-Saraswathi Narayanan, Chennai.

The finished movements in Bharatanatyam need not necessarily be triangular. All dance forms are geometrical. For example, in the Araimandi (half-sit) posture, the legs take the shape of a quadrilateral. All the classical dance forms are recognised by the variation in the nritta - adavus(dance steps). Abhinaya is almost similar. And all the dance forms have movements that are geometrical - straight lines, parallel lines, diagonals, circles, triangles, squares, and so on...Probably the Sama Pada sthanaka with the legs straight and the hands stretched perpendicular to the legs gives the impression that movements in Bharatanatyam are triangular. Besides the dance forms you have mentioned it is said that 'Chau' could also be added as a classical dance form.

I would like to know the tala for the javali 'Neemata le Mayanura' in Poorvikalyani. According to the text it is misra ekam. I heard some sing / dance in Adi. Which is correct? Can we handle in either tala?

-Aruna

This piece is normally danced to Adi talam. But, performing the same in Misraekam does not sound wrong.

I was initiated into the art of Bharatnatyam at the age of 5 and performed my arangetram at age 12. I continued to train and perform for several years after that. However once in college, academics took priority and dance took a back seat. Now I am 35 and a mother of a 5 yr old daughter. For the last couple of years I have been feeling an intense need to get back to my art, for my sake as well as for my daughter. How do you recommend I go about this? Taking dance lessons myself is feasible since there are a couple of dance schools in my town. Would you advise me to learn carnatic music? What about nattuvangam? Should I learn nattuvangam from a musician or a mridangam artist. Please advise.

-Meera

Yes, you could start with practising the basics in dance. Regular practice of adavus will limber your body. You could definitely learn carnatic music. Learn nattuvangam after practising the adavus. It is better to master the adavus before learning nattuvangam.

I know that an expert sees things in a professional way. Can you teach an amateur how to find out the level of mastery of a dancer? How do you personally evaluate the performance and the talents of a dancer? What is the most complex test that can demonstrate one's utmost mastery in dance?

-Linda

It is a God-given gift to mankind to appreciate symmetry and beauty. Dance is the outer expression of an inner emotion. Classical dance in India has evolved from the day-to-day actions of man, rituals and folk. So, anybody can appreciate a good dance performance.

On the part of the dancer, it is practice that makes her/him perfect. When the movements are symmetrical it automatically registers in the onlooker.

For an amateur, one way of learning is by seeing various performances. Slowly, one can differentiate between the good and the bad. Experience and time add to the ability to evaluate.

Viewing a good dance performance creates 'Nirmalam' - complete satisfaction. Eg., when you have a good meal, you experience a certain satisfaction. It is similar to that.

If a dancer is able to bring a drop of tear(of happiness) in the onlooker, then that is rasanubhava...that shows the mastery of a dancer.

There are various competitions held in the UAE for school children. Is it a rule that the participant should not wear any black colour costumes? I prefer black and it gives a contra Can u also suggest some tips on how a dancer could maintain his figure to dance efficiently. I am a person who weighs more than a 100 kilos. I find it very difficult to do a piece of 7 mins too. It's not coz of my diet....Hereditary and lack of exercise.....

-Rijosh Joseph, Dubai

It is not wrong to wear black. It is unjust to disqualify for wearing black. But, dance is so vibrant and joyful, so why not wear other colours? If one is till keen on black, one can wear a contrasting blouse / pyjama - orange, red, white...

Costume wise, a male dancer can wear a veshti with an ungavastram and a jewel on the bear torso. With regard to the dance items, you could take up contemporary themes, which are commonly more enjoyable these days.

You could also do the role of a hero pining for a lady or going in search of a lady..the role of a Uthama Nayaka. You could also take up mythological themes. All the Gods have danced at sometime - Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Ganapathi, Muruga. Dashavataram, Navasandhi sthuthis will be good pieces. With these themes, efimacy can be avoided. To maintain your figure, you need to have the right kind of monitored diet (fat free, carbohydrate free). Walking (long strides), No afternoon sleep, daily pranayama (during Ushakalam-morning), yoga from a qualified master and of course regular dancing will help.

I've been told that the quality of a Bharatanatyam dancer can be seen by the way she performs Alarippu. Do you agree? I am a Bharatanatyam student in Italy, my teacher is Giovanna Leva Joglekar, who was Smt. Yamini Krishnamurti's student while her stay in India. Do you know a way to save and cure leg's joints, especially ankles and knees, which are always under great effort while keeping aramandi positions?

-Marzia, Italy

Yes, it is true, the quality of a dancer can be seen from the way she performs Alarippu. But, you can also judge a dancer from the very entry to the stage! To preserve your body, you must know the knack of conserving your energy. You should conserve 65% of your energy and expend only 35 %. This will give an effortlessness to your movements, in turn not hurt your limbs. Conservation of energy holds good for anything that you do.

Please explain the differences between the Pandanallur, Kalakshetra, thanjavur styles...Does it exist and any names of dancers of these styles.

-Aditi, Pune

Basically there are as many styles as there are dancers! The names Pandanallur, Vazhuvoor, Thanjavur, Kanjeevaram, Kaatumannar etc., refer to the places from where some of the great nattuvanars came. The difference between the styles refer to the slight variation in the adavus performed according to each style. That gives the distinction between them. But, the basics are the same.

Some of the well known dancers - Pandanallur Jayalakshmi, Kamala Lakshman (Vazhuvoor), Rukmini Devi, U.S. Krishna Rao, Yamini Krishnamurthy (Thanjavur).

-Mary, USA

The costume, jewellery, make-up and stage decoration are aimed at enhancing the beauty, charm and the aesthetic value of the dance performance. Yes, the jewellery worn by a dancer have a special significance: The 'chandran' and 'sooryan' (moon and sun) worn on the top of the head signify that their beauty and grace have descended upon the dancer. The 'thalai saaman' (chutti) emphasises the line of the forehead. The nose ring is said to preserve chastity. The 'maatal' (worn covering the ear) is to protect the eardrums. The 'Maanga malai' worn on the chest above the navel prevents pulmonary disorders. The oddiyanam (belt worn around the waist) keeps the spinal chord straight. Bangles protect the wrists, rings encourage philanthropy and anklets give strength to the ankles of the dancer.

I have been a male Bharatha Natyam student since the age of five in the United States. After I completed my arangetram last October under Smt. Ambika Sukumaran, I decided to take up advanced lessons with Smt. Bala Devi Chandrasekhar in the Padma Submrahmanyam/Vazhuvoor Style. I am now learning the practicals of this art form, things I had never learnt before. New adavus, slokas of the Natya Shastra, and other technicalities as they are taught in India. I learnt something about 'sthanas' and how Bharatha Natyam takes the mandala sthana. I also hear Odissi takes the vaishnava sthana and so on. I don't recall the other sthanas though and how they are depicted. Could you post them? Thanks.

Dr. Padma calls her style of dance as Bharatanrityam and she uses the sthanas from the Natyashastra. But, the Bharatanatyam as we know today, which was called as Sadir/ Koothu, Chinnamelam etc., in the past, follows mostly the Abhinaya Darpana. According to this text, the 'Mandala Bheda' (Standing postures) in Bharatanatyam are ten in number: Sthanakam, Aayatham, Aaleedam, Prathyaleedam, Prenkhanam, Preritham, Svastikam, Motitham, Samasoochee and Parshvasoochee. (For a pictorial representation and definition of each of these you can refer the book Laghu Bharatham-Vol.I, available in Karnatic Music Book House in Madras, E-mail:kmbc@eth.net)

Could you please send me the word-to-word meaning of the geetham Vara Veena.

-Shashi Sridhar

The geetham is in praise of the Goddess Devi. According to a book on Geethams, it addresses the one who has the great veena, has soft hands, has lotus-petal shaped eyes, queen of Paramatma, has a braid as beautiful as the bees, the one praised by the Devas, has a beautiful form, the one who shines with unparalleled good qualities, giver of victory, granter of wishes and the wife of Ranganathan, giver of strength and mother of Brahma.

JULY - 2002

I am happy to have stumbled upon your column! It's quite informative, and it's helpful to see that dancers around the world share many of the same problems and concerns. My question: As a male dancer, I've been given conflicting instruction on how to perform abhinaya. One person tells me that as a male, my expressions must be more controlled, less flowery, more 'masculine". Yet others say that I should just perform the abhinaya with genuine emotion, regardless of whether it comes off as more masculine or feminine. I tend to agree with the latter opinion. Although I understand that abhinaya is a learned art and is not by any means completely spontaneous. I do often feel restricted trying to keep my abhinaya more 'masculine', whatever that means! I feel that sometimes I come off looking boring or unexpressive when I try to 'control' my abhinaya. What are your views?

-Anand, Los Angeles, CA

Abhinaya is the external expression of the inner emotion whether male or female. What the artiste feels within, in a particular situation of the song, the artiste expresses through gestures. If you think of yourself as the heroine and express the emotion towards the hero, it has to be depicted that way and vice versa. In the jeevatma-paramatma concept, there is no male or female, it is the yearning of the individual soul for the Supreme. It is called bridal mysticism. So, the choice is with you. It depends on the songs you choose. I would suggest you to take songs suitable to your way of expression. You can ask further if you're still doubtful.

I will be doing my arangetram in December and the main problem is the 'shortness in breath'. I get the large pieces like Varnam, completed without stopping, but find it difficult with shortness of breath. People have told me that it will improve with more practice, but, is there anything else I can do? It also feels/looks weird to do the abinaya when one is at this situation.

-Nithi

Stamina improves with practice. Right diet and 'Pranayama' in front of the window early morning helps. If you have a tendency to put on weight, have a spoon of sugar before you perform. If you're slim, you can have sugar and a chocolate bar. Never breathe through your mouth. Even if it is a long breath, breathe through your nose.

I have been dancing for more than 10 years now. I feel very comfortable doing Nritta but when it comes to Abhinaya, I feel my abhinaya needs a lot of improvement, I have been trying to work on this aspect but I'm not very satisfied. Could you please tell me how I could go about improving my Abhinaya?

Abhinaya comes with experience. When you do abhinaya, go right into it - that is the song and the situation of the song and what you would do when you're in the situation. Transform yourself to the nayika (heroine) in the situation. With practice the face will start becoming more mobile and the eyes will be more fluid.

I am learning Bharatanatyam for the past 15 years under Guru M. N. Suvarna and Guru Meenakshi Suvarna. I had performed my Arangetram in the year 1991 and had also completed Visharadh on the same year. I have been participating in dance ballets and competitions in Mumbai and other cities. At present I have completed my B. Tech (Computer Systems) and I am working as a Technical Writer. I 'am currently willing to do my Masters in Bharatanatyam. But the University of Mumbai offers this degree only after taking the entire preliminary training again. Please do let me know what can I do.

-Revathy Mahalingam, Anuradha-Bangalore

Is a degree in Bharatanatyam so important to you? I'm a Philosophy graduate and have been in the field of Bharatanatyam for 55 years now. I'm guiding Ph.D students in Bharatanatyam. Our institution has produced three volumes of handbooks on Bharatanatyam.

It is the experience that helps. If you still want to do a master's degree you could try the M.S. University, Baroda or Annamalai University in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu.

JUNE - 2002

I enjoy reading your columns and have a question about Salangai pooja. When is this actually performed? These days I see people performing their Salangai pooja in a grand manner, more like an Arangetram, and I'm wondering what is going to differentiate the Salangai pooja from their Arangetram. Can you please clarify?

-Krishnan, Bombay

For a salangai pooja, you need not know a full margam in Bharatanatyam. Salangai Pooja is like a prelude, when you're ready to face the public. In other words, it is like an internal rehearsal. It need not be a grand affair. It is like any other pooja, like the Navarathri where people gather together for a small function.

Your answers to various questions have been exemplary. I learnt quite a bit by reading them. I am very much interested in Bharatanatyam, but only as a fan who manages to attend as many performances as I can when I am in India. I attend quite a few carnatic concerts too. I stock up as much as I can on carnatic audio tapes, I am unable to get even one dance video which I can carry back for some leisurely viewing. Are there any sources which you can recommend where I can get some dance video tapes. Obviously, I would like to buy them.

-Sam Swaminathan

Yes, dance videos are generally not sold, though each dancer has his/her own recording. You can get videos of dance dramas in Bharatanatyam and the other classical styles of dance from the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT). Here is the address: Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India), 15-A, Sector - 7, Pappankalan, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110 045. Ph: 5088638,5088630. Fax: 91-11-5088637, Email: skdgccrt@del3.vsnl.net.in or ccrt@ccrtindia.com. URL: http://ccrtindia.org/

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