Boogie Woogie India

We learned techniques of bharatnatyam yesterday and today we will read about the eye movements and other aspects that are important for this particular dance.

Bhedas and Eye Movements:
Bharatanatyam technique includes many other elements, such as elaborate neck and eye movements. Abhinaya Darpanam has defined in all 9 head movements, 4 neck movement and 8 eye moments which are used extensively throughout the dance.
Head Movements (Shiro bhedas): Sama, Udhvahita, Adhomukha, Alolita,Dhutam, Kampitam, Paravruttam, Utkshiptam and Parivahitam.
Neck Movements (Griva bhedas): Sundari, Tirashchina, Parivartita, Prakampita
Eye Movements (Drishti bhedas): Sama, Alolita, Sachi, Pralokita, Nimilite, Ullokita,Anuvritta, Avalokita
Other aspects

A male Bharatanatyam performer
•    Costume - From the ancient texts and sculptures, one can see that the original costume did not cover most of the dancers’ bodies. The medieval times, with the puritanistic drive, caused the devadasis to wear a special, heavy saree that severely restricted the dance movements. There are several varieties of Bharatanatyam costumes, some of which do not restrict the dancer’s movements, while the others do. The modern costumes are deeply symbolic, as their purpose is to project the dancer’s sukshma sharira (cf.aura), in the material world.
•    Music - The accompanying music is in the Carnatic style of South India.
•    Ensemble - Mostly, South Indian instruments are used in the ensemble. These include, the mridangam (drum), nagaswaram (long pipe horn made from a black wood), the flute, violin and veena (stringed instrument traditionally associated with Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of the arts and learning).
•    Languages - Tamil and Sanskrit are traditionally used in Bharatanatyam.
 Ideal qualities of dancers
A professional Bharatanatyam dancer must demonstrate a number of qualities. As Sangitaratnakara puts it, the true dance is connected to the beauty of the body, therefore any other dance is simply a parody.
The AbhinayaDarpana has a sloka that describes Patra Prana Dasha Smrutaha - the ten essentials of the dancer: Javaha (Agility), Sthirathvam (Steadiness), Rekha (graceful lines), Bhramari(balance in pirouettes), Drishti (glance), Shramaha (hard work), Medha (intelligence), Shraddha(devotion), Vacho (good speech), and Geetam (singing ability).
A professional danseuse (patra), according to Abhinayadarpanam (one of the two most authoritative texts on Bharatanatyam), must possess the following qualities. She has to be youthful, slender, beautiful, with large eyes, with well-rounded breasts, self-confident, witty, pleasing, well aware of when to dance and when to stop, able to follow the flow of songs and music, and to dance to the time (thalam), with splendid costumes, and of a happy disposition.[citation needed]

As Natya Shastra states the qualities required of a female dancer narthaki, "Women who have beautiful limbs, are conversant with the sixty-four arts and crafts (kala), are clever, courteous in behaviour, free from female diseases, always bold, free from indolence, inured to hard work, capable of practising various arts and crafts, skilled in dancing and songs, who excel by their beauty, youthfulness, brilliance and other qualities all other women standing by, are known as female dancers (narthaki)"

This week we learned little bit about Indian classical dance "Bharatnatayam", next week we will put light on one of the western dance. So it will be one week for Indian and another for western. Lets learn together!  Any questions or concerns, please feel free to comment.