The men in Odissi

In 1958, when Odissi was reconstructed as a classical dance form, the male dancer got marginalised.

Context

In 1958, when Odissi was reconstructed as a classical dance form, the male dancer got marginalised.

Odissi, one of the many forms of Indian classical dance.
It is a popular dance form of Odisha.
In Odisha, there is sculptural evidence of a strong tradition of male dancers.
Archaeological evidence of this dance form dating back to the 2nd century B.C. is found in the caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri near Bhubaneshwar.
In Odisha, of course, there is sculptural evidence of a strong tradition of male dancers. The ancient Parsurameswar temple in Bhubaneswar has the maximum number of sculptures depicting male dancers while Brahmeswar temple, Megheswar temple, Kapileswar temple.
In fact, the ancient dance form of Gotipua, performed by young boys dressed as girls, is considered a precursor to Odissi.

For centuries maharis were the chief repositories of this dance.
The maharis,were originally temple dancers came to be employed in royal courts which resulted in the degeneration of the art form.

Odissi closely follows the tenets laid down by the NatyaShastra.
Facial expressions, hand gestures and body movements are used to suggest a certain feeling, an emotion or one of the nine rasas.
The techniques of movement are built around the two basic postures of the Chowk and the Tribhanga.
The chowk is a position imitating a square - a very masculine stance with the weight of the body equally balanced.
The tribhanga is a very feminine stance where the body is deflected at the neck, torso and the knees.
The torso movement is very important and is a unique feature of the Odissi style.
With the lower half of the body remaining static, the torso moves from one side to the other along the axis passing through the centre of the upper half of the body.
An Odissi orchestra essentially consists of a pakhawaj player (usually the Guru himself), a singer, a flutist, a sitar or violin player and a manjira player.