Bharata Natyam

Bharata Natyam is poetry in motion. Tracing its hoary origins in the Natya Sastra, written by the great sage Bharata, it is a highly traditional & stylized dance form. Crystallised in the cast-iron mould of Bharata's technique, this art form grossly disallows new-fangled innovations or gimmicks except in repertoire & forms of presentation. Bharata Natyam has been immortalised in successive generations, as much by the sinuous grace of great dancers as by the nimble fingers of renowned sculptors who have demonstrated the perfection of Bharata's technique in the flowing lines of temple structures. Bharathanatyam's blend of the abstract & the emotional is derived from its fusion of two prime elements, nritta (pure dance or dance without interpretive meaning) & nritya (expressive dance). Bharathanatyam derives much of its intense, dramatic impact from the juxtaposition & contrast with which both elements are utilised. Nritta comprises adavus, which are the basic dance units of Bharathanatyam. Each adavu contains 3 essential elements, a basic standing position (sthanaka), movement of the legs & feet (chari) & decorative hand gestures (nritta-hasta).

In 1917, Rabindranath Tagore introduced dance into the curriculum of the cultural centre, Shanthiniketan. In 1926, E.Krishna Iyer, a lawyer of Madras, after failing in efforts to secure audiences for the hereditary devadasi temple dancers, studied Bharathanatyam himself & performed before respectable gps. dresses as a traditional devadasi dancer.Pandanallur Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai for Bharatanatyam, Vallathol Narayan Menon for Kathakali dance & drama, Guru Krishnan Panicker for Mohini Attam are few of the great teachers who gave their heart & soul for the growth & sustainment of the various forms.
Its present form was evolved by the Tanjore quartet namely Poniah Pillai & brothers. Earlier variedly known as Dasi Attam & Sadir, it was practised by Devadasis of the South Indian temples. It went into disrepute due to economic & social conditions & it was Rukmini Devi who gave it new life & respectability. Its format consists of Alarippu (invocation), Jathi Swaram (note combinations), Shabdam (notes & lyrics), Varnam (a combination of pure dance & abhinaya), lighter items like Padams & Javalis(all erotic) & finally the Thillana (again pure dance). On par with Rukmini Devi, there was Bala Saraswati, the Queen of Bharatanatyam.

Chakiarkoothu

This dance form is believed to have been introduced to Kerala by the early Aryan immigrants & is performed only by the members of the Chkiar caste. A highly orthodox type of entertainment, it can be staged inside temples only & witnessed by the Hindus of the higher castes. The theatre is known as Koothambalam. The story is recited in a quasi-dramatic style with emphasis on eloquent declarations with appropriately suggestive facial expressions & hand gestures. The only accompaniments are the cymbals & the drum known as the mizhavu, made of copper with a narrow mouth on which is stretched a piece of parchment.

Kathak

It has its root in Katha story. A band of story tellers who were attached to temples in North India, narrated stories from epics. Later, they added mime & gesture to their recitation. The next stage in its evolution came in the 15th & 16th centuries A.D. with the popularisation of the Radha-Krishna legend. With the advent of the Muslim rule, it was taken out from the temples to the courts. Jaipur, Lucknow & Benaras became the centres. While Jaipur gave predominance to pure dance with emphasis on rhythm, the Lucknow one drifted into erotics.
Benaras also stuck to pure dance but it provided for the sensuous aspect by delineating episodes from the Radha-Krishna legend. The patron king of Lucknow style was Wajid Ali Shah who spent extravagantly on art. The Kathak dance goes through a regular format mostly concentrating on rhythm, variously called Tatkar, Paltas, Thoras, Amad & Parans. Binda Din Maharaj, Kalkadin, Aachan Maharaj, Gopi Krishna & Birju Maharaj are but a few maestros in this line.

Kathakali

The domain of Kathakali is peopled by super-humans, Gods, demons & animals who are presented in a larger than life format. What strikes the spectator first & most is the splendour of the costumes, ornaments & facial make-up which transform the actor-dancer into a type rather than a particular character. A character can be identified by the colour he sports. Symbolic masks of many hued rice paste are painted onto each face, light green for the valour, poise & virtue of heroes. Scarlet symbols on green for lust & greed The head dress is a towering pagoda like crown with an enormous jewelled halo. The full sleeved jackets are adorned with ornaments. A many layered skirt of white cloth completes the fantastic ensemble. The dance is accompanied by the drums & chanting by the singer. It takes years for a novice to graduate into an actor. Seven years of full-time practice under a meticulous teacher is the minimum called for. But to make an accomplished actor able to portray versatality, it takes many more years.

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