Classical Indian Dance By: Anisha Kothapa Bharatanatyam Classical Indian Dance By: Anisha Kothapa Source: Shaktidancecompany.com

Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form originating from Tamil Nadu, a state in Southern India. is one of the five major styles of dance in India. Other dance styles include Odissi, Kuchipudi, and Kathak. Source: http://www.indtravel.com/tamil/graphic10/indtamil.jpg

Intro. To Bharatanatyam cont. The word Bharata is broken down into Bha meaning expression, Ra meaning melody, and Ta meaning rhythm. It is usually accompanied with a type of Indian music called Sangeetam, words or syllables set to the rhythm of the dance. Source: Shaktidancecompany.com

Historical Background In ancient times, Bharatanatyam was used by the wives of gods called devadasis who danced in the Hindu temples. It was formed by the Natyashastra, which has been called the bible of Indian classical dancing. Many of the sculptures in the ancient Hindu temples are based on the Bharatanatyam dance postures. The Lord Shiva is seen as the supreme god who improved and modified the dance. The gods, who danced themselves, passed Bharatanatyam on to the humans on earth. Source: http://www.indialine.com/travel/images/chidambaram-sculpture.jpg

Indian Gods On the left is a picture of the god Krishna. In dance, he is portrayed as playing the flute, his main hobby. Source picture on right: ShaktiDancecompany.com Source picture on left: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine/07sep02/Krishna

Indian Gods Cont. On the left is a picture of the god of dance, Nataraja. Photo on the right shows how he is portrayed in dance. Source picture on left:http://www.hindunet.org/anti_defamation/kohler/nataraja2.jpg Source picture on right: http://www.iicdelhi.nic.in/HTMLEditor/uploadedimages/Revanta%20Sarabhai%20at%20IIC_12%20March.jpg

Indian Gods cont. The goddess of war, Durga, is always shown with many weapons. She always sits on a tiger. It takes lots of dancers to portray her many hands. Source picture on right: Shaktidancecompany.com Source picture on left: http://shreenathadham.org/Durga2.jpg

Technique There are three main techniques used by Bharatanatyam dancers: Hastas, Adavus, and Abhinaya. Source: Shaktidancecompany.com

Hastas A distinctive feature of Bharata natyam is the use of expressive hand gestures or hastas as a way of communication. There are a variety of hand symbols that a dancer can use. Many hastas can be used in more than one way, depending on the song accompanying the dance, and what the dancer is trying to convey to the audience. The hand gesture or hasta on the right portrays a bud that will ultimately turn into a flower. Source: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2252/2536871314_ee687d4d4f.jpg, http://www.kanakasabha.com/hastas/asampg1.htm

Adavus Adavus are basic steps or units taught in systematic order and combined to form a choreographed sequence. Adavus are always based upon the rhythmic pattern of the musical compositions. Dancers use their whole body when doing Adavus. There can be more than 160 different types of adavus. Source: http://onlinebharathanatyamacademy.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/parshvagam.jpg, See also: http://onlinebharatanatyam.com/2007/10/tatta-adavu-video/

Abhinaya Abhinaya refers to the use of facial expressions and gestures for communication throughout the dance. Many times dancers use facial expressions to portray Indian gods, especially the god of dance, Shiva or Nataraja. Abhinaya is what distinguishes Bharatanatyam from other dance styles throughout the world. This picture shows Rama telling his wife that he will be back from hunting a deer. Sita, his wife, is worried and has a sad expression on her face. Source: Shaktidancecompany.com

Instruments The instruments frequently used in Bharatanatyam are the mridangam (percussion instrument similar to the drums), the flute, the veena (stringed instrument), and a violin. The picture shows a mrindangam on the top and a veena on the bottom. A singer is the most important person in the orchestra who sets the beat for the dancer. Source picture on top: http://www.palmguitars.nl/PHPShop/catalog/images/mrindangamindia_th.jpg Source on picture on bottom: http://www.musicoutfitters.com/ethnic/images/vend.jpg

Modern Times In contemporary times, Bharatanatyam has grown into many different styles taught by different teachers. It is mainly used for entertainment. Some shows describe the story of gods and characters in Indian culture. For example, Rama is a god who comes to earth to destroy the 10 headed evil tyrant Ravana, who is displayed in the picture below. There are many Bharatanatyam concerts held throughout the world to celebrate the customs, beliefs, and culture of India. Source: ShaktiDancecompany.com

Review 1. What are the three words that are in the meaning of Bha-ra-ta? 2. Did Bharatanatyam originate from the Gods or the humans? And how did it form? 3. What are the two names for the god of dance? 4. What are the three techniques of Bharatanatyam and which one uses facial expression? 5. Which instrument is similar to the drum? 6. Which Indian god/goddess uses weapons?