i am wondering what are the aspects I shoudl focus on , if I shoudl understand or appreciate our traditional dance? when it comes to music you understand tala , at least the count , then the raaga aspect as you get familiarized and then you are slowly drawn in as you progress. there are even umpteen no of write ups and cassettes to understand the basic concept of niravel , thillana viruttam swaram singing etc ..... etc. it is not necessarily you learn all of these but some explanation and kelvi gnanam would do to get a fair deal of idea.
but what about dance? when I watch the movies of bygone era, where there are some dances often , i cannot help keeping my eyes focussed on the dancers ( especially the stunning faces of viju and puppy of BW cinema ) ,but never could try understand . is it not important to understand the tech aspect of anything to really appreciate an art form.
I am a taker here . anyone to throw some light?????????
bharathanatyam for the uninitiated....
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rshankar
- Posts: 13754
- Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26
I write purely as a rasika, never having learnt/danced. But having seen many performances, I have a rudimentary idea. Is this what you were looking for?
As I see it there are three levels of dancing - the physical, which is the basis for the next two levels to build on, cosists of the technical aspects - the basic posture/stance for bharatanATyam is the araimaNDi (ardhamanDali) - when executed properly, the dancer is half (arai/ardha) his/her height, the knees are pointed out, as are the toes, the heels are either touching or just a few finger-breadths apart, and the thighs face forward. The dancer's back is straight, with the chest thrown out and the pelvis tilted just a bit upwards. When assumed properly, the big fan of the pyjama outfits will be spread out in all its glory. Common issues with the posture involve a half-hearted araimaNDi (a kAlaraikAl 3/8, or kAl 1/4 maNDi) !), the heels too far apart (when that happens, it looks more like a caukA) or worse, the knees pointing up front, back bent forward at the waist and the back-side sticking out. While aesthetically awful, these create so much tension on the dancers' backs, hips and knees.
The next thing to obeserve are the arms - the shoulders, and elbows ahould not sag, and the fingers for the mudras should be taut.
Movements: The footwork should be in keeping with the beat, and when there is intonation of the jatIs - it should be with the naTTuvanArs time keeping. Also, the sound the naTTuvanAr makes with the cymbals should be reflected in the stamping - while dancers are expected to be light footed, bharatanATyam dancers can't flit across the stage - they have to have a firmness in their step - called azhuttam. Also, they can't stamp hard for all beats - some of the naTTuvanArs koTTus are on back side of the cymbals - the soft koTTu - the stamping should be softer for these beats - what is typically called kAl pESardu (feet that 'speak') - and if you are a natural for laya, you will notice differences in the mridangam and the naTTuvanAr at places - these are silent pauses, or double beats that are inter-woven into the tALa cycle - so, you can have a tiSram in a Adi tALa cycle with a pause after every third beat and so on - the patterns are endless, and the naTTuvanArs' imagination is the only limit.
Arms/hands - while the footwork dazzles, the hands and arms are speaking as well - here what you want to see is complete executuion of movements - it is actually rather easy to notice if movements are cut short. Does the dancer use the upAngAs - like eyes following the hands - is there a graceful movement at the waist, or does it look like a tin man dancing..etc. etc. Incomplete movements creep in when the speeds increase to the third speed and end in a tIrmAnam - at this speed sometimes, the full arc is not inscribed with the arm that moves, and the hand is not brought out fully to the front and diagonally down.
If this is what you were looking for, I can write about the next levels - what I expect to see....
Umesh/Parimal/Kala/Rasikapriya/Avnipriya/Ambika and other dancers - Please post your ideas and correct my ideas if I am wrong.....
As I see it there are three levels of dancing - the physical, which is the basis for the next two levels to build on, cosists of the technical aspects - the basic posture/stance for bharatanATyam is the araimaNDi (ardhamanDali) - when executed properly, the dancer is half (arai/ardha) his/her height, the knees are pointed out, as are the toes, the heels are either touching or just a few finger-breadths apart, and the thighs face forward. The dancer's back is straight, with the chest thrown out and the pelvis tilted just a bit upwards. When assumed properly, the big fan of the pyjama outfits will be spread out in all its glory. Common issues with the posture involve a half-hearted araimaNDi (a kAlaraikAl 3/8, or kAl 1/4 maNDi) !), the heels too far apart (when that happens, it looks more like a caukA) or worse, the knees pointing up front, back bent forward at the waist and the back-side sticking out. While aesthetically awful, these create so much tension on the dancers' backs, hips and knees.
The next thing to obeserve are the arms - the shoulders, and elbows ahould not sag, and the fingers for the mudras should be taut.
Movements: The footwork should be in keeping with the beat, and when there is intonation of the jatIs - it should be with the naTTuvanArs time keeping. Also, the sound the naTTuvanAr makes with the cymbals should be reflected in the stamping - while dancers are expected to be light footed, bharatanATyam dancers can't flit across the stage - they have to have a firmness in their step - called azhuttam. Also, they can't stamp hard for all beats - some of the naTTuvanArs koTTus are on back side of the cymbals - the soft koTTu - the stamping should be softer for these beats - what is typically called kAl pESardu (feet that 'speak') - and if you are a natural for laya, you will notice differences in the mridangam and the naTTuvanAr at places - these are silent pauses, or double beats that are inter-woven into the tALa cycle - so, you can have a tiSram in a Adi tALa cycle with a pause after every third beat and so on - the patterns are endless, and the naTTuvanArs' imagination is the only limit.
Arms/hands - while the footwork dazzles, the hands and arms are speaking as well - here what you want to see is complete executuion of movements - it is actually rather easy to notice if movements are cut short. Does the dancer use the upAngAs - like eyes following the hands - is there a graceful movement at the waist, or does it look like a tin man dancing..etc. etc. Incomplete movements creep in when the speeds increase to the third speed and end in a tIrmAnam - at this speed sometimes, the full arc is not inscribed with the arm that moves, and the hand is not brought out fully to the front and diagonally down.
If this is what you were looking for, I can write about the next levels - what I expect to see....
Umesh/Parimal/Kala/Rasikapriya/Avnipriya/Ambika and other dancers - Please post your ideas and correct my ideas if I am wrong.....
Last edited by rshankar on 16 Jun 2008, 22:35, edited 1 time in total.
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ganesh_mourthy
- Posts: 1380
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rshankar
- Posts: 13754
- Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26
Thanks, g_m!
The next level is watching if the dancer is trying to make the music and lyrics come alive, and not merely carrying out moves (however well executed) that have been learnt. The music should 'speak' to the dancer, and the dance should just be a visual expression of the music. A particular peeve of mine is when the dancer anticipates lyrics, and expresses them a beat or two before they are sung! It sort of robs me of appreciating the music more. I like it when the music (the words in particular) and the actions/mudras are in perfect synchrony. To achieve this, there has to be a perfect understanding of the lyrics (word-to-word meaning, because in bharatanATyam, unlike in say, kuchipuDi, the abhinaya is to the padArtha), and a complete internalization of the meaning, both literal and implied.
I also watch and see if the same gestures/interprettation is used repeatedly - for the most part, at least three exact repetitions of each idea is expected - once while facing/moving forward, and once, each while facing the two sides, (with or without the final taTTimeTTu) - but the same interprettaion over and over can be boring.
Then, as in vocal music, where the concept of nereval is where the vocalist's manOdharma is expressed by myriad interprettations of a chosen line in the composition, there is the concept of sancArIs in dance - as the vocalist does a nereval, the dancer uses the central theme of the words of the line and offers free flowing interprettations. For instance, if the general meaning of the line chosen is 'rAmA, you are an ocean of mercy', the first interprettation (called the sthAyi or permament one) will be literal, after which an episode from the rAmAyaNa that demonstrates this aspect of his character could be enacted - again for instance, this could be ahalyA SApa vimOcanam, and the entire episode will be presented in capsule format. Or the example chosen could be the kAkAsura episode or whatever. Usually, in a varNam several sancArIs can be found. I love to guess the sancARi being depicted, and find the latest fashion of describing them in the program really a damper!
Once again, THIS IS WHAT I LOOK FOR, and it is possible that I am totally off the mark!
The next level is watching if the dancer is trying to make the music and lyrics come alive, and not merely carrying out moves (however well executed) that have been learnt. The music should 'speak' to the dancer, and the dance should just be a visual expression of the music. A particular peeve of mine is when the dancer anticipates lyrics, and expresses them a beat or two before they are sung! It sort of robs me of appreciating the music more. I like it when the music (the words in particular) and the actions/mudras are in perfect synchrony. To achieve this, there has to be a perfect understanding of the lyrics (word-to-word meaning, because in bharatanATyam, unlike in say, kuchipuDi, the abhinaya is to the padArtha), and a complete internalization of the meaning, both literal and implied.
I also watch and see if the same gestures/interprettation is used repeatedly - for the most part, at least three exact repetitions of each idea is expected - once while facing/moving forward, and once, each while facing the two sides, (with or without the final taTTimeTTu) - but the same interprettaion over and over can be boring.
Then, as in vocal music, where the concept of nereval is where the vocalist's manOdharma is expressed by myriad interprettations of a chosen line in the composition, there is the concept of sancArIs in dance - as the vocalist does a nereval, the dancer uses the central theme of the words of the line and offers free flowing interprettations. For instance, if the general meaning of the line chosen is 'rAmA, you are an ocean of mercy', the first interprettation (called the sthAyi or permament one) will be literal, after which an episode from the rAmAyaNa that demonstrates this aspect of his character could be enacted - again for instance, this could be ahalyA SApa vimOcanam, and the entire episode will be presented in capsule format. Or the example chosen could be the kAkAsura episode or whatever. Usually, in a varNam several sancArIs can be found. I love to guess the sancARi being depicted, and find the latest fashion of describing them in the program really a damper!
Once again, THIS IS WHAT I LOOK FOR, and it is possible that I am totally off the mark!
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rshankar
- Posts: 13754
- Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26
An excellent example of sancAri bhAvam - In this clip, the entire episode of draupadI mAna bhangam is beautifully etched to the line - 'draupadi kE lAj rAkhyO tum baDhAyO cIr':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG3dD2AH ... re=related
The first couple of times, there is a literal interpretation, followed by a detailed sancAri for the remainder of the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG3dD2AH ... re=related
The first couple of times, there is a literal interpretation, followed by a detailed sancAri for the remainder of the clip.
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rshankar
- Posts: 13754
- Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26
Mohan,
You are welcome!
Ganesh Mourthy,
The last level is when the music and dance, the dancer and the character all merge into one. When that happens the experience is so amazing, the dancer truly takes the rasika to God (paravaSa nilai)! However, this is not very common, because the dancer needs an unusual confluence of the first two levels, along with expression of deeply-felt, internalized feelings. IMO (and mine alone), when most (not all) dancers attain the ability to become one with the character they are dancing, they are no longer able to do justice to the technical aspects too well. But, there are a few who achieve this, and it is this experience that one seeks constantly as a rasika.
You are welcome!
Ganesh Mourthy,
The last level is when the music and dance, the dancer and the character all merge into one. When that happens the experience is so amazing, the dancer truly takes the rasika to God (paravaSa nilai)! However, this is not very common, because the dancer needs an unusual confluence of the first two levels, along with expression of deeply-felt, internalized feelings. IMO (and mine alone), when most (not all) dancers attain the ability to become one with the character they are dancing, they are no longer able to do justice to the technical aspects too well. But, there are a few who achieve this, and it is this experience that one seeks constantly as a rasika.
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vgvindan
- Posts: 1430
- Joined: 13 Aug 2006, 10:51
Blessed are you to be able to explain precisely in two lines what I have been trying convey in 200 posts.when the music and dance, the dancer and the character all merge into one. When that happens the experience is so amazing, the dancer truly takes the rasika to God (paravaSa nilai)!
God Bless You!
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vgvindan
- Posts: 1430
- Joined: 13 Aug 2006, 10:51
கட்டிவிட்ட கருந்திரையாய் kaTTiviTTa karundiraiyAy
கங்குல் தன் இருட்பரப்பில் kangul tan iruTparappil
வெட்டவெளி வானிடையே veTTa veLi vAniDaiyE
மௌனத்தின் சொற்பொழிவாய் maunattin soRpozhivAy
கண்சிமிட்டும் தாரகைகள் kaN simiTTum tArakaigaL
காலக்கதை உரைக்க kAlakkadai uraikka
மண்சுமக்கும் மானுடங்கள் maN sumakkum mAnuDangaL
மயங்கித் துயின்றுவிட mayangit tuyinRuviDa
உறங்கும் உலகத்தில் uRangum ulagattil
உறங்கா ஒரு ஜீவன் uRangA oru jIvan
கிறங்கக் குழலெடுத்து kiRangak kuzhaleDuttu
கீதம் இசைக்கிறது. gItam isaikkiRadu
வெள்ளை மணற்பரப்பில் veLLai maNaRparappil
வேய்ங்குழலின் மோகனத்தில் vEynguzhalin mOhanattil
உள்ளம் லயித்திருக்க uLLam layittirukka
ஒரு மனிதன் இசைத்தவமாய் oru manitan isaittavamAy
பரவச நிலை அடைந்து paravasa nilai aDaindu
பாட்டாய் மாறிவிட்டான் pATTAy mARiviTTAn
Poorani (பூரணி)
http://sify.com/news_info/tamil/amudhas ... d=13816973
கங்குல் தன் இருட்பரப்பில் kangul tan iruTparappil
வெட்டவெளி வானிடையே veTTa veLi vAniDaiyE
மௌனத்தின் சொற்பொழிவாய் maunattin soRpozhivAy
கண்சிமிட்டும் தாரகைகள் kaN simiTTum tArakaigaL
காலக்கதை உரைக்க kAlakkadai uraikka
மண்சுமக்கும் மானுடங்கள் maN sumakkum mAnuDangaL
மயங்கித் துயின்றுவிட mayangit tuyinRuviDa
உறங்கும் உலகத்தில் uRangum ulagattil
உறங்கா ஒரு ஜீவன் uRangA oru jIvan
கிறங்கக் குழலெடுத்து kiRangak kuzhaleDuttu
கீதம் இசைக்கிறது. gItam isaikkiRadu
வெள்ளை மணற்பரப்பில் veLLai maNaRparappil
வேய்ங்குழலின் மோகனத்தில் vEynguzhalin mOhanattil
உள்ளம் லயித்திருக்க uLLam layittirukka
ஒரு மனிதன் இசைத்தவமாய் oru manitan isaittavamAy
பரவச நிலை அடைந்து paravasa nilai aDaindu
பாட்டாய் மாறிவிட்டான் pATTAy mARiviTTAn
Poorani (பூரணி)
http://sify.com/news_info/tamil/amudhas ... d=13816973
Last edited by vgvindan on 01 Jul 2008, 01:02, edited 1 time in total.
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PUNARVASU
- Posts: 2498
- Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42
VGV, when I read the words 'mounaththin sorpozhivu' in the above kavithai,
I remembered what a wrote a couple of years back under the caption
'Mounaththin mozhi'. Felt like sharing it with fellow forumites; of course this may be out of context. This is one of the few kavithaigal that I wrote.
அன்னையின் மௌனம் உன்னை அழவைத்து வேதனைப்படுத்தும்
அன்புத் தந்தையின் மௌனம் உன்னை அச்சுறுத்தும்
உடன் பிறந்தோரின் மௌனம் உன்னை பலவீனப்படுத்தும்
உடன் வரு வாழ்க்கைத் துணையின் மௌனம் உன்னை தனிமைப்படுத்தும்
பெற்ற பிள்ளைகளின் மௌனம் உன்னை உதாசீ னப்படுத்தும்
உற்ற நண்பர்களின் மௌனம் உன்னை அந்நியப்படுத்தும்
நற்றவத்தால் பெற்ற ஆசானின் மௌநமோ உன்னையே
உனக்கு உணர்த்தி உன்னை மேம்படுத்தும்
மௌனம் உன்றே அதன் தாக்கம்தான் வெவ்வேறு
The inspiration for this was the slokam
'chitram vata taror mulE'.
Thanks.
I remembered what a wrote a couple of years back under the caption
'Mounaththin mozhi'. Felt like sharing it with fellow forumites; of course this may be out of context. This is one of the few kavithaigal that I wrote.
அன்னையின் மௌனம் உன்னை அழவைத்து வேதனைப்படுத்தும்
அன்புத் தந்தையின் மௌனம் உன்னை அச்சுறுத்தும்
உடன் பிறந்தோரின் மௌனம் உன்னை பலவீனப்படுத்தும்
உடன் வரு வாழ்க்கைத் துணையின் மௌனம் உன்னை தனிமைப்படுத்தும்
பெற்ற பிள்ளைகளின் மௌனம் உன்னை உதாசீ னப்படுத்தும்
உற்ற நண்பர்களின் மௌனம் உன்னை அந்நியப்படுத்தும்
நற்றவத்தால் பெற்ற ஆசானின் மௌநமோ உன்னையே
உனக்கு உணர்த்தி உன்னை மேம்படுத்தும்
மௌனம் உன்றே அதன் தாக்கம்தான் வெவ்வேறு
The inspiration for this was the slokam
'chitram vata taror mulE'.
Thanks.
Last edited by PUNARVASU on 01 Jul 2008, 03:58, edited 1 time in total.
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PUNARVASU
- Posts: 2498
- Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42
Arasi,
You couldnt read it?
See if this link helps; otherewise, Iwill typr the transliteraation as well as thee translaation.
If you are seeing junk characters instead of the correct tamil characters, in your browser go to 'View->Encoding' and select the option 'Unicode (UTF-8)'. To respond to this email in tamil, visit http://quillpad.in/tamil
You couldnt read it?
See if this link helps; otherewise, Iwill typr the transliteraation as well as thee translaation.
If you are seeing junk characters instead of the correct tamil characters, in your browser go to 'View->Encoding' and select the option 'Unicode (UTF-8)'. To respond to this email in tamil, visit http://quillpad.in/tamil
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PUNARVASU
- Posts: 2498
- Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42
Arasi, here it is
Mounaththin Mozhi
Annaiyin mounam unnai azhavaiththu vEdanaippadutthum
Anbuththandaiyin mounam unnai achchuRuththum
Udan piRandoRin mounam unnai balaveenappaduththum
udanvaru vAzhkkaiththuNaiyin mounam unnai thanimaippaduththum
petra piLLaigaLin mounam unnai udAsInappaduththum
uRavinarin mounam unnai kAyappaduththum
utRa naNbargaLin mounam unnai anniyappaduththum
NatRavapayanAm nallAsAnin mounamO unnaiyE unakkuNarthi
unnai mEmbaduththum
Mounam undrE adan thAkkamthAn vevErU.
TRANSLATION
THE LANGUAGE OF SILENCE
Mother's silence makes yous sad, makes you cry
Father's silence frightens you
Siblings' silence weakens you
Spouse's silence makes you feel lonely
Relatives' silence wounds you
Childrens' silence makes you feel neglected
Friends' silence alienates you
But the silence of the Guru
whom you got as a result of some good deed
makes you realise your own SELF
And elevates you.
Silence is one-its impacts are many.
This is one of the few kavithagal I wrote; inspiration for this is the sloka
'chitram vatatarormUle'
Mounaththin Mozhi
Annaiyin mounam unnai azhavaiththu vEdanaippadutthum
Anbuththandaiyin mounam unnai achchuRuththum
Udan piRandoRin mounam unnai balaveenappaduththum
udanvaru vAzhkkaiththuNaiyin mounam unnai thanimaippaduththum
petra piLLaigaLin mounam unnai udAsInappaduththum
uRavinarin mounam unnai kAyappaduththum
utRa naNbargaLin mounam unnai anniyappaduththum
NatRavapayanAm nallAsAnin mounamO unnaiyE unakkuNarthi
unnai mEmbaduththum
Mounam undrE adan thAkkamthAn vevErU.
TRANSLATION
THE LANGUAGE OF SILENCE
Mother's silence makes yous sad, makes you cry
Father's silence frightens you
Siblings' silence weakens you
Spouse's silence makes you feel lonely
Relatives' silence wounds you
Childrens' silence makes you feel neglected
Friends' silence alienates you
But the silence of the Guru
whom you got as a result of some good deed
makes you realise your own SELF
And elevates you.
Silence is one-its impacts are many.
This is one of the few kavithagal I wrote; inspiration for this is the sloka
'chitram vatatarormUle'
Last edited by PUNARVASU on 02 Jul 2008, 00:18, edited 1 time in total.
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rshankar
- Posts: 13754
- Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26
Smt. Priyadarshini Govind has explained this very nicely in one of her DVDs.
alar in tamizh and telugu means a flower - the alArippu is the 'flowering' of a bud - the TQ had placed this as the first piece of the mArgam - so usually, after a pushpAnjalI, or a kauttuvam, an alArippu is presented. It can be in any of the tALams - the esthetically nice ones are in those tALas which have odd beats. The most common (at least in the ones I have seen) one seems to be in tiSram.
The alArippu offers the opportunity for the dancer to warm up, with movements of the angAs and upAngAs all built in. The movements typically start in first speed and gradually get repeated in the second and third speed; first, in the standing position, then in the araimaNDi position, and finally in the muzhumaNDi. And the last part, to the SolkaTTu 'driguDu taka' or diguDu taka', is where the dancer moves backwards ever so gracefully, stops, and then moves forward a few steps.
Traditionally, the SolkaTTus are intoned by the naTTuanAr, but newer innovations have been to have the vocalist render a tiruppugazh or something like that in the background, or even set the SolkaTTu to a rAgam, and have it sung. I prefer the traditional way the best.
Here is a clip from Sivasri's arangETram that was posted on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHd9cr_m0JM
The naTTuvanAr is her guru, Smt. Roja Kannan. From the SolkaTTu you can make out that it is in tiSram - tAm dhi tAm, tai dha tai (one could argue that this is in rUpaka tALam).
alar in tamizh and telugu means a flower - the alArippu is the 'flowering' of a bud - the TQ had placed this as the first piece of the mArgam - so usually, after a pushpAnjalI, or a kauttuvam, an alArippu is presented. It can be in any of the tALams - the esthetically nice ones are in those tALas which have odd beats. The most common (at least in the ones I have seen) one seems to be in tiSram.
The alArippu offers the opportunity for the dancer to warm up, with movements of the angAs and upAngAs all built in. The movements typically start in first speed and gradually get repeated in the second and third speed; first, in the standing position, then in the araimaNDi position, and finally in the muzhumaNDi. And the last part, to the SolkaTTu 'driguDu taka' or diguDu taka', is where the dancer moves backwards ever so gracefully, stops, and then moves forward a few steps.
Traditionally, the SolkaTTus are intoned by the naTTuanAr, but newer innovations have been to have the vocalist render a tiruppugazh or something like that in the background, or even set the SolkaTTu to a rAgam, and have it sung. I prefer the traditional way the best.
Here is a clip from Sivasri's arangETram that was posted on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHd9cr_m0JM
The naTTuvanAr is her guru, Smt. Roja Kannan. From the SolkaTTu you can make out that it is in tiSram - tAm dhi tAm, tai dha tai (one could argue that this is in rUpaka tALam).
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vasanthakokilam
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Ravi, I am just catching up to this thread and learning about appreciating bharathanatyam. You are doing a great service in teaching us about these things which are usually a blur when we understand a bharathanatyam performance. From what you wrote and the various links you have posted, I now know what alarippu and pakka adavu actually means though I have been hearing those terms for ever. Thanks.
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rshankar
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Thanks, Chandra and VGV!
Just want to reiterate that I am not inventing the wheel here. I am merely re-stating what has already been said by many way more qualified than I am, and more eloquently than I can. Of course, I can't resist the usual editorialization here and there!
To continue, if we consider the mArgam to be structured like a temple (Smt. Balasaraswati's famous analogy - I find it so awesome, it simply defies definition) - the alArippu is the gOpura vAsal through which the devotees enter. A poorly performed alArippu therefore is usually a harbinger of 'bad' things to come!
If we consider the mArgam to be a form of yOgA, the purpose of which is to awaken the kuNDalini, then (again, to quote Smt. Balasaraswati), the movements of alArippu relax the dancer’s body and thereby her mind, loosen and coordinate her limbs and prepare her for the dance. Rhythm has a rare capacity to invoke concentration, and hence this very rhythm based piece is placed right up front. alArippu is most valuable in freeing the dancer from distraction and making her single-minded, so that the rest of mArgam can then be performed so as to awaken the kuNDalini, the coiled Sakti which lies dormant in all humans. Upon awakening, the kuNDalini is thought to remove the knots of the major cakras, cleanse, open and develop the cakras and pierces one's consciousness to reach the crown cakra, the cakra at the top of the head. This is the time the yOgi attains the highest spiritual achievement, and is how nATyam transcends into nATya yOgA. The traditional, long braid of dancers is supposed to be an emblem of the serpentine kuNDalini, reminding the viewers and the dancer that it is not merely for entertainment.
Just want to reiterate that I am not inventing the wheel here. I am merely re-stating what has already been said by many way more qualified than I am, and more eloquently than I can. Of course, I can't resist the usual editorialization here and there!
To continue, if we consider the mArgam to be structured like a temple (Smt. Balasaraswati's famous analogy - I find it so awesome, it simply defies definition) - the alArippu is the gOpura vAsal through which the devotees enter. A poorly performed alArippu therefore is usually a harbinger of 'bad' things to come!
If we consider the mArgam to be a form of yOgA, the purpose of which is to awaken the kuNDalini, then (again, to quote Smt. Balasaraswati), the movements of alArippu relax the dancer’s body and thereby her mind, loosen and coordinate her limbs and prepare her for the dance. Rhythm has a rare capacity to invoke concentration, and hence this very rhythm based piece is placed right up front. alArippu is most valuable in freeing the dancer from distraction and making her single-minded, so that the rest of mArgam can then be performed so as to awaken the kuNDalini, the coiled Sakti which lies dormant in all humans. Upon awakening, the kuNDalini is thought to remove the knots of the major cakras, cleanse, open and develop the cakras and pierces one's consciousness to reach the crown cakra, the cakra at the top of the head. This is the time the yOgi attains the highest spiritual achievement, and is how nATyam transcends into nATya yOgA. The traditional, long braid of dancers is supposed to be an emblem of the serpentine kuNDalini, reminding the viewers and the dancer that it is not merely for entertainment.
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knandago2001
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rshankar
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Nandagopal,
Thank you!
I do not know the answers to your questions, but can speculate; others are welcome to elaborate:
Typically, alArippu is performed to recitation of the solkaTTu without any tune/rAga to it, but you are right in that when I have heard the solkaTTus 'sung', it is in nATTai - I wonder if that is because of it's auspicious nature - good rAga to start a concert etc...
As to Sabdams and kAmbhOji (I thought that they were all in kAmbhOji, or it was the first rAga in a rAga mAlikA Sabdam), maybe that came about because that was how the first few were composed and others followed suit? I have heard newer Sabdams that have completely eschewed kAmbhOji...
Thank you!
I do not know the answers to your questions, but can speculate; others are welcome to elaborate:
Typically, alArippu is performed to recitation of the solkaTTu without any tune/rAga to it, but you are right in that when I have heard the solkaTTus 'sung', it is in nATTai - I wonder if that is because of it's auspicious nature - good rAga to start a concert etc...
As to Sabdams and kAmbhOji (I thought that they were all in kAmbhOji, or it was the first rAga in a rAga mAlikA Sabdam), maybe that came about because that was how the first few were composed and others followed suit? I have heard newer Sabdams that have completely eschewed kAmbhOji...
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knandago2001
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Ravi: even the todaya mangalam starts with nattai so it is possible alarippu was also composed in the same raga to invoke auspiciousness at the commencement of a recital. Could you, if possible, post links to a non-kamboji shabdam? Thanks.
In an interview that he gave to to Sruti magazine (vol 26; Nov 1986), Natyacharya Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai recalls how he was drawn into learning dance, music and composition -
“My grandfather Samu Nattuvanar died when my mother Bhagyamma was only six years old. My father Parthiban died young. My uncle Manicka Nattuvanar, was my guru from childhood. He was famous as a dance master and it was he who trained a leading Ceylonese dancer of those times known as Ranjana. My uncle’s sons and I used to dance in the silambu koodam that encompassed an area 12 feet x 20 feet. Pictures of Nataraja and other gods and the musical instruments were on one side. The elders would offer worship to them and we would start our lessons. There was no other place to conduct the classes and therefore one lesson would follow the other. We would break at one o’clock in the afternoon, have lunch and rest a little. The classes would resume at four o’clock and continue till eight. I conduct my classes now in the same pattern.
I learnt everything that was taught in that silambu koodam: adavus, jatis, sastras, everything. The girls learnt only dance. We would teach them. To those of us who were being trained for nattuvangam, other things were taught too. At a very tender age I was able to write jatis automatically, keeping time with the palm, to offbeat cycles. Our masters would ask us to keep time with our palms and recite the jatis. Just by listening and watching we would do it! This is an art learnt without our being aware of learning.
We learnt music too. We had to learn janta varisai and the saptatala alankaras and do akara sadhakam. It was a “mustâ€
In an interview that he gave to to Sruti magazine (vol 26; Nov 1986), Natyacharya Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai recalls how he was drawn into learning dance, music and composition -
“My grandfather Samu Nattuvanar died when my mother Bhagyamma was only six years old. My father Parthiban died young. My uncle Manicka Nattuvanar, was my guru from childhood. He was famous as a dance master and it was he who trained a leading Ceylonese dancer of those times known as Ranjana. My uncle’s sons and I used to dance in the silambu koodam that encompassed an area 12 feet x 20 feet. Pictures of Nataraja and other gods and the musical instruments were on one side. The elders would offer worship to them and we would start our lessons. There was no other place to conduct the classes and therefore one lesson would follow the other. We would break at one o’clock in the afternoon, have lunch and rest a little. The classes would resume at four o’clock and continue till eight. I conduct my classes now in the same pattern.
I learnt everything that was taught in that silambu koodam: adavus, jatis, sastras, everything. The girls learnt only dance. We would teach them. To those of us who were being trained for nattuvangam, other things were taught too. At a very tender age I was able to write jatis automatically, keeping time with the palm, to offbeat cycles. Our masters would ask us to keep time with our palms and recite the jatis. Just by listening and watching we would do it! This is an art learnt without our being aware of learning.
We learnt music too. We had to learn janta varisai and the saptatala alankaras and do akara sadhakam. It was a “mustâ€
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rshankar
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Amraman
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Here is a clip from Sivasri's arangETram that was posted on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHd9cr_m0JM
The naTTuvanAr is her guru, Smt. Roja Kannan. From the SolkaTTu you can make out that it is in tiSram - tAm dhi tAm, tai dha tai (one could argue that this is in rUpaka tALam).
Ravi,
The alarippu is in Tisra dhruvam talam. A dance choreography of Adyar Lakshman sir.
Ambika
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHd9cr_m0JM
The naTTuvanAr is her guru, Smt. Roja Kannan. From the SolkaTTu you can make out that it is in tiSram - tAm dhi tAm, tai dha tai (one could argue that this is in rUpaka tALam).
Ravi,
The alarippu is in Tisra dhruvam talam. A dance choreography of Adyar Lakshman sir.
Ambika
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rshankar
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Here is another fabulous alArippu, this time from the enchanting Smt. Chitra Visweswaran -
Unlike the choreography of Kum. Sivasri's (with its absolutely straight and sharp lines and geometric symmetry in classic kalAkSEtra style), I think this one showcases the more rounded and lyrical moves and jumps characteristic of the vazhuvUr style. I absolutely love the melodious strains of the late Sri Visweswaran's voice that come soaring in at the end of the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbdin8pafLY
Ambika, what tALa is this in? Isn't this also in tiSram?
Unlike the choreography of Kum. Sivasri's (with its absolutely straight and sharp lines and geometric symmetry in classic kalAkSEtra style), I think this one showcases the more rounded and lyrical moves and jumps characteristic of the vazhuvUr style. I absolutely love the melodious strains of the late Sri Visweswaran's voice that come soaring in at the end of the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbdin8pafLY
Ambika, what tALa is this in? Isn't this also in tiSram?
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vasanthakokilam
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Thanks Ravi for the link and the associated commentary. Now I can relate to what you mean by the straight lines of the kalakshetra style vs more of a rounded nature with vazhuvoor style. I normally get stressed out mildly with such technically oriented pieces focussing on such geometric lines where as here with Chitra Visweswaran, she put me at ease allowing me to pay attention to the dance as a whole. Quite brilliant.
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ganesh_mourthy
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Chithra vishveswaran was really good. Oh she is from vazhuvur style too.? what are the other banis I wonder. Is tanjore quartet the same?
Watch the following by Hemamalini and Vyjayanthimala in their younger days. I wonder which bani are they from . But nice to watch .
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=2yvUaH2o1P0
Watch the following by Hemamalini and Vyjayanthimala in their younger days. I wonder which bani are they from . But nice to watch .
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=2yvUaH2o1P0
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ganesh_mourthy
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this link gives basic information about bharathanatyam and its various styles.
http://www.smithamadhav.com/bharatanatyam.html
http://www.smithamadhav.com/bharatanatyam.html
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ganesh_mourthy
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rshankar
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Ganesh_mourthy,ganesh_mourthy wrote:Chithra vishveswaran was really good. Oh she is from vazhuvur style too.? what are the other banis I wonder. Is tanjore quartet the same?
Watch the following by Hemamalini and Vyjayanthimala in their younger days. I wonder which bani are they from . But nice to watch .
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=2yvUaH2o1P0
While the piece by Vyjayantimala is indeed an alArippU (from the movie New Delhi, IIRC), the one by Hemamamalini is not. What she did looked like a very filmy mish-mash where she enters the stage, performs a perfunctary namaskAram, and dances to some ultra fast jatIs that end in a tIrmAnam (Ambika or Umesh can help to define it further).
In the clip from New Delhi, I always regret that the interruption occurs before the ever so graceful backward movement to the SolkaTTu - 'driguDutaka.....'
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rshankar
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Ganesh_mourthy,
I am no expert here (disregard what Arasi says), but let me try to put down what I use to classify these things...I may be off the mark totally...
As far as I can tell, Ms. Madhav has captured the basic styles which all evolved from the tanjAvUr style of the quartette - pandanallUr and vazhuvUr are small villages in the tanjAvUr district if I remember my geography correctly, and with the world being much bigger in those days, even these small distances kept these groups of artists apart for local variations to evolve into styles.
As far as I know, the different styles, along with some of the dancers I associate with these styles are:
If I have some incorrect information here, or if additional information is available please let me know. It will be much appreciated.
tanjAvUr - Smt. Balasaraswati, Prof. Sudharani Raghupati, Smt. Vyjantimala Bali, Ms. Nartaki Nataraj
vazhuvUr - Smt. Kamala Lakshman, Guru Rhadha, Smt. Chitra Viswesvaran, Dr. Padma Subramaniam (prior to her switch to 'bharatanrityam'), Smt. Priyadarshini Govind, Smt. Saroja Vaidyanathan, ...
pandanallUr - Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale (who then created the kalAkSEtra style), Smt. Mrinalini Sarabhai, Ms. Mallika Sarabhai, Smt. Nirmala Ramachandran, Smt. Indira Rajan, Smt. Alarmel Valli, ...
kalAkSEtra style - Created by Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, the Dhananjayans, Prof CV Chandrasekhar and Family, Adyar Sri Laksman and family, Ms. Leela Samson, Smt. Krishnaveni Lakshmanan, Smt. Yamini Krishnamurthy, ...
kAncIpuram style -
mysUr style -
mELattUr style - Smt. Revati Ramachandran, studnets of Sridevi Nrityalaya (whose videos have flooded youtube)
bharatnrityam - A style created by Dr. Padma Subramaniam
Most dancers these days have advanced training in two or more styles - Ms. Malavika Sarukkai is an example of learning from gurUs of the tanjavUr and vazhuvUr style (according to her website).
The vazhuvUr style has more rounded moves, and very interesting and graceful leaps. Smt. Kamala was famous for her poses. In the arangETRam of students from the vazhuvUr style, the invovation is typically to gnAnasabEsar of vazhuvUr in the form of a kauttuvam. The pandanallUr style is renowned for it's nritta, amazing kaNNakkus in the SolkaTTu and kAravais in the jatIs. In addition to being more austere than it's janaka style, the kalAkSEtra style is most precise in it's geometric symmetry and sharpness, deep araimaNDis, and has very interesting stage entries and exits and I have also noticed that in the 'taTTimeTTus, the two feet are almost at right angles (I am not sure if I am expressing this correctly). In the mysUr style, the dancers enter the stage from around the orchestra in a rather characteristic way. The mELattUr style is one of the most langurous styles (at least going by the videos on youtube) with a lot of hip and waist movements.
To answer your other question, both Smts. Hemamalini and Vyjayantimala were trained by Guru Kittappa Pillai, who was the confluence of two styles I think. His maternal grandfather was pandanallUr mInAkSisundaram piLLai, and his paternal lineage is from the torch-bearers of the tanjAvUr style - but overall, I think his style does lean towards the tanjAvUr style. Another extremely illustrious alumnus of his is Prof Sudharani Raghupati. Both Prof. Sudharani, and Smt. Vyjayantimala have revived some of the long-forgotten pieces of the tanjAvUr repertoire that they learnt from him - like the mELa prapatti, ot the navasandhi kauttuvams. That being said, Smt. Bali has also worked for a long time with Adyar Sri Lakshman as well (who is uncompromisingly 'kalAkSEtra' in his style).
I am no expert here (disregard what Arasi says
), but let me try to put down what I use to classify these things...I may be off the mark totally...As far as I can tell, Ms. Madhav has captured the basic styles which all evolved from the tanjAvUr style of the quartette - pandanallUr and vazhuvUr are small villages in the tanjAvUr district if I remember my geography correctly, and with the world being much bigger in those days, even these small distances kept these groups of artists apart for local variations to evolve into styles.
As far as I know, the different styles, along with some of the dancers I associate with these styles are:
If I have some incorrect information here, or if additional information is available please let me know. It will be much appreciated.
tanjAvUr - Smt. Balasaraswati, Prof. Sudharani Raghupati, Smt. Vyjantimala Bali, Ms. Nartaki Nataraj
vazhuvUr - Smt. Kamala Lakshman, Guru Rhadha, Smt. Chitra Viswesvaran, Dr. Padma Subramaniam (prior to her switch to 'bharatanrityam'), Smt. Priyadarshini Govind, Smt. Saroja Vaidyanathan, ...
pandanallUr - Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale (who then created the kalAkSEtra style), Smt. Mrinalini Sarabhai, Ms. Mallika Sarabhai, Smt. Nirmala Ramachandran, Smt. Indira Rajan, Smt. Alarmel Valli, ...
kalAkSEtra style - Created by Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, the Dhananjayans, Prof CV Chandrasekhar and Family, Adyar Sri Laksman and family, Ms. Leela Samson, Smt. Krishnaveni Lakshmanan, Smt. Yamini Krishnamurthy, ...
kAncIpuram style -
mysUr style -
mELattUr style - Smt. Revati Ramachandran, studnets of Sridevi Nrityalaya (whose videos have flooded youtube)
bharatnrityam - A style created by Dr. Padma Subramaniam
Most dancers these days have advanced training in two or more styles - Ms. Malavika Sarukkai is an example of learning from gurUs of the tanjavUr and vazhuvUr style (according to her website).
The vazhuvUr style has more rounded moves, and very interesting and graceful leaps. Smt. Kamala was famous for her poses. In the arangETRam of students from the vazhuvUr style, the invovation is typically to gnAnasabEsar of vazhuvUr in the form of a kauttuvam. The pandanallUr style is renowned for it's nritta, amazing kaNNakkus in the SolkaTTu and kAravais in the jatIs. In addition to being more austere than it's janaka style, the kalAkSEtra style is most precise in it's geometric symmetry and sharpness, deep araimaNDis, and has very interesting stage entries and exits and I have also noticed that in the 'taTTimeTTus, the two feet are almost at right angles (I am not sure if I am expressing this correctly). In the mysUr style, the dancers enter the stage from around the orchestra in a rather characteristic way. The mELattUr style is one of the most langurous styles (at least going by the videos on youtube) with a lot of hip and waist movements.
To answer your other question, both Smts. Hemamalini and Vyjayantimala were trained by Guru Kittappa Pillai, who was the confluence of two styles I think. His maternal grandfather was pandanallUr mInAkSisundaram piLLai, and his paternal lineage is from the torch-bearers of the tanjAvUr style - but overall, I think his style does lean towards the tanjAvUr style. Another extremely illustrious alumnus of his is Prof Sudharani Raghupati. Both Prof. Sudharani, and Smt. Vyjayantimala have revived some of the long-forgotten pieces of the tanjAvUr repertoire that they learnt from him - like the mELa prapatti, ot the navasandhi kauttuvams. That being said, Smt. Bali has also worked for a long time with Adyar Sri Lakshman as well (who is uncompromisingly 'kalAkSEtra' in his style).
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ganesh_mourthy
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This is a real feast for the eyes. Can this be termed as a classical piece?
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=aN7Cj_zEKmc
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=aN7Cj_zEKmc
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ganesh_mourthy
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arasi
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