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, […]