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)

interview- bharati sivaji

The one who came from outside the state to kerala in the 1970s to understand the flavour of the region in order to enrich its very own classical dance form called mohiniyattam; bharati sivaji whose unrelenting and untiring efforts have greatly contributed in giving mohiniyattam its present stature by adding its own flavour to it and spreading it world over.

In her sixties, her untiring effort continues and is all set to take mohiniyattam to the common wealth games cultural event.


Q: you had a long journey in mohiniyattam, how has it been so far?
It has been a great journey with many facets. The beginning of the journey was in darkness as I didn’t know what exactly I was looking for. I was groping in the dark. Then slowly things started coming into light. It has been a wonderful experience to tap the soil of kerala and feel its hidden flavour. It has been a journey of discovery and re-discovery; a divine experience which many people wouldn’t have had.


Q: you came to kerala in the 1970’s to work on mohiniyattam, what was your expectation when you came to kerala and what was your experience
I had no expectation to begin with but I had a certain idea about mohiniyattam, the lasya style(lasya nrittam) of dance. I didn’t know where to look for the lasya element in the kerala and a major part of my journey was spent in surveying the various facets of the culture and tradition of the region. Then I had to see what I could take to enrich mohiniyattam by adding more of its own flavour. I was very sure from the beginning that mohiniyattam needed some embellishment/ enrichment to improve its stature as a dance form.

Q: during your course of study, has there been any other art form that particularly interested youI cant pin point any one art form or any particular element that inspired me. Like how it’s a combination of various ingredients that make a particular taste/flavour (ruchi). The flavour of kerala lies hidden (layichu kidakkunnu) in the different aspects of its culture and tradition like the temple architecture, musical tradition, sculpture, dance dramas, tala patterns, et al. the flavour of kerala is hidden in many aspects of its cultural heritage. It is upon a dancer’s sensibility what he or she wants to pick from various sources.


Q: do you think some of the traditional art forms need special attention to preserve itMost of the traditional art forms of kerala like the dance drama tradition of koodiyattam, kathakali, krishnantattam et al are very rich, structured and codified. Generally if you see, the audience for classical dance is reducing but that doesn’t mean the art form is dying. They are there still very rich and able to withstand the test of time. Probably this kind of rich art tradition one may not find in any other culture.


Q: in what way have you been able to enrich mohiniyattam after your study of the diff aspects of kerala.

I worked on the adavus (the basic body movements) and started structuring and codifying them. I felt the nritta (pure dance Shuddha nrittam) aspect of mohiniyattam has to be given great importance as it is very unique. And secondly the format of mohiniyattam repertoire (kutcheri) had to be re-constructed. It couldn’t survive just on certain usual padams which was composed some years ago. It needed to be refreshed and so I looked at the rich literary tradition that kerala has. I thought of adopting from that using my own sensibilities. Here I have to mention that I had the guidance of Sri kavalam narayana panikker to fulfill my desire to give a new, higher stature for mohiniyattam nationally and internationally.

Q; are u happy with the present status of mohiniyattam?
Very much. Very happy to see that mohiniyattam which was always clubbed with kathakali has now got its own identity and is considered as one of the major classical dance forms of India.

Q: considering that mohiniyattam is a dance form of kerala do u think there are enough number of mohiniyattam dancers from kerala who have made a mark in the national and international scene?Now there are many dancers from kerala getting recognition because of their good work. Wherever there is good work it will be recognized. Jut because you are a keralite you can’t be excused. You have to prove your worth as an artiste.

Q: you said the audience for classical dance is reducing, according to you what can be done to improve the situation?
Today the film and pop culture has taken the centre stage. There is lot of scope in classical dance to be tapped in and given a cotemporary feel. The beauty of tradition is that it can be modernised. Tradition can be re-intrepreted, re-discovered and re-looked. The human emotions, its intricacies and complexities are so beautifully depicted in our epics that it has tremendous scope for re-interpretation. Similarly in traditional/classical art forms, refreshing changes can be brought about without deviating from tradition. Anything that’s monotonous can become uninteresting. So one need to constantly re-invent. The artistes themselves are responsible to create interest in the audience. The new generation has lot of enthusiasm and creative ideas which they should put to good use. One has the freedom to widen the scope of rasa and bhava in the compositions. Not necessary that mohiniyattam should deal with only lovelorn nayikas.

Q: though mohiniyattam is an indigenous dance form of kerala, the general tendency is that people prefer fast moving dance forms like kuchipudi.
I personally feel that every state should promote their art forms. In tamilnadu or Andhra Pradesh it’s bharatanatyam and kuchipudi respectively that’s promoted and accepted. Why can’t kerala do that? Why the state and the people can’t be proud of their art forms?? It is the state government that holds the responsibility for the current situation. If a non-keralite like me had to take up mohiniyattam seriously for its promotion and propagation, there is something drastically wrong in the system. Why give mohiniyattam, bharatanatyam and kuchipudi equal status? People will naturally like whats fast and kicking.

Q: similarly the trend here is that students learn bharatantyam, mohiniyattam and kuchipudi, all at the same time.

This practice is faulty. Because where is the need and how is it possible to learn all the three dance forms at the same time? Each form has its own distinct style and to learn the different technique of each style correctly is humanly impossible.

Q: so what would you advice the students.

It takes one’s life time to specialize or master one style of dance; it’s not meager changing of costume that makes a particular dance style. The youth festival is what has corrupted the scene in kerala. This trend is found only in kerala. You have to practice and perfect one style of dance form.

Q: having studied the culture and tradition of kerala what’s the unique feature that you found about the region

I found that kerala is very distinct and independent from its neighboring states. In terms of traditional values kerala has an identity of its own.


Q; the colour of the costume in mohiniyattam is white and also people generally wear white attire, what do u think is the reason behind it?The reason could perhaps be the early Jain influence which had a certain satvik quality about it. At one point of time Buddhism was prevalent in kerala after which Jainism spread.

Q: now dancers are adding some colour to the mohniyattam costume, your comment on that
Yes, I feel there is nothing wrong as long as the white base is kept intact. A little change here and there is always refreshing.

Q: you have been a great patron of sopana sangeetha. Why do you think it suits mohiniyattam better?
Sopana sangeethanm isn’t very different from carnatic music. The base of sopana sangeetham lies in carnatic music but the difference is in the rendering which gives it a very distinct regional flavour. It brings in more bhava and hence called bhava geetham. I feel sopana sangeetham greatly compliments mohiniyattam.

Q: why aren’t many mohiniyattam dancers patronizing saopna sangeetham?It is because there are very few practitioners of sopnana sangeetham and also carnatic music has become so popular and established with mohiniyattam kutcheri itself from the time of maharaja sri swati tirunal. It takes a great effort to understand sopana sangeethama and know the nuances of its rendering. One must be musically inclined too. It’s thus easier to adopt readily available carnatic compositions.

Q; could u tell us something about ur mohiniyattam institute and ur teaching methodology.

It was first established in delhi in 1984 as kala ambalam later it was renamed in 1995 as centre for mohiniyattam. I give great importance to technique in my style of mohiniyattam. The upper body(parsvam (olachil) movement and andolika movements (chuzhippu) is unique for this dance form. To any beginner I start with this basic training to loosen their torso. We cant only talk about lasya and not show it.

Q: what do you think is the ideal age for a student to start training in mohiniyattam.
Mohiniyattam is a very difficult dance form unlike bharatanatyam which is easy to teach and learn and a child can learn it from very young age say by five or so. But in mohiniyattam, because of the rounded movements, torso movements as well as its fluidity, it is difficult for a child to get it in the body. The movements has to co ordinate with the footwork and there should be grace which cant be taught. So I feel 14 or 15 is a right age to start training in mohiniyattam. Children can be inititated to bharatantyam meanwhile for a base in any dance discipline. Baratantatyam is a good base where a child learns as to how the body moves and how it can be disciplined. After a while they can specialize in their chosen dance form.

Q: your daughter vijayalakshmi has also taken up mohiniyattam and has taken the dance form to different venues in India and abroad what do u feel about it??She is much more modern and caters to the modern audience but has firm roots in the dance form. She knows what today’s audience wants and tries to present mohiniyattam to a wider audience. She feels tradition need not be stagnated but can grow with the input of the dancer.


Q: whats the significane of classical and traditional art forms, how does it add value to the society.
Very much. You find human values ingrained only in classical or traditional art forms. It is something which grooms you to be a fine human being if you practice it properly. You don’t find these values in any other discipline. These dance forms are more of a philosophy rather than entertainment which has to be practiced, experienced and interpreted all through your life. Such is the magnitude and the essence of traditional and classical art forms, which you find only in india. It is a mind and body discipline. Very few of the present generation is aware of its values. People are drawing from tradition but don’t know its value and they tend to dilute it. That’s very sad.

Q: what would you like to tell the young dancers of KeralaI would like to say that they should be proud of their art forms. Let them not get into the youth festival attitude where you learn a bit of mohiniyattam, bit of bharatantyam and so on. It doesn’t do justice to an art form. Would a kathakali artiste do that?? Do something for the dance form and be focused on it. You can do a lot for mohiniyattam. Quality is important. Whatever you do in life do it qualitatively not quantitatively. Build up that quality and your work will be appreciated.

Dasavatharam by Bharati Sivaji and her troupe

It was a nice way to begin the month with a dance festival at Krishna Gana Sabha on sankhya. The festival began with the representation of number ten (dasa) in Mohiniyattam by the renowned mohiniyttam exponent Bharati Sivaji and her troupe. The ever popular Dasavatharm or ten incarantions of Lord Vishnu were presented by the dancers in a simple format with the added grace of the dance form. The unique representation came in later with the depiction of Dasapushpam or the ten flowers which was indeed like a fresh bloom; a rare treat. It was an interesting choreography with the dancers transforming themselves as ten different flowers that are commonly used in Kerala during the Thiruvathira month considered auspiscoius for ladies. On the final day of Thiruvathira, ladies get together for a few rounds of Thiruvathirakali or Kummi.

The show once again proved that it is difficult to have synchronised movement in mohiniyattam since each dancer has varied degree and inherent style of bending; the charactersitic move of the dance form. The eyes looking for perfection might turn away but the hearts looking for some graceful moments could stay on watching mohiniyattam, the classical dane form of Kerala.

Surupa Sen

I got a call from my aunt informing me about an Odissi workshop conducted by Surupa Sen of Nrithyagarm being held at the renowned Bahratanatyam artsite Priyadarshini Govind's house. The name Surupa Sen caused a stir within me as she is one of the eminent dancers that i truly admire. To my eyes she is poetry in motion on stage with her delectable fluid movements; a treat to watch. How could i resist myself from seeing her when she is in the same city as me and conducting a workshop. Though the workshop had already started and despite my 14 month old daughter i decided to join. It would be a double treat, to meet Priyadarshini Govind and ofcourse to know Surupa Sen. The first day i spent looking for the place and the second day i was well in time for the class. And there i meet both the artistes. Yes Surupa Sen is petite but full of authority.

As my aunt said, she is brilliant. Her love and dedication for the art form is commendable. She taught us a few basic stretching exercices, scientifically. Scientifically i mean because all what she was doing: making us do, was by visualising the anatomy of the body. one realised how important it is for a dancer to understand the body.

The upper torso movement along with the neck and head movements in Odissi that looks very graceful and simple is indeed difficult to master. She had lot of tips for us. She insisted on the chest going soft, with a certain humility that a dancer should possess. Also a very uselful tip for me was to always keep in mind that the body is kept behind the arms for that perfect posture. It ensures that you dont hunch and also attain that soft look which otherwise you may not because one has the tendancy to put ones chest out for that imposing and confident look which is not the real look for a dancer.

The workshop taught us valuable lessons on the technique of dancing as well as the right stretching exercies. She had an open invitation for all to Nrityagarm and i am hoping to catch up with her there, at the idyllic dance village.

A workshop I attended "Dance that defies definition"

by Shonali Muthalaly , Saturday, Sep 29, 2007
Marcia Barcellos was restless. So she left her home in Brazil almost 30 years ago, searching for something she couldn’t really define. Now she’s a dancer, choreographer and co-founder of the contemporary French dance company System Casta fiore. Doing something she can’t really define.
“Sometimes, critics say it is not dance. Well. We are dancers, so it’s dance, right? You have theatre without words, but still it is theatre,” she shrugs expressively, flailing her arms about at the Alliance Francaise auditorium after a workshop with a group of city dancers. “I work with dancers, I’m a choreographer. Actors cannot do what we do. But, it’s everything at the same time. Not only movement, not only theatre. Also lights, costumes, sounds… I don’t ask myself what it is. Dance. Theatre. Mime. Whatever… I don’t care,” she says, adding definitively, “This is what we do.”
So, what do they actually do? Well, from an audience’s point of view, it looks deceptively easy. Exaggerated movements, caricatures of people, over-the-top costumes, all meticulously choreographed to tailored music, all telling a story — whether it’s a Greek epic soaked in high drama or a funny sketch of a vain swain next door.
The truth is it takes immense patience, strenuous practice and unbelievable flexibility. Denis Giuliani, also from System Castafiore, goes into the greenroom in arty black and comes out transformed into a loud, bumbling French man who looked like he had just eaten Denis. His enormous navy blue pants stretch across a huge, wobbly stomach and are held in place by suspenders. “Just three weeks in Madras and look at him!” giggles Marcia. He begins a comic sketch set to music, portraying a pop-eyed, irritable football ground watchman, vigorously running through the entire gamut of emotions and expressions in just a matter of five minutes. All in perfect synchronisation to the music.
Inspired by real life
“We’re inspired by regular human behaviour,” says Denis, catching his breath once he concludes. “I start from real life. Look at someone who’s funny in the street,” he says, imitating a macho man admiring his pumped up arm muscles, and wiggling his eyebrows at passing girls.
“The steps, we invent them,” says Marcia, “It involves searching, which for us means doing things: taking photos, making experimental films, reading, travelling, learning. The choreography and music are the last details.” This search is what brought them from Grasse in France, where the company is based, to India. “We met someone from Kalakshetra and asked the French government to sponsor us,” says Marcia. “We’re attending classes in yoga, Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi… trying to absorb as much as we can.” The idea is to get the flavour of art forms across the world, and then — like magpies — pick up attractive bits and pieces to decorate their own productions.
“In Bharatanatyam you have a vocabulary – everything is set down. The position of the head, the eyes... But we have no rules. Bharatanatyam is a lot more complicated. This is simple. But this also involves inventing, with a lot of humour.”
They’re also hoping that India will throw up a lead actor for their new production, which will tour the world. However, they’re still not sure what it will be. Though, as Marcia says, they’re sure “There will be a hero. It will be magnifique. Extraordinary characters, magical animals…”
Discussing the need to be open to inspiration, she adds, “Things happen and you change your route… The idea is to do something… something we can put in an airplane. When we come to India we will choose an Indian actor, then we take it to Brazil with a Brazilian.” And so on. “If you take someone from a specific country he will add his way of telling it… it gives,” she pauses. “A little bit more spice,” interjects Denis with a grin.
SHONALI MUTHALALY

Lasya and abhinaya by Sindhu Vijaykumar

Publication:Times Of India Chennai; Date:Jun 14, 2008; Section:Chennai Times; Page umber:29
Mohini attam, the dance form which is an epitome of lasya is setting its roots deep in Chennai. The young generation seems to be enchanted by the swaying movements of this predominantly abhinaya oriented dance form which has its origin in Kerala. Gopika Varma, who was first to establish a dance school, Daasya, exclusively for Mohini attam in the city is all smiles, when she talks about the transformation. "In 1993, when I started the school, I used to teach students free of cost as I wanted to spread the art. No sabhas were ready to open their premises for a Mohini attam performance. But now the scene has changed. No marghazhi season is complete without Mohini attam performances; rather I should say that dance forms from various parts of the country are making it to the city," she says. The State government also did its bit to infuse life to this art. The government felicitated Gopika with a Kalaimamani award in the year 2007. "It is a matter of pride that it was the first time, the prestigious award went for a non-Tamil category dance form since its inception,' says a visibly contended Gopika. Rather than colourful costumes and heavy jewellery, it is the simplicity and the power of abhinaya that make a statement. The simplicity is visible even in the costume, which is predominantly white or off white with zari borders in gold or red. The hair is tied in a bundle on the left side with a simple ornament adorning it along with strings of jasmine. A pair of big ear studs and simple ornaments like a choker and kasumala often goes along with it. The dancer with her abhinaya, which involves eyes, eye brows and eye lids, and swaying movements literally create an alluring ambience, thus taking the audience to the highest aesthetic order of enchantment. Perhaps Mohini attam is the only dance form that was subject to several revivals and renaissance. “It is a dance form which allows lot of innovation right from the lyrics to the adavu”, says Gopika. According to her the text form for the dance is taken from Balarama Bharatham, written by Karthika Tirunal Baalarama Varma, an ancestor of King Swathi Thirunal. The mudras taken from Hastha Lakshna Deepika are now available in interactive CD format. She along with Kalamandalam Suganthi, a Mohini attam exponent has introduced 110 sublines of adavus to the former 24 major adavus to make it more flexible and reachable to the audience. The lyrics of the dance form are basically Sanskrit, Malayalam and Manipravalam. Supriya Rajan took up dancing after marriage and she says that it has worked wonders for her. “Besides posture, expressions and grace, my overall personality has changed. My love for the form is because it is the most sensitive of dance forms and very graceful”. She also says that it is the most difficult art form to excel. Madhumathi, a post graduate, started learning it just because she liked the style. "Though I know Bharatanatyam, I was attracted towards Mohini attam as I really liked the style. I have been learning it for quite a while," she says. Vipina, Apsara, Preethi and Aswini are a bunch of students who are all set to enchant this city with their unparalleled movements.

Rhythm Divine- A dance production by Astad Deboo

Rhythm Divine- Touching your spirit.

Why would anyone try to infuse an alien language and colour to a vibrant and rich culture like the one which Manipur possess? This is exactly the thought that I had in my mind when Astad Deboo's new production 'Rhythm Divine' premiered at Rangashankara in Bangalore on 27th Feb. The production encompassed of Pung Cholom drummers from Manipur and Astad Deboo himself.

The show started with the protagonist (Astad Deboo) wrapped loosley with a translucent sheet of plastic; the Manipuri drummers positioned around him. The scene began with stillness and darkness which lasted a while and slowly you could see the lead dancer showing some sign of life. It made me sigh. The life inside was struggling. It wasn't sure whether the figure or the man inside was trying to come out of his wrap or was just displaying his angst. The piece ended with the man yielding probably to his own angst. The drummers took the main stage sans the drums.


The show moved on with Astad dressed seemingly as a pastor interpreting western classical church music. The piece was slow and the stillness instead of making one restless drew closer to the piece. When the Pung Cholom drummers danced to the western classical tunes the discord was very visible and you wonder why they are made to tread uncomfortable paths.

Finally the western classical music instead of influencing the local tunes was witnessed being influenced by the sound and the flavour of the land. It was a sense of relief and joy that one felt when the drummers and the protagonist dancing to Manipuri rhythms. The drummers had the chance to exhibit their true art with their ever too familiar drums, which they did with much gusto. They depicted Krishna's leelas. The audience's spirit was elevated to a different level, a greatly exhilarating experience.

The transition of the protagonist from the Western to Manipuri was beautifully depicted by Astad. The piece where he dressed in dazzling purple attire which looked similar to a Kathak costume was captivating. Probably it was the highlight of the show. The drummers lined up on the stage and the protagonist dressed in the same traditional costume as the Pung Cholom dancers said it all. The local flavour, the colour and the vigour can't be matched by any outside element. It could be enhanced but never replaced. Hats off to Astad Deboo and Guru Seityaban for this enriching work.