Rasa or emotion in Bharatnatyam is the cumulative result of vibhava (stimulus), anubhava (involuntary run) and ybhikaribhav (voluntary run) as we have discussed earlier. The Hasya Rasa is born from the sthayi bhava Hasa. In the art of acting, Hasya occupies a variegated position. Its colour is white and is attributed to Pramathas who are said to be the […]
“Pumnrityam tandavam, prahu: stree nrityam lasyamuchyate” Dance, as per the classical texts is classified into Tandava and Lasya like the Marga and Desi classification in music. According to Bharatha, the masculine form of dance Tandava, performed by Lord Shiva, is a combination of difficult poses and Angaharas, while Lasya anga is the feminine form. Performed […]
Tandava is the divine dance performed by Lord Shiva. It is considered to be the source of the cosmic cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. The word Tandava comes from Tandu, the attendant of Lord Shiva, who at Lord Shiva’s orders, instructed Bharat muni, the author of Natya Shastra, the usage of Angaharas and Karanas, which […]
Bharatnatyam, the classical dance form, originated in the temples of South India. With its theoretical foundations in the ancient Sanskrit text, Natya Shastra, it remained exclusive to the Hindu temple complexes till the nineteenth century, was banned by the British in the early twentieth century and as a result expanded to the urban areas, on modern […]
This write up is a departure from the technical and general issues about classical dance that we have been doing during past few months. Today, I want to talk about my dear Guru, friend, mentor and guide Guru Shri Elangovan Govindarajan. Our association goes back many years, more than two decades, when I was starting out […]
The designated space for the performance of productions in performing arts or theater is known as Stage or Rangamancha. According to the classical text Natyashastra it is called the ‘Natyagraha’. The stage serves as a space for actors to perform and the focal point for the members of the audiences. The celestial architect, Vishwakarman, has prescribed […]
Indian classical dance, or Shastriya Nritya, is an umbrella term for various performance arts rooted in religious Hindu musical theatre styles, whose theory and practice can be traced to the Sanskrit text Natya Shastra. The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognizes eight Classical dances – Bharatanatyam, from Tamil Nadu Kathak, from Northern and Western India Kathakali, from […]
All the seven classical dances of India have a common genesis, be it Bharatnatyam or any other dance. Today we try to see how Kuchipudi and Odissi are different from each other while sharing many similarities. Kuchipudi is a classical dance that originated in Andhra Pradesh while Odissi developed in the neighbouring Orissa. They both […]
Abhinaya is one of the most important aspects in Bharatnatyam. A Sanskrit term, Abhinaya means to educate, or lead the way towards the audience. The Shloka of the Abhinaya Bhedas according to the Abhinaya Darpanam are described as under: Aangiko Vaachikah tatwadaahaaryah saatwiko aparah Chaturdhabhinaya tatra changiko- angaih nidarsitah Vaachavirachitah kaavya naatakaadishu vaachikah Aaharyo haarakeyura veshaadibhiralamkrtah Saatwikah saattwikaih bhavaih […]
Hand and fingers are used in Bharatnatyam to make a Mudra or a gesture to communicate multitude of things, situations and emotions. There are two kinds of hand gestures, Sanyukta and Asanyukta hasta mudras. The sanyukta hastas are the gestures made by both the hands combined together. These gestures make use of both the palms together to convey the […]