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Revision as of 03:06, 25 May 2004 by 219.65.124.30 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Bharata Natyam is a devotional dance form from southern India that was brought onto the stage at the beginning of the 20th century. It owes its name to Rukmini Devi Arundale's the fanciful derivation of Bharata is Bha = Bhava (mood); Ra = Raga (music); ta = Tala (rhythm). However, Bharata is the Indian name for the country of India and natyam is the Tamil word for the dance-drama art.
Bharatanatyam is thought to be created by the sage Bharatata Muni who wrote Natya Shastra, the Bible of the classical Indian dance. It is intrinsically embedded in the Hindu mythology. The 23 heavenly dancers, apsaras, dance to please the gods. However, the contemporary Bharatanatyam is rarely practised as Natya Yoga (Yoga Dance).
The British colonial rulers corrupted the temple dancers devadasis as soon as they conquered India. By that time, devadasis had already gone from being high-status celibate priestesses to being low-status temple servants who took care of the sexual needs of the male worshipers. It reflected the general trend in Tantra. Indeed, the devadasis were still legal until 1988 when they were outlawed.
Shrimati Rukmini Devi Arundale, raised Bharata Natyam to a high art form, divorced from its recently controversial past by "removing objectionable elements" (mostly, the Sringar, or the expressive Tantric elements) from some ogirinal styles of Sadir (such as Pandanallur, Tanjore or Thanjavur, Vazhuvoor, Mysore etc.), according to Shri Sankara Menon. She founded the school Kalakshetra outside the city of Madras to teach it and to promote other studies in Indian music and art. She was one of first teachers to instruct a few men to perform the dance, which until then was the exclusive domain of women, while men, called Nattuvanars, had only been teaching Bharatanatyam without actually performing it. Rukmini was also instrumental in modifying mainly the Pandanallur style of Bharata Natyam and bringing it to the attention of the West after being heavily influenced by Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballet dancer.
Bharatanatyam is considered to be a fire-dance, being the mystic manifestation in the human body of the metaphysical element of fire, is one of the five major styles that include Odissi(element of water), and Mohiniattam (element of air).
Bharatanatyam proper is a solo dance, with two aspects, lasya, the graceful feminine lines and movements and tandava, masculine aspect. Typically a performance includes:
Ganapati Vandana
A traditional opening prayer to the god Ganesh, who removes obstacles.
Alarippu
A presentation of the Tala punctuated by simple syllables spoken by the dancer. This really is sort of an invocation to the gods to bless the performance.
Jatiswaram
An abstract dance where the drums set the beat. Here the dancer displays her versatility in elaborate footwork and graceful movements of the body.
Shabdam
The dancing is accompanied by a poem or song with a devotional or amorous theme.
Varnam
The center piece of the performance. It is the longest section of the dance punctuated with the most complex and difficult movements. Positions of the hands and body tell a story, usually of love and the longing for the lover.
Padam
Probably the most lyrical section where the dancer "speaks" of some aspect of love: devotion to the Supreme Being; or of love of mother for child; or the love of lovers separated and reunited.
Tillana
The final section is an abstract dance when the virtuosity of the music is reflected in the complex footwork and captivating poses of the dancer.
The performance concludes with the chanting of a few religious verses as a form of benediction.
Music
The music is in the Carnatic/Karnatic style of south India, considered by some to be "purer" than the classical music of north India.
Instruments
Instruments for Bharata Natyam are more often found in the south than in the north, like the mridangam (drum), nagaswaram (a horn suggestive the snake charmer's horn), the flute, violin and veena (stringed instrument).
Languages
Sanskrit, Tamil (predominant), Telugu and Kannada are traditionally used in Bharata Natyam.
