a look at the elements of indian classical dance from natyasastra

excerpts from "Movement and Mimesis" The idea of dance in the sanskritic tradition by Mandakranta Bose.

The Nataysastra of Bharata muni is the earliest and most extensive work on all aspects of drama, dance and music. The fourth chapter of Natyasastra (NS) is entirely devoted to dance.

dance, as as said in NS, was created for beauty's sake. The terms bharata muni uses for this dance are two- nrtta and tandava.
NS chapter 4 (259-61)

Recakas, angaharas, and the pindibandhas were created by god (siva) and then given to the sage Tandu. That method of dancing which was then created by him (Tandu) accompanied by appropriate songs and drums is known as Tandava.
The compound nrttaprayoga in the last line equates tandava with nrtta.

Nrtta is described as an artform which is beautified with angaharas made of various karanas.

Karana is the basic unit of dancing and NS has prescribed 108 karanas.

A combination of karnas numbering six to nine makes an angahara, which can be descibed as basic dance sequence.

NS says such nrtta beautify a dramamtic performance when used in the purvanga or prelimeneries of a dramatic presentation.

Recakas are defined as the basic movements of the feet, hips, hands and neck which Bharat describes in chapter four.

Pindibandhas are group dances that constitute a distinct phase of the prelimenaries following the introductory dancing. the purpose of pindibandhas is to invoke the blessings of the gods. Pindibndhas are dedicated to different gods who are denoted by their emblems, which are represnted by the formations created by the dancers.

The presentation of Dance as described in fourth chapter;
A performance meant for the offering of flowers (pushpanjali) at the beginning of a play which consists of abstarct dance movements ((paryastaka)non-mimetic) with the accompaniment of drums and (abhinaya)mimetic action set to songs without the accompaniment of drums.

Bharata doesnt specify the names of movements to be employed. There is mention of only the opening posture; vaisakha sthana, which incidently is the initial stance of the bharatantyam style today.

The presentation is described thus: a female dancer performs nrtta to the palying of the drums, offers flowers, moves around, bows to the gods and mimes the meaning of a song without the accompaniment of drums. After this she exits and a group of dancers enter and present various formations (pindibandhas)resembling the emblems of various gods and then they exit. the main dancer enters again and repeats her performance and abhinaya. she exits and group dancers re-enter and repeat their group formations.
This presentation seems to be similar to what we see in the varnam of the bharatanatyam of today except for the part played by group dancers.


(to be cont...d)