{"id":379,"date":"2017-11-20T22:42:24","date_gmt":"2017-11-20T17:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/blog\/?p=379"},"modified":"2017-11-20T22:42:24","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T17:12:24","slug":"classical-dances-of-india-bharatanatyam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/2017\/11\/20\/classical-dances-of-india-bharatanatyam\/","title":{"rendered":"Classical Dances of India &#8211; Bharatanatyam"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><u>BHARATHAN\u0100TYAM<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Compiled by: Aarthi Natarajan &amp; Indira Kadambi <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Bharathan\u0101tyam is one of the oldest and most popular forms of classical dance in India. It is the dance of both the mind and soul. Its antiquity lies about 3000 years ago with a mythological as well as historical origin. It was originally known as Sadhir-\u0101\u1e6d\u1e6dam (court dance) and also Dh\u0101si-\u0101\u1e6d\u1e6dam (performed by the dh\u0101sis or the servants of God).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-381 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Bhrath-2.jpg\" alt=\"Bhrath 2\" width=\"247\" height=\"283\" \/>The name Bharathan\u0101tyam is understood in two ways:<\/p>\n<p>It is the dance (n\u0101tyam) that beautifully blends the three elements &#8211; \u2018Bh\u0101\u2019 &#8211; Bh\u0101va (expressions), \u2018R\u0101\u2019 &#8211; R\u0101ga (musical melody) and \u2018Th\u0101\u2019 Th\u0101\u1e37a (rhythm).<\/p>\n<p>The name Bharatha might have been coined after Bharatha Muni, the great author of the &#8220;N\u0101\u1e6dya \u015ah\u0101sthra&#8221;. Much of Indian dance and theatre is codified in this ancient treatise that is believed to have been written by Bharatha (200 BCE\u2013200 CE).<\/p>\n<p>Bharathan\u0101tyam is poetry in motion. Bharathan\u0101tyam is the classical dance form of South India and embodies music, dance, drama, poetry and mythology to create a complete and highly stylized artistic endeavor which in the end creates <em>Rasa.<\/em> Rasa is the aesthetic emotion that ultimately transforms the audience. Anything and everything can be conveyed through the rich text of this classical dance form within the aesthetic boundaries and within the codified structure. Bharathan\u0101tyam is characterized by strong rhythmic patterns, lyrical expressiveness and sculpture like poses reminiscent of the carvings found on many of the Hindu temples. Bharathan\u0101tyam is amongst the finest of our art treasures, the noblest of our inheritances.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>History &#8211; Mythological<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to religious history, the gods and goddesses pleaded with Lord Brahma to create a Vedha which would make it simple for the common man to understand. Thus, Brahma created the fifth Vedha known as the N\u0101\u1e6dya Vedha. It is believed that he took Pa\u1e6dhya (words) from the Rig Vedha, Abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajur Vedha, G\u012btham (music and chant) from the S\u0101ma Vedha and Rasa (sentiment and emotional element) from Atharva\u1e47a Vedha to form the N\u0101\u1e6dya Vedha.<br \/>\nThereafter, Lord Brahma gave it to sage Bharatha and asked him to popularize it on earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharatha wrote the N\u0101\u1e6dya \u015ah\u0101sthra (Science of Dramaturgy) a distinguished, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music.<br \/>\nIt is also believed that Goddess P\u0101rvathi taught this dance form to U\u1e63h\u0101, daughter of B\u0101\u1e47\u0101sura, a demon. U\u1e63h\u0101, in turn, taught it to the Gopik\u0101s of the city Dw\u0101rak\u0101, Lord Kri\u1e63h\u1e47a&#8217;s birth place, and thus, Bharathan\u0101tyam was introduced into the world.<\/p>\n<p>According to Indian mythology, Lord \u015ahiva is considered the supreme lord of dance. Bharathan\u0101tyam is performed by Lord \u015ahiva and his wife Goddess P\u0101rvathi.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When it is performed by Lord \u015ahiva, it is known as the Th\u0101\u1e47\u1e0dav\u0101 and depicts the masculine form of dance incorporating vigorous, brisk movements.<\/li>\n<li>The dance performed by Goddess P\u0101rvathi is known as L\u0101sya, wherein the movements are gentle, graceful and sensual.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>History &#8211; General<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-382 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/bharath-3.jpg\" alt=\"bharath 3\" width=\"204\" height=\"257\" \/>Sculptural evidence particularly in South India, and more especially Thamizh N\u0101\u1e0du, (Tamilnadu) shows that the basic science and technique of Bharathan\u0101tyam was established around 5<sup>th<\/sup> Century AD.<\/p>\n<p>In Thamizhn\u0101\u1e0du, classical dance was known as Chinna M\u00e9\u1e37am, Sadhir or K\u016bthu. The evidence of dance can be found in ancient texts such as the Silappadhik\u0101ram and the K\u016bthan\u016bl. The art of Bharathan\u0101tyam was patronized by kings and nobles in Thamizhn\u0101\u1e0du. Evidence shows that the great King R\u0101ja R\u0101ja Ch\u014d\u1e37a (965-1014 AD) employed 400 danseuses to dance in the temple of Bruhadh\u012b\u015bhwara during the prayer ceremonies. Furthermore, dance sculptures were carved on the outer walls of many temples in South India. The 108 Kara\u1e47as on the outer walls of Chidhambaram temple and the Madhanik\u0101 figures of the B\u00e9l\u016br temple are glorious examples of this.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Also, the N\u0101yaka kings (the commanders of Vijayanagara kings) such as Achuthappa N\u0101yaka (1592-1614) and his successors Raghun\u0101tha N\u0101yaka and Vijayar\u0101ghava N\u0101yaka (1614-1673) were great lovers and patrons of music and dance. The Mar\u0101\u1e6dh\u0101 kings of Tanjore (1741-1787) Prath\u0101pa Sinha and Thu\u1e37aji were great lovers and patrons of the art form. Mah\u0101dh\u00e9va A\u1e47\u1e47\u0101vi and Subbar\u0101ya Na\u1e6d\u1e6duvan\u0101r were great artists in the field of Bharathan\u0101tyam. It was Subbar\u0101ya Na\u1e6d\u1e6duvan\u0101r\u2019s sons Chinnay\u0101, Ponnaiyy\u0101, \u015ahiv\u0101nandham and Va\u1e0div\u00e9lu, otherwise known as the Tanjore Quartet or Thanjai N\u0101lwar, who structured Bharathan\u0101tyam to its present day form.<\/p>\n<p>During the reign of the Pallava and Chola Dynasties (4AD -12AD) the art of dancing flourished due to immense patronage. The intimate association of dance with religion as a ritual was established in the temples, and thus the Dhevadh\u0101si tradition came into form. Dhevadh\u0101sis were female dancers who dedicated their lives to the temples. They were trained in the art of devotional dance and singing and were well-versed in languages, poetry and music. The dance they performed in the temples was known as Dh\u0101si-\u0100\u1e6d\u1e6dam (a precursor to modern day Bharathan\u0101tyam). It was also given the name Sadhir, by the Mar\u0101\u1e6dh\u0101 rulers.<\/p>\n<p>The ancient art of Bharathan\u0101tyam, earlier performed only before the Lord in the sanctum sanctorum, came out of the precincts of the temples and entered the palaces as the Kings wanted to witness the performances. As it was not customary for kings to mingle with the crowd, arrangements were made for the danseuse to perform in the palaces.\u00a0Bright and able Dhevadh\u0101sis were no longer respected members of the Indian social community by the end of the 19th century. Gradually, the painful position of Dhevadh\u0101sis disappearing lead married women and girls from respectable families to learn dance.<\/p>\n<p>There was a great wave of reformation in the beginning of the 20<sup>th<\/sup> century. Few realized that the authentic lineage of classical dance, while temporarily shamed and driven underground during an unseemly commotion, <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-380 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Bhrarth-1.jpg\" alt=\"Bhrarth 1\" width=\"152\" height=\"217\" \/>was being preserved among certain artistically distinguished families. Several of the great teachers (na\u1e6d\u1e6duvan\u0101rs), carried the knowledge and substance of the art, living neglected lives in remote villages. It was a difficult time for such people, and if not for the courageous and persistent efforts of a handful of supporters, the art form might well have been totally suppressed. Three artists stand out for their efforts in restoring the classical dance to its traditional place of honour in India \u2013 B\u0101lasaraswathi, Uday \u015ahankar and Rukmini Dh\u00e9vi Aru\u1e47dale.<\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BHARATHAN\u0100TYAM Compiled by: Aarthi Natarajan &amp; Indira Kadambi Bharathan\u0101tyam is one of the oldest and most popular forms of classical dance in India. It is the dance of both the mind and soul. Its antiquity lies about 3000 years ago with a mythological as well as historical origin. It was originally known as Sadhir-\u0101\u1e6d\u1e6dam (court [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":387,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,18],"tags":[13,14,15,17,19,20,21,33],"class_list":["post-379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultural-miscellany","category-lae-dance","tag-eambalam","tag-life-skills-in-schools","tag-lifearteducation","tag-bharatanatyam","tag-life-art-education","tag-online-bharatanatyam","tag-online-courses-in-bharatanayam","tag-online-dance-courses"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifearteducation.in\/laeblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}