Nritta Hastas Are the Foundation of Nritta

PAPER: 3 Detail Study Of Bharatanatyam, Devadasis-Natuvnar, Nritya And Nritta, Different Bani-s, Present Status, Institutions, Artists Module 26 Presentation And Performance Of Bharatanatyam At the functional level, Bharatanatyam has three aspects: Nritta / न्रि配ता: Abstract dance movements with rhythm, but without expression of a theme or emotion. Also called pure dance. Nritya / न्रि配य: Interpretive dance, using facial expressions, hand gestures, and body movements to portray emotions and express themes. Natya / ना絍य: The dramatic aspect of a stage performance, including spoken dialogue and mime, to convey meaning and enact narrative.1 Adavus / अदावुस and nritta hastas are the foundation of nritta. Adavus and the full range of hastas / हस्त, together with abhinaya / अभिनय, make up nritya. The use of abhinaya and character provides the dramatic element, or natya. Abhinaya enters all aspects of the dance, including nritta, nritya, and natya. For vachikaabhinaya / वाचिकाअभिनय, you should understand the lyrics of the music. For angikaabhinaya / अंचगकाअभिनय, knowing the language of gestures is the key. For aharyaabhinaya / आहाययअभिनय, an aesthetic sense is sufficient. Some familiarity with the Indian style of dress and decoration helps, so that the costumes don’t seem so unusual that they are distracting. Satvikaabhinaya / सात्配वकअभिनय evokes a response to the emotional state of the dancer.2 The basic unit of dance in Bharatanatyam is the adavu. Each adavu is a combination of steps or positions with coordinated movements of the feet, legs, hands, arms, torso, head, and eyes. Adavus (like araimandi / अरैमंडी) give Bharatanatyam its distinctive look. The adavus, numbering around 120 in all, are divided into numerous groups and subgroups. Some adavus are accompanied by rhythmic syllables, or sollukattus, that put together the steps of the adavu in a time sequence or meter. Sollukattu, which in Tamil means spoken (sol) structure (kattu), is a verbal description of an arrangement of beats or steps. For example, the phrase, “thai-yum-that-that thai- yum-tha” / थई-यौम-ठाट थाई-यौम-था is the sollukattu / सो쥍ऱुकट्टू for an adavu named Nattadavu. Various sollukattus have phrases like “thai-ya-thai-yi” / थाई-या-थाई-यी, “tadhing-gina-thom / ताचधंग-चगना- 3 थोम”, and “kita-thaka-thari-kita-thom.” / ककता-थका-थारी-ककता-थोम The hand gestures of Bharatanatyam are called hastas. Sometimes, you may hear them called as mudras, or hasta mudras / हस्त मुद्रा. There are one-handed and two-handed hastas, there are lots of them, and they all have names. When a hasta is employed in a specific context for a specific purpose, it gets a special name for that use. In general, when the hastas are used to denote deities, celestial bodies (like the nine planets), or relations, their names are changed according to the application. All the hastas find use in nritya, but only a subset of them are used in nritta; these are also called nritta hastas. During nritta, the hastas convey no meaning. They are purely decorative. In nritya, the hastas are a vital aspect of the expressive language of the dance. They describe things and objects, they express concepts like truth, beauty, or the passage of time, they depict thoughts, words, and actions, and they combine with facial expressions to show emotions. The same hasta, used with different arm movements or in a different context, can have a different meaning. This is how the Tripataka hasta can be used for fire or a tree, and can also become the Vishnu hasta.4 The facial expressions of Bharatanatyam are called abhinaya. The dancer may enact many passing feelings (sancharibhava / संिारीिाव) to show the effects (anubhava / अनुिाव) produced by the causes (vibhava / वविव) of the emotional state, and to reveal the fullness of the dominant emotion (sthayibhava / स्थायीिाव). In Bharatanatyam, there are navarasa or nine emotions : Shringara / �ींगार (love,eros), veera / वीरा (valor,heroism), karuna / क셁णा (sadness), Adbhuta / अद्भुत (awe, amazement), raudra / रौद्र (fury), hasya / हास्य (laughter, humor), bhayanaka / ियानक (fear), bibhatsa / बििस्थ (revulsion) and shanta/शांत (peace), and countless passing feelings that may be enacted.5 The Natya Shastra / ना絍यशास्र lists 8 types of nayikas / नान्रयका based on their emotional circumstances. In addition, there are categorizations like the ten graces of women, the ten stages of love, etc. Characters may also be classified according to their stature, as uttama / उ配तम (noble, divine), madhyama / माध्यम (human), and adhama / अधम (base), as well as according to their moral disposition, as swakiya / स्वकीय (faithful wife), parakiya / ऩरकीय (married but longs for another), and samanya / सामान्य(courtesan). 6 The music compositions for Bharatanatyam allow passages of abstract dance to be interposed in the performance. The sequences of syllables are called sullokattus or jatis. A passage of rhythmic syllables during the recital is called a teermanam / तीमयनाम. The artistry in composing a teermanam is in the interaction of the jati passage with the rhythm of the musical composition. 7 The margam or the linear format of a traditional secular Bharatanatyam recital meant strictly sticking to starting with an invocatory shlokam / स्ऱोकम / pushpanjali / ऩुषऩांजभऱ (offering of flowers to space/gods/ gurus) and then dovetailing in technique showing item Alarippu, in which various stances and structure of Bharatanatyam could be seen. The margam / मागयम consists of alarippu / अऱाररऩ,ू jatiswaram / जन्रतस्वरम, sabdam / स녍दम, varnam / वणयम, padam / ऩदम ् / javali / जावऱी, tillana / न्रत쥍ऱाना and sloka / श्ऱोक. As described by the late T. Balasaraswati, the format reflects a marvelous scheme of aesthetic progression, as well as a unique architectural conception. In a lecture delivered at the Tamil Isai Sangam, Madras, translated from Tamil by the late S. Guhan and reproduced in ‘Bala on Bharatanatyam,’ a monograph published by the Sruti Foundation, the legendary exponent of Bharatanatyam said 8 “I believe that the traditional order of the Bharatanatyam recital, is the correct sequence in the practice of this art, for revealing the spiritual through the corporeal. The greatness of this traditional recital-pattern will be apparent even from a purely aesthetic point of view. In the beginning, alarippu, which is based on rhythm alone, brings out the special charm of pure dance. The movements of alarippu relax the dancer's body and thereby her mind, loosen and coordinate her limbs, and prepare her for the rest of the dance. Rhythm has a rare capacity to concentrate. Alarippu is most valuable in freeing the dancer from distraction and making her single- minded. The joy of pure rhythm in alarippu is followed by jatiswaram where there is the added joy of melody. Melody, without word or syllable, has a special power to unite us with our being. In jatiswaram, melody and movement come together. Then comes the sabdam. It is here that compositions, with words and meanings, which enable the expression of the myriad moods of Bharatanatyam are introduced.9 The Bharatanatyam recital is structured like a Great Temple: we enter through the gopuram (outer hall) of alarippu, cross the ardhamandapam (half-way hall) of jatiswaram, then the mandapam (great hall) of sabdam and enter the holy precinct of the deity in the varnam. This is the space which gives the dancer expansive scope to revel in the music, rhythm and moods of the dance. The varnam is the continuum which gives ever expanding room to the dancer to delight in her self-fulfillment, by providing the fullest scope to her own creativity as well as to the tradition of the art. Padams now follow. In dancing to padams, one experiences the containment, cool and quiet of entering the sanctum from its external precinct. The expanse and brilliance of the outer corridors disappear in the dark inner sanctum; and the rhythmic virtuosities of the varnam yield to the soul-stirring music and abhinaya of the padam. Dancing to the padam is akin to the juncture when the cascading lights of worship are withdrawn and the drum beats die down to the simple and solemn chanting of sacred verses in the closeness of god. Then, the tillana breaks into movement like the final burning of camphor accompanied by a measure of din and bustle. In conclusion, the devotee takes to his heart the god he has so far glorified outside; and the dancer completes the traditional order by dancing to a simple devotional verse.”10 As the above passage reveals, Balasaraswati believed Bharatanatyam is grounded in bhakti and that “it is justified in being called yoga because it is a spiritual discipline perfecting the mind to thought-free serenity.” But the traditional margam is no longer considered de rigueur. In other words, what was once considered the format of Bharatanatyam has lately been modified many a time by all and sundry. It has yielded place to many variations, as well as to dance- dramas and miscellanies presented by groups of dancers trained in Bharatanatyam. Thus, while the margam can be considered most suited to unfold the major dimensions of the dance, it cannot be held that, unless it is used, a Bharatanatyam recital ceases to be one.11 The symbolism apart, the pure metre (alarippu), the music and metre (jatiswaram), the word, music and metre (sabdam), and the elaboration and lofty expression of all these facets (varnam), music without metre (padam and javali), metre and melody in abstraction (thillana) reveal the logical evolution of the dance and pacing of the margam format.12 The Thanjavur Quartet’s concert format is still being followed though the jatiswaram and sabdam have become less common.

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