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55-523: Thanjavur Quartet were four brothers, Chinnayya , Ponnayya , Sivanandam and Vadivelu , who lived during the early 19th century and contributed to the development of Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music . They excelled in the art of Bharatanatyam. The brothers were employed in the courts of the Maratha King Serfoji II at Thanjavur initially, and then moved to Travancore to the court of Swathi Thirunal . The Tanjore brothers gave

110-402: A Tillana , the climax. It closes out the nritya portion, the movements exit the temple of expressive dance, returning to the nritta style, where a series of pure movement and music are rhythmically performed. Therewith the performance ends. Shlokam or Mangalam The seventh and final item in the sequence can be either a Shlokam or a Mangalam . The dancer calls for blessings on

165-408: A Tamil Hindu bridal dress. It typically consists of a sari in bright colors with golden or silver zari embroidery on the borders. The costume can be stitched from the sari , with individual pieces for a bottom (either a skirt or salwar -shaped pants), a pleated piece which falls in front and opens like a hand fan when the dancer flexes her knees or performs footwork, a hip piece that covers

220-558: A critical examination of evidence suggests that courtesan dancing is a phenomenon of the modern era, beginning in the late 16th or the 17th century of the Nayaka period of Tamil Nadu. According to James Lochtefeld, classical dance remained exclusive to Hindu temples through the 19th century, only in the 20th century appearing on stage outside the temples. Further, the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom patronized classical dance. With

275-626: A form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues and the essence of scriptures. Historical references to dance are found in the Tamil epics Silappatikaram (c. 2nd century CE ) and Manimegalai (c. 6th century). The ancient text Silappatikaram , includes a story of a dancing girl named Madhavi; it describes the dance training regimen called Arangatrau Kathai of Madhavi in verses 113 through 159. The carvings in Kanchipuram's Shiva temple that have been dated to 6th to 9th century CE suggest dance

330-408: A guru or school, often named for the village of the guru. Bharatanatyam style is noted for its fixed upper torso, bent legs, and flexed knees ( Aramandi ) combined with footwork, and a vocabulary of sign language based on gestures of hands, eyes, and face muscles. The dance is accompanied by music and a singer, and typically the dancer's guru is present as the nattuvanar or director-conductor of

385-421: A historic and rich dance tradition was being victimized under the excuse of social reform. Classical art revivalists such as E. Krishna Iyer , a lawyer who had learned from traditional practitioners of Sadir, questioned the cultural discrimination and the assumed connection, asking why prostitution needs years of training for performance arts, and how killing performance arts could end any evils in society. Iyer

440-474: A male Bharatanatyam dancer is usually either a sari or a white cotton cloth draped around the legs and bottom half of the body like a dhoti . During performances, the upper body of the male dancer remains bare. Male dancers typically do not wear stitched costumes. Both female and male dancers wear elaborate jewelry on their ears, nose, neck, and wrists. Female dancers wear additional jewelry on their heads that emphasizes their hairline and parting. They also wear

495-530: A seven to eight-part order of presentation. This set is called Margam . Pushpanjali The Arangetram performance typically begins with a dance called the Pushpanjali , which translates to "offering of flowers". In this dance, the performer offers flowers and salutations to the Hindu deities , the guru , and the audience as a mark of respect. The beginning of the dance symbolizes supplication, from which

550-540: A smaller piece of jewelry on each side of their parting. These represent the sun and the moon. Long hair on both male and female dancers is either secured by a bun or a braid. Female dancers with short hair often use braid extensions or bun hair pieces to simulate long hair. Female dancers also wear imitation flowers made of either cloth or paper around their braids or buns. These are known as (or gajra ). Both male and female dancers wear makeup, including foundation, blush, lipstick, and thick eyeliner or kohl , which helps

605-466: A story, creatively choreographed to ease the interpretation and expand the experience by the audience. The repertoire of Bharatanatyam, like all major classical Indian dance forms, follows the three categories of performance in the Natya Shastra . These are Nritta (Nirutham), Nritya (Niruthiyam) and Natya (Natyam). The purpose Bharata Natyam is an art which consecrates the body (...)

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660-534: A successful revival movement of Bharatanatyam through Indian Nationalist movements was the introduction of state-sponsored dance festivals in 1955 in an independent India. These festivals were put on to display art with religious, social, and cultural connotations that have some regional diversity on a common national platform. In the late 20th century, Tamil Hindu migrants reintroduced the traditions of temple dancing in British Tamil temples. Bharatanatyam

715-476: A web of multiple political agendas, hoping to bend this burgeoning morality issue to suit their cause. Colonial denunciations of the practice of temple dancing were caught up in liberal ideals of bringing modernity to India, where modernity was tied to Anglo-Protestant moral ideas about how bodies are viewed and how sexuality was presented. The 1910 ban triggered protests against the stereotyping and dehumanization of temple dancers. Tamil people were concerned that

770-577: Is an Indian classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu , India . It is a classical dance form recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi , and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas of Hinduism and Jainism . A description of precursors of Bharatanatyam from the Natya Shastra dated around (500 BCE) and in the ancient Tamil epic Silappatikaram dated around (171 CE), while temple sculptures of

825-465: Is credited with helping develop the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam. There was an emphasis on building a modern India through Indian nationalism, which tied in with protecting traditional artistic traditions. The decommercialization and sanitation of Bharatanatyam for the sake of protecting the spirit of the art is part of Bharatanatyam’s revival. Bharatanatyam’s successful revival meant that it

880-635: Is dated to between 500 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE. Richmond et al. estimate the Natasutras to have been composed around 600 BCE. The most studied version of the Natya Shastra text consists of about 6000 verses structured into 36 chapters. The text, states Natalia Lidova, describes the theory of Tāṇḍava dance ( Shiva ), the theory of rasa , of bhāva , expression, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, standing postures—all of which are part of Indian classical dances. Dance and performance arts, states this text, are

935-663: Is done when the guru believes the student is ready for a solo performance. This solo debut is synonymous with a "coming-of-age" celebration. The arangetram is a culmination of multiple years of hard work by the student and the guru, and it is an opportunity for the dancer to showcase his or her dedication and skills developed over the years. Throughout this debut, the dancer performs a series of dances. The dancer must build up his or her concentration and stamina to perform solo dances for approximately three hours. Each dance performed symbolizes various aspects of Hindu religion . A traditional Bharatanatyam arangetram dance performance follows

990-568: Is dressed in a colorful sari , adorned with jewelry and presents a dance and it is synchronized with Indian classical music. The hand and facial gestures are a coded sign language able to recite legends and spiritual ideas from the Mahabharata , the Ramayana , the Puranas and historic drama texts. The dancer deploys turns or specific body movements to mark punctuations in the story or

1045-487: Is next. This is the stage of reverence, of simplicity, of abhinaya (expression) of the solemn spiritual message or devotional religious prayer ( bhakti ). The music is lighter, the chant intimate, the dance emotional. The choreography attempts to express rasa (emotional taste) and a mood, while the recital may include items such as a keertanam (expressing devotion), a javali (expressing divine love) or something else. Tillana The performance sequence ends with

1100-463: Is seen to connote a dance that harmoniously expresses bhavam , ragam and talam . The theoretical foundations of dance Bharatanatyam are found first in Natya Shastra , a Sanskrit text of performance arts and later in a Tamil text called Kootha nool taken from Tholkappiyam (250 BCE). Natya Shastra is attributed to the ancient scholar Bharata Muni , and its first complete compilation

1155-461: Is the first item of Margam where expressions are introduced. The solo dancer, the vocalist(s), and the musical team, in this stage of the production, present short compositions, with words and meaning, in a spectrum of moods. This performance praises God (such as Krishna, Shiva, Rama, and Murugan) and their qualities. Varnam The performance thereafter evolves into the Varnam stage. This marks

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1210-596: Is traditionally a team performance art that consists of a solo dancer , accompanied by musicians and one or more singers. It is described as classical art because the theory of musical notes, vocal performance, and the dance movement reflect ideas of the Sanskrit treatise Natya Shastra and other Sanskrit and Tamil texts, such as the Abhinaya Darpana . The solo artist ( ekaharya ) in Bharatanatyam

1265-628: The Unadi Sutras mentions Nata as "dancer, mime, actor". Panini too mentions the terms Nritya and Nartaka respectively as dance and dancer, in his treatise on Sanskrit grammar. Nrtya It is the spirit of both eternity and time. It is the spirit of both man and woman. It is the Purusha and Prakriti , expression of the evolution of the movement, a truly creative force that has come down to us from ages. This embodiment of sound and rhythm, which creates poetry of spiritual expression

1320-535: The Badami cave temples of Karnataka , dated back to the 7th century portrays the Tandava dancing Shiva as Nataraja . The image, 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, has 18 arms in a form that expresses the dance positions arranged in a geometric pattern. The arms of Shiva express mudras (symbolic hand gestures), that are used in Bharatanatyam. The early 12th century ancient Sanskrit text Manasollasa discusses about

1375-481: The Pandanallur style and Thanjavur styles of Bharatanatyam. Nationalist movements that brought revitalizing devadasis up as an issue to focus on viewed it as a way to critique the imposition of colonial morality on India. However, the revival movement was not without Western influence. Nationalist movements that also focused on devadasis revival were influenced by Western ideas of democratization of arts. Part of

1430-703: The navaratna mala .These brothers composed number of Varnas and Kritis.They were the first to formalise the performance pattern of bharatanatyam, and codify lessons called adavus (basic steps and the different categories of rhythm patterns) required for the same. They were the ones to plan and set the order of the different items of the repertoire in performance. The order they set was as follows. Melaprapti, Alarippu, Jatiswaram, Sabdam, swarajati, Chauka Varnam, Ragamalika, Padam, Javali, and Tillana. They also composed several pieces for each category set to different ragas and talas (rhythm structure). Bharatanatyam Traditional Bharatanatyam ( Tamil : பரதநாட்டியம் )

1485-620: The "anti-dance movement" in 1892. The anti-dance camp accused the dance form as a front for prostitution, while revivalists questioned the constructed colonial histories. In 1910, the Madras Presidency of the British Empire banned temple dancing, and with it the classical dance tradition in Hindu temples. The banning of temple dancing stemmed from the 1892 anti-dance movement and new, liberal colonial perspectives. What

1540-521: The 20th century as Bharatanatyam. Modern stage productions of Bharatanatyam have become popular throughout India and include performances that are purely dance-based on non-religious ideas and fusion themes. The Thanjavur Quartet developed the basic structure of modern Bharatanatyam by formalizing it. In 1932, E Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale put forward a proposal to rename Sadiraattam ( Tamil : சதிராட்டம் ), also known as Parathaiyar Aattam or Thevarattam , as Bharatanatyam , to give

1595-460: The 6th to 9th century CE suggest dance was a refined performance art by the mid-1st millennium CE. Sadiraattam, which was renamed Bharatanatyam in 1932, is the oldest classical dance tradition in India. Bharatanatyam is the state dance form of Tamil Nadu . Bharatanatyam contains different types of bani . Bani , or "tradition", is a term used to describe the dance technique and style specific to

1650-469: The British and fighting for civil liberties included debates about morality, and how gender impacts morality. The revival movement moralized devadasis by democratizing the art, while also decorating it with the female performing class. Figures like Rukmini Devi Arundale, who are credited with revitalizing Bharatanatyam, also shifted the practice to appeal to middle to upper-class women. Rukmini Devi Arundale

1705-522: The English imagined nineteenth-century modernity to be did not include what they regarded Bharatanatyam to be, which they regarded as indecent. Coming from a deep orientalist perspective, the morality of people who performed Bharatanatyam was called into question. Accusations of prostitution were thrown around. Some women from traditionally performing communities were used as a way to showcase obscenity. New reforms disregarded local issues like production of

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1760-617: The actual form of the recent day repertoire of Bharatanatyam - The Margam. The eldest of all the four brothers, Chinnayya moved to the Royal Court of Mysore during the rule of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III and composed many songs in praise of him. While his famous Thillana in Kapi Raga and Adi Tala is in praise of the Mysore King Sri Chamarajendra Wadiyar X and is one the most popular compositions. At

1815-461: The arrival into the sanctum sanctorum core of the performance. It is the longest section and the nritya . A traditional Varnam may be as long as 30–45 minutes or sometimes an hour. Varnam offers huge scope for improvisation and an experienced dancer can stretch the Varnam to a desirable length. The artist presents the play or the main composition, reveling in all their movements, silently communicating

1870-574: The arrival of the East India Company in the 18th century, and British colonial rule in the 19th, classical Indian dance forms were ridiculed and discouraged, and these performance arts declined. Christian missionaries and British officials presented " nautch girls " of north India ( Kathak ) and "devadasis" of south India (Bharatanatyam) as evidence of "harlots, debased erotic culture, slavery to idols and priests" tradition, and Christian missionaries demanded that this must be stopped, launching

1925-535: The arts for the sake of liberalism and felt able to impose disruptive reforms that reshaped lives at all levels and subjected people to new standards. Colonial reforms were largely unsympathetic to local traditions, and dismissive of the industry surrounding producing art. The adoption of Anglo-Indian laws that imposed certain restrictions and regulations on certain expressions of sexuality, and more so regulations on bodies and sex in general, which in turn affected traditional dance practices. Temple dancing became caught in

1980-653: The audience see and understand their facial expressions. Nritya Nritya is broadly categorized as one of three parts of Sangita , the other two being gita (vocal music, song) and vadya (instrumental music). These ideas appear in the Vedic literature of Hinduism such as the Aitareya Brahmana , and in early post-Vedic era Sanskrit texts such as the Natya Shastra , Panchatantra , Malvikagnimitra and Kathasaritsagara . Nritya and Nata appear in Vedic era literature. For example, Section 4.104 of

2035-596: The brothers moved to Travancore and were patronised by Swati Tirunal . The king appointed Vadivelu Pillai as the court musician. Vadivelu Pillai also learnt to play the violin gained expertise and demonstrated that not only Kalpita sangeetam but Manodharma sangeetam could also be easily and deftly played on the instrument. Vadivelu was the first to introduce Violin instrument to Carnatic music. The four brothers composed numerous varnams and kritis . Some of these are Amba Souramba and Amba Neelamba , Ambaneelambari ( Neelambari ), Satileni ( Poorvikalyani ), apart from

2090-520: The dance form a measure of respect, at a meeting of the Madras Music Academy. They also were instrumental in modifying mainly the Pandanallur style of dance. The word Bharatam is also seen as a backronym , with bha standing for bhavam (feelings, emotions), ra for ragam (melody, framework for musical notes), and tam for talam (rhythm). The term Natyam is a Sanskrit word for "dance". The compound word Bharatanatyam

2145-587: The dancer then commences the rest of the performance. Alarippu The presentation can also begin with a rhythmic invocation ( vandana ) called the Alarippu . It is a pure dance, which combines a thank you and benediction for blessings from the gods and goddesses, the guru and the gathered performance team. It also serves as a preliminary warm-up dance, without melody, to enable the dancer to loosen their body, and journey away from distractions and towards single-minded focus. Jatiswaram The next stage of

2200-404: The dancer, who dissolves her identity in rhythm and music, makes her body an instrument, at least for the duration of the dance, for the experience and expression of the spirit. The traditional order of Bharata Natyam recital viz. alarippu , jatiswaram , varnam , padams , tillana and the shloka is the correct sequence in the practice of this art, which is an artistic Yoga , for revealing

2255-747: The dancing movements like Natya , Tandava , Lasya , Laghu , Visama and Vikata, This discussion is similar to that found in Natya Shastra . Some colonial Indologists and modern authors have argued that Bharatanatyam is a descendant of an ancient Devadasi ( lit.   ' servant girls of Devas ' ) culture, suggesting a historical origin back to between 300 BCE and 300 CE. Modern scholars have questioned this theory for lack of any direct textual or archeological evidence. Historic sculptures and texts do describe and project dancing girls, as well as temple quarters dedicated to women, but they do not state them to be courtesans and prostitutes as alleged by early colonial Indologists. According to Davesh Soneji,

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2310-451: The encouragement of the King they learnt the nuances of Carnatic music from a number of exponents of their time, including Muthuswami Dikshitar . Dikshitar appreciated Vadivelu Pillai as an ekasandhagrahi , one who had the ability to repeat a song heard only once. The quartet wrote a set of nine songs called navaratna mela in tribute of their teacher. After a stint at the courts of Serfoji,

2365-472: The entry of a different character in the play or legend being acted out through dance. Abhinaya is the art of expression in Indian aesthetics ; footwork, body language, postures, musical notes, the tones of the vocalist, aesthetics and costumes integrate to express and communicate the underlying text. In modern adaptations, Bharatanatyam dance troupes may involve many dancers who play specific characters in

2420-516: The movement to revive Bharatanatyam and other ancient dance arts. The Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, already in progress, became a period of cultural foment and initiated an effort by its people to reclaim their culture and rediscover history. In this period of cultural and political turmoil, Bharatanatyam was revived as a mainstream dance outside of Hindu temples by artists such as Rukmini Devi Arundale , Balasaraswati and Yamini Krishnamurti They championed and performed

2475-433: The people all around. The overall sequence of Bharatanatyam, states Balasaraswati, thus moves from "mere meter; then melody and meter; continuing with music, meaning and meter; its expansion in the centerpiece of the varnam; thereafter, music and meaning without meter; (...) a non-metrical song at the end. We see a most wonderful completeness and symmetry in this art". The costume of a female Bharatanatyam dancer resembles

2530-483: The performance adds melody to the movement of Alarippu , and this is called Jatiswaram . The dance remains a prelim technical performance ( nritta ), pure in form and without any expressed words. The drums set the beat, of any Carnatic music raga (melody). They perform a sequence ( Korvai ) to the rhythm of the beat, presenting to the audience the unity of music, rhythm and movements. Shabdam The performance sequence then adds Shabdam (expressed words). This

2585-415: The performance and art. The performance repertoire of Bharatanatyam, like other classical dances, includes nrita (pure dance), nritya (Conveys a meaning to the audience through hand gestures) and natya (Consists of the elements of drama). A program of bharatanatyam usually lasts two hours without interruption and includes a specific list of procedures, all performed by one dancer, who does not leave

2640-401: The revival movement was making the opportunity to dance open to more people. Nationalist movements that focused on revival were also influenced by Western ideology through their propagation that part of the revival movement is a reassertion of traditional values, as well as a moment to remind people of the country’s cultural heritage and reestablish a sense of identity. Fighting for freedom from

2695-414: The seat of the pant/skirt, and a torso piece that looks like an aanchal (i.e. the draped part of a regular sari). Some dancers also opt for an unstitched sari that is draped specially, with the single piece of cloth starting around the legs like a dhoti , then upwards along the front torso, over the left shoulder, and then down the back with its end held at the waist by a jeweled belt. The costume of

2750-490: The spiritual through the corporeal. Balasaraswati , a devadasi A Bharatanatyam arangetram is a solo debut performance that signifies the completion of initial formal training of a young dancer, female or male in Indian classical dance. The term Arangetram translates to "ascending the stage". This performance is typically done ten to twelve years after a dancer begins learning Bharatanatyam. Still, more importantly, it

2805-407: The stage or change costume. The accompanying orchestra—composed of drums, drone, and singer—occupies the back of the stage, led by the guru, or the teacher, of the dancer. Sadiraattam remained exclusive to Hindu temples through the 19th century. It was banned by the colonial British government in 1910, but the Indian community protested against the ban and expanded its performance outside temples in

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2860-410: The text through codified gestures and footwork, harmoniously with the music, rhythmically punctuated. The dancer performs complicated moves, such as expressing a verse at two speeds. Their hands and body tell a story, whether of love and longing or of a battle between the good and the evil, as the musicians envelop them with musical notes and tones that set the appropriate mood. Padam The Padam

2915-476: Was a well-developed performance art by about the mid 1st millennium CE. A famous example of illustrative sculpture is in the southern gateway of the Chidambaram temple (≈12th century) dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva , where 108 poses, described as karanas in the Natya Shastra , are carved in stone. Bharatanatyam shares the dance poses of many ancient Shiva sculptures in Hindu temples. The Cave 1 of

2970-529: Was arrested and sentenced to prison on charges of nationalism, who while serving out his prison term persuaded his fellow political prisoners to support Bharatanatyam. While the British colonial government enforced laws to suppress Hindu temple dances, some from the West, such as the American dancer Esther Sherman moved to India in 1930, learned Indian classical dances, changed her name to Ragini Devi , and joined

3025-428: Was regarded as a classical dance tradition specific to India, as opposed to a cultural dance that had been changed by colonial censorship. It was becoming a modern nation to have a traditional dance that was practiced recreationally and was nationally recognized. With the standardization of Bharatanatyam, there came books based on historic texts, like Natya Shastra , which described the different movements. Evidence of

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