Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-05-13
THE HlnOOO THEATER.
Irs Great Antiqaity-The Dancing Of the
esatch Girls


The Nautch, Judge. has ever been ia
Vorite entertainment OF the nabobs. na-
~aubs and men OF high caste IN India All
those Nhoare able, am told, patrOnize
this amusement, and many keep private
performers. The visitor 70 the Philippine
Isles, II the inhabitants there wish 10 show
him "A favor, il treated 70 a 'mestizo ball" ]"
In India ne Is hon0red with a Nautch. Ed
muud Burke, ia has fierce denunciatiO
against Warren Hastings before the En-
xlish House OF Lords, where the latter
stood before the most august tribunal per-
haps the world ever witnessed, impeached
By the House OF Commons for high crimes
and InisdeneanOrs" while GOvernor-Gen-
eral OF India, taunted him, the Governor.
With listening 20 singing girls while op-
pressing the millions be should have pro-
tected. Through such means be made him
appear ike Nero, who is said 70 have lid
died while Rome was burning"
Ii was not the season for the private
Nautcb. else We could have had invitations
20 attend Bat a good idea Of IL could be
formed at the HindoO theater. The germ
Of the drama Of india is Of great antiquity.
while that Of modern Europe does
not extend farther back than the
fifteenth century. The Indian dramas
are the repositories OF true poetry
of the Oriental type. They represent
the early condition Of HindOO Society, and
serve 90 illustrate some of its present pecu
harities. Monier Williams says: "In all
likelihood the germ Of the dramatic repre-
sentations OF the HindoCs or Of the Greeks
is 20 b sought for in public exhibitions OF
dancing, which consists at first Of simple
movements Of the body, executed in har-
mony with singing and music. 'Nataka.'
dramatic acting. is taken from 'nartaka,'
dancer OF this dancing various styles
were gradually invented. 70 exp ess ac-
tions Of various sentiments and emotions.
The Iandava Is boisterOus dance, re-
garded as the peculiar invention of silva;
the I.asya Is said % have been invented by
Parvati; the Rasamandsla is the circular
dance OF Krishna. Very soon dancing was
extended % include pantOmimic gesticula
tions accompanied with more elaborate
musical performances, and these gesticu-
latioas were aided by occasional exclama-
tions between the intervals vi singing.
FINALLY natural language took the place OF
music and sing z, while gesticulation be-
came merely subservisnt to emphasis IN
dramatic dialogue" The remarks of this
eminent Indian scholar (Mr. Williams)
upon the theater and drama are very in
tsrssting, but I have copied enough for
this part Of ny Journal simply adding
thst some of The dramas we're opened and
closed BY prayer.
Tire bat0os. as I have remarked, told as
the Nautch season was over, bat We could
90 1o che theater. SO o. the Indian theater
went. taking my Sircar 70 interpret and
explain. The building vas an Immense
bsra-liSs place. witn no f0or. Great
crowds % natives were present, but only
one white man besides myself. The play
wss pantomimic. and II could have un-
derstooi it I should have called the act
ing ss good as any have of that
chars ter. Taking the parts usually
assigned 90 our ballet dancing between
thu scenes Of actsl we had the
Nautch dancing A dozen native In
dian girls in the costume II the country.
transparent gauze dresses. glittaring with
ornaments. came forward. AMI with slow,
pnduiatinE motions moved to and fro sc-
companied by their own voices. Their
forms we're email. listi@ inclined 80 %
fau ,some "sqssttyfl. their features not
bal, with ewes ike beans. and black. lux
uriCus hair. Their movements were grace
ful. but their voices discordsnt. nasal.
shriil. squeakv. The dance vas more ~ =
pcsfarinr thar anything else. very ike
thst n the japanese girls. I "a nk greas
deal better shan the ballet ~ our theaters.
f'r there was nos the ali zhrest approach 20
immodsstv.
The music consisted ~ Indian 4idlas
ishout ga a par With cur corn-stalk sd
dlesf. antes AMI drums Tt was dismal
usixt5r- ~ iiseorisnt sounds. screams snd
shrieks. The drums ar tom torns we're key
shsped. enitfins most dolorons. u1ouot-
orcus fhn3 The player on this last r1h-a-
dubbed a~sv ike furv az times. and then
sghsifef en- rest 90 suit himself The mu-
81 vas decidedly sd-iibitlfn-d -dinsinuen8o
and ereseenfo. tut there wss no attenrt
sf fifna or harmony - IA urierstan8 it
The auli sncs sss ss we'll behaved and re-
spectacle As any Il ever cav.