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Tuesday 22 May 2012

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Expert Speak

  "Evolving as a part of the ritual of worship, Bharatanatyam, the foremost of the eight Indian Classical dances, has deep roots in the fertile soil of the Cauvery delta. Originating in temples, dance flourished under royal patronage. Showing remarkable adaptability, it thrives as a much appreciated art form in contemporary times."

 

 

Chitra Visweswaran

Dancer

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Dance in Chennai

Footwork of the Tribhanga

 

The present margam or format of presentation in Bharatanatyam was born in the court of Thanjavur and was formulated by four brothers, popularly known as the Tanjore Quartet. The villages of Vazhuvoor, Pandannallur, Tiruvidaimardur and the town of Thanjavur itself were amongst the main centres that came to be known for great gurus and dancers. The dance emanating from each centre came to be identified with the name of the place and the bani or sub style of Bharatanatyam came to be known by it.

Classical dance originally formed part of the ritual of worship in the temples of South India. Ancient Puranic texts mention the offering of dance and music along with the chanting of Vedas, offering of flowers and rajopachaara as part of the rituals. This offering was also known as upacharanai. Dance and music of this category was performed by the devadasis or servants of God. The practice of dedicating a daughter to a temple was prevalent in society. Historical documents state that there were as many as 400 temple dancers dedicated to the Brihadishwara (Siva) temple in Thanjavur in the 11th century AD.

 

The magnificent rulers of South India, be it the Pallavas, Cholas or Marathas, were great patrons of art, which thrived under them in myriad manifestations. It was during the Maratha rule that Thanjavur became the cradle of South Indian classical dance and music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the royal court and after

When temples lost their ability to support the arts, dance very naturally followed patronage into courts of royalty. Some of the gurus or teachers of this art form were extremely learned and several of the devadasis were women of great integrity, learning and pride. But, as with everything else, negative elements crept in and the institution of devadasis started being looked down upon.

 

As the power of royal dynasties waned, so too did their patronage. Political and economic power shifted to Chennai and dance also moved out of the Cauvery delta region into the city. The move to the city also marked a change in the common perception of dancers. Till such time, women from so called ‘good’ families did not dance and were not even allowed to see dance performances. Change gradually set in and it was E Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale who were instrumental in removing the stigma attached to it.  

 

With the end of the British Raj, the artistic base shifted along with political and intellectual power shifts. With fierce nationalism and Indian governance coming in, Indians were striving to find their own identity. In this quest several national academies and institutions, such as, Kalakshetra (in Chennai), Kalamandalam (in Kerala), Shantiniketan (in West Bengal) were set up. In addition, great gurus viz., my own guru Vazhuvoor Ramaiyya Pillai, Thanjavur Kittappa Pillai, Muthiah Pillai, Tiruvidaimarudur Kuppiah Pillai and family, including his disciple Smt. T A Rajalakshmi (my first Bharatanatyam guru), Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai, amongst others, moved out of what is now ‘mofussil’, but what was then the heart of the arts. They contributed to the rediscovery of a sense of Indian-ness, even as they moved the centres of art to metros.

  One of South Indian dances

  The dance style which was earlier called sadir, chinnamelam or daasi aatam was resurrected, infused with new spirit and made acceptable as ‘Bharatanatyam’.Bharatanatyam remains popular in contemporary times as it is a communicative language. 

 It is now a matter of great pride for all families to have at least one dancer within it.

 

The contemporary scene

Bharatanatyam remains popular in contemporary times as it is a communicative language that can be used to express any idea, old or new. It has a rich vocabulary and allows for interpretation at several levels. It continues to remain relevant because of the interpretative skills of practitioners who have contributed greatly and continue to do so to keep it alive and interesting.

 

Some of the noteworthy names are Smt. Kamala, Dr Vyjayanthimala Bali, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, Prof Sudharani Raghupathi, Prof C V Chandrasekhar, the Dhananjayans, Ms Lakshmi Viswanathan, amongst others.

 

Bharatanatyam today co-exists with contemporary dance which seeks inspiration from many a discipline. Chandralekha and today, Anita Ratnam in Chennai, are noteworthy for their contribution to contemporary dance. In summary, there is an audience for anything that is thoughtfully conceived, aesthetically performed and well-produced.” A leading exponent of Bharatanatyam, Chitra Visweswaran was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1992, the Kalaimamani award by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1982 and the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1987.

  

 

 

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