Basic Information About Bharatnatyam

Bharatnatyam originates in Tamil Nadu which is also referred to as artistic yoga and Natya yoga. The name Bharatnatyam is derived from the word "Bharata" and thus associated with the Natyashastra. Though the style of Bharatnatyam is over two thousand years old, the freshness and richness of its essence has been retained even today. The technique of human movement which Bharatnatyam follows can be traced back to the fifth Century A.D. from sculptural evidence. This classical dance has a mesmerizing effect as it uplifts the dancer and the beholder to a higher level of spiritual consciousness. It is a dancing style that comprises of Bhava, Raga, Tala, and Natya which reflect the real meaning of the Bharatnatyam.

Bharatanatyam is arguably the oldest and most traditional classical dance style which seemas a synthesis of philosophy, sculpture, music and literature. This dance got its name from Sage Bharata who wrote the Natya Shastra.

Bharatanatyam is an energetic dance from wherein the postures and balanced position, i.e. the weight of the body is placed squarely down the centre of the body. There is emphasis on the striking of the floor with the feet. There are jumps in the air as also pirouettes called bhramaris. There are movements done with the knees contacting the floor. These are called mandi adavus.

Bharatanatyam can be performed solo or in a group. The pure dance is called nritta and the expressive is nritya. The solo dancer uses various methods of story-telling to interpret the verses and stories she performs. The person who conducts the recital is called the natatuvanar,, who is generally the guru of the dancer. He or the plays the cymbals called nattuvangam. The other musicians are the vocalist, the mridangist or percussion player, of flutist, a violinist and a veena player.

One of the greatest performers of Bharatanatyam has been Balasaraswati who was influential in popularising the dance as much as Rukmini Devi Arundale. Balasaraswati was famous for her soulful renderings of abhinaya or mimetic piece, in which she not only danced but sang as well. 

The Steps & Performance
Bharatanatyam is always performed with the knees of the dancers bent. The dance form emphasizes on the hand movements to convey different kinds of emotions to the spectator. While performing Bharatanatyam, the artist visualizes his/her body as made up of triangles. The steps of the dance are 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. In order to perform Bharatnatyam, the artist should have the knowledge of the numerous subtle features of the dance style.


Four Techniques:
Karanas
Described in Natya Shastra, Karanas are defined as the 108 key transitional movements of Bharatanatyam that also feature in other classical dance forms of India. Karana is a Sanskrit word, meaning 'doing'. Classical dancer Padma Subramanyam is well known for her interpretation of Karanas, which predominantly includes the leg, hip, body and arm movements complemented by hasta mudras, as described in the Natya Shastra.
Hastas
The use of expressive hand gestures is a highlighting feature of Bharatanatyam. As the name suggests, hastas are the wide variety of hand symbols used by the performer. Some of the most well known hand gestures of the dance form include Anjali, which is used as a symbol of salutation, when a person greets his/her fellow dancer. Hastas are broadly divided into two types - Asamyukta and Samyukta.
Adavus
Adavus is defined as a series of steps in Bharatanatyam. The execution of the steps is different from style to style. The 108 principals of adavus are recognized by most schools of Bharatanatyam. As many as 60 adavus are used by many professional dancers. Jathis is the combination of adavus and forms the Nritta passages in a Bharatanatyam performance.
Bhedas , Eye  & Neck Movements
Bharatanatyam is considered incomplete without bhedas and the expressive eye movements of the performer. Neck and eye movements are used extensively in the dance form. The shiro bheda (head movements) comprises of Sama, Udhvahita, Adhomukha, Alolita,Dhutam, Kampitam, Paravruttam, Utkshiptam and Parivahitam.

Theme of Bharatnatyam
Bharatnatyam is a solo, feminine type of a dance, which is tender and erotic. The basic theme is love, where the female dancers usually perform as a devotion to the Supreme Being; or love of a mother for child. It epitomizes the adoration of lovers separated and reunited. This dance is considered to be a fire dance, where there is a mysterious display of the abstract element of fire in the human body.
Technique of Bharatnatyam
Among the various styles of Bharatnatyam the Pandanallur and the Vazhuvoor are more significant. Pandanallur style is characterized by its deep sitting positions; its slow Lasya padams, and difficult standing positions. Vazhuvoor is characterized by a static posture to break the monotony with rhythmical variety.

The technique of Bharatnatyam consists of Natya, Nritta and Nritya. Natya is the dramatic art which is the language of gestures, poses and mimes. Nritta includes the rhythmic and repetitive elements. The Nritya is a combination of Nritta and Natya. Abhinaya also is another technique. It is subtle with more spontaneous expressions.

The theme of Bharatnatyam comes alive through the zealous performances of the dancers. It is the combination of technique, styles and Abhinaya. It starts with an invocation to Lord Gnana Sabesar of Vazhuvoor. The themes are personalized depending on the dancer. The dancers need to posses ten essential attributes which include Agility, Steadiness, graceful lines, balance in pirouettes, glance, hard work, intelligence, devotion, good speech, and singing ability.

Dressing style

The commonly used style in bharatanatyam are the skirt (saree) style or the pyjama style. Dancers were costumes made of silk sarees with gold zari embroidery designs. The pleats in this costumes opens beautifully. When the dancer forms a particular posture especially ariamandi(half sitting) and muzhu mandi(full sitting).

Role of Music in Bharatnatyam
Music plays an important role in Bharatnatyam. The musical accompaniment of the Carnatic School predominates over the raga in the Nritta passages. The chief musical instruments used in Bharatnatyam are the Mridangam and a pair of Cymbals. The cymbals provide the timing and the Mridangam provides fractional measures of the broad beats. The dancer follows both. A tambura is also used to provide the scale for the refrain. The musical instruments used are Mridangam, Manjira, Vina, Violin, Kanjira, Surpeti, Venu and Tanpura. The costume consists of a richly embroidered dhoti of silk for both male and female dancers. There is a pleated or frilled cloth hanging from the waist to the knees which is laced over the Dhoti.

Bharatnatyam as a classical dance went through a lot of changes and still retaining its ancient quintessence. The most exciting aspect of Bharatnatyam is that it is religious and possess rich mythological heritage of India. The technique, costume, style and theme of the dance distinguish it from forms of Indian classical dance. Bharatnaty am is known for its grace, purity, tenderness and sculpturesque poses .

Basic Information Of Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi is basically from Andhra Pradesha.

Kuchipudi costumes look similar to those worn in Bharathanatyam dance. Elegant footwork is an important aspect of Kuchipudi. Another distinctive aspect of this dance is that in special performances, the dance is executed on brass plate and moving the plate with the feet to the tune of the accompanying music. Yet another is the formation of beautiful floor patterns using efficient feet movements. The performer has to express through dance and gestures, the speech and song. The artiste, apart from being a dancer and actor, has to have a high proficiency in Sanskrit and Telugu languages, Music and the texts for the performance.

The Kuchipudi performance begins with recital of extracts from the four Vedas as these symbolise the composition of the Natyaveda.This followed by Ganapati stuti before the entry of the sutradhar who narrates the dance-drama with its implications and introduces the artistes. Each dancer is introduced with pravesa daruva orentrance number accompanied by song and rhythmic syllables. The word daruvu means rhythmic pattern. There is nritta, nritya, and natya. The nritta part is composed of teeermanams and jatis; the naitya consists of sabdams indroduced to enrich the dance and natya is acting with mudras to enact the stories of yore.

Kuchipudi classical dance comprises of a blend of tandava and lasya elements. The music is this dance from is classical and the costumes are conventional. Bhagavatula Ramayya, written by Hari Madhavayya, introduced the dance-drama in the Kuchipudi repertoire; and today vachikabhinaya (verbal expression) has become a special feature of Kuchipudi dance-drama.

Vedantam Laxmi Narayana Sastry Introduced solo items and laid the foundation of the Kuchipudi repertoire. Today Raja and Radha Reddy have taken this dance from to new heights.

The Performance
After the initial rituals as well the introduction of the characters is complete, it is the time to finally begin the performance of Kuchipudi. Through the show, the dance is accompanied by song, typically Carnatic music. Accompanying the singer, in the performace, is by mridangam (a classical South Indian percussion instrument), violin, flute and the tambura (a drone instrument with strings which are plucked). 

Make-up, Costumes and Music
Make-up and costumes are the unique characteristics of Kuchipudi dance form. Apart from the make-up, the female characters also wear ornaments and jewelry, such as Rakudi (head ornament), Chandra Vanki (arm ornament), Adda Bhasa and Kasina Sara (neck ornament), and a long plait decorated with flowers and jewelry. Most of the ornaments worn by the artists are made of a light weight wood, called Boorugu.

Popular Kuchipudi Dance
The most popular Kuchipudi dance forms is the pot dance, in which a dancer keeps a pot filled with water on his/her head, while the feet are balanced on a brass plate. He/she moves on the stage, manipulating the brass plate with the feet kept on its rim and doing some hand movements, without spilling a drop of water on the ground. Bhama Kalapam, Gollakalapam, Prahlada Charitam, Sashirekha and Parinaya are some of the other famous dance dramas in Kuchipudi.

Manipuri's Information

Manipuri is a traditional dance of Manipur in north-east of India.This dance form with its lyrical movements takes the mind on a peaceful journey . The people of the land were called Meithei and performed the ritual dance, the jogoi or circular dance, which is the precursor to present-day Manipuri. The Manipur tradition of worshiping their gods through dance and music was an integral part of the peoples life. One of the oldest rituals is called Lai Haraoba.

                                                                                 According to Goddess Parvati are said to have danced in the valleys of manipur and this tradition of dance continues till today.

          Contrary to the convention of the later Hindu temples, maibis or the high priestess, and not the priests, conduct the ceremonial functions in temples. The greatest cultural evolution took place in the 18th century during the reign of king bhagyachandra, one of the most enlightened kings, who was a devotee of lord vishnu. During his reign began the resurgence of arts in Manipur. He founded the Rasleelas and Nat Sankirtana. The art of sakirtana involves singing and beating of the drum to narrate the story of sri krishna.

The male sankirtana is called nupapala while the female is nupipala. The dancer is always male.

There are two dance forms in Manipur-Pung cholom or drum dance, and Kartal cholom or cymbal dance, where the performer plays a musical instrument or claps while dancing, The bent-knee position, with the torso, slightly bend forward is the basic stance. Majority of the movements, including various jumps and turns with complicated footwork, are carried out in the position. Some of the most exciting movements are mid-air rolling pirouettes while playing the instrument.

Rasleela forms the core of the classical tradition. There are different kinds of Rasleelas where Radha and Sri Krishna dance with the gopis.Every Ras is preceded with a rupapala or a male Sankirtana which serves the purpose of purvaranga or the prelude. Themes from Geeta Purana, Bhagwata Purana and compositions from the Gita-Govinda predominate the repertoire. The Radha-Krishna legend is frequently performed in Manipuri. A symbols of the female and male forces in Nature, their union and creation constitue the principal themes. The dance tradition recreates the life and deeds of Radha and Krishna.

The Manipuri dance lays emphasis on involving the entire body rather than the facial expressions. Rasleela lays emphasis on lyrical grace and delicacy of hand gestures. The different movements of the male and female dances is very clean in Manipuri. The female dancer is very poised and gentle. The male dancer is powerful and energetic. Facial expession is minimal and movements are circular in form, flowing from one to another. The hands and wrists are used constantly. The costumes are very simple. Two young children usually play the role of Radha and Krishna. Women play the roles of the chief sakhi and gopis, all of whom wish to be united with Sri Krishna. This is called shingara-bhakti for God.

Guru Singhajit singh and his wife-cum-disciple charu seja Mathur are Versatile exponents of this dance form.

Primary Information About Kathak

Kathak, a dance form of north India, derives its name from katha (story) since it originated from the devotional recitation by story-tellers or kathakars, who were attached to temples. The kathakars used to tell the story through music and dance. Douring medieval period it recived special patronage from both the Mughal and Hindu rulers.

The Kathak presentation is divided into three distinct parts: the natya (drama), the nritta (pure dance) and the nritya (expression,mimetic). While nritta is a logical extension of words and imagery of movements, inclusion of the natya to the dance gives it substance. Nritya combines dancing and action while interpreting the story. In delineation of these aspects, the rasa or emotion charges the atmosphere radiating ananda (bliss) on union with god. Known for its intricate compositions, rapid chakkars or bhramaris (pirouettes), complex tatkar (footwork) and stylised facial expressions, Kathak hails from three gharanas-Banaras, Luckow and jaipur. While the jaipur gharana focuses on layakari or rhythmic permutations, the Lucknow gharana expounds on bhava or moods and emotions with graceful movement and delicate placing of hands. This dance style was influenced by the Awadh royalty.

Kathak,  popular form of classical dance, is originally from north India and is also the national dance of Pakistan. It is a partially narrative dance form that is characterized by tatkar (footwork), chakkar (spins), and the innovative use of bhav (feelings). Its present form has been influenced by various mythological narratives, temple dances, the bhakti movement, Persian dance, and Mughal courts. Performers draw their lineage from three major schools of Kathak: the Jaipur gharana, the Lucknow gharana, and the Benares gharana. There is also a Raigarh gharana that is less prominent and came later. It combined techniques from the three preceding gharanas but also became famous for its own distinctive compositions. The name Kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word katha which means story and kathak Ikathakali.

The costume of Kathak dancer resembles the dress worn by figures in mughal miniature paintings and the dance is performed by both men and women.

Inextricably tied to Hindustani music, the dance revolves around the Radha and krishna themes. The dancer dances with 200 ghungroos (bells on the feet) and the musical accompaniments are the sarangi and tabla. This dance form has gliding movements with no jerky or angular gestures. With a straight back, one arm is held vertically while the other is extended at shoulder hight. While the body remains still,the dancer executes fast-paced dance steps. Traditionally a solo dance, it lends itself to group compositions too, as in Rasleela a vrindaban which is an expression of operatic treatment. Items revolving around the themes of nava-rasas (nine moods) and the ashta-nayikas (eight states of maiden in love) are part of abhinaya.

                The Most well-known performers of Kathak today are Guru Birju Maharaj and Shovana Narain. 

KATHAK COSTUMES:
                                    Kathak ghungroos or ghungrus, small bells tied around a dancer’s ankles, are different from those of other Indian dance styles. They are not affixed to a pad or strip of leather but instead are individually woven along a thick string. Usually there are a hundred bells on each ankle. However, for the initial stages of learning or for children, twenty five and fifty belled strings may be used to allow the dancer to adjust to them. There can be upto a hundred and fifty bells on each ankle but greater figures than this are generally unsuitable because of the distance of the upper bells from impact. This delays the sounds and can also be difficult to control because they are more likely than not to sound at unwanted moments. The costumes of dance have also changed along with dance styles. Traditional, and specifically Hindu, female costumes consist of a sari either worn in an everyday style or tied up to allow greater freedom of movement of dance. However, a lengha choli with an odhni is more common. The Mughal costume for women is an angarkha, similar to a churidar kurta, but tighter fitting above the waist to enhance the lower half during spins. A small peaked cap and bandi, to enhance the bust line, may also be worn along with a belt made of zari or precious stones. The traditional Hindu costume for men is a dhoti tied in the Bengali style that has many pleats. Men may also wear a bandi. The Mughal costume is a kurta that is at least knee length along with a churidaar. Men can also wear an angarkha and older variety costumes can include a small peaked cap as well.

Mohiniattam's Basic Information

 Mohiniattam is essentially a feminine dance of Kerala recorded to have begun between the 3rd and 8th century AD. Legend says the Lord Vishnu took the form of Mohini to entice the asuras (demons). During the churning of the ocean, the asuras rushed towards the bowl of nectar. Vishnu appeared in the feminine form of Mohini to entice the asuras and took the bowl away.

Literally meaning the dance of the enchantress, Mohiniyattam was mainly performed in the temple precincts of Kerala. The most popular padams in Mohiniattam, composed by Swati Tirunal, describe the heroine's yearning for her lover. Lord Vishnu or Sri Krishna is more often the hero.

Mohiniattam was conceived as a form of social diversion. It is essentially a solo dance performed by women with tender and graceful body movements in the lasy style. Hand gestures play an important role as a communication system. The dominant emotion in this dance form is shringara or love for the Divine.

The dancer wears a white sari resplendent in a gold border. On festive occasions, young girls perform this dance ina circle with simple movements, while singing songs.

The repertoirs of Mohiniattam follows closely that of Bharatanatyam. Mohiniattam, like other forms, follows the Hasthalakshana Deepika as textbook of hand gestures. The basic steps in this dance form are adavus-toganam, jaganam,dhaganam and sammisram. The adavus or steps are set to musical compositions. The varnam has a simple format with greater emphasis on abhinaya and less on nritta or pure dance.

The performance begins with Ganapati stuti or invocation followed by mukhachalam, a pure dance item in which the graceful delineation of charcteristic movements is seen. The repertoire of Mohiniattam consists of five principal items, starting with cholkettu, then vrnam, jatiswaram, padam and concluding with tillana. Varnam combines pure and expressional dance, while padam tests the histrionic talent of a dancer and tillana reveals her technical artistry. Jayadevas Gita-Govinda is most popularly performed to depict the divine love of Radha and Sri Krishna.

The most well-known performers of this dance are Ms Kanak Rele and Ms Bharati Shivaji.

The costume includes white  sari embroidered with bright golden brocade (known as kasavu) at the edges. The dance follows the classical text of Hastha Lakshanadeepika, which has elaborate description of Mudras (gestural expressions by the hand palm and fingers).

The vocal music of Mohiniyattam involves variations in rhythmic structure known as chollu. The lyrics are in Manipravalam, a mixture of Sanskrit andMalayalam. The Mohiniyattam dance is performed to this accompaniment by the subtle gestures and footwork of the danseuse. The performer uses the eyes in a very coy yet sensual manner, the purpose being to enchant the mind without enticing the senses.

Mohiniyattam is a traditional South Indian dance form from Kerala. It is very graceful and is meant to be performed by women. The term comes from the words mohini, meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and aattam, which means graceful and sensuous body movements. The entire word means “dance of the enchantress.” This form of dance has been influenced and has elements from two South Indian dance forms, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali. The dance involves the swaying of the hips and gentle movements of the torso. This is reminiscent of the swinging of palm leaves and gently flowing rivers in Kerala. There are forty different basic movements. The costume is a white sari with bright golden embroidery.s that whicDANCE

The costume is mostly white or cream white in color stitched out of a saree. The border of the saree is in golden color or sometimes also have colorful border.

Theme & Format

The theme of Mohiniattam is love and devotion to god. Lord Vishnu or Krishna is the hero in most of the recitals. The spectators feel His invisible presence when the heroine or her maid details dreams and ambitions, through the circular movements, delicate footsteps and subtle expression. The dancer, with the slow and medium tempos, is able to find adequate space for improvisations and suggestive bhavas. In format, this dance is similar to Bharatanatyam. The movements are as graceful as Odissi. Mohiniattam, like many other dance forms, follows the Hastha Lakshandeepika, as a text book for Mudras, or hand gestures.

Repertoire & Steps

Mohiniattam, essentially a solo dance, is nowadays being performed in groups as well. The repertoire of Mohiniattam closely follows that of Bharatanatyam. Beginning with Cholkettu, the dancer performs Jathiswaram, Varnam, Padam and Thillana in a concert. Varnam combines purity and expression in dance, while Padam tests the histrionic talent of a dancer and Thillana exposes her technical artistry. The basic dance steps are the Adavus which are of four kinds: Taganam, Jaganam, Dhaganam and Sammisram. These names are derived from the nomenclature called Vaittari.

Make-up, Costume & Music

Mohiniattam maintains realistic make-up and simple dressing. The costumes used in dance are sober and attractive. The dancer is attired in a beautiful white and gold-bordered Kasavu saree of Kerala. The style of vocal music for Mohiniattam has generally been seen as classical Carnatic. The lyrics are in Manipravala (a mixture of Sanskrit and Malayalam). Earlier, Thoppi Maddalam and Veena provided the background music of Mohiniattam. These have been replaced, in recent years, by the Mridangam and Violin.