Bharatanatyam

Rgyajussamavedebhyo Vedaccatharwanah Kramat || Paathyam Caabhinayam Gitam Rasan Samcrhya Padmajah || Vyariracat Saastramidam Dharma Kamaartha Mokshadam ||

"Brahma extracted Paathyam from Rigveda, abhinayas from Yajurveda, Gaanam from Saamaveda and Rasas from Atharvaveda and composed this Saashtra, which bestows Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moskha, the four principal objects of human existence".
- Natya Shastra

Bharatanatyam is poetry in motion. Bharatanatyam, the classical dance form of South India, embodies music, dance, drama, poetry and mythology to create a complete and highly stylized artistic endeavor. The end result creates Rasa, which is the aesthetic emotion that ultimately transforms the audience.

Bharatanatyam's roots are thought to date back to the 5th century A.D. The word 'Bharata' is believed to derive from three main components: Bhava, emotion; Raga, melody; and Tala, rhythm. For the most part, this dance is a solo art form, historically performed in Hindu temples as a means of worship and devotion. The dancer draws from Hindu epics and mythology to create stories that are universally relevant.

Much of Indian dance and theatre is codified in an ancient treatise called the Natya Shastra, written by Sage Bharata. According to the Natya Shastra, classical dance has three distinct divisions: nritta (pure dance), nritya (dance combined with expressions) and natya (drama). Bharatanatyam is characterized by strong rhythmic patterns, lyrical expressiveness and sculpturesque poses reminiscent of the carvings found on Hindu temples, particularly the Chidambaram Temple in the South. Dance is incomplete without the music, which is the South Indian classical form known as Carnatic music. It is characterized by variations of melodious raga and rhythmic tala.

The legendary Balasaraswati stated about Bharatanatyam, "the Bharatanatyam recital is structured like a great temple. We enter the gopuram (outer tower) of Alarippu, cross the ardha mandapam (halfway hall) of Jatiswaram, then the mandapam (great halls) of Sabdam, and enter the holy precinct of the deity in Varnam. We dance to the Padams, experiencing the containment, cool and quiet as entering the sanctum…then the Tillana breaks in to movements like the final burning of incense accompanied by a measure of din and bustle. In conclusion the devotee takes to his heart the god he has so far glorified. The dancer completes the traditional order by dancing to a simple devotional verse."

History of Bharatanatyam

• Bharatanatyam is an ancient dance form, with no exact date of origination. Some say that sculptural evidence points it's roots back to the fifth century AD.
   
• The name "Bharatanatyam" has two distinct roots. One is its reference to Bharata, the author of the Natyashastra, the ancient Sanskrit text that serves as a guidebook to classical dancers even to the present day. Broken up into three syllables, 'bha', 'ra', 'ta', it also refers to three important aspects of the form: bhava (mood), rasa (sentiment), and tala (rhythm or cadence).
   
• Bharatanatyam is said to have its root in an ancient treatise on drama, the Natyashastra, written around 400 BC by Sage Bharata. It is a treatise that describes all aspects of drama in detail, from the acting, music to the dancer's makeup, jewelry, hair, and even stage design. It describes aspects of movements of the major limbs, minor limbs, and most parts of the body in great depth
   
• Bharatanatyam is said to be artistic yoga, because it requires pure dedication and it is also a vehicle for revealing the spiritual through the corporeal.
   
• The religious history of Bharatanatyam is said to be this:
  
  The Gods and Goddesses pleased with Lord Brahma for another Veda to be create which would be simple for the common man to understand. Granting their wish, Brahma crated the Fifth Veda, or he Natyam Veda. It is believed that he has taken pathya (words) form the Rigveda, abhinaya (gesture) from the Yajurveda, geet (music and chant) from Samaveda and rasa (sentiment and emotional element) from Atharvaveda to form the Natyaveda.
  
  After creating this Natyaveda, Lord Brahma gave the same to sage Bharata and asked him to popularize the Veda on earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote Natyashastra or the Science of Dramaturgy, a great, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music.
  
  There is also another story which says that Goddess Parvathi taught this dance form to Usha, daughter of Banasura, a demon. Usha taught the same to the Gopikas of the city of Dwaraka, Lord Krishna's birth place. Thus the divine dance form Bharatanatyam was introduced to the mankind.
   
• In Indian mythology, Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme lord of dance. This divine art form is performed by Lord Shiva & his wife Goddess Parvathi. The Dance performed by Lord Shiva is known as Tandava, which depicts the masculine form of dance.
   
• Tandava has vigorous, brisk movements. The dance performed by Goddess Parvathi is known as Lasya, in which the movements are gentle, graceful and sensual.
   
• Sculptural evidence shows that the basic science and technique was established during the period of 5AD, particularly in the South is the area presently known as Tamil Nadu.
   
• During the Palava and Chola Dynasty (4Ad -12AD) the art of dancing flourished due to its immense patronage. The intimate association of dance with religion as ritual was established in the temples, and the institution of Devadasi was created. Devadasis were female dancers dedicated 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 Dasi-Attam (a precursor to modern day Bharatanatyam). It was also given the name Sadir, by the Maratha rulers. It is a Marathi word meaning "the highest court of law."
   
• Devadasis were always auspicious (nityasumangali) because they could never become widows, since they were married to the God of the temple. They were taught by teachers, or nattuvanars. They are male dance instructors who used to be the sole means of instruction available to a devadasi.
   
• Much of the the function of dance was to give symbolic expression to abstract religious concepts and human emotions.
   
• The dance eventually entered the royal courts through the immense patronage it receive from the rulers of the time. The devadasis performed certain ceremonies rituals in the courts, as the ruling kings had a certain amount of religious authority during those times.
   
• In the first half of the 19th century, the climate was ripe for the support of 4 poet-musicians known today as the Tanjore Quartet: Chinnaiah, Sivanandam, Ponniah and Vadivelu. They codified the basic steps into a progressive series of lessons, or adavus. It is their music and dance compositions which have had the greatest effect on Bharatanatyam as we know it today. Also, they are responsible for the pattern of the typical Bharatanatyam recital today; from pushpanjali to alarippu, shabdam, varnam, padam, thillana, mangalam.
   
• During the British rule, the arts suffered. Most of the patronage that dasiattam enjoyed was taken away. Devadasis were looked down upon because of their linkage with the royal courts. In 1920, the Devadasi Bill was passed which outlawed the dedication of devadasi to temples.
   
• It was at this time that a few pioneers entered the scene. E. Krishna Iyer, a freedom fighter, to the shock of much of the Tamil upper class, arranged for Bharatanatyam concerts in prestigious venues such as the Madras Music Academy. Another pioneer, Rukmini Devi Arundale, a Brahmin woman married to a foreigner, George Arundale, first saw Bharatanatyam performed in 1932. Rukmini Devi was heavily influenced by the Russian ballet of Anna Pavolova, whom she had studied with.
   
• After seeing the concerts at Madras Music Academy, Rukmini Devi decided to learn the art from Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, a master nattuvanar and the devadasi Mylapore Gauri Amma. She started learning at the age of 29, and gave her first public performance at the age of 31. She was one of the first Brahmin women to learn the art of Bharatanatyam. She removed the some controversial elements of the dance, devised artistic costumes, jewelry. She also shifted some of the focus from sringhara to bhakti for her own dance.
   
• She ultimately founded Kalakshetra College of Fine arts, where she sought out the master nattuvanars, devadasi and musicians to teach.
   
• Many followed this tide of revivalism. Master nattuvanars were sought out to teach, and various styles of dance developed, Kalakshetra, Pandanallur, Vazhuvur, Tanjore, etc. They were named after the villages that the nattuvanars came form.
   
• Balasaraswati, a great devadasi, remained true to her devadasi lineage, and continued the traditional even when the devadasi system was frowned upon. She was known for her exquisite abhinayam, and expressive depiction of sringhara. She traveled to the US, and further popularized this art.
   
• As a result, Bharatanatyam has become one of the most recognizable Indian classical dance forms, with many disciples all over the world.
   

Sources: Kothari, Sunil: "Bharatanatyam", 1997
Gaston, Anne-Marie: "Bharatanatyam: From the Temple to the Theatre," 1996
Parthasarathy, T.S.: Bharatanatyam and Allied Dances of South India.