For most of the last century intelligence has been regarded as a singular entity, defined by IQ and measurable by pencil and paper tests. This was challenged by Dr. Howard Gardner, from Harvard University, in 1983, who made an attempt to pluralize the concept of intelligence. Gardner proposed that there are many different kinds of […]
The 9 head gestures, named by those well-versed in the rules of natyashastra are called the shirobhedas. The shirobheda shloka is as follows: Samamudvahitam adhomukhamalolitam dhutam|| Kampitam cha paravrittamutkshiptam parivaahitam|| Navadhaa kathitam sheersham natayashastravisharadaiha|| The explanation of each shirobheda alongwith its shloka is given below: SAMA: Nishchalam samam akhyatam yatnatyunnati varjitam| Nrityarambhe japadou cha garwe pranaya […]
Yamini emerged as a brilliant dancer on the contemporary stage with her first performance in Chennai in 1957. Prior to that, she was in Kalakshetra and trained in bharatnatyam under the guidance of Rukmini Devi. She also took part in various dance dramas choreographed by Rukmini Devi. She was awarded a Govt. Of India scholarship […]
Technically, the term “rasa” means rapture. According to the Natya shastra, Rasa is produced by a combination of the vibhaava (determinants, stimulus or right ambience), Anubhaava (the transitory mental status or the effective results of the excitation produced in the vibhaava) and vyaabhichaari bhaava (birth of the derived emotion). Rasa imparts blissful joy with a […]
Tala means cyclic rhythms of beats. According to some authors, it is derived from ‘ta’ (referring to siva’s tandava aspect) and ‘la’ (referring to pallavi lasya). The union of these two or of the right and left hands produce tala. The smallest unit measured in tala is one akshara kala. There are mainly three angas […]
There are a few classifications of the Nayikas. The first classification in Shringara is as given below: Mugda: The innocent one Madhya: one with medium intelligence Prakalpa: The experienced one (married, a public woman or on who belongs to another one) The 2nd classification is as follows: Swiya: One who always thinks only about her own nayaka ( husband). […]
The Greeva Bhedas are the classifications of the movements of the neck. “Sundari cha tiraschina tathaiva parivartita Prakampita cha bhavajnaih jneya greeva chaturvidha” This shloka explains that the scholars on bhavas know that there are fourfold classifications of the neck movements, i.e., Sundari, Tiraschina, parivartitaa and prakampitaa. SUNDARI GREEVA: “Tiryak Prachalitaa Greevaa sundareeti nigadyate Snehaarambbhe […]
Although the devadasis undertook many functions, the accomplishment for which they are universally known is their dance. The devadasis and their dance were important adjuncts to both religious and secular occasions. Until 1920, dancing in South India was the almost exclusive preserve of devadasis. The most important validation ceremony for the devadasi who danced as […]
Bharatnatyam in its solo form with which we are now familiar and as we see it on stage today is indeed an authentic classical Indian dance form. It’s antiquity goes to the Rig Vedic hymns and to the figurine of a dancing girl of a Mohenjodaro statuette. The Bharatnatyam as it is performed now, infact, […]