BHARATA NATYAM
Bharata Natyam, which originates from the state of Tamil Nadu in South India, is one
of the most popular dance styles in India. A popular interpretation of the name of the style is: BHAva (expression) + RAga (musical mode) + TAla (rhythm) NATYAM (dance) = BHARATA NATYAM
The history
The highly cultivated art of Bharata Natyam has been handed down over the centuries by teachers called nattuvanars and ritualistic dancers called devadasis. This style descends directly from the devotional dances performed in the temples of South India from the tenth century to the middle of the 20th century. The term Bharatanatyam identifies a particular style of dance. Historically, it was a system of dance described in the Natya Shastra, which manifested in various forms. Four related but distinct forms adhering most strictly to the system of Bharatanatyam are:
• S adir Natyam – a solo dance performed for centuries by devadasis in temples and eventually in the royal courts of South India, especially in Tamil Nadu
• Bhagavata Melam – a group form of dance drama from Tamil Nadu, with all roles performed by men, and themes based on mythology
• Kuravanji – a group dance by women, interpreting literary or poetic compositions typically following the theme of fulfillment of a girl’s love for her beloved
• Kuchipudi – traditionally a group form of dance drama from Andhra Pradesh, with all roles performed by men, and themes based on mythology
While a number of India’s dance forms, like Manipuri, Mohini Attam, Yakshagana and Kathakali, can be considered variations of the system of Bharatanatyam, they are not as firmly rooted in it as the four listed above.
The devdasis
The Bharata Natyam was traditionally performed by the devadasis, a community of temple dancers who handed down the knowledge of this art form from generation to generation. Similar to the geishas of Japan, the devadasis were trained in music, dance, literature and the art of love.
The devadasis were women who dedicated their lives to serving the temple deity as dancers and musicians, and their performances were an inherent part of the elaborate temple and court rituals. These talented artistes and their male gurus (nattuvanars) carried the torch of this art down through the centuries. However, the colonization of India saw a sea change in the country’s social norms. The Victorian values of the British gained the upper hand and the devadasis lost the patronage of the court, as they were unacceptable in ‘polite society,’ according to the prevalent social standards. As a result, the devadasis were often treated as common prostitutes by the end of the 19th century. This community of artistes fell into disrepute and there was a danger that this wonderful dance form would have been lost to modern India.
The 1930s saw a movement to revive this dance form, when a renewal of interest in India’s cultural heritage prompted the educated elite to rediscover its beauty. Consequently, some surviving devadasis, such as the legendary Balasaraswati, were invited to perform on stage.
The contemporary form of Bharatanatyam was codified and documented in the early 19th century by four brothers—Chinnayya, Ponnayya, Vadivelu and Sivanandam—who were also known as the Tanjore Quartet. Their dance compositions form the bulk of the Bharatanatyam repertoire even today.
Rukmini Devi was the first woman from the educated elite classes in India to learn this dance form and give it social acceptability once again. It is thanks to pioneers like her and E. Krishna Iyer that this dying art form was revived and taken out of its sheltered existence within temple walls and given a platform in the public eye. However, the Bharatanatyam retains its essentially devotional character to this day.
A typical Bharatanatyam performance
A Bharatanatyam performance today would consist of a combination of pieces emphasizing nritta (abstract dance) and/or nritya (narrative or expressive dance using enactment or abhinaya).This dance form is distin- guished by a strong basic position—the ardhamandala—with the dancer’s feet and knees turned out in a plié position. The spine is held erect, and movement is initiated from the “core” area—between the solar plexus and the navel. Hand gestures, called mudras, are used to emphasize the basic lines. They are also the means through which a dancer ‘speaks’, as the mudras constitute a language code in abhinaya, or narrative dance.
The dance usually has devotional love as its theme. The dancer plays the part of a woman devotee awaiting a union with the god, her beloved.
The dancer is either dressed in a sari worn in the Tamil style or cut and sewn as loose trousers with long pleats attached in front. In keeping with tradition, the dancers wear bridal jewellery, as the devadasis were supposed to be ‘brides of god.’ Originally, a dance meant to be performed solo by a woman, the Bharatanatyam is now also performed by men and by groups of dancers.
Vidya Pandikaran is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and lives in New Milford, CT. She can be contacted at vidya.pandikaran@gmail.com
