Bharatanatyam is a South Indian classical dance performed by men and women. It is also referred to as “fifth Veda” and is considered to be widely of the ancient time dances in India. The dance is one of the most clean and developed dance systems that records far back to the 9th century, though it was called Sadir until1 the early 1900s. Bharatanatyam is explained in two different ways: Word related composition: BHAva (expression), RAga (melodic mode), TAla (rhythm), and NATYAM (dance).The second is from the careful combination of sage Bharata Muni that wrote “Natya Shastra,” the dances principle, and the dance words. It is believed that Bharata lived between the 1st and the 2nd century AD. He came up with the detailed account of dance, art, and his work is credited because Bharatanatyam remains much similar currently as it was 20 centuries ago. Another in art preservation factor is the devadasis (Gaston 31).
They are also called servants of god or handmaidens that danced at the temple. The devadasis enjoyed great prosperity and status, and through public funds, they were encouraged to pursue their dance art. As part of daily worship, they performed in the temples in the deity’s praise. Eventually, due to social and economic pressure, the devadasis fell into disrepute. Bharatanatyam was banned by the British during the time they ruled India (1858-1947). They confused it with nautch dance that was a prostitutes’ dance. In the 1900s, a member of the influential Brahmin family, Rukmini Devi, had much credit because of reviving the Bharatanatyam form of art and bringing it back to the stage. Other than the devadasis, dance was popular in the Indian courts. The Maratha ruler dancers were also considered to be partly responsible for the present day Bharatanatyam repertoire. They were involved in composing and directing a lot of dance items in the recitals performed in the present day, a format that has remained consistently intact (Gaston 29).
Costuming
Bharatanatyam is a demanding art that is recognized through its rhythmic footwork, sculptural poses, and intricate eye and hand movements. It also has a distinct costuming where the dancers put on bells around the ankles in accenting their footwork. At a minimum, they have jewelry around their neck and waist, and to enhance their facial and eye expressions they use makeup. The design of their costumes allows for free movement, and they portray a signature half-seated posture that is also called ardhmandal or aria mandi. The costume is solely a Bharatanatyam dance characteristic. The costume may either be sari that is wrapped in various ways or may be stitched from the sari fabric. The commonly used style of stitches is four pieces for children, 3+ items for male and five pieces for females:
• A pair of loosely holding pants
• Substantial fabric that has been pleated and attached to the pants’ inseam- it creates breathtaking fan between the legs of the dancers during the full-seated or half-seated postures.
• A sash going around the waist
• For women and children, a choli blouse and
• A sash covering the choli blouse for women
Music
The performance of Bharatanatyam dance is to the South Indian Carnatic traditional music. Besides the singer, there is the use of some musical instruments like flute, mrudangam (a double-headed drum) and the violin (Balasubrahmanyam 75).
Dance
The Bharatanatyam dance in itself is in large part a story telling dance where most of the stories originate from the Hindu mythology and epics. There is the intimate association of the dance with the Hindu religion due to its origin as a temple dance that has for centuries been preserved. There is the use of poses by dancers, hand movement and facial expressions in communicating the story to the audience. Similar to the fresco painting present in Christian churches, the original Bharatanatyam purpose was meant to educate the public about the scriptures. Due to its specificity and intricacy, the Bharatanatyam dance could be used in telling stories in any language. The standard Bharatanatyam dance performance lasts for about 2 hours, and the performance is in a specific order: Pushpanjali-Alarippu-Jatiswaram-Shabdam-Varnam-Padam-Tillana-Mangalam. The composition of the dance is based on some movement sets called aduvas and a combination of adavus set creates korvais. The adavus and movements are similar for men and women, and the dance has three major elements, namely Nritya, Natya, and Nritta (Gaston 28).
A) Nritta: it is a pure movement or pure dance. It is a dance that is meant to create beauty using body movement. Therefore, it does not express a story but creates the rhythmic footwork dynamic energy and the geometric patterns of Bharatanatyam dance.
B) Nritya: It is an interpretative dance where there is the expression of the songs lyric by the dancer to evoke emotions.
C) Natya: it is a combination of Nritta and Nritya.
Hand movements are very crucial in Bharatanatyam because they convey the meaning and are called mudras. Conversely, hand movements that have no specific meaning are called hastas. Today, the Bharata Natyam is a widely performed and modern dance style that is practiced by both male and female in India. The full range of posture and movement and the mimetic and rhythmic balanced mélange aspects perfectly lends itself to the fusion and experimental choreography. At major universities of India, there is the offering of degree and postgraduate courses that cover the theory and practice of Bharata Natyam and languages that are associated with the development of the dance (Balasubrahmanyam 67).
Recent changes
Compared to the millennia where this art has existed, it has witnessed the explosive change from its revival period to present day. During the past 80 years, a lot has changed as compared to any other time in the Bharatanatyam history. However, it does not imply that there was a static Bharatanatyam tradition from the Natya Shastra time through in the last century. The dance evolved, and there existed regional variations in the dance elements. A very crucial milestone in its evolution was the development of the current recital for the dance. It happened in the 18th century at the hands of Thanjavur quartet four brothers. They were able to refine the Bharatanatyam dance music through the influence of their mentor and a great composer Muthuswamy Dikshitar. The developments shaped the Sadir into a precursor of what is today called Bharatanatyam (Gaston 26). The modern world has become a new environment for the ancient art form. Survival of the Bharatanatyam, for centuries, depended on a system of royal patrons, lifelong trainers, and dedicated dancers where the dance was an integral part of religious and social life. In modern society, there is no such equivalence. During the vital decades after the revival of the dance, the Bharatanatyam achieved high esteems that by mid 20th century, there was unprecedented demand for learning Bharatanatyam as compared to the infrastructure that supported the art and maintained its standards. Today, the fueling of Bharatanatyam dance is caused by demand for learning it, instead of the audience growth (Balasubrahmanyam 79).
Typical Bharatanatyam Dance today
Regarding the Bharatanatyam expressive potential, the dance is also an art of drama, stage, poetry, rhythm, and color. Its key notes are inclusive of all the art whose message is not distinctly to the sense, and pure external enjoyment, but it is central to the dancer’s and perceiver’s soul. Therefore, Bharata Natyam is intended primarily for the spiritual expression. The dance cannot be adequately performed by anyone without reverence for the spiritual life and technique. This means that the Bharatanatyam dancers must get into the religious aspects of the dance to have an experience of what is required to be expressed inwardly through the dance (Balasubrahmanyam 73).
Conclusion
The Bharatanatyam is a dancing art that purifies the body, speech and mind and elevates its performers to supremacy realization through the perfect blending of rhythm, music and emotions. Therefore, the art itself is a technique that can be used for spiritual development. The dance is an art that consecrates the body that is considered in it to be of no value. Through controlling breath and modifying the body, the dancer acquires the sanctity halo and a dancer that dissolves her identity in music and rhythm makes the body as an instrument during the dance duration. This allows for expression and experience of the spirit. The descriptions mentioned above are not self-aggrandizing words because people who witnessed Rukmini Devi performances felt the presence of something that went far beyond the dancer’s form. Most of the observers felt a divine presence when Devi danced.
Works Cited
Balasubrahmanyam, D. Laavanya. Motivational Analysis In Music And Dance. New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House, 2005. Print.
Gaston, Anne-Marie. Bharata Natyam. New Delhi: Manohar, 1996. Print.