What Is Meant By The Term Business Sector Marketing Essay

What Is Meant By The Term Business Sector Marketing Essay A business sector can be defined as three different things. These are the public, private and voluntary sector also known as the community sector (not for profit). The three different sectors have different purposes and I will go through what these are. The private sector is quite the opposite from the public sector. The private sector is run by private individuals and not controlled by the government. In the UK the private sector employs the majority of the workforce and is responsible for allocating most of the resources within the economy. The main role of private sector businesses is to make a profit from the services and products they provide for their customers. Some examples of private sector businesses include retail sales, catering, entertainment and health and fitness. Virgin is an example of a massive private sector company that makes a major contribution to the wealth of the United Kingdom. We can also break this down further as the private sector contains businesses that are run differently to others. These include a sole trader, a partnership, a private limited company, a public limited company and a franchise. I will now go into detail about why each of the businesses is different which will show why although still falling under the same category of the private sector these businesses are slightly different from each other. Sole Trader A sole trader is a company run by only one person so, will have to fund the business out of their own pocket. This type of business is easily set up and you are your own boss which also means all the profits that the business makes you are able to keep all to yourself. This all sounds well and good however, a sole trader also has some disadvantages. First of all, the owner will have to deal with any loss to the company which is unlimited liability. It could also be quite hard in getting the money to set up a business as the banks have a stereotypical view of sole trader businesses going out of business in the first year. You also might find that you have to work long hours and get very little holiday if any at all. Sole traders are usually quite small businesses such as an electrician or a plumber. Partnership A company run by between 2-20 people. It could be much easier for a partnership to get the money together to start a business as banks look favourably on partnerships as they tend to succeed more compared to for example, a sole trader. Again, we have disadvantages and advantages of a partnership. Any loss made within the company can be split between the owners but equally any profits will also have to be divided between all owners. The decision making process could be a disadvantage too. There could be split views on a certain matter which could cause friction between the owners. Private Limited Company A company owned by shareholders and run with limited liability. A downside to a private limited company would be that they cannot offer company shares to the public (float its shares on the stock exchange) this could restrict access to finance especially if the business wishes to become larger. Because a private limited company has limited liability they are only liable to any debts up to a maximum of what they have invested themselves. This of course is a good thing. You can only lose what you are prepared to put in. A private limited company also has tighter control on who it issues shares to so this is another good thing. Public Limited Company Only two people are needed to run a public limited company however, there is no upper limit. The public including other businesses can buy shares in the company which is good as this means a company can expand by doing this. Most of the shares are bought and sold through the stock exchange and for the publics benefit the share prices are printed in the newspapers so that the public can know the prices. Also, like a private limited company, shareholders have limited liability so, if a company were to go bankrupt then the shareholders are only responsible for the value of their shares. Franchise A franchise is an agreement between two parties to allow an entrepreneur to run a business for somebody else but, operate under their name and to sell its goods or services. This agreement grants the rights to operate a certain business at a single address. The rights in the agreement could allow for use of a company trademark, designs and book keeping etc. There is a much reduced risk in setting up a franchise as opposed to the above examples as the name that you are using to trade under is already a well established business therefore this reduces the risk of setting up a business dramatically. You pay for the image the company has already established. Voluntary Sector This sector works on very limited budgets. This sector has organisations ranging from national bodies to small local groups. These include youth and community groups, touring clubs, social clubs, sports club associations and art associations. The voluntary sector organisations do not make a profit but at the same time they must work in credit if they are to not go bankrupt. People who work for these organisations do not get paid. The money comes purely from donations or fundraising. 2 + 3. Name three businesses from three different Business Sectors and describe by writing a paragraph on each, what each business does. Public Sector NHS The NHS is publicly funded and provides mostly free services to anyone who lives in the UK however, there can be some charges associated with eye tests, dental care and prescriptions. The business purpose of the NHS is to provide a service to the public rather than making a profit. It is the largest publicly funded health service in the world and is funded by the government. Around 60% of the budget allocated to the NHS is used to pay staff. Drugs and other supplies take up 20%. The remaining 20% is split between things such as training costs, medical equipment, catering and cleaning. Below is a diagram of how the NHS works: NHS.gif Image taken from: www.nhs.uk/England/AboutTheNhs/Default.cmsx Private Sector Carphone Warehouse Known as the Phone House outside of the UK the Carphone Warehouse has three different fields of operation: Distribution, data services and telecom services. The Carphone warehouse sells mobile phones, accessories and even insurance. They provide sales of goods where the customer can purchase anything they like within a selected branch over the counter. They also have a website where customers can purchase goods and have them conveniently delivered to their home saving time and money. Also, like many successful businesses they have expanded their business nationwide and even abroad which has proved very successful. The main aim for a private sector business such as the Carphone Warehouse is to make a profit from the services they provide to their customers. A private sector company is very unlikely to get involved in the non profit area of business. Store numbers at 31st December 2009 european_map.jpg Image taken from: www.cpwplc.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=123964p=irol-history Voluntary Sector Oxfam Oxfam was founded in England in 1942. It is a non-political, independent organisation, with no religious affiliations. Oxfams aim is a simple one: To work with others to find lasting solutions to poverty and suffering. This is given on their website www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/oxfam/whatox.htm Oxfam have programmes in over 70 different countries. They work with local people to help improve their life. They might help train health workers, set up a school and safeguard water supplies. Oxfam respond to emergencies helping people who have been hit by a disaster like that of a hurricane or a flood. They also speak up on behalf of people to ensure that governments listen to them and act on better supporting people in disaster hit areas. A voluntary sector organisation such as Oxfam does not work like the other sectors do. They do not exist to make a profit and are not funded by the government. They rely on donations and fundraising by everyday normal people to help them keep running. 4. Justify why each of the 3 businesses is in its sector Public Sector NHS The NHS is in the public sector which is paid for by the government. It is in this sector precisely for that reason. The government pays the staff employed by the NHS who are doctors, nurses and midwifes etc. The NHS is different from a private sector company as it doesnt seek to make profits but instead it provides a service to the people. They might charge for a few things like a prescription or an eye test but overall the NHS is a free service funded by the government which comes from tax payers money. Private Sector Carphone Warehouse The Carphone Warehouse is in the private sector as its main aim is to make a profit and to maximise its profits. All private sector companies have the same aim. They all exist to make a profit. They are not funded by the government (public sector) and they do not exist to provide a free service and rely on donations to run the business (voluntary sector). This is why the Carphone Warehouse fits into the private sector. Voluntary Sector Oxfam Oxfam is in the voluntary sector as its neither funded by the government nor set up to make a profit. Oxfam is a registered organisation that aims to help people in need. The services they provide are free. The money to help keep the charity running has to be raised from fundraising and donations. 5. Describe the term Business Classification According to www.rmcareers.com the term Business Classification means: The systematic arranging of business operations into groups or categories according to certain criteria. Another way to explain this is to say that we have three different Business sectors, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. These three sectors are split according to the type of service they provide, this is what we call Business Classification. For example, the primary sector takes natural resources and converts them into primary products. All businesses that fall under this category are therefore classed as primary. We can include in the primary sector, agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, oil extraction and quarrying. The secondary and tertiary sectors are arranged in the same way. The secondary sector is made up of businesses that manufacture finished goods. Manufacturing industries such as vehicle production, making of clothing and engineering all come under the secondary sector. Finally, the tertiary sector is made up of businesses that sell a product to the public. The tertiary sector provides services to the general population and businesses. We can include retail, transportation and restaurants under the tertiary sector. So, to conclude, Business Classification means to organise businesses into sectors that match the criteria in which they operate. 6. Explain why it is important to have a Business Classification system It is important to a lot of people including the government that we have a business classification system so, we can notice certain areas which need improving or so that people such as investors know where to invest their money (or to at least have an idea). To give an example of this, we could have a potential investor who is looking to invest some money into a certain business sector. This person would need to know what is happening in the different sectors so he can know how secure his investment within that area is. If he didnt have the correct information that he needed then he might put a lot of money at risk not knowing what will happen to it whereas, with the correct information and by looking at the growth and decline in certain sectors, he can be more sure of where his money would be safer placed. It is also important that we have a Business Classification system so that the government can successfully record information from the different business sectors to show which areas are growing and which are declining. This is vital so that our economy is always progressing the best that it could be. The government will know by looking at the different sectors which areas need money put into them and which areas dont need as much help. 7. Provide one example of a business from each type of Business Classification and say why it has been included in that classification Primary Fishing Fishing is a primary sector business as fishermen take natural resources and convert them into primary products. In this example it would be the many different types of fish that they catch (natural resource) and then turn into a primary product allowing them to be sold at a fish market or similar. Secondary Car Manufacturing Car manufacturers fit into the secondary sector as they create a finished usable product such as in this example a car. They manufacture a product so they fall under the secondary sector. Tertiary Supermarkets A supermarket falls under the tertiary sector as they provide services to the general population and to businesses. A supermarket will typically purchase manufactured goods from secondary sector businesses and sell them to the consumers. An example could be fish. At first a primary product which is then manufactured (a secondary product) then sold to the public by the supermarket (tertiary). 8. Explain which sectors as identified by the Business Classification System, are growing and which are declining Primary Although in the primary sector there are certain areas which are growing such as the production of organic food and the extraction of minerals, overall the sector is declining. We can see various different reasons for this including that of non renewable resources. We only have limited amounts of things such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. All of these things cannot be produced, grown or generated. Once these are gone, they are gone. A number of Nottingham mines have closed over the years including the RJB owned mine which saw its profits drop dramatically leading up to its closure. The coal reserves soon ran out which caused hundreds of employees to transfer to other mines in the region. We are now importing a lot of non renewable sources from abroad. We do this because finding new resources can be very expensive and difficult. This, of course, causes the primary sector to decline. Secondary The secondary sector is declining and I think the obvious thing here is of course the advances in technology. Why would a business pay for somebody to do a job when we now have robots that can do things at a much lower cost and perhaps even better than a human? Also, a lot of companies have now relocated abroad to countries where manufacturing costs are much lower so that they can continue to make profits instead of paying high labour costs. Examples could be of the textile and ship building industries which have vanished due to cheap imports. This also causes the secondary sector to decline. Tertiary The tertiary sector is forever growing and this is because everyone needs a service that falls under the tertiary sector. Everyone needs to eat so we have places like McDonalds and Burger King. As a country becomes more developed there is an increasing need for tertiary sector services such as transport and banking. The tertiary sector should keep steadily growing over time because again the demand for goods is growing.

Essays --

Nazia Riaz Mr. Ian Wendt Muslim World December 13, 2013 Final Paper Beginning more than 1400 years ago, Islam has spread from the small trading town of Makkah on the Arabian Peninsula and became a world religion practiced on every continent. Like other world religions. Islam has been spreading ever since its origin. Both through migration of Muslims to new places and by individuals who have accepted Islam as their religion having chosen to convert from other religions. During the first century after Muhammad began preaching, there was rapid expansion of the territory under Muslim rule. The Muslims took over as a result of military campaigns. This territory did not instantly become Islamic, meaning that most people rapidly became Muslims. Rather the spread of Islam among the population took centuries even in the regions conquered in the seventh century. In this era Islamic faith and civilization encompassed extensive new areas of Eurasia and Africa. The continuing spread of Islam was closely connected to the migrations of conquerors and herding folk and to the growth of Muslim commercial enterprise all across the hemisphere. By about 1400 CE Muslim societies spanned the central two thirds of Afro-Eurasia. New Muslim states and towns were appearing in West Africa, the East African coast, Central Asia, India, and Southeast Asia. Consequently Muslim merchants, scholars, and a host of long-distance travelers were the principal mediators in the interreg ional exchange of goods, ideas, and technical innovations. Makkah was a huge trading center which really contributed to the spread of Islam. Merchants liked trading with Muslims. Religiously Muslims couldn’t add interest on anything which buyers really liked. Merchants dealing with Musl... ... to new areas. On the other hand, the Ottoman Empire in southeastern Europe or the Sultanate of Delhi and the later Mogul empire of India had success in spreading Islam. They did gain territory. Non Muslim populations seem to have viewed these powerful tax-gathering Muslim rulers negatively, and so they resisted conversion to Islam. Whoever did embrace Islam in such circumstances if not for material gain, they usually did so because of the efforts of merchants, teachers, and traveling Sufi preachers who were not part of the government. Through 600 to 1000 CE the Islamic world had expanded beyond its original territories through war, trade and cultural diffusion. As it interacted and expanded across Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Byzantine Empire the Islamic world spread the influence of its culture and religion, turning Islam into a great world religion.

Groupon

Emilio M. Perez MKTG 360 Prof. Sauber Groupon 1. An understanding of consumer behavior helped Groupon grow from 400 subscribers in Chicago in 2008 to 60 million subscribers in 40 countries today by developing the concept of making offers that are only carried out if enough people commit to participate in them. Groupon’s simple business model offers subscribers at least one deal in their city each day, but the coupon is only valid if a certain number of subscribers sign up for this deal. 2. The Groupon Promise is that any customer can return a Groupon, no questions asked, if they feel like Groupon has let them down.The Groupon promise affects a consumer’s perceived risk and cognitive dissonance by allowing the customer to feel as if there is no risk when purchasing a Groupon. The customer is even able to return the Groupon if they have already used it and were not satisfied. This allows a subscriber to purchase the Groupons without the worry of wasting money. 3. The five -stage purchase decision process for a typical Groupon user experiences: problem recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and evaluation.Problem recognition is created by triggers that present consumers with an opportunity to do something that they wouldn’t normally do. Information search may occur due to a previous experience with the merchant making an offer or a conversation with family and friends regarding a product or service. The alternative evaluation stage is when the consumer focuses on the price as being the most important evaluative criteria. Then, there is the purchase decision stage that is unique to Groupon, in which a purchase is made online and then confirmed when the deals tip.Finally, the consumer will evaluate the purchase by comparing their experience with their expectations to determine if they are satisfied or dissatisfied. 4. The possible psychological and sociological influences on the Groupon consumer purchase decis ion process are the effects of the recession, the Groupon demographic, and the personalization of deals for subscribers. The recession has increased the importance of spending money wisely, in which people whom are attracted to deals are also attracted to Groupon.The typical Groupon user is an 18 to 34 year old woman, whom relies heavily on social media such as e-mail and smartphone apps. This works out well for Groupon because the whole concept relies on the use of those social media channels. Also, Groupon is able to use variables such as, gender, location, and buying history to match deals with the customers. The combination of all of these influences allows Groupon to provide offers that are best suited for the respected customer, which is beneficial to the customer and the vendor. . The challenges that Groupon face in the future are the use of the coupon, managing the growth, and the extraordinary level of competition. The actions I would recommend related to each challenge are to possibly create more coupons that consist of buying things at full price and receiving an item or service free. This will promote more full price products n services, also this could ensure returning customers to receive that free product or service at a future date.I feel this approach could create a higher percentage for returning customers and alleviate the fear of customers only purchasing at discounted rates. To help manage the growth that Groupon is experiencing, the company may want to look into hiring marketing consultants for the newly entered country to help the company understand the spending habits faster than they would on their own. Also, employing local people to form a research and development team could help Groupon understand the differences as well as having concrete evidence to support their international buying behavior theories.Finally I feel, in order to address the issue of the level of competition, Groupon could approach several merchants that are in the same area and attempt to create a coupon that includes both services or products into a â€Å"package coupon†. This could include dinner and a movie type combination, but involving various vendors with a variety of combination coupons. I feel this type of advertising would be difficult for one company to replicate.

Chhau dance-drama as a folk art in Eastern India. - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 22 Words: 6623 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? What are the elements and origins of the masked dance-drama of Seraikela Chhau and Purulia Chhau of Eastern Indian and to what extent are they significant to the Indian culture as a folk art? Abstract: Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Chhau dance-drama as a folk art in Eastern India." essay for you Create order India is a country with a rich range of various cultures and traditions. Each part of India has different ways to preserve those cultures traditions such as folk and classical dances. Folk and classical dances play a big role in the Indian culture as a way of communication. One of the dance-drama folk art that is performed in India is the Chhau dance-drama of Eastern India. There are three types of Chhau dance-dramas but this essay will focus on only two types:   the Seraikela of Bihar and the Purulia of West Bengal. Both Chhau styles are masked dance-drama forms that are unique. To understand the significance of this folk art for the Indian community, it is important to first understand the elements and the origins of the Chhau. The Chhau is very significant to the Indian culture because it is both a religious and mythological practise that has been passed on thought many generations. Not only is the Chhau dance-drama used for festive celebrations but is also used as a way to communicate moral message by the portrayal of stories from the Indian mythology. The portrayal of stories is where the theatrical aspect comes in the picture. The Chhau characters are mute so therefore, movements and masks are used instead of dialogues to show certain emotions and feelings to bring the story forwards. The study of the origins, history, costumes, music, staging, music and performers brings to the conclusion that indeed, the Chhau dance-drama is a folk art that is very significant to the Indian culture and the Indian people. Acknowledgment: I would like to thank my supervisor Tamojit Ray for his extraordinary help in guiding and advising me through the writing process of my extended essay. As Tamojit Ray is from the Eastern part of India, his advice and knowledge on the Chhau dance-drama were very useful to guide me in my essay. I would also want to thank Tamojit Ray for putting me in contact with the Chhau dance-drama Master Chandi Mahato, and his role as a translator from the local language of the area resided by Mahato to English during the telephonic interview. Table of Contents: 1 )Introduction- Folk dances in India  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   5-7 2) The history and origins of Chhau  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   7-9 3) Masks and Costumes  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   10-16   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   a. Masks  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   10-14   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   b. Costumes  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   14-16 4) Music and staging  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   16-18   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   a. Music  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   16-17   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   b. Staging  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   17-18 5) Performers and performing techniques   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   19-20 6) Interview with Chhau master Chandi Mahato  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   20-22 7) Conclusion  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   22-23 8) Bibliography  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   23-24 9) Appendix 1  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   p.25-30 1) Introduction- Folk dances in India India is one of the very few countries in the world to possess a rich range of different cultures and traditions. Each and every region of India has a unique culture that has passed through many generations for centuries.   What I find really interesting about India is that they have well preserved their cultures and that even today, they are still practising certain traditions compared to other countries that have lost their cultures by evolving into a more modernized civilisation.   Cultures and tradition can be passed on through generations by many ways like paintings, written scripts, music, theatre and dance. Folk dances and folk theatre play a big role in the Indian culture as they are art forms that are a very efficient way of expression to the community. Folk dance is an art used to convey the local culture, legends, myths and religious beliefs of a specific region and as India has many different cultures, the folk dances vary from one region to another. Indian folk dances are the products of a variation of socio-economic classes in India. They are usually performed by ordinary people rather than professional dancers in small towns or villages where people gather together to celebrate special occasions such as harvesting, marriages, religious holidays, festivals, birth of a child etc Since in India all those festivities are celebrated quite often if ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not every day, folk dances have become an essential part for the Indian culture.   Some folk dances which are performed in India also incorporate theatre in their dances.   Those dance-drama forms are a rural extension of the ancient theatrical tradition found in the Nathya Shastra [3].   Among other dance-drama traditions in India like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali and a few more, Chhau is a rare and unique colourful masked dance-drama form. There are three types of Chhau named after their geographical locations; the Seraikela of Bihar, the Purulia of West Bengal and the Mayurbhanj of Orissa (Figure 1). This Essay will focus on the elements and the origins of the dance-drama form of Seraikela Chhau and Purulia Chhau and to what extent they are significant to the Indian Culture as a folk art. Why did I choose this rare form of dance-drama among others? Simply because I thought that my temporary stay in India would be the perfect occasion to discover a totally new and unknown form of art for me that is directly related to the Indi an culture. Since I am a theatre student, I think that exploring a rare form of art is an excellent way to broaden my knowledge of theatre through different cultures. I chose to write an in-depth essay about the Chhau dance-drama of Eastern India among many others also because I find the Chhau very interesting in the way it combines dance and theatre together to tell a specific story or mythology by using rhythms, movements and masks instead of dialogues like most of the theatrical forms use.   [4] Figure 1: The orange shaded area of this political map of India represents the Eastern part of India where the three types of Chhau dance-drama originated from. 2) The history and origins of Chhau: The origins of the Chhau dance-drama are still not certain as is the origin of the word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Chhauà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. The dance is known as Seraikela Chhau in Jharkhand, Mayurbhanj Chhau in Orissa and Purulia Chhau in West Bengal. If we look at the basic differences between the three different styles of Chhau, the Chhau dancers of Purulia wear highly stylized masks, in Seraikela the masks are smaller, while in Mayurbhanj the dancers do not always use masks. The word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Chhauà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is interpreted in different ways by different quarters and persons. Most of the people say that the word Chhau arises from the Sanskrit root à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Chhayaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? which means shadow and that the art originated in West Bengal. On the other hand, some people disagree and think that it had arisen from the word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Chaunià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? which means camp for soldiers and that it originated from the state of Orissa. The reason being the hypothesis that the word à ¢Ã¢ ‚ ¬Ã…“chhauà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? derived from the word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Chaunià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is that the Chhau originated in the mock fights of the Oriya paikas (warriors) who fought rhythmically to the accompaniment of indigenous music instrument [10]. Basically, there is a confrontation between the good and the bad and this confrontation is portrayed by characters in the Chhau dance-drama. However, with passing of time the dance-drama started being used for many other occasions and celebrations through the year in the different states. 3) Masks and Costumes: a. Masks: Characters from the Indian mythology such as Lord Shiva or Ganesh are mythological and therefore, superior to the human being. It was not easy playing such characters using only the human facial expressions and features and that is the reason why in the early periods,   different shapes and symbols were used as facial painting or body painting by the dancers to emphasize the characteristics of the different mythological characters .The practise of covering the face and the body with painting gradually gave birth to masks and bright coloured costumes in the dance performances to personify the God and Goddesses of the Hindu mythology.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The mask is made not to hide or to conceal, but to expose. As an instrument of metamorphoses, the mask permits man to lose his identity, and allows the gods to manifest themselves with an uncovered face. To mask oneself is to give life to a superior beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? [11] Masks have been used for many centuries throughout the world for both ritual purposes and traditional theatres especially for the expressivity they add in a characterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance. Masks are often used in folk arts because they are a part of a costume that adorns the whole body and embodies a tradition important to the religious and/or social life of the community[12].   Unfortunately, I was not able to watch an actual Chhau dance-drama performance but I got to experience I quite similar style of dance during my trip in the island of Bali in Indonesia. As the community from Bali follow the Hindu religion, they have mythological stories resembling the Indian ones. The performance Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve seen in Bali was a dance-drama style of performance as the characters were telling a story using dance, movements and gestures to act a story. The dance-drama constituted five acts telling a story using the good ones and the evil ones which is till now very simil ar to the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics. In the Balinese dance-drama, the characters were wearing masks as well but not all of them compared to the Chhau dancers of Purulia and Seraikela where it is compulsory for all the characters to wear masks. In the Balinese dance-drama, only the superior characters wore masks to express their power and their high status while the other characters were only covered with colourful full-face makeup. As a member of the audience, I can say that the masks helped a lot in creating an epic style of atmosphere on the stage and also in creating a connexion between the characters and the audience which is the reason why I think that masks are used by all the characters in the Chhau dance-drama. The performance that I have seen in Bali helped me a lot in understanding the purposes of the use of masks in the Chhau dance-drama as the Balinese dance is performed for religious and mythical purposes as well. Figure 2 shows an image of the characters in the Ba linese dance taken during a performance while Figure 3 shows the characters of the Chhau dance-drama.   The similarities in the masks used to portray superior beings can be noticed between both dance-drama forms. Even though both forms use masks, the masks are different in the way they are made and the way they look. [14]Figure 3: Masks in Chhau dance-drama of Eastern India The Chhau dance-drama enters in the category of poor theatre as all the materials, costumes, masks and accessories are made out of small expenses. . The Chhau masks are made with low priced ingredients such as river soil, newspapers, thin pieces of clothe, little bit of lime and paint. The facial masks are mostly manufactured by the artisans of the villages of the regions of West Bengal or Jharkhand as the Seraikella and the Purulia are the only styles of Chhau that uses masks as a compulsory part of their costumes in their performances. In Seraikela for example, the craft of mask making is an art that is handed down from father to son through many generations. The techniques and the fundamental nature of the Seraikela and Purulia Chhau dance-drama are based on the use of masks. Not only does it add beauty, color and life to the dance but it also evokes bhava (mood) and rasa (aesthetic sentiments) in the audience. Masks have a big role to play in the relationship between the performe r and the audience.   In Chhau, every performer has specific masks according to their characters. The Gods and Goddesses usually wear small pieces of decorative glittering materials in the facial masks accompanied with feathers and jewels while the evils or demons like the characters Ravana or Mahishasura wear grotesque masks.   The masks used in the Chhau dance-drama are also used to interpret expressions. As the Chhau dance-drama is a speechless form of performance, the expressions given by the masks becomes essential. As the use of masks eliminate any form of facial expressions, the Chhau dancers use head gestures and neck movements to express any sort of feelings or emotions. I think it is really interesting how the portrayal of a story can be done using only body language and masks instead of spoken language and facial expressions. From a theatrical point of view, it is not common and that is what forms the uniqueness of the Chhau dance-drama in the world.   The figures 4, 5 and 6 bellow illustrates example of Chhau masks used for different characters. [17]Figure 6 b. Costumes: Like the masks, the costumes are made out of inexpensive local materials. The costumes that the Chhau performers used at the time the dance-drama started being performed are not known so therefore, we cannot tell if the costumes they are using today have evolved or stayed the same since the early years of the performances. Today, the costumes that are used in the Chhau performances are from various bright colors and designs as it is a performance that is supposed to evoke joy during festive periods. The costumes for the lower part of the body differ for the performers playing the Gods and the ones playing the demons. The artists that play the Gods (Devas) characters usually wear pajamas of light colors like green, yellow or red or a mixture of colors to make the characters look more attractive and alive; whereas those playing the role of the demons (Asuras) wear loose trousers of darker and deeper colors such as black. The costumes for the upper part of the body are made out of vario us designs and are as attractive and colourful as the costumes of the lower part of the body. For the performers that play characters such as animals or birds, suitable types of masks and costumes are used to portray the specific types of animals or birds.   For example the character of Lord Shiva will be displayed by a tiger skin costume and his son Ganesh with a dhoti (Figure 7). The costumes also consist of many jewelleries and anything that look extravagant as those costumes are supposed to portray inexistent mythological characters. [18]Figure 7: Dhoti [19]Figure 8: Colourful costumes used in Chhau. 4 ) Music and staging: a. Staging: As the Chhau dance-drama is performed on festive occasions with a gathering together of a whole village community, there is no raised platform or dais being settled down for the performance. With the aim of keeping the traditionalism of the event, the Chhau dance-drama usually takes place in an open air ground where the spectators are divided into sections of women and men and sit in a circle surrounding the area where the Chhau is performed. The stage used for the Chhau performances is decorated in a colourful and joyful style to create a festive atmosphere among the villagers and is usually lit by torches or oil lamps that serve as lighting which once again are made to adhere to the traditionalism of the event. The staging of the Chhau is organized in a style that encourages people from any social or economical class to gather together and celebrate. The fact that the Chhau dance-drama remains a local and traditional event after so many years is fascinating to me as many other danc e or theatrical forms evolved to become more of an entertainment or money based purpose practise than a traditional one. It is very interesting how the Chhau is staged in a way to form a joyful atmosphere in a folk environment. b. Music: Like other ritual dances, the music accompaniment is a really important part for Chhau. The music style and the rhythm produced by the accompanying instruments are one of the key factors that characterize the uniqueness of the Chhau dance-drama. As the Chhau dancer is mute, the music and the lines sung by the orchestra are really important to introduce the performance. They create the right kind of mood and atmosphere for the scene to be enacted. The most important instrument accompanying the Chhau performances is the use of drum. The two main kinds of drums that are used in the Chhau performances are the Dhol ( Figure 9) and Dhamsa (Figure 10) which are played by local drummers of the area who also dance as they play. As for the tradition, the drummers themselves make the instruments and the tones used for the Chhau dance-drama based on the Hindustani Ragas wish is a Hindustani classical music concept. Ragas have a particular scale and specific melodic movements; their sound should bring delight and be pleasing to the ear[20]. Reed pipes such as Shehnai (Figure 11) are also used by the orchestra along with the drums. The drum beats are important in the Chhau performances because they are used in the beginning of the dance-drama as an invocation to Lord Ganesha sung by a singer from the orchestra. As soon as the invocation to lord Ganesha is over, the drummers and musicians walk in to create an environment prior to the dance before the Lord Ganesha makes his entry followed by the other characters. [22]Dhamsa [23]Figure 11: Shehnai 5) Performers and techniques: Even though the Chhau dance-drama is a folk form of dance, it also includes some elements from the classical form of dance of India like the navarasas. The navaras are basically nine emotions that are used in the Indian classical dances and dramas to make both the dancers/actors and the audience appreciate the meaning of the lyrics and the movements that are being portrayed by. The nine rasas goes as follows: 1) hasya (happiness), 2) krodha (anger), 3) bhibasta (disgust), 4) bhayanaka (fear), 5) shoka (sorrow), 6) veera (courage), 7) karuna (compassion), 8) adbhuta (wonder) and 9) shanta (serenity).[24] These nine emotions have been mentioned in Nathya Shastra and all dance and theatrical forms in India use these emotions extensively. As there are no spoken dialogues in most of the Indian dances including the Chhau, the navarasas are usually portrayed by using the eyes, the face, the muscles and the body shifts as a whole. In the case of Purulia and Sereikela Chhau, the movements of the eyes and the face are not possible as it is compulsory for all the characters to wear masks so the focus is on the body movements more than anything else to portray the nine different rasas. Since the Chhau dance-drama evolved from martial arts, the movements are very specific and important. The mask movements usually show anger while the shoulder and chest movements show joy, depression or courage depending on the way the dancer portrays it. The movements of the lower part of the body of the Chhau dancers are very quick and strong while the upper part of the body barely moves and the head rests in a slanted position. Jumping in the air is a movement that is often used in the Chhau performances because they serve as a gesture of at tack in war scenes between the good ones and the evil ones. The kind of jump seen in the Chhau performances is known as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"ulfaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ which is an indicator of the physical power and acrobatic skills of the performers. As we can see, the body language plays an essential role in the folk dance-drama Chhau.   In relation to the theory of knowledge, Chhau is very interesting in the way that it uses body language as a way to communicate with people. 6) Interview with Chhau master Chandi Mahato: Chhau dance-drama is a very rare and not commonly known form of folk art. Published books and web sources are not enough to properly study this art form in depth and therefore, I thought that an interview with an actual Chhau dance master would be ideal and effective to pursuit my exploration on the topic. As I live in Bangalore, a city in the state of Karnataka in the south part of India, a face to face interview was not possible so I sort this problem out by having a telephonic interview with the Chhau master Chandi Mahato. Chandi Mahato is a middle aged Chhau master residing in the remote village named Baghmundi in the Purulia district of West Bengal. He comes from a long lineage of Chhau dancers and teachers and has trained a lot of modern Chhau dancers including his son Lalit Mahato. An otherwise almost illiterate person, Chandi Mahato has learned a lot from his experience with Chhau dancing and at 67 years old, Mahato has performed in all major cities in India several times. Ma hato is a farmer for most part of the year but he also engages himself in training theatre troupes in India working with the methods propounded by Jerzy Grotowsky. After asking Mahato nine questions about his experience with Chhau and the Chhau art in general, I felt more enlightened about the Chhau dance-drama form. The answers I got from Mahato are very interesting (See Appendix 1). Like most of the Chhau practitioners, Mahato learned Chaau from his father Gurupada Mahato who also learned it from his father and Mahato also taught it to his son Lalit Mahato which confirms that the Chhau is a tradition transmitted from father to son through many generations. Chhau is usually learned form a young age because when one grows older, the flexibility of the body becomes weaker. Mahatoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s training techniques are very specific and challenging because dancing and acting using acrobatics is certainly not easy. Chandi Mahato persisted on the fact that the specific training is e ssential for Chhau practitioners and that consequences such as injuries of the performer or misinterpretation of the character could follow after a bad training. Drama is incorporated in the Chhau by the acting of a story without the use of any spoken language but instead body language. Mahato says that he uses a lot of typical exaggerated actions, movements, and gaits accompanied by music and rhythms which are easily recognised by the audience to carry the story forward. The Chhau master Mahato agrees on the fact that Chhau dance-drama as a folk art is very important to their community and cultural identity. Most of the people from those villages are farmers living in poor conditions. Therefore, they stick to this art form to bring joy and colors to their daily routines and they also use it as a way to express their emotions either the positive or the negative ones in a creative way. Chhau is also very important to their community because it is used to convey eternal moral messages . They use mythological stories to convey these moral messages for goal to educate people from those villages. Mahato is therefore stating that Chhau as a folk art is important to the Indian culture and is very significant as well. 7) Conclusion: After an in-depth study of the elements and origins of the Chhau dance-drama, it is therefore evident that this folk art is based on traditional and cultural elements. Chhau is an integral part of the culture heritage of India and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s an indigenous dance form created with a typical Indian psyche which is deeply rooted in the scriptures that are followed by all major Indian dance and dramatic forms. The Chhau is an art that is not only used for festive purposes but also as a way of communication with the community to convey certain messages using mythological stories. The Chhau is mostly performed for an audience that is typically Indian including sons and daughters of Indian soil, brought up with typical Indian values. As explained in the film by Vikrant Kishore à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Dancing for themselvesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, the states where the Chhau originated from are states in where poverty is a big problem and that is one of the reasons the residents of those states are ve ry attached to the Chhau and work hard on preserving it. Lalit Mahato who is the son of the Chhau master Chandi Mahato features in the film à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Dancing for themselvesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and explains through the movie how important Chhau is for him and his culture. Lalit Mahato said Whatever it takes Ill teach my son Chhau Dance, no matter if Ive to just eat boiled rice; this quote shows the importance of Chhau as a cultural aspect for the lives of those villagers. The Chhau dancers do not practise this art only to entertain an audience but they also use it as a creative way to express their feelings and emotions. It is incredible how the different states of India Including the ones practising the Chhau dance-drama preserved their cultures intact. What we also have to take into consideration is the fact that those areas have not yet been touched by the fast movement of modernization. What would happen once modernization touch those areas? Will it affects their culture? Will they still perform the Chhau dance-drama as it is performed today and would it still be as significant for their culture? Those are questions that one should have in mind. I personally hope that those states donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t lose their culture because I think that the Chhau dance-drama is a unique and fantastic form of folk art that should be preserved the way it is. 8) Bibliography: Interview: 1) Mahato, Chandi   Chhau dance-drama. Telephone interview translated by Tamojit Ray. 24 Feb. 2010. Published work: 2) Devi., Ragini. Dance dialects of India. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990. Print. 3) Gajrani, S. History, Religion and Culture of India. Vol. 4. Dehli: Isha, 2004. Print. 4) Schechner, Richard. Between Theater and Anthropology. New York: University of Pennsylvania, 1985. Print. Video: 5) Chhau Dance Performances : The Ramayana:Love and Valour in Indias Great Epic. Google Video. Web. 09 Dec 2009. https://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=1062051219352271391ei=1D-JS5uoDY38wQPV28nwBQq=chhau+dancehl=en# 6) Chhau dance promo. Youtube. Web. 05 Dec. 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MFrcqODoVo. 7) DANCING FOR THEMSELVES A film by Vikrant Kishore. Dir. Vikrant Kishore. Youtube. 16 May 2007. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXPHQ0Hdnf4. Web Sources: 8) Chhau dance. Orissa Government Portal. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. https://orissa.gov.in/culture/chhau.htm. 9) Chhau , Indian Folk Dance. Indianetzone. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. https://www.indianetzone.com/1/chhau_dance.htm. 10) Chhau. India.gov. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. https://india.gov.in/knowindia/chhau.php 11) Courtney, David. FOLK DANCES. Chandrakantha. Web. 09 Dec. 2009. https://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/nritya/folk_dance.html. 12) Courtney, David. Natya Shastra. Chandrakantha. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. https://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/natyashastra.html. 13) Folk Dances of India. Iloveindia. Web. 09 Dec. 2009. https://dances.iloveindia.com/folk-dances/index.html. 14) Folk Dances of India. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. https://folk-dances.tripod.com/id10.html. 15) Kamat, K.L. The Chhau dance. Kamat. 08 Sept. 2001. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. https://www.kamat.com/kalranga/wb/chhau_dance.htm. 16) Masks in Serikella Chhau Dance. Acharyaseraikellachhau. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. https://www.acharyaseraikellachhau.com/mask.htm. 17) Origin of Indian Folk Dances. Indianetzone. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. https://www.indianetzone.com/18/origin_indian_folk_dances.htm. 18) Seraikella Chhau: An Introduction. Acharyaseraikellachhau. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. https://www.acharyaseraikellachhau.com/serai.htm. 19) Ponmelil, V.A. India Introduction to folk dances. Web. 09 Dec.2009. https://www.newkerala.com/india/Dance-Forms-of-India/Introduction-to-Folk-Dance-of-India.html. 20) West Bengal Chhau. Indialine. Web. 12 Dec. 2009. https://www.indialine.com/travel/westbengal/chhau.html. 9) Appendix 1: Telephonic Interview with Chhau Master Chandi Mahato Transcript: 1. How did you learn Chhau dance? Is the practice passed through generations? Ans: Yes. I learnt dancing from my father. His name was Gurupada Mahato. He was a well known Chhau master in his time. He learnt it from his father. It is a tradition with us. I have taught my son Lalit from a very early age. He is now performing all over India and sometimes abroad too. 2. Is there specific training necessary to perform the Chhau? Ans: Definitely. First of all, we need to know how to balance ourselves properly on our backbone. There are a lot of movements involved in Chhau dancing. We need to train ourselves on that. Chhau is a vigorous, manly dance form, which depends heavily on acrobatics. If we do not train on that, we will not be able to perform properly and end up injuring ourselves permanently. Chhau has typical style of movements and gaits à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" those need to be learnt as well. For instance, in Kirat Arjun, a traditional play where Lord Shiva confronts Arjun, the third Pandava, while hunting, there is a character of a wild boar which both want to hunt down. The wild boar has a very typical, traditional way of moving on the stage, If one does not receive training on that, the character will not be portrayed properly. Then, again, depending on the play, there is a distinct difference between portraying a male or a female character. One definitely needs to learn that. In addition, we have to p erform our dance according to typical rhythm patterns. So, a lot of vigorous training is necessary to become a Chhau performer and the training starts quite early in life because as one grows older, the flexibility of the limbs becomes weaker. 3. How do you act stories without using any spoken language? Ans: You have asked a very interesting question (laughs). As with most other dance forms in India, we use a lot of gestures and postures which typically convey a meaning. We also use a lot of typical movement and gaits while performing which carries the story forward. We also use animated and exaggerated actions which are easily recognised. Using all these, Chhau, over the ages has developed a language of its own and we try to use it as effectively as possible. You should also keep in mind that we use music and rhythms to accompany us. 4. To what extent is the Chhau dance-drama important to your community as a folk art? Ans: It is extremely important as Chhau dance represents the cultural identity of our community. The geographical area that we live in is very rough. We have to live a very vigorous lifestyle here. We go to the jungles and cut trees in order to get fuel. The rivers in our area are very shallow and are mostly rain fed. So all the year round we face acute shortage of water. It becomes extremely hot and dry in summers and the winter is also very tough. Most of the people in our community have very little or no land to cultivate of their own. We most often have to earn our food by ploughing other peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s land. Moreover, living in close proximity to the forests, we have to save ourselves from wild animals like elephants. So you can well understand that we live in extreme poverty and have to live a tough life. All of that is reflected in our dance. We try to express all our miseries, happiness, sorrows and agonies through our dance. We may adopt the mythical stories to do so. But nevertheless, those mythical characters become one of us while portraying them during our performances. We are normally farmers when we are not dancing. The harvest season in our area is usually around the springtime. That is when we have our festivals and the landed gentry, after making profits from the fresh harvest, are in a better position to indulge in cultural activities. So they organise night-long Chhau competitions all around the region. It gives us opportunity to showcase our talents to people and earn some extra money. The spring, in our region comes with a lot of colours à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" that is represented in our art through the colourful masks and costumes. 5. To what extent is it important to you? Ans: I just told you à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" it is very important. I can express myself in a creative way through the medium of dance. I am able to showcase my talents as a dancer. This gives me recognition within our region. After I have performed well in a competition, people immediately recognise me wherever I go in the area and treat me with an amount of respect. I have gained more respectability from the time I have become a master. I train up the younger generation who are interested in becoming performers. They perform my compositions on stage. Beside the creative satisfaction, I also earn respect from people as the leader of the team. In the more recent times, Chhau has given me the opportunity to travel to different parts of the country to perform. I feel lucky to have been able to represent our art to the people of this vast country. I have also performed in Europe and USA. I feel proud to be a part of the diverse culture that my country has. I am glad that I could present Chhau , which is a folk art form in the remote corners of India, in front of the audience abroad à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" most of whom were non Indians and had never experienced what Chhau is. 6. How do the Chhau performances affect your community with their mythological stories? Ans: We try to convey some eternal moral messages through our performances, like the triumph of good over evil. We use the mythological stories as allegories to convey these messages. The reason for doing that is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" most of the rural people who watch our performances relate immediately to the mythological stories taken from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas as they are familiar with these stories from their childhood. And as I have told you earlier, during a performance, the characters we depict through our stories do not remain mere gods and goddesses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" they become mortals just like us who suffer pains and agonies just like we do. So conveying the message becomes easier for us. But I must also tell you that all these thoughts are the results of talking to educated people from the cities. Otherwise, when we perform, most of us are not conscious of these effects. 7. Do you think Chhau as a form has been able to retain its traditional values through all these years that it has existed? Ans: That is not totally possible.With time certain ways of presentation have changed owing to various factors. During the time of our ancestors, the length of a single play was much longer. You must understand that Chhau was the only form of entertainment in those days in this remote area. Nowadays, we have to compete with cinema and television. People do not want to sit through the lengthy performances. They get bored. So we have had to shorten the performance time. Also, with the advent of the electronic media, the tastes of our audience have become more commercialised. They want more lilt in the presentations and want to see us dance with the popular music they hear on radio and television. We have been forced to incorporate some of those elements in our performances for sheer survival. However, in essence we do retain the traditional format and have not changed much in terms of look and feel. 8. What is the significance of Chhau as an art form in your point of view? Ans: India is vast country with a lot of cultural diversities. Each region has its own unique form to contribute to this diversity. When we bring these diversities together, only then do we realise how beautiful our country is and how culturally rich we are. We, as Indians, represent an age old heritage to the entire world. And Chhau is an integral part of this rich heritage. We à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the Chhau performers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" feel that it is of utmost importance to keep this tradition moving. Nowhere in our country would you find a dance form like Chhau which is folk-like in appearance but has an intrinsic classical nature. I call it folk-like because of the masks and costumes we use. And I also call it classical because, with time, we have been able to develop a language for the form using very specific gestures, postures and movement. It is a unique form practised by a handful of people in a remote corner of our country. But if you look around, you will not find too many dance-theatre forms like Chhau all over the world. 9. What makes the Chhau unique among other similar forms of dance in India? Ans: As I told you a little while ago that Chhau is a dance form which has over the ages developed a language of its own. When you compare it with other similar types of dance, you will find that no other Indian dance forms use the mask to completely cover the face of the performer. So the performer, in those forms, has the advantage of using their facial expressions along with the other attributes to convey an emotion. However, when it comes to Chhau, we are standing at a disadvantage. Our facial expression, due to the masks, is fixed and cannot be changed throughout all the emotions depicted in the characters we present. So we have to use different types of gestures, postures and gaits to express them. That is the most unique thing about Chhau. pg. 2 [1] Courtney, David. Folk Dances of India. David and Chandrakantha Courtneys Homepage-Indian Musicians. Web. 05 Dec. 2009. [2] Courtney, David. Natya Shastra (Natyashatra or Natyasastra) Ancient Indian Text on Stagecraft. chandrakantha.com Music of India. Web. 05 Dec. 2009. [3] Folk Dances of Eastern India. Iloveindi.com. Web. 05 Dec. 2009. [4] INDIA MAP. Map. INDIA MAP POLITICAL, TRAVEL MAP, MAPS OF INDIAN STATES. Indianomy. Web. 09 Dec. 2009. https://www.indianomy.com/images/map-of-india.gif. [5] Chhau. Orissa Government Portal.   orissa.gov.in Web. 15 Dec. 2009. [6] Chaitra is the last month of the year in the Hindu calendar and is also associated with the spring season which is an auspicious time. [7] The Mahabharata is a book written by the poet Vyasa. It is the epic tale of a quarrel between the Pandavas and the Kauravas that culminated in a fight. INDIAN EPICS. THE RAMAYANA , THE MAHABHARATA EPICS OF INDIA. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. https://www.indianchild.com/great___indian_epics.htm. [8] Ramayana Sanskrit epic by Valmiki, based on the story of Rama, son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. The epic is divided into seven episodes or parts. INDIAN EPICS. THE RAMAYANA , THE MAHABHARATA EPICS OF INDIA. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. https://www.indianchild.com/great___indian_epics.htm. [9] Deva à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Dictionary definition of deva. Encyclopedia Online Dictionary. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. https://www.encyclopedia.com. [10] Asura -. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asura. [11] Jacques Brunet. The excerpt is taken from an article originally edited by Cherif Khaznadar and published by Maison de la Culture de Rennes, France. It was reprinted in The Drama Review (Winter 1982), p.68. [12] Mask. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask#Masks_in_performance. [13]   Masks in the Balinese style of dance-drama., Bali, Indonesia. Personal photograph by author. Dec. 2009. [14]   Chhau , Indian Folk Dance. Indianetzone. Web. 09 Jan. 2010. [15]   Chhau , Indian Folk Dance. Indianetzone. Web. 09 Jan. 2010. [16]   Masks in Serikella Chhau Dance. Acharyaseraikellachhau. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. [17] Masks in Serikella Chhau Dance. Acharyaseraikellachhau. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. [18] Dhoti. Tradeindia. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. https://product-image.tradeindia.com/00308219/b/0/Dhoti.jpg. [19] Picturesindia. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. www.picturesindia.com/media/dance/09_000028.jpg. [20] Sahani, Girish. Concept of Raga in Hindustani Classical Music. 09 Dec. 2006. Web. https://www.hss.iitb.ac.in/courses/HS463/RagaMusic.pdf. [21] Instrumantra. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. https://www.instrumantra.com/catalog/images/dhol.jpg. [22] Anagrasarkalyan.gov. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. https://anagrasarkalyan.gov.in/gallery/Cultural-Museum/Dhamsa-(Drum)-Santal-Tri.jpg. [23] Courtney, David. Shehnai. Chandrakantha. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. https://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/shehnai.html. [24] Matu, Sangeeta Kaul. The origins of Indian Dance: The Natya Shastra. Classical Indian Dance: Origins, Elements, Slokas Links. 26 Aug. 1999. Web. 19 Dec. 2009. https://www.angelfire.com/ma2/bharatanatyam/Origins.html.