrian architecture, somehow reminiscent of formal Persian palatial architecture, a gymnasium (100 × 100m), one of the largest of Antiquity, various temples, a mosaic representing the Macedonian sun, acanthus leaves and various animals (crabs, dolphins etc...), numerous remains of Classical Corinthian columns. Many artifacts are dated to
1216-513: A collective identity among the many cultural and ethnic groups of Latin America . Dance served to unite the many African, European, and indigenous peoples of the region. Certain dance genres, such as capoeira , and body movements, especially the characteristic quebradas or pelvis swings, have been variously banned and celebrated throughout Latin American history. Dance studies are offered through
1368-759: A complex of peoples known collectively in India as the Huna , and in Europe as the Chionites (from the Iranian names Xwn / Xyon ), and may even be considered as identical to the Chionites. The 5th century Byzantine historian Priscus called them Kidarites Huns, or "Huns who are Kidarites". The Huna/ Xionite tribes are often linked, albeit controversially, to the Huns who invaded Eastern Europe during
1520-580: A crossroads of cultural exchange, the hub of the so-called Silk Road – that complex system of trade routes stretching from China to the Mediterranean. Already in the Bronze Age (3rd and 2nd millennium BC), growing settlements formed part of an extensive network of trade linking Central Asia to the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia and Egypt. The arts of recent centuries are mainly influenced by Islamic art , but
1672-572: A dancer is generally one of constantly changing work situations, strong competitive pressure and low pay. Consequently, professional dancers often must supplement their incomes to achieve financial stability. In the U.S. many professional dancers belong to unions (such as the American Guild of Musical Artists , Screen Actors Guild and Actors' Equity Association ) that establish working conditions and minimum salaries for their members. Professional dancers must possess large amounts of athleticism. To lead
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#17328450039551824-536: A figure standing on its head, and another, on the Pashupati Seal , sitting cross-legged in a yoga -like pose. This figure has been variously identified. Sir John Marshall identified a resemblance to the Hindu god , Shiva . The animal depicted on a majority of seals at sites of the mature period has not been clearly identified. Part bull, part zebra, with a majestic horn, it has been a source of speculation. As yet, there
1976-469: A fixed sequence of steps require phrases and melodies of a certain fixed length to accompany that sequence. Musical accompaniment arose in the earliest dance, so that ancient Egyptians attributed the origin of the dance to the divine Athotus, who was said to have observed that music accompanying religious rituals caused participants to move rhythmically and to have brought these movements into proportional measure. The idea that dance arises from musical rhythm,
2128-415: A formula for dance diplomacy that sought to learn from and express respect for the aesthetic traditions of recently independent states that were former European colonies, such as Indonesia, India, and Burma, as a show of anti-colonial solidarity. In most forms of dance the foot is the source of movement, and in some cases require specific shoes to aid in the health, safety ability of the dancer, depending on
2280-651: A global influence. Dance styles fusing classical ballet technique with African-American dance have also appeared in the 21st century, including Hiplet . Dance is central to Latin American social life and culture. Brazilian Samba , Argentinian tango , and Cuban salsa are internationally popular partner dances, and other national dances— merengue , cueca , plena , jarabe , joropo , marinera , cumbia , bachata and others—are important components of their respective countries' cultures. Traditional Carnival festivals incorporate these and other dances in enormous celebrations. Dance has played an important role in forging
2432-424: A grave. Archaeological finds indicate that the Huns wore gold plaques as ornaments on their clothing, as well as imported glass beads. Ammianus reports that they wore clothes made of linen or the furs of marmots and leggings of goatskin. The Kidarites , or "Kidara Huns", were a dynasty that ruled Bactria and adjoining parts of Central Asia and South Asia in the 4th and 5th centuries. The Kidarites belonged to
2584-470: A railing that provides a sacred path for Buddhist followers to practice devotional circumambulation in ritual settings. Also, ancient Indians considered caves as sacred places since they were inhabited by holy men and monks. A chaitya was constructed from a cave. Relief sculptures of Buddhist figures and epigraphs written in Brahmi characters are often found in divine places specific to Buddhism. To celebrate
2736-470: A red wash made using a powdered mineral called geru , which is a form of iron oxide ( hematite ). Despite its wide spread and sophistication, the Indus Valley civilisation seems to have taken no interest in public large-scale art, unlike many other early civilizations. A number of gold , terracotta and stone figurines of girls in dancing poses reveal the presence of some forms of dance . Additionally,
2888-489: A round medallion plate describing the goddess Cybele on a chariot, in front of a fire altar, and under a depiction of Helios , a fully preserved bronze statue of Herakles , various golden serpentine arm jewellery and earrings, a toilet tray representing a seated Aphrodite , a mold representing a bearded and diademed middle-aged man. Various artefacts of daily life are also clearly Hellenistic: sundials , ink wells, tableware. An almost life-sized dark green glass phallus with
3040-445: A score. As far as competitive categories go, most competitions base their categories according to the dance style, age, experience level and the number of dancers competing in the routine. Major types of dance competitions include: During the 1950s and 1960s, cultural exchange of dance was a common feature of international diplomacy, especially amongst East and South Asian nations. The People's Republic of China , for example, developed
3192-477: A similar period. They are entirely different from the Hephthalites , who replaced them about a century later. The Hephthalites ( Bactrian : ηβοδαλο , romanized: Ebodalo ), sometimes called the "White Huns", were a people who lived in Central Asia during the 5th to 8th centuries. They existed as an Empire, the "Imperial Hephthalites", and were militarily important from 450 AD, when they defeated
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#17328450039553344-816: A small owl on the back side and other treasures are said to have been discovered at Ai-Khanoum, possibly along with a stone with an inscription, which was not recovered. The artefacts have now been returned to the Kabul Museum after several years in Switzerland by Paul Bucherer-Dietschi, Director of the Swiss Afghanistan Institute. Some traces remain of the presence of the Kushans in the areas of Bactria and Sogdiana . Archaeological structures are known in Takht-I-Sangin , Surkh Kotal (a monumental temple), and in
3496-445: A social partner dance and a pas de deux , differ profoundly. Even a solo dance or interpretive dance may be undertaken solely for the satisfaction of the dancer. Participatory dancers often all employ the same movements and steps but, for example, in the rave culture of electronic dance music , vast crowds may engage in free dance , uncoordinated with those around them. On the other hand, some cultures lay down strict rules as to
3648-503: A style in which surface detail, nudity, and sensuality is continued in the terracotta plaques of the Shunga Dynasty. The most common figural representations seen on these plaques are women, some of which are thought to be goddesses, who are mostly shown as bare-chested and wearing elaborate headdresses. The Satavahana dynasty ruled in central India, and sponsored many large Buddhist monuments, stupas , temples, and prayer-halls, including
3800-923: A successful career, it is advantageous to be versatile in many styles of dance, have a strong technical background and to use other forms of physical training to remain fit and healthy. Dance teachers typically focus on teaching dance performance, or coaching competitive dancers, or both. They typically have performance experience in the types of dance they teach or coach. For example, dancesport teachers and coaches are often tournament dancers or former dancesport performers. Dance teachers may be self-employed, or employed by dance schools or general education institutions with dance programs. Some work for university programs or other schools that are associated with professional classical dance (e.g., ballet) or modern dance companies. Others are employed by smaller, privately owned dance schools that offer dance training and performance coaching for various types of dance. Choreographers are
3952-430: A total of six known Hunnish diadems. Hunnic women seem to have worn necklaces and bracelets of mostly imported beads of various materials as well. The later common early medieval practice of decorating jewelry and weapons with gemstones appears to have originated with the Huns. They are also known to have made small mirrors of an originally Chinese type, which often appear to have been intentionally broken when placed into
4104-589: A wooden frame were often used, a technique which would become widespread in Central Asia and the East, especially in Buddhist art . In some cases, only the hands and feet would be made in marble. In India, only a few Hellenistic sculptural remains have been found, mainly small items in the excavations of Sirkap. A variety of artefacts of Hellenistic style, often with Persian influence, were also excavated at Ai-Khanoum, such as
4256-450: Is The Cygnets' Dance in act two of Swan Lake . The ballet developed out of courtly dramatic productions of 16th- and 17th-century France and Italy and for some time dancers performed dances developed from those familiar from the musical suite, all of which were defined by definite rhythms closely identified with each dance. These appeared as character dances in the era of romantic nationalism . Ballet reached widespread vogue in
4408-433: Is generally, but not exclusively, performed with the accompaniment of music and may or may not be performed in time to such music. Some dance (such as tap dance or gumboot dance ) may provide its own audible accompaniment in place of (or in addition to) music. Many early forms of music and dance were created for each other and are frequently performed together. Notable examples of traditional dance-music couplings include
4560-447: Is insufficient evidence to substantiate claims that the image had religious or cultist significance, but the prevalence of the image raises the question of whether or not the animals in images of the IVC are religious symbols. The most famous piece is the bronze Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Daro , which shows remarkably advanced modelling of the human figure for this early date. After the end of
4712-555: Is now India , Pakistan , Bangladesh , Sri Lanka , Nepal , Bhutan , and at times eastern Afghanistan . A strong sense of design is characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern and traditional forms. The origin of Indian art can be traced to prehistoric settlements in the 3rd millennium BCE. On its way to modern times, Indian art has had cultural influences, as well as religious influences such as Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism , Sikhism and Islam . In spite of this complex mixture of religious traditions, generally,
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4864-529: Is often bilingual, combining Greek with the Indian Brahmi script or Kharoshthi . Apart from Ai-Khanoum, Indo-Greek ruins have been positively identified in few cities such as Barikot or Taxila , with generally much fewer known artistic remains. Numerous artefacts and structures were found, particularly in Ai-Khanoum, pointing to a high Hellenistic culture, combined with Eastern influences, starting from
5016-537: Is one early text. It mainly deals with drama, in which dance plays an important part in Indian culture. A strong continuous tradition of dance has since continued in India, through to modern times, where it continues to play a role in culture, ritual, and the Bollywood entertainment industry. Many other contemporary dance forms can likewise be traced back to historical , traditional , ceremonial , and ethnic dance. Dance
5168-428: Is quite possible to develop the dance without music and... music is perfectly capable of standing on its own feet without any assistance from the dance", nevertheless the "two arts will always be related and the relationship can be profitable both to the dance and to music", the precedence of one art over the other being a moot point. The common ballad measures of hymns and folk-songs takes their name from dance, as does
5320-412: Is rhythm and form more than harmony and color which, from the beginning, has bound music, poetry and dancing together in a union that is indissoluble." Concert dance, like opera , generally depends for its large-scale form upon a narrative dramatic structure . The movements and gestures of the choreography are primarily intended to mime the personality and aims of the characters and their part in
5472-498: Is taught to all ages ranging from two years old to the adult level outside of a professional dance setting. Typically this dance education is seen in dance studio businesses across the world. Some K-12 public schools have provided the opportunity for students to take beginner level dance classes, as well as participate in dance teams that perform at school events. Professional dancers are usually employed on contract or for particular performances or productions. The professional life of
5624-488: Is the main source of ancient art in other cultures. Indian artist styles historically followed Indian religions out of the subcontinent, having an especially large influence in Tibet , South East Asia and China . Indian art has itself received influences at times, especially from Central Asia and Iran , and Europe. Rock art of India includes rock relief carvings, engravings and paintings, some (but by no means all) from
5776-415: Is the place of origin of Bhangra . It is widely known both as a style of music and a dance. It is mostly related to ancient harvest celebrations, love, patriotism or social issues. Its music is coordinated by a musical instrument called the 'Dhol'. Bhangra is not just music but a dance, a celebration of the harvest where people beat the dhol (drum), sing Boliyaan (lyrics) and dance. It developed further with
5928-424: Is to provide a fun and educative place for dancers and give them the opportunity to perform their choreographed routines from their current dance season onstage. Oftentimes, competitions will take place in a professional setting or may vary to non-performance spaces, such as a high school theatre. The results of the dancers are then dictated by a credible panel of judges and are evaluated on their performance than given
6080-414: Is typically performed with musical accompaniment , and sometimes with the dancer simultaneously using a musical instrument themselves. There are two different types of dance: theatrical and participatory dance. Both types of dance may have special functions, whether social, ceremonial , competitive , erotic , martial , sacred or liturgical . Dance is not solely restricted to performance, as dance
6232-468: Is used as a form of exercise and occasionally training for other sports and activities. Dance performances and dancing competitions are found across the world exhibiting various different styles and standards. Theatrical dance, also called performance or concert dance , is intended primarily as a spectacle, usually a performance upon a stage by virtuoso dancers. It often tells a story , perhaps using mime , costume and scenery , or it may interpret
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6384-560: The Ajanta Caves , the surviving works are almost all religious sculpture. The period saw the emergence of the iconic carved stone deity in Hindu art, as well as the Buddha-figure and Jain tirthankara figures, these last often on a very large scale. The main centres of sculpture were Mathura Sarnath , and Gandhara , the last the centre of Greco-Buddhist art . The Gupta period marked
6536-534: The Amaravati Stupa , the Karla Caves , and the first phase of the Ajanta Caves . Stupas are religious monuments built on burial mounds, which contain relics beneath a solid dome. Stupas in different areas of India may vary in structure, size, and design; however, their representational meanings are quite similar. They are designed based on a mandala , a graph of cosmos specific to Buddhism. A traditional stupa has
6688-502: The Caspian Sea to central China and from southern Russia to northern India – have been home to migrating herders who practised mixed economies on the margins of sedentary societies. The prehistoric 'animal style' art of these pastoral nomads not only demonstrates their zoomorphic mythologies and shamanic traditions but also their fluidity in incorporating the symbols of sedentary society into their own artworks. Central Asia has always been
6840-462: The Gravettian . Most of these statuettes show stylized clothes. Quite often the face is depicted. The tradition of Upper Paleolithic portable statuettes being almost exclusively European, it has been suggested that Mal'ta had some kind of cultural and cultic connection with Europe during that time period, but this remains unsettled. The Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC, also known as
6992-539: The Greco-Buddhist art . Mahayana Buddhism flourished, and the depictions of Buddha as a human form first appeared in art. Wearing a monk's robe and a long length of cloth draped over the left shoulder and around the body, the Buddha was depicted with 32 major lakshanas (distinguishing marks), including a golden-colored body, an ushnisha (a protuberance) on the top of his head, heavy earrings, elongated earlobes, long arms,
7144-658: The Hellenistic art of nearby Bactria where this design is known. In the production of colossal Yaksha statues carved in the round, which can be found in several locations in northern India, the art of Mathura is considered as the most advanced in quality and quantity during this period. The major survivals of Buddhist art begin in the period after the Mauryans, from which good quantities of sculpture survives. Some key sites are Sanchi , Bharhut and Amaravati , some of which remain in situ , with others in museums in India or around
7296-499: The Kidarites , to 560 AD, date of their defeat to combined First Turkic Khaganate and Sasanian Empire forces. The Hepthalites appears in several mural paintings in the area of Tokharistan , especially in banquet scenes at Balalyk tepe and as donors to the Buddha in the ceiling painting of the 35-meter Buddha at the Buddhas of Bamiyan . Several of the figures in these paintings have
7448-843: The Mal'ta culture and slightly later the Afontova Gora-Oshurkovo culture . The Mal'ta culture culture, centered around at Mal'ta , at the Angara River , near Lake Baikal in Irkutsk Oblast , Southern Siberia , and located at the northeastern periphery of Central Asia, created some of the first works of art in the Upper Paleolithic period, with objects such as the Venus figurines of Mal'ta . These figures consist most often of mammoth ivory. The figures are about 23,000 years old and stem from
7600-600: The Neolithic period, groups of people are depicted dancing in a line holding hands, and the earliest Chinese word for "dance" is found written in the oracle bones . Dance is described in the Lüshi Chunqiu . Primitive dance in ancient China was associated with sorcery and shamanic rituals. During the first millennium BCE in India, many texts were composed which attempted to codify aspects of daily life. Bharata Muni 's Natya Shastra (literally "the text of dramaturgy" )
7752-480: The Pallavas symbolizes early Hindu architecture , with its monolithic rock relief and sculptures of Hindu deities. They were succeeded by Chola rulers who were prolific in their pursuit of the arts . The Great Living Chola Temples of this period are known for their maturity, grandeur and attention to detail, and have been recognized as a UNESCO Heritage Site . The Chola period is also known for its bronze sculptures,
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#17328450039557904-771: The Siberian permafrost , in the Altay Mountains , Kazakhstan and nearby Mongolia . The mummies are buried in long barrows (or kurgans ) similar to the tomb mounds of Scythian culture in Ukraine . The type site are the Pazyryk burials of the Ukok Plateau . Many artifacts and human remains have been found at this location, including the Siberian Ice Princess , indicating a flourishing culture at this location that benefited from
8056-655: The South Asian Stone Age . It is estimated there are about 1300 rock art sites with over a quarter of a million figures and figurines. The earliest rock carvings in India were discovered by Archibald Carlleyle , twelve years before the Cave of Altamira in Spain , although his work only came to light much later via J Cockburn (1899). Dr. V. S. Wakankar discovered several painted rock shelters in Central India , situated around
8208-630: The Soviet archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi (1976). Bactria was the Greek name for Old Persian Bāxtriš (from native * Bāxçiš ) (named for its capital Bactra, modern Balkh ), in what is now northern Afghanistan, and Margiana was the Greek name for the Persian satrapy of Margu , the capital of which was Merv , in today's Turkmenistan. Fertility goddesses, named "Bactrian princesses", made from limestone, chlorite and clay reflect agrarian Bronze Age society, while
8360-499: The Vindhya mountain range . Of these, the c. 750 sites making up the Bhimbetka rock shelters have been enrolled as a UNESCO World Heritage Site ; the earliest paintings are some 10,000 years old. The paintings in these sites commonly depicted scenes of human life alongside animals, and hunts with stone implements. Their style varied with region and age, but the most common characteristic was
8512-767: The ancient Middle East . Roundels containing a dot serve the same purpose on the stag and other animal renderings executed by contemporary Śaka metalworkers. Animal processions of the Assyro-Achaemenian type also appealed to many Central Asian tribesmen and are featured in their arts. Certain geometric designs and sun symbols , such as the circle and rosette , recur at Pazyryk but are completely outnumbered by animal motifs. The stag and its relatives figure as prominently as in Altai-Sayan. Combat scenes between carnivores and herbivores are exceedingly numerous in Pazyryk work;
8664-672: The arts and humanities programs of many higher education institutions. Some universities offer Bachelor of Arts and higher academic degrees in Dance. A dance study curriculum may encompass a diverse range of courses and topics, including dance practice and performance, choreography, ethnochoreology , kinesiology , dance notation , and dance therapy . Most recently, dance and movement therapy has been integrated in some schools into math lessons for students with learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral disabilities, as well as for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Dance
8816-481: The bilateral symmetry of the human body, many dances and much music are in duple and quadruple meter . Since some such movements require more time in one phase than the other – such as the longer time required to lift a hammer than to strike – some dance rhythms fall into triple metre . Occasionally, as in the folk dances of the Balkans , dance traditions depend heavily on more complex rhythms. Complex dances composed of
8968-545: The carol , originally a circle dance . Many purely musical pieces have been named " waltz " or " minuet ", for example, while many concert dances have been produced that are based upon abstract musical pieces, such as 2 and 3 Part Inventions , Adams Violin Concerto and Andantino . Similarly, poems are often structured and named after dances or musical works, while dance and music have both drawn their conception of "measure" or "metre" from poetry. Shawn quotes with approval
9120-491: The early Vedic religion focused exclusively on the worship of purely "elementary forces of nature by means of elaborate sacrifices", which did not lend themselves easily to anthropomorphological representations. Various artefacts may belong to the Copper Hoard culture (2nd millennium BCE), some of them suggesting anthropomorphological characteristics. Interpretations vary as to the exact signification of these artifacts, or even
9272-560: The jig , waltz , tango , disco , and salsa . Some musical genres have a parallel dance form such as baroque music and baroque dance ; other varieties of dance and music may share nomenclature but developed separately, such as classical music and classical ballet . The choreography and music are meant to complement each other, to express a story told by the choreographer and dancers. Rhythm and dance are deeply linked in history and practice. The American dancer Ted Shawn wrote; "The conception of rhythm which underlies all studies of
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#17328450039559424-970: The lost-wax casting technique and fresco paintings . Thanks to the Hindu kings of the Chalukya dynasty , Jainism flourished alongside Islam evidenced by the fourth of the Badami cave temples being Jain instead of Vedic . The kingdoms of South India continued to rule their lands until the Muslim invasions that established sultanates there and destroyed much of the temples and marvel examples of architectures and sculptures Other Hindu states are now mainly known through their surviving temples and their attached sculpture. These include Badami Chalukya architecture (5th to 6th centuries), Western Chalukya architecture (11th to 12th centuries) and Hoysala architecture (11th to 14th centuries), all centred on modern Karnataka . In east India, Odisha and West Bengal , Kalinga architecture
9576-578: The maypole dance are common to many nations, while others such as the céilidh and the polka are deeply-rooted in a single culture. Some European folk dances such as the square dance were brought to the New World and subsequently became part of American culture. Ballet developed first in Italy and then in France from lavish court spectacles that combined rhythm, drama, poetry, song, costumes and dance. Members of
9728-498: The terracotta figurines included cows, bears, monkeys, and dogs. By far the most common form of figurative art found is small carved seals . Thousands of steatite seals have been recovered, and their physical character is fairly consistent. In size they range from 3 ⁄ 4 inch to 1 1 ⁄ 2 inches square. In most cases they have a pierced boss at the back to accommodate a cord for handling or for use as personal adornment. Seals have been found at Mohenjo-Daro depicting
9880-479: The "Oxus civilization") is the modern archaeological designation for a Bronze Age archaeological culture of Central Asia , dated to c. 2200–1700 BC, located in present-day eastern Turkmenistan , northern Afghanistan, southern Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan , centred on the upper Amu Darya (known to the ancient Greeks as the Oxus River), an area covering ancient Bactria. Its sites were discovered and named by
10032-466: The "golden age" of classical Hinduism, and saw the earliest constructed Hindu temple architecture , though survivals are not numerous. Over this period Hindu temple architecture matured into a number of regional styles, and a large proportion of the art historical record for this period consists of temple sculpture, much of which remains in place. The political history of the middle kingdoms of India saw India divided into many states, and since much of
10184-709: The 280–250 BC period. Overall, Aï-Khanoum was an extremely important Greek city (1.5 sq kilometer), characteristic of the Seleucid Empire and then the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom , remaining one of the major cities at the time when the Greek kings started to occupy parts of India, from 200 to 145 BC. It seems the city was destroyed, never to be rebuilt, about the time of the death of king Eucratides around 145 BC. Archaeological missions unearthed various structures, some of them perfectly Hellenistic, some other integrating elements of Persian architecture , including
10336-459: The 2nd century BC, which corresponds to the early Indo-Greek period. Various sculptural fragments were also found at Ai-Khanoum , in a rather conventional, classical style, rather impervious to the Hellenizing innovations occurring at the same time in the Mediterranean world. Of special notice, a huge foot fragment in excellent Hellenistic style was recovered, which is estimated to have belonged to
10488-495: The 2nd century BCE, Yakshas became the focus of the creation of colossal cultic images, typically around 2 meters or more in height, which are considered as probably the first Indian anthropomorphic productions in stone. Although few ancient Yaksha statues remain in good condition, the vigor of the style has been applauded, and expresses essentially Indian qualities. They are often pot-bellied, two-armed and fierce-looking. The Yakshas are often depicted with weapons or attributes, such as
10640-537: The 8th century BC. The Chinese adopted the Scythian-style animal art of the steppes (descriptions of animals locked in combat), particularly the rectangular belt-plaques made of gold or bronze, and created their own versions in jade and steatite . Following their expulsion by the Yuezhi , some Saka may also have migrated to the area of Yunnan in southern China. Saka warriors could also have served as mercenaries for
10792-447: The Americas Art of Oceania Central Asian art is visual art created in Central Asia , in areas corresponding to modern Kyrgyzstan , Kazakhstan , Uzbekistan , Turkmenistan , Tajikistan , Afghanistan , and parts of modern Mongolia, China and Russia. The art of ancient and medieval Central Asia reflects the rich history of this vast area, home to a huge variety of peoples, religions and ways of life. The artistic remains of
10944-614: The Buddha and bodhisattvas , which are not found before 100 CE at the least. Buddhism developed an increasing emphasis on statues of the Buddha, which was greatly influenced by Hindu and Jain religious figurative art, The figures of this period which were also influenced by the Greco-Buddhist art of the centuries after the conquests of Alexander the Great . This fusion developed in the far north-west of India, especially Gandhara in modern Afghanistan and Pakistan . The Indian Kushan Empire spread from Central Asia to include northern India in
11096-547: The Buddha and his bodhisattvas are well-defined, solid, and muscular, with swelling chests, arms, and abdomens. Buddhism and Buddhism art spread to Central Asia and the far East across Bactria and Sogdia , where the Kushan Empire met the Han Dynasty of China. The Gupta period is generally regarded as a classic peak of north Indian art for all the major religious groups. Although painting was evidently widespread, and survives in
11248-713: The Indus Valley Civilization, there is a surprising absence of art of any great degree of sophistication until the Buddhist era. It is thought that this partly reflects the use of perishable organic materials such as wood. The millennium following the collapse of the Indus Valley civilisation, coinciding with the Indo-Aryan migration during the Vedic period , is devoid of anthropomorphical depictions. It has been suggested that
11400-522: The Kali temple, the paintings over a period of time developed as a distinct school of Indian painting. From the depiction of Hindu gods other mythological characters, the Kalighat paintings developed to reflect a variety of themes. Central Asian art Art of Central Asia Art of East Asia Art of South Asia Art of Southeast Asia Art of Europe Art of Africa Art of
11552-527: The Maurya Empire. The Great Stupa was enlarged to its present diameter of 120 feet, covered with a stone casing, topped with a balcony and umbrella, and encircled with a stone railing during the Shunga Dynasty c. 150 BCE – 50 BCE. In addition to architecture, another significant art form of the Shunga Dynasty is the elaborately moulded terracotta plaques. As seen in previous examples from the Mauryan Empire,
11704-545: The Pazyryk beasts are locked in such bitter fights that the victim's hindquarters become inverted. Tribes of Europoid type appear to have been active in Mongolia and Southern Siberia from ancient times. They were in contact with China and were often described for their foreign features. The art of the Saka was of a similar styles as other Iranian peoples of the steppes, which is referred to collectively as Scythian art . In 2001,
11856-532: The Pazyryk burials include the oldest woollen knotted-pile carpet known, the oldest embroidered Chinese silk, and two pieces of woven Persian fabric (State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg). Red and ochre predominate in the carpet, the main design of which is of riders, stags, and griffins. Many of the Pazyryk felt hangings, saddlecloths, and cushions were covered with elaborate designs executed in appliqué feltwork, dyed furs, and embroidery. Of exceptional interest are those with animal and human figural compositions,
12008-420: The Shunga Dynasty in south India, some of the most significant early Buddhist architecture was created. Arguably, the most significant architecture of this dynasty is the stupa, a religious monument which usually holds a sacred relic of Buddhism. These relics were often, but not always, in some way directly connected to the Buddha. Due to the fact that these stupas contained remains of the Buddha himself, each stupa
12160-501: The Tokharistan school such as Balalyk tepe , in the depiction of clothes, and especially in the treatment of the faces. Dance Dance is an art form , consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography , by its repertoire of movements or by its historical period or place of origin . Dance
12312-542: The Vaisakhi festival of the Sikhs . The dances of Sri Lanka include the devil dances ( yakun natima ), a carefully crafted ritual reaching far back into Sri Lanka's pre-Buddhist past that combines ancient " Ayurvedic " concepts of disease causation with psychological manipulation and combines many aspects including Sinhalese cosmology. Their influence can be seen on the classical dances of Sri Lanka . Indonesian dances reflect
12464-691: The Yaksha Mudgarpani who in the right hand holds a mudgar mace, and in the left hand the figure of a small standing devotee or child joining hands in prayer. It is often suggested that the style of the colossal Yaksha statuary had an important influence on the creation of later divine images and human figures in India. The female equivalent of the Yakshas were the Yakshinis, often associated with trees and children, and whose voluptuous figures became omnipresent in Indian art. Some Hellenistic influence, such as
12616-421: The academy, was formed; this troupe began as an all-male ensemble but by 1681 opened to include women as well. 20th century concert dance brought an explosion of innovation in dance style characterized by an exploration of freer technique. Early pioneers of what became known as modern dance include Loie Fuller , Isadora Duncan , Mary Wigman and Ruth St. Denis . The relationship of music to dance serves as
12768-593: The acceptance of dharma religion in the 1st century in Indonesia, Hinduism and Buddhist rituals were celebrated in various artistic performances. Hindu epics such as the Ramayana , Mahabharata and also the Panji became the inspiration to be shown in a dance-drama called "Sendratari" resembling " ballet " in the western tradition. An elaborate and highly stylized dance method was invented and has survived to this day, especially on
12920-452: The advancement of plot and the narration of action, and Furyū Noh , dance pieces involving acrobatics, stage properties, multiple characters and elaborate stage action. Social dances , those intended for participation rather than for an audience, may include various forms of mime and narrative, but are typically set much more closely to the rhythmic pattern of music, so that terms like waltz and polka refer as much to musical pieces as to
13072-403: The ages as having emerged as a response to music yet, as Lincoln Kirstein implied, it is at least as likely that primitive music arose from dance. Shawn concurs, stating that dance "was the first art of the human race, and the matrix out of which all other arts grew" and that even the " metre in our poetry today is a result of the accents necessitated by body movement, as the dancing and reciting
13224-565: The art of Gandhara, thanks to the patronage of the Kushans . The Kushans apparently favoured royal portraiture, as can be seen in their coins and their dynastic sculptures. A monumental sculpture of King Kanishka I has been found in Mathura in northern India, which is characterized by its frontality and martial stance, as he holds firmly his sword and a mace. His heavy coat and riding boots are typically nomadic Central Asian, and are way too heavy for
13376-602: The art of the cities of Ai-Khanoum and Nysa . At Khalchayan, rows of in-the-round terracotta statues showed Kushan princes in dignified attitudes, while some of the sculptural scenes are thought to depict the Kushans fighting against the Sakas . The Yuezis are shown with a majestic demeanour, whereas the Sakas are typically represented with side- wiskers , displaying expressive and sometimes grotesque features. According to Benjamin Rowland,
13528-504: The artistic tradition of the Hephthalite ruling classes of Tukharistan ". The paintings related to the Hephthalites have often been grouped under the appellation of "Tokharistan school of art", or the "Hephthalite stage in the History of Central Asia Art". The paintings of Tavka Kurgan , of very high quality, also belong to this school of art, and are closely related to other paintings of
13680-424: The basis for Eurhythmics , devised by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze , which was influential to the development of Modern dance and modern ballet through artists such as Marie Rambert . Eurythmy , developed by Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner-von Sivers , combines formal elements reminiscent of traditional dance with the new freer style, and introduced a complex new vocabulary to dance. In the 1920s, important founders of
13832-464: The cauldrons are often made of copper, which is generally of poor quality. Maenchen-Helfen lists 19 known finds of Hunnish cauldrons from all over Central and Eastern Europe and Western Siberia. They come in various shapes, and are sometimes found together with vessels of various other origins. Both ancient sources and archaeological finds from graves confirm that the Huns wore elaborately decorated golden or gold-plated diadems . Maenchen-Helfen lists
13984-563: The continent, can also be found in Kofun era Japan. Margiana and Bactria belonged to the Medes for a time, and were then annexed to the Achaemenid Empire by Cyrus the Great in sixth century BC , forming the twelfth satrapy of Persia. Under Persian rule, many Greeks were deported to Bactria, so that their communities and language became common in the area. During the reign of Darius I ,
14136-570: The continent. These may be divided into traditional, neotraditional, and classical styles: folkloric dances of a particular society, dances created more recently in imitation of traditional styles, and dances transmitted more formally in schools or private lessons. African dance has been altered by many forces, such as European missionaries and colonialist governments, who often suppressed local dance traditions as licentious or distracting. Dance in contemporary African cultures still serves its traditional functions in new contexts; dance may celebrate
14288-591: The court nobility took part as performers. During the reign of Louis XIV , himself a dancer, dance became more codified. Professional dancers began to take the place of court amateurs, and ballet masters were licensed by the French government. The first ballet dance academy was the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy), opened in Paris in 1661. Shortly thereafter, the first institutionalized ballet troupe, associated with
14440-538: The culture and the periodization to which they belonged. Some examples of artistic expression also appear in abstract pottery designs during the Black and red ware culture (1450-1200 BCE) or the Painted Grey Ware culture (1200-600 BCE), with finds in a wide area, including the area of Mathura. After a gap of about a thousand years, most of the early finds correspond to what is called the "second period of urbanization" in
14592-433: The dance is something about which we could talk forever, and still not finish." A musical rhythm requires two main elements; a regularly-repeating pulse (also called the "beat" or "tactus") that establishes the tempo , and a pattern of accents and rests that establishes the character of the metre or basic rhythmic pattern . The basic pulse is roughly equal in duration to a simple step or gesture. Dances generally have
14744-412: The dance itself. The rhythm of the dancers' feet may even form an essential part of the music, as in tap dance . African dance, for example, is rooted in fixed basic steps, but may also allow a high degree of rhythmic interpretation: the feet or the trunk mark the basic pulse while cross-rhythms are picked up by shoulders, knees, or head, with the best dancers simultaneously giving plastic expression to all
14896-510: The discovery of an undisturbed royal Scythian burial-barrow illustrated Scythian animal-style gold that lacks the direct influence of Greek styles. Forty-four pounds of gold weighed down the royal couple in this burial, discovered near Kyzyl , capital of the Siberian republic of Tuva . Ancient influences from Central Asia became identifiable in China following contacts of metropolitan China with nomadic western and northwestern border territories from
15048-565: The divine, Satavahana people also made stone images as the decoration in Buddhist architectures. Based on the knowledge of geometry and geology, they created ideal images using a set of complex techniques and tools such as chisels, hammers, and compasses with iron points. In addition, delicate Satavahana coins show the capacity of creating art in that period. The Satavahanas issued coins primarily in copper, lead and potin . Later on, silver came into use when producing coins. The coins usually have detailed portraits of rulers and inscriptions written in
15200-527: The early centuries CE, and briefly commissioned large statues that were portraits of the royal dynasty. With the fall of the Maurya Empire , control of India was returned to the older custom of regional dynasties, one of the most significant of which was the Shunga Dynasty (c. 185 BCE – 72 BCE) of central India. During this period, as well as during the Satavahana Dynasty which occurred concurrently with
15352-618: The elements of the polyrhythmic pattern. Dance in Africa is deeply integrated into society and major events in a community are frequently reflected in dances: dances are performed for births and funerals, weddings and wars. Traditional dances impart cultural morals, including religious traditions and sexual standards; give vent to repressed emotions, such as grief ; motivate community members to cooperate, whether fighting wars or grinding grain; enact spiritual rituals; and contribute to social cohesiveness . Thousands of dances are performed around
15504-498: The expense of the declining Kushans . They captured the provinces of Sogdiana , Bactria and Gandhara from the Kushans in 225 AD. The Kushano-Sassanids traded goods such as silverware and textiles depicting the Sassanid emperors engaged in hunting or administering justice. The example of Sassanid art was influential on Kushan art, and this influence remained active for several centuries in northwest South Asia. The Huns were
15656-520: The extensive corpus of metal objects point to a sophisticated tradition of metalworking. Wearing large stylised dresses, as well as headdresses that merge with the hair, "Bactrian princesses" embody the ranking goddess, character of the central Asian mythology that plays a regulatory role, pacifying the untamed forces. The Pazyryk culture is a Scythian nomadic Iron Age archaeological culture (of Iranian origin; c. 6th to 3rd centuries BC) identified by excavated artifacts and mummified humans found in
15808-691: The famous head of a Yuezhi prince from Khalchayan, and the head of Gandharan Bodhisattvas , giving the example of the Gandharan head of a Bodhisattva in the Philadelphia Museum of Art . The similarity of the Gandhara Bodhisattva with the portrait of the Kushan ruler Heraios is also striking. According to Rowland the Bactrian art of Khalchayan thus survived for several centuries through its influence in
15960-543: The first place. There is more from various early sites of Indian rock-cut architecture . The most famous survivals are the large animals surmounting several of the Pillars of Ashoka , which showed a confident and boldly mature style and craft and first of its kind iron casting without rust until date, which was in use by vedic people in rural areas of the country, though we have very few remains showing its development. The famous detached Lion Capital of Ashoka , with four animals,
16112-404: The geometrical folds of the drapery or the walking stance of the statues, has been suggested. According to John Boardman , the hem of the dress in the monumental early Yaksha statues is derived from Greek art. Describing the drapery of one of these statues, John Boardman writes: "It has no local antecedents and looks most like a Greek Late Archaic mannerism", and suggests it is possibly derived from
16264-513: The grandest building was commissioned by rulers and their court, this helped the development of regional differences. Painting, both on a large scale on walls, and in miniature forms, was no doubt very widely practiced, but survivals are rare. Medieval bronzes have most commonly survived from either the Tamil south, or the Himalayan foothills. Inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka mention coexistence of
16416-447: The impression of a chakra (wheel) on the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet, and the urna (a mark between his eyebrows). One of the hallmarks of Gandharan art is its relation to naturalism of Hellenistic art . The naturalistic features found in Gandharan sculptures include the three-dimensional treatment of the drapery, with unregularized folds that are in realistic patterns of random shape and thickness. The physical form of
16568-536: The inauguration of a hospital, build community for rural migrants in unfamiliar cities, and be incorporated into Christian church ceremonies. All Indian classical dances are to varying degrees rooted in the Natyashastra and therefore share common features: for example, the mudra s (hand positions), some body positions, leg movement and the inclusion of dramatic or expressive acting or abhinaya . Indian classical music provides accompaniment and dancers of nearly all
16720-699: The inhabitants of the Greek city of Barca , in Cyrenaica , were deported to Bactria for refusing to surrender assassins. In addition, Xerxes also settled the "Branchidae" in Bactria; they were the descendants of Greek priests who had once lived near Didyma (western Asia Minor) and betrayed the temple to him. Herodotus also records a Persian commander threatening to enslave daughters of the revolting Ionians and send them to Bactria. Persia subsequently conscripted Greek men from these settlements in Bactria into their military, as did Alexander later. The Greco-Bactrians ruled
16872-706: The islands of Java and Bali . The Javanese Wayang wong dance takes footage from the Ramayana or Mahabharata episodes, but this dance is very different from the Indian version, indonesian dances do not pay as much attention to the " mudras " as Indian dances: even more to show local forms. The sacred Javanese ritual dance Bedhaya is believed to date back to the Majapahit period in the 14th century or even earlier, this dance originated from ritual dances performed by virgin girls to worship Hindu Gods such as Shiva , Brahma , and Vishnu . In Bali, dance has become an integral part of
17024-457: The language of Tamil and Telugu . Officially established by Kujula Kadphises , the first Kushan emperor who united the Yuezhi tribes, the Kushan empire was a syncretic empire in central and southern Asia, including the regions of Gandhara and Mathura in northern India. From 127 to 151 CE, Gandharan reached its peak under the reign of Kanishka the Great. In this period, Kushan art inherited
17176-408: The many trade routes and caravans of merchants passing through the area. The Pazyryk are considered to have had a war-like life. Other kurgan cemeteries associated with the culture include those of Bashadar, Tuekta, Ulandryk, Polosmak and Berel . There are so far no known sites of settlements associated with the burials, suggesting a purely nomadic lifestyle. The remarkable textiles recovered from
17328-423: The meaning of "primitive rhythmic movements", a situation that began to change in the 20th century with such productions as Igor Stravinsky 's The Rite of Spring with its new rhythmic language evoking primal feelings of a primitive past. Indian classical dance styles, like ballet, are often in dramatic form, so that there is a similar complementarity between narrative expression and "pure" dance. In this case,
17480-552: The middle of the 1st millennium BCE. The anthropomorphic depiction of various deities apparently started in the middle of the 1st millennium BCE, possibly as a consequence of the influx of foreign stimuli initiated with the Achaemenid conquest of the Indus Valley , and the rise of alternative local faiths challenging Vedism , such as Buddhism , Jainism and local popular cults. The north Indian Maurya Empire flourished from 322 BCE to 185 BCE, and at its maximum extent controlled all of
17632-678: The most notable of which are the repeat design of an investiture scene on a felt hanging and that of a semi-human, semi-bird creature on another (both in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg ). Clothing, whether of felt, leather, or fur, was also lavishly ornamented. Horse reins either had animal designs cut out on them or were studded with wooden ones covered in gold foil. Their tail sheaths were ornamented, as were their headpieces and breast pieces. Some horses were provided with leather or felt masks made to resemble animals, with stag antlers or rams' horns often incorporated in them. Many of
17784-476: The musical accompaniment , which is often specially composed and performed in a theatre setting but it is not a requirement. Examples are Western ballet and modern dance , Classical Indian dance such as Bharatanatyam , and Chinese and Japanese song and dance dramas, such as the dragon dance . Most classical forms are centred upon dance alone, but performance dance may also appear in opera and other forms of musical theatre . Participatory dance, whether it be
17936-440: The new style such as Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey began their work. Since this time, a wide variety of dance styles have been developed; see Modern dance . African American dance developed in everyday spaces, rather than in dance studios, schools or companies. Tap dance , disco , jazz dance , swing dance , hip hop dance , the lindy hop with its relationship to rock and roll music and rock and roll dance have had
18088-521: The next. The use of dance in ecstatic trance states and healing rituals (as observed today in many contemporary indigenous cultures) is thought to have been another early factor in the social development of dance. References to dance can be found in very early recorded history; Greek dance ( choros ) is referred to by Plato , Aristotle , Plutarch and Lucian . The Bible and Talmud refer to many events related to dance, and contain over 30 different dance terms. In Chinese pottery as early as
18240-460: The northern kingdoms with the triumvirate of Chola , Chera and Pandya Tamil dynasties , situated south of the Vindhya mountains . The medieval period witnessed the rise and fall of these kingdoms, in conjunction with other kingdoms in the area. It is during the decline and resurgence of these kingdoms that Hinduism was renewed. It fostered the construction of numerous temples and sculptures. The Shore Temple at Mamallapuram constructed by
18392-470: The object of an important cult in the early periods of Indian history, many of them being known such as Kubera , king of the Yakshas, Manibhadra or Mudgarpani . The Yakshas are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness, and were the object of popular worship. Many of them were later incorporated into Buddhism, Jainism or Hinduism. In
18544-477: The ones that design the dancing movements within a dance, they are often university trained and are typically employed for particular projects or, more rarely may work on contract as the resident choreographer for a specific dance company. A dance competition is an organized event in which contestants perform dances before a judge or judges for awards, and in some cases, monetary prizes. There are several major types of dance competitions, distinguished primarily by
18696-454: The palace of Khalchayan . Various sculptures and friezes are known, representing horse-riding archers, and, significantly, men with artificially deformed skulls , such as the Kushan prince of Khalchayan (a practice well attested in nomadic Central Asia). The art of Khalchayan of the end of the 2nd–1st century BC is probably one of the first known manifestations of Kushan art. It is ultimately derived from Hellenistic art , and possibly from
18848-577: The particular dances people may or must participate. Archaeological evidence for early dance includes 10,000-years-old paintings in Madhya Pradesh, India at the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka , and Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures, dated c. 3300 BC . It has been proposed that before the invention of written languages, dance was an important part of the oral and performance methods of passing stories down from one generation to
19000-404: The plot. Such theatrical requirements tend towards longer, freer movements than those usual in non-narrative dance styles. On the other hand, the ballet blanc , developed in the 19th century, allows interludes of rhythmic dance that developed into entirely "plotless" ballets in the 20th century and that allowed fast, rhythmic dance-steps such as those of the petit allegro . A well-known example
19152-470: The prevailing artistic style at any time and place has been shared by the major religious groups. In historic art, sculpture in stone and metal, mainly religious, has survived the Indian climate better than other media and provides most of the best remains. Many of the most important ancient finds that are not in carved stone come from the surrounding, drier regions rather than India itself. Indian funeral and philosophic traditions exclude grave goods , which
19304-565: The previous era, replacing stories with more Islamic interpretations and clothing that is more closed according to Islamic teachings. The dances of the Middle East are usually the traditional forms of circle dancing which are modernized to an extent. They would include dabke , tamzara , Assyrian folk dance , Kurdish dance , Armenian dance and Turkish dance , among others. All these forms of dances would usually involve participants engaging each other by holding hands or arms (depending on
19456-401: The region show a remarkable combinations of influences that exemplify the multicultural nature of Central Asian society. The Silk Road transmission of art , Scythian art , Greco-Buddhist art , Serindian art and more recently Persianate culture, are all part of this complicated history. From the late second millennium BC until very recently, the grasslands of Central Asia – stretching from
19608-619: The richness and diversity of Indonesian ethnic groups and cultures . There are more than 1,300 ethnic groups in Indonesia , it can be seen from the cultural roots of the Austronesian and Melanesian peoples , and various cultural influences from Asia and the west. Dances in Indonesia originate from ritual movements and religious ceremonies, this kind of dance usually begins with rituals, such as war dances, shaman dances to cure or ward off disease, dances to call rain and other types of dances. With
19760-522: The romantic era, accompanied by a larger orchestra and grander musical conceptions that did not lend themselves easily to rhythmic clarity and by dance that emphasised dramatic mime. A broader concept of rhythm was needed, that which Rudolf Laban terms the "rhythm and shape" of movement that communicates character, emotion and intention, while only certain scenes required the exact synchronisation of step and music essential to other dance styles, so that, to Laban, modern Europeans seemed totally unable to grasp
19912-581: The sacred Hindu Dharma rituals. Some experts believe that Balinese dance comes from an older dance tradition from Java. Reliefs from temples in East Java from the 14th century feature crowns and headdresses similar to the headdresses used in Balinese dance today. Islam began to spread to the Indonesian archipelago when indigenous dances and dharma dances were still popular. Artists and dancers still use styles from
20064-464: The southern part of Central Asia from the 3rd to the 2nd century BC, with their capital at Ai-Khanoum . The main known remains from this period are the ruins and artifacts of their city of Ai-Khanoum , a Greco-Bactrian city founded circa 280 BC which continued to flourish during the first 55 years of the Indo-Greek period until its destruction by nomadic invaders in 145 BC, and their coinage, which
20216-524: The statement of Dalcroze that, while the art of musical rhythm consists in differentiating and combining time durations, pauses and accents "according to physiological law", that of "plastic rhythm" (i.e. dance) "is to designate movement in space, to interpret long time-values by slow movements and short ones by quick movements, regulate pauses by their divers successions and express sound accentuations in their multiple nuances by additions of bodily weight, by means of muscular innervations". Shawn points out that
20368-468: The style of the dance). They would make rhythmic moves with their legs and shoulders as they curve around the dance floor. The head of the dance would generally hold a cane or handkerchief . Folk dances vary across Europe and may date back hundreds or thousands of years, but many have features in common such as group participation led by a caller , hand-holding or arm-linking between participants, and fixed musical forms known as caroles. Some, such as
20520-421: The style or styles of dances performed. Dance competitions are an excellent setting to build connections with industry leading faculty members, adjudicators, choreographers and other dancers from competing studios. A typical dance competition for younger pre-professional dancers can last anywhere between two and four days, depending whether it is a regional or national competition. The purpose of dance competitions
20672-454: The styles and ethnic type visible in Kalchayan already anticipate the characteristics of the later Art of Gandhara and may even have been at the origin of its development. Rowland particularly draws attention to the similarity of the ethnic types represented at Khalchayan and in the art of Gandhara, and also in the style of portraiture itself. For example, Rowland find a great proximity between
20824-445: The styles wear bells around their ankles to counterpoint and complement the percussion. There are now many regional varieties of Indian classical dance . Dances like "Odra Magadhi" , which after decades-long debate, has been traced to present day Mithila, Odisha region's dance form of Odissi (Orissi), indicate influence of dances in cultural interactions between different regions. The Punjab area overlapping India and Pakistan
20976-598: The sub-continent except the extreme south as well as influences from Indian ancient traditions, and Ancient Persia , as shown by the Pataliputra capital . The emperor Ashoka , who died in 232 BCE, adopted Buddhism about half-way through his 40-year reign, and patronized several large stupas at key sites from the life of the Buddha , although very little decoration from the Mauryan period survives, and there may not have been much in
21128-433: The system of musical time is a "man-made, artificial thing.... a manufactured tool, whereas rhythm is something that has always existed and depends on man not at all", being "the continuous flowing time which our human minds cut up into convenient units", suggesting that music might be revivified by a return to the values and the time-perception of dancing. The early-20th-century American dancer Helen Moller stated that "it
21280-476: The trappings took the form of iron, bronze, and gilt wood animal motifs either applied or suspended from them; and bits had animal-shaped terminal ornaments. Altai-Sayan animals frequently display muscles delineated with dot and comma markings, a formal convention that may have derived from appliqué needlework. Such markings are sometimes included in Assyrian , Achaemenian , and even Urartian animal representations of
21432-562: The trousers and boots, the heavy tunics, and heavy belts. The Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom (also called "Kushanshas" KΟÞANΟ ÞAΟ Koshano Shao in Bactrian ) is a historiographic term used by modern scholars to refer to a branch of the Sasanian Persians who established their rule in Bactria and in northwestern Indian subcontinent (present day Pakistan ) during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD at
21584-707: The two are separately defined, though not always separately performed. The rhythmic elements, which are abstract and technical, are known as nritta . Both this and expressive dance (nritya) , though, are closely tied to the rhythmic system ( tala ). Teachers have adapted the spoken rhythmic mnemonic system called bol to the needs of dancers. Japanese classical dance-theatre styles such as Kabuki and Noh , like Indian dance-drama, distinguish between narrative and abstract dance productions. The three main categories of kabuki are jidaimono (historical), sewamono (domestic) and shosagoto (dance pieces). Somewhat similarly, Noh distinguishes between Geki Noh , based around
21736-469: The varied earlier cultures were influenced by the art of China, Persia and Greece, as well as the Animal style that developed among the nomadic peoples of the steppes . The first modern human occupation in the difficult climates of North and Central Asia is dated to circa 40,000 ago, with the early Yana culture of northern Siberia dated to circa 31,000 BCE. By around 21,000 BCE, two main cultures developed:
21888-521: The various kingdoms of ancient China. Excavations of the prehistoric art of the Dian civilisation of Yunnan have revealed hunting scenes of Caucasoid horsemen in Central Asian clothing. Saka influences have been identified as far as Korea and Japan. Various Korean artifacts, such as the royal crowns of the kingdom of Silla , are said to be of "Scythian" design. Similar crowns, brought through contacts with
22040-507: The warm climate of India. His coat is decorated by hundreds of pearls, which probably symbolize his wealth. His grandiose regnal title is inscribed in the Brahmi script : "The Great King, King of Kings, Son of God, Kanishka". As the Kushans progressively adapted to life in India, their dress progressively became lighter, and representation less frontal and more natural, although they retained characteristic elements of their nomadic dress, such as
22192-442: The world. Stupas were surrounded by ceremonial fences with four profusely carved toranas or ornamental gateways facing the cardinal directions. These are in stone, though clearly adopting forms developed in wood. They and the walls of the stupa itself can be heavily decorated with reliefs, mostly illustrating the lives of the Buddha. Gradually life-size figures were sculpted, initially in deep relief, but then free-standing. Mathura
22344-461: Was adopted as the official Emblem of India after Indian independence . Mauryan sculpture and architecture is characterized by a very fine Mauryan polish given to the stone, which is rarely found in later periods. Many small popular terracotta figurines are recovered in archaeology, in a range of often vigorous if somewhat crude styles. Both animals and human figures, usually females presumed to be deities, are found. Yakshas seem to have been
22496-880: Was found in renaissance Europe, in the works of the dancer Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro . Pesaro speaks of dance as a physical movement that arises from and expresses inward, spiritual motion agreeing with the "measures and perfect concords of harmony" that fall upon the human ear, while earlier, Mechthild of Magdeburg , seizing upon dance as a symbol of the holy life foreshadowed in Jesus' saying "I have piped and ye have not danced", writes; I can not dance unless thou leadest. If thou wouldst have me spring aloft, sing thou and I will spring, into love and from love to knowledge and from knowledge to ecstasy above all human sense Thoinot Arbeau 's celebrated 16th-century dance-treatise Orchésographie , indeed, begins with definitions of over eighty distinct drum-rhythms. Dance has been represented through
22648-476: Was performed simultaneously" – an assertion somewhat supported by the common use of the term "foot" to describe the fundamental rhythmic units of poetry. Scholes , a musician , offers support for this view, stating that the steady measures of music, of two, three or four beats to the bar, its equal and balanced phrases, regular cadences, contrasts and repetitions, may all be attributed to the "incalculable" influence of dance upon music. Hence, Shawn asserts, "it
22800-563: Was the broad temple style, with local variants, before the Muslim conquest. In antiquity, Bengal was a pioneer of painting in Asia under the Pala Empire. Miniature and scroll painting flourished during the Mughal Empire. Kalighat painting or Kalighat Pat originated in the 19th century Bengal, in the vicinity of Kalighat Kali Temple of Kolkata, and from being items of souvenir taken by the visitors to
22952-440: Was the most important centre in this development, which applied to Hindu and Jain art as well as Buddhist. The facades and interiors of rock-cut chaitya prayer halls and monastic viharas have survived better than similar free-standing structures elsewhere, which were for long mostly in wood. The caves at Ajanta , Karle , Bhaja and elsewhere contain early sculpture, often outnumbered by later works such as iconic figures of
23104-407: Was venerated as being an extension of the Buddha's body, his enlightenment, and of his achievement of nirvana. The way in which Buddhists venerate the stupa is by walking around it in a clockwise manner. One of the most notable examples of the Buddhist stupa from the Shunga Dynasty is The Great Stupa at Sanchi, which was thought to be founded by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka c. 273 BCE – 232 BCE during
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