Indian Dances

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BHARATA NATYAM

The most celebrated art form of the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu, Bharatanatyam is a dynamic and earthy dance style. It is one of the oldest of the Indian classical dance forms. It is, in effect, a tradition that demands of the performer - total dedication, detachment from worldly ties and a sublimation of self to the art. Bharatanatyam is a relatively new name. It was earlier known as Sadir, Dasi attam, and Thanjavur Natyam.

As an art offering to the temple deities, this form ushered in the custom of temple servitors called devadasis who danced only for the gods. With the passage of time and corrupting cultural influences, as also changes in patronage and promotion, the devadasis came to be associated with those serving men, not gods. The contemporary form of Bharatanatyam evolved during the late 18th or early 19th century. Sadir, which was till then the domain of devadasis, reached its nadir during 1910-1930 with the degeneration of social morals.

But during 1926-35, under the championship of E. Krishna Iyer, the dance regained its majesty and came to be known as Bharatanatyam. The words Bharata Natyam comprise 'BHA' for

'BHAVA' or expression, 'RA' for 'RAGA' or musical mode and 'TA' for 'TALA' or rhythm. Natyam means the art of dance.

Bharatanatyam dancers are usually women and, like the sculptures they take their positions form, always dance bent-kneed. It is an extremely precise dance style where huge repertoires of hand movements are used to convey moods and expressions.

Bharatanatyam is vibrant and very demanding of the dancer. The body is visualized as made of triangles, one above and one below the torso. It is based upon a balanced distribution of body weight and firm positions of the lower limbs, allowing the hands to cut into a line, to flow around the body, or to take positions that enhance the basic form. A special feature of this dance form is Padams or poems on the hero-heroine theme. The tempo of these love songs is slow and each phase of the performance is crystallized into a specific mood of love.