Bharatanatyam

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Bharatanatyam

• Classical Indian Dance
• By Anisha Kothapa

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Intro. to Bharatanatyam

• It is a classical dance form originating from
  Tamil Nadu, a state in Southern India.
• It is one of the five major styles of dance in
  India. Other dance styles include Odissi,
  Kuchipudi, and Kathak.

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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 Indian music
  called Sangeetam which are words or syllables set
  to the rhythm of the dance.

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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 is
  similar to the bible for Indian classical
  dancing.
• Many of the sculptures in the ancient Hindu
  temples are based on the Bharatanatyam dance
  postures.
• The Lord Shiva became the supreme god who
  improved and modified the dance. The gods, who
  danced themselves, passed it on to the humans on
  earth.

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Indian Gods

• Here is a picture of the god Krishna. In dance he
  is portrayed as playing the flute which is his
  main hobby.

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Indian Gods Cont.

• Here is the picture of the god of dance, Nataraja
  and how he is portrayed in Bharatanatyam.

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Indian Gods cont.

• This is the goddess of war, Durga, who is always
  shown with many weapons. She always sits on a
  tiger as well. It takes a lot of dancers to
  portray her many hands.

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Technique

• There are three main techniques encompassing
  Bharatanatyam Hastas, Adavus, and Abhinaya.

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Hastas

• A distinctive feature of Bharata natyam is the
  use of expressive hand gestures or hastas as a
  way of communication.
• Hastas refers to the 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.
• http//www.kanakasabha.com/hastas/asampg1.htm

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Adavus

• Adavus are basic steps or units taught in
  systematic order and combined to form a sequence
  of choreographed dance.
• Adavus are always based upon the rhythmic pattern
  of the musical compositions for each step.
• Adavus uses the dancers whole body.
• There can be more than 160 different types of
  adavus.
• http//onlinebharatanatyam.com/2007/10/tatta-adavu
  -video/

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Abhinaya

• Abhinaya is the use of facial expressions and
  gestures. It is typically used for communication
  throughout the dance.
• Many times dancers use these 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.
• In this picture it shows how the character Rama
  tells his wife that he will be back from hunting
  a deer. Sita his wife is worried and she has a
  sad expression on her face.

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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.
• Here is a sample of music to listen to

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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 goes 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.

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Video on Bharatanatyam

• Identify each technique Hasta, Adavu, Abhinaya
• Is there a difference in the music when
  Abhinaya/Facial expressions are seen?
• Can you hear any of the instruments you learned?
• http//www.metacafe.com/watch/907018/bharatanatyam
  _bharatnatyam_indian_dance/

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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?