BharathaNatyam Quiz

BharathaNatyam is a classical Indian dance that began in Tamil Nadu temples
This dance form is a reconstruction of Sadir from the 19th and 20th centuries
Sadir refers to the art of temple dancers, otherwise known as Devadasis
The dance form was written about in Natya Shastra by Bharata
BharathaNatyam is known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpted poses
Lord Shiva is considered the God of this dance form
Today, it is widely performed by both male and female dancers

Etymology

The name Bharatha Natyam is relatively recent; performers like Rukmini Devi revived it in the 20th century
The dances' original names were Sadir, Chinnamelam, and Dasi Attam
The name may originate from Bharata Muni, the writer of Natya Shastra
A popular folk etymology holds that "Bhavam" means expression, "ragam" means music, "thalam" means rhythm, and "natayam" means dance

Dance Tradition

Texts from the golden age of Tamil literature and poetry during the Sangam Age and the later Silappadikaram, testify to dance traditions during these times
Silappadikaram is important because one of its characters, Madhavi, is a highly accomplished dancer
The texts are a source of information about ancient culture and society, in which music and dance were highly developed
In ancient times, it was performed as dasiattam by Devadasis in Hindu temples
Many ancient sculptures in temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures called karanas
Apsaras, or celestial dancers, dance a heavenly version of what is known on earth as Bharata Natyam
A Hindu deity is viewed as a royal guest in his temple/abode, and is offered sixteen "hospitalities" including music and dance
Many Hindu temples maintained trained musicians and dancers
In the Kali Yuga, most arts in India center around Bhakti (devotion)
Bharata Natyam and carnatic music are deeply grounded in Bhakti
Bharata Natyam is the embodiment of music, ceremony, and devotion
Dance and music are inseparable; dance can only be conceptualized through Sangeetam (words set to raga or melody)
Bharata Natyam contains Nritta (rhythmic dance), Nritya (expressive), and Natya (a combination of both with a dramatic aspect)
Tanjore was a seat of learning and culture, especially in Tamil Nadu

BharathaNatyam in Tanjore

The quartet of Chinnayya, Ponniah, Sivanandam and Vadivelu made contributions to music during the time of the Maratha King Saraboji (1798-1824)
The quartet also re-edited the BharathaNatyam programme into its present form with forms like Alarippu and Tillana
Descendants of the four brothers formed the original stock of dance teachers of BharathaNatyam in Tanjore

Essential Ideas

BharathaNatyam is considered to be a fire-dance and a manifestation of the element of fire
It is one of five major Classical forms along with others representing other elements
The movements of a BharathaNatyam dancer resemble that of a dancing flame
Contemporary BharathaNatyam is rarely practiced as Natya Yoga
BharathaNatyam is a solo dance with two aspects: lasya (feminine) and tandava (masculine)
In solo performances, the dancer will take on numerous characters and switch roles to create a story line that is easily followed
The characters are meant to be understood by the narrative of the song and expression, or "abhinaya"
Nowadays, BharathaNatyam performances have taken stage as group performances that require many characters depicted by various dancers
Modern dance performances include transitions and formations choreographed

Spiritual Symbolism

BharathaNatyam is the manifestation of celebrating the eternal universe through the body
Some of BharathaNatyam's techniques can be traced back to the Kaisiki style
The Natya Shastra describes the style as elaborate gestures (Mridu Angaharas), sentiments (Rasas), emotional states (Bhavas) & Actions (Kriyas)
Love (Sringara) is foundational and exclusively performed by women
Bharata Natyam reflects spiritual revelations such as the vision of sages Vyagrapada and Pathanjali in Chidambaram
In Hindu mythology, the universe is the dance of the Supreme Dancer, Nataraja, a name for Lord Shiva
The dance of Shiva is represented by "Ananda Tandavam"
Shiva is cosmic dancer embodying eternal energy in five activities: (Srishti) creation, (sthiti) maintenance, (samhara) destruction, (tirobhava) concealing, and (anugraha) favoring
Shiva dances on the dwarfish body of the demon Apasmara purusa, which represents ignorance
The destruction of ignorance brings enlightenment, wisdom, and release from bondage

Medieval Decline

Local kings often invited temple dancers (devadasi) to dance in their courts
These dancers were known as rajanarthakis, and modified the technique and themes of the recitals
A devadasi surrendered to the Lord, while a rajanarthaki's dance was meant to be an entertainment
Margam elements based on the Natya Shastra were replaced by desi karanas
Bharatha Natyam recitals and ballets started more and more popularly viewed as a form of desi entertainment
The Tanjore quartet made contributions to music and completed the re-editing of the Bharata Natyam programme
Descendants of the four brothers formed the original stock of Nattuvanars of Bharata Natyam in Tanjore
The fall of the Hindu kingdoms in the South marked the decline of Natya and the Muslim invasion in the North had wiped it out
The sacred dance was replaced by rice offerings as one of the constituents of the Shodasa Upacharam
Under British rule, propaganda misrepresented Indian art
Influence dissuaded royal courts from ritual dances and alienated educated Indians from their traditions
Devadasi system declined; most were forced to seek patronage of wealthy people and became mere dasis Even the terms by which the dance was known became derogatory
Social reformers launched an Anti-Nautch campaign to eradicate prostitution associated with devadasis, condemning the art itself
By the first quarter of the 20th century, the classical dance was almost wiped out in Tamil Nadu

Modern Rebirth

Rukmini Devi Arundale revitalized BharathaNatyam from its original 'sadhir' style
Rukmini Devi Arundale modified mainly the Pandanallur style of Bharatha Natyam
She brought it to the attention of the West; some say that the art was dead until she started to dance
Rukmini Devi Arundale introduced group performances and staged various BharathaNatyam-based ballets
Rukmini Devi raised BharathaNatyam to a puritan art form by removing objectionable elements from the Pandanallur style
Balasaraswati criticized this movement and other representatives of the traditional devadasi culture
Rukmini Devi founded the school “Kalakshetra" to teach and promote studies in Indian music and art
She was one of the first teachers to instruct a few men to perform the dance
Contemporary BharathaNatyam dancers do not satisfy the aspects of a professional danseuse stated in the scriptures
Padma Subrahmanyam was trained in the Vazhuvoor style and greatly influenced the development of BharathaNatyam
She started her research on karanas and announced the Bharata Natyam variety, Bharatanrityam
Rajadasis are based on the Pandanallur style, Tanjore or Thanjavur, Vazhuvoor, Mysore, Kancheepuram
BharathaNatyam recitals are not performed inside the temple shrine but outside, and even the temple compounds are found in current festivals
Modern performances are given on the stage with a live ensemble
bharathanatyam has been exposed largely through popular movies and TV programs
Learning BharathaNatyam takes many years before the arangetram
There are academic and commercialized dance institutes in India & in many countries
Many people choose to learn Carnatic music and BharathaNatyam
Nowadays, it goes beyond Hindus to Christians and Muslims bringing it beyond religion