Footworks of Seraikella Chhau

Chhau dancers (in the photographs)

• Tapan Kumar Patnaik (Director, Government Chhau academy, Seraikella)

• The students of Acharya Chhau academy• Brajendra Kumar Patnaik (Performer and

teacher, Government Chhau academy)

• The Chhau technique has been influenced by the “Phari khanda style” of sword play.(Phari means shield: khanda -sword).Pharikhanda exercises are vigorous, virile, agile and acrobatic. They call for split second timing, sharp turns, bends and baffling postures employed by the warrior of olden times to dodge his opponent.

Location – banks of river Kharkai

• The techniques are generally performed at or before the sun rise, and traditionally at Bhairavasal the place consecrated to Bhairav (Shiva) on the bank of the river. Kharkai, a mile east of the town. There are seven deities representing to sanctify the place

The Phari khanda style may be divided into three

• Chalis – ‘gati’-gait or styles of walk-6• Upalayas (or Upheli)-basic exercise-36• Khels-types of play,of sword and otherwise-10

Pranam- phari khanda style of saluting with the sword

Chalis

The exercise begins with a number of ‘chalis’,Stylized gaits. They are inspired by the gaits of animals and birds. The gait or ‘gati’is in single, double and quadruple tempi with forward, backward and sideways steppings.

Aakash chali – indicates descent of the gods from the sky

Mayur chali- peacock’s walk

Hath Chali – Elephant’s movement

Sarpa gati – Snake’s movement

Hans Chali - swan walk

Prajpati – butterfly movement

Upalayas (or Upheli)

• The Upalayas (or upheli) make up the basic vocabulary in chhahu dance. The traditional movements are first of all acquired through “Uphlei”(meaning leaps and motion) which is destined to inhabit the variegated exposition of body ,limbs and footwork. The Upalayas have been termed round the common place daily activities of a woman but are actually virile leaps and bends and coordinated movements which are masculine in execution.

Gobar kudha – picking up dry cow dung

Gobar goola – mixing cow dung with water

Sprinkling the mixed cowdung water

Kula pachda- husking of paddy

Jhuntiya maja - cleaning toe rings

Pahud maja - cleaning of anklets

Tara Khosa - plucking the stars

Ghoda tobuka- horse trot

Khadu maja- cleaning of choories (wristlets)

Gath bar(or Dub bar) -the bathing dip

Gadhi jibar -going to bathe in the river

Chheli denga- jump of the goat

Harni denga- the jump of deer

Onth muda -twist of the intestine

Para muda- twisting pigeons neck

Surang mara - piercing inside the cave fiercely

Thur thuri- shivering body motion

Khels

• The Chhau dancers feet have a gesture language of their own. After having a thorough mastery of the ‘Chalis’ and ‘Upalayas’ a dancer can execute the complicated ‘khels’-the war exercise of naked sword play with his opponents.

Bangimas

• Bangimas are the rasa’s practiced in Chhau, which would be used by various characters in the compositions. Generally female gestures are practised in Bangimas.

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