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Otherwise – Devadasis |
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Bharata Natyam’s antiquity goes back to
the Rigvedic hymns and to the figurine of a dancing
girl from Mohenjo-Daro. Bharata Natyam has its roots
in the Natyashastra, which is probably one of the
earliest and one of the best treatises on Indian
Dramaturgy. It was the 1st comprehensive treatise
on dance, drama and music. The essential elements
of stage-craft have been described by the Natyashastra
thousands of years ago. Sage Bharata compiled the
text of the Natyashastra in the 4th century BC.
The version available now may be as late as the
7th or 8th century AD. |
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Devadasis:
The magnificent temples built in the South during
the rule of the Pallavas and the Cholas (4th century
AD – 12th century AD) are a living testimony
to their love for architecture, sculpture, paintings,
and primarily their belief in religion and devotion
to the gods. Along with the temples, the performing
arts received a great fillip. The art of dancing
and music flowered during their rule. Under the
British rule and during the close of the last decades
of the 19th century, the art of dance suffered a
lot on account of several reasons. Political instability
and the loss of patronage resulted in a setback
for the art of dance. Under the British system of
education, the arts were not given any recognition
as a subject of study. It alienated the generations
of Indians from their traditions. The early decades
of the 20th century saw a revival on account of
a few historic incidents and the work of a few dedicated
pioneers. Of course, the devadasis had already fallen
in disrepute. Their art was abhorred and looked
down upon. The reformists and educationists thwarted
the growth of this art. A bill was piloted by Dr.
M. Reddy in the assembly to discontinue the prevalent
system of employing devadasis in temples. With the
passing of the Devadasi Bill into an Act, the art
of Bharata Natyam received a severe blow. |
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Renowned exponents then started ferociously to
revive this art. A very prominent advocate and freedom
fighter was E. Krishna Iyer who made it his life’s
mission to propagate Bharata Natyam and rehabilitate
it. He would often put on the dress of a female
Bharata Natyam dancer and perform in public to remove
the stigma attached to the art. He faced strong
opposition from several quarters. But this did not
deter him. |
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With the arrival of Rukmini Devi on the dance
scene, a new chapter opened in the history of Bharata
Natyam. She gave her 1st important in March 1936
and from then on the course of Bharata Natyam changed
significantly. She introduced welcome reforms in
the presentation and removed the unpleasant elements
from dance. She used padams with spiritual import
& contributed in removing the stigma of eroticism.
Bharata Natyam was no longer base or vulgar. It
was necessary to bring back its devotional fervour.
In the musical part of the presentation, she replaced
the bagpipes and the clarinet with the veena and
flute. |
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Thus, many followed the tide of revivalism and
today Bharata Natyam is the most popular dance-form.
It became the rage of the day. The old teachers
in remote villages were sought after. Different
styles of Bharata Natyam came to be known and appreciated.
And today, hardly a week passes in India without
the debut of a young aspirant. In the post independent
era Bharata Natyam found new votaries and brilliant
exponents. Since its revival in the thirties it
has achieved unparalleled popularity. As a dance
form of great beauty, it has crossed national frontiers
and become part of the international dance scene. |
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Nritta, Nritya and Natya |
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According to the Natyashastra treatises, the art
of classical dance is divided into three broad divisions:
nritta, nritya and natya. |
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Nritta consists of bodily movements and patterns
of dance, which are decorative and convey no meaning.
Nritta means pure dance. Nritta has been variously
defined: nrittam talalayashrayam – pure dance
with two major constituents, tala and laya –
time measure and rhythm. In nritta, the emphasis
is on pure dance movements, movements for their
own sake, creating patterns in space and time without
any specific intention of projecting any emotion.
In nritta the movements are created by the use of
the various limbs producing beauty for its own sake.
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The basic dance unit is called adavu. These units
have some semblance with the karanas of the Natyashastra.
It is possible that the adavus in Bharata Natyam,
may have evolved from the karanas. Since dance is
a dynamic art and constantly undergoes changes and
variations, one cannot categorically say that the
adavus are direct descendants of the karanas. Yet
one can see the relation and common points between
them. |
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The pure dance items in Bharata Natyam are alarippu,
jatiswaram, tillana, and nritta passages in sabdam,
varnam, and swarajati. |
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According to most oral traditions these adavus
are divided into nine groups, which in turn are
divided into several sub-groups with variations
and combinations. |
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In Nritya, meaning is conveyed through the stylized
hand gestures, facial expressions, mime and action:
these in turn augment the emotions and sentiments
conveyed by the dancer. Therefore, the expressional
aspect is projected in nritya. |
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Abhinaya is one of the most important aspects
of histrionic art conjuring up a fascinating world
of imagination. A Sanskrit term, abhinaya means
to educate, or lead the play towards the audience.
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Abhinaya is the synthesis of aharya, consisting
of facial make-up, costumes, jewellery, and settings;
vachika, referring to the speeches and songs by
the actors; angika, comprising bodily movements;
and satvika, the expression of psychic states intimately
associated with emotional conditions. |
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The 9 rasas: shringara (erotic), vira (heroic),
karuna (pathetic), adbhutta (wondrous), raudra (furious),
hasya (comic), bhayanaka (fearful), vibhatsa (disgusting),
and shanta (peaceful or tranquil). |
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A sentiment is produced by the union of determinants
(vibhava), consequents (anubhava), and transitory
feelings (vyabhichari). The essential element in
the production of sentiment is the dominant emotion
(sthayibhava) like love, in shringara, which persists
amidst transitory feelings (vyabhichari or sanchari).
The transitory feelings are many, such as discouragement,
weakness, anxiety, joy, shame, impatience, inconstancy,
indignation, and so on. |
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Abhinaya also embraces two modes: lokadharmi,
the realistic and natyadharmi, the conventional
and stylized. In the lokadharmi mode, abhinaya has
an instant appeal because of its closeness to ordinary
life. It employs gestures that are natural and instinctive,
ornaments that are in common use, and costumes familiar
to everyday life. On thee other hand, stylized hand
gestures, movements of the eyes, conventional movements
of the limbs, peculiar costus, simulation of emotions,
and state of mind fall into the category of natyadharmi.
If the tears are to be shown, the dancer uses hand
gestures to suggest the flow of tears, with appropriate
expressions on the face. Bharata Natyam employs
the natyadharmi mode of abhinaya |
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In Natya, along with the use of the spoken word,
the expressions, mime and action, dance and movements,
the element of drama is involved. The ancient Indian
play was produced through words, gestures, postures,
costumes, make-up, songs, and dances. Wherever necessary
the instrumental music was also played. |
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