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The Changing Faces of Bharatnatyam, a Classical Indian Dance Form - Part Two By - Preetha Subramanian As a practitioner of Bharatnatyam for the last 20 years under the tutelage of Shobana Bhalchandra http://www.geocities.com/shoba_bhala (foremost students of the Dhananjayans of Kalakshetra, a prestigious Institute for Dance and Music, Chennai, India), I have been fortunate to learn the theory and practice of Bharatnatyam intimately. In the last few years I have been successful in creating a niche for myself in the kutcheri (classical-music and dance) culture of Chennai by giving numerous solo performances during the prestigious annual Margazhi Vizha (December Festival for Performing Arts). I have also had the opportunity to perform and co-choreograph compositions with some eminent practitioners in this field. Having been a part of many ballet productions, whose main objective was to escalate the creative element to the otherwise standard format of Bharatnatyam, has further whetted my expertise of this venerated art form. I have also had the privilege of leaning Mohiniattam (dance form of Kerala state) and Kuchupudi (dance form of Andra Pradesh) for a shot span of 5 years. Since Bharatnatyam is complimented by music I have a thorough understanding of classical Carnatic music and have been trained as a singer for the last 15 years. All these endeavors have prompted me to analyze certain aspects of Bharatnatyam, like stage decor, costume, jewelry, acoustics, lighting, specialized sound effects in music, and seating arrangements of the audience, which are otherwise not given much prominence. For more details about the researcher click on to this link http://www.geocities.com/raghavpreetha/Preethas_World.html

Revival of the Art Form

The early decades of the 20th century saw revival in the field of Bharatnatyam. Rustom Bharucha (1995) in the book, Chandralekha – woman, dance, resistance states, “Sadir (-attam), after all, was not just being revived; it was being consciously adapted, crafted and advertised as the ‘national dance-art par excellence” (p. 41), while referring to the efforts undertaken in the early 20th century to revive Bharathanatyam. Few curious westerners and dancers like Anna Pavlova (legendary Russian Ballerina), Ted Shawn from the USA and Ms Tenant from London were also instrumental in uplifting this art form. Between 1926 and 1935, under the championship of E. Krishna Iyer, this dance regained its majesty and came to be known as Bharathanatyam. Dedicated pioneers like, Dr.Rukminidevi Arundale (Founder of Kalakshetra, Chennai), etc. revived this art form and gave it the respect and status it deserves. Ragini Devi (1980) states, “Bharatnatyam was brought to its present form by four eminent dance masters and musicians of Tanjore - Chinnaya, Ponnaya, Sivanandam and Vadivelu” (p. 44)

Progressively this art form graduated to a level, where in learning and performing this art form came to be regarded as honorable and prestigious. Girls from eminent families started learning Bharatnatyam. According to Panchal (1996), performances took place in the rangamandapa (the whole stage black) of the temple. It was also during this era that some prestigious sabhas (performance halls) were built by renowned people to promote this art form. Many premier dance institutes were incepted around this time. A new structure of the stage recital namely the “margam” (A-Z of a dance recital) was created. The costume of the dance also underwent a huge change. While in the earlier period focus was on making the dancer look attractive, here the costume was redesigned to make the dancer look dignified.

Changes also happened with respect to the positioning of the musicians. Earlier the musicians were seated in front of the dance, as these recitals took place in the open hall of a temple where the seating arrangement was circular. Rukmani Arundale, a noted exponent of Bharatnatyam, was instrumental in giving the musicians a key place in the dance recital. They were placed on the right side of the dancer, so that it would not obstruct the view of the audience. With the building of the sabhas came a more sophisticated seating arrangement as well as sound and lighting layout. This lead to minor changes in the structure of the dances also. In the past each verse was repeated many number of times, as the only form of lighting was oil lamps. For the audience to understand the meaning in the limited lighting, this was essential.

Around this time, an elaborate guru-shishya parampara (teacher-student tradition) also began. The guru was given due respect and students were taken in under the condition that they would stay in the ashram (school) and train in the art form with complete dedication. Dancers were also encouraged to learn either classical Carnatic music or any instrument. All the dancers had to learn the nattuvangam (rhythm based recitation in a structured format that co-ordinates with foot movements) and the technique of using the cymbals. The erotic padams that were choreographed in the past were no longer performed. In addition, specific dance routines were choreographed especially for children and young girls on lighter themes.

Rustom Bharucha (1995) states, “Thus, the ‘sacred’ dance (Bharathanatyam) had to be purified’ of its ‘baser elements’. Padams with licentious undertones had to be bowdlerized. Shringara rasa (emotions of love and lust) had to be doctored through bhakti (spirituality). In essence, dance had to be made respectable. Its aesthetic had to conform to the dominant norms of decency upheld by the elite society of that time.” (p. 45).

The Present

Yamini Krishnamurti (1995) states that, “My art form is primarily a matter of awareness to me” (p.10). In recent times, Bharatnatyam is performed before a varied audience and has expanded beyond the boundaries of language, place, culture and religion. Since the audience is diverse and not necessarily familiar with this art form, the movements have become more precise and articulating the theme of each dance routine to the audience prior to the performance has become important. However, the reason for the popularity of Bharatnatyam has been that the navarasas (emotions depicted in Bharatnatyam such as love, sorrow, jealousy, anger, fear, compassion etc.) which are relevant at all times and to all peoples. Therefore, despite the religious context, any person, even those unfamiliar with the roots and language of Bharatnatyam can enjoy the art. The dance performances of today are structured with a list of varied themes (mostly contemporary and social in nature) and the pace of the performances have also become faster to accommodate the decreasing attention span and changing tastes of audiences. The emphasis on audience approval of the performance can be seen as early as in the Natya Shastra.

Bharatha, the Natya Sastra (Kapila Vatsyayan, 1996) states, “The drama which has its origin in the Vedas, and the spiritual faculty and includes proper words and meter, succeeds when it is approved of by the people. Hence, the people who are witnessing this event are considered as the ultimate authority on the drama” (p. 88). It is believed that a skilled dancer should be able to communicate the theme of the dance to the audience with abhinaya (expressions) and nritta (foot movements). Just like it is possible to tell the mythological story of Krishna and Radha's quarrels or that of Durga's victory over the demons through Bharatnatyam, it is possible to depict emotions and stories about issues of social concern like AIDS awareness, drug-addiction, alcoholism, female infanticide, dowry, challenges women face in today’s world (for instance, managing a career and taking care of the home), etc.

Today when a dancer becomes proficient in nritta, he or she can add individualistic abhinaya and postures to his or her dance. Since we live in a comparatively tolerant society in India, there are influences from other cultures as well as influences from the individualistic experiences of the performer herself/himself. Therefore, Bharatnatyam today looks different from what it used to be centuries ago. The influences and individual renderings have led to the evolution and metamorphosis of this art with time. Although the religious theme persists, some new concepts such as the love interest between a nayak (hero) and a nayika (heroine) are also being incorporated.

Another striking change in Bharathanatyam is that earlier only women practiced this art form. The role of both the nayika and the nayak used to be performed by the danseuse. Today many men have also taken Bharathanatyam as a profession. The world-renowned Bharathanatyam dancing couple the “Dhananjayans” have enthused, encouraged and supported many male dancers and couples to pursue a career in this art form. Another new development in Bharatnatyam is the cropping up of group presentations. In the past, a single dancer or a maximum of two dancers performed this art form. However, in the present milieu, ballets performed by groups consisting of up to a dozen dancers are used to narrate life stories of some of the mythological heroes and heroines. Rustom Bharucha (1995) states, “It should be remembered that choreography was a relatively new concept in the world of classical Indian dance in the (nineteen) fifties.” (p. 57).

Chennai-based dancer Anita Rathnam’s production called "Naachiyar” is one such popular production and she has toured all over India with this production. This is the episodic mosaic of the legend of the Tamil female poet saint Andal, who, in 800AD was born in a temple town near Madurai and devoted her life in song and prayer to Lord Krishna. Her remarkable stories are full of passion and mysticisms are the inspiration behind this acclaimed work. Not confining themselves to mythological themes, some of these group ballets such as the “Abhyasa” and the “Living tree” have also taken up some social themes and performed not only in India but also in the United States and various countries in Europe.

Today, Bharatnatyam is an immensely popular form of cultural expression and source of pride among Indians in diaspora communities around the world. Among non-resident Indians, Bharatnatyam is commonly seen as an integral part of a girls' upbringing, and the dance is often used to solidify ties between second-generation immigrants and their cultural heritage on the Subcontinent. In the U.S., for example, every major urban area with a flourishing Indian community has one or many Bharatnatyam schools. These schools not only arrange for the arangetram (first stage recital when the margam, A-Z of a dance recital is performed) for budding dancers, these schools often sponsor visiting dance teachers from India. Additionally, these schools have also served as sites of innovative fusion between Bharatnatyam and classical western dance forms like ballet, jazz etc. In this regard, this ancient Indian dance form has begun to exert some influence on American culture.

Shift in premise and Audience Feedback

Nevertheless, I believe, below all the sacred veneer, like any other performing art, Bharatnatyam is also audience driven. For instance, in earlier times the themes were based on mythological stories. This was because the dancers mainly danced in praise of the god. The audience was the temple goers and the people who worked in the temple. This was a time when dance was looked as something divine.

This gradually changed when the devadasis started performing in the courts of kings and in the homes of rich men. Again, this marked the beginning of a new chapter in Bharatnatyam. This was the time when erotic padams were choreographed, basically to cater to the needs of the men. Again, changes were made to suit the audience taste. The revival period saw many subtle changes in the dance form. Since Bharatnatyam was patronized by the elite and performed by a section of the elite, the focus of the dances as well as the dancer was no longer to appease the men folk. The performer was given a lot of importance. The choreography focused on presenting mythological themes and the costumes were designed to cater to the taste of the elite audience.

Komala Varadan (1998) in the book Bharatanatyam – Expanding Horizon states, “In the last 10 years, the spotlight has shifted in terms of themes. Since the audience started appreciating and understanding the stories, some practitioners started using contemporary, social themes in the narrative pieces to bring a kind of social awareness” (p. 74). This change has been a big step in Bharatanatyam gaining critical appreciation worldwide. Ashish Mohan Kokar mentions in his book Bharathanatyam (2001) that “Bharathanatyam has thus evolved from a temple dance into an art form for the masses” (p. 24). In the following paragraphs, we shall see instances of social awareness and other contemporary themes adapted and presented through Bharathanatyam performances successfully.

The dance troupe called “Kala Sadhanalaya” performed a dance item called “Jaya Jaya Bharatham” (Long Live India) to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of Indian Independence. This dance was performed at the Mylapore Fine Arts Club in Chennai, India. Songs written by the revolutionary Tamil (one of the languages of South India) poet Subramanya Bharathi written during the times of the Indian freedom struggle were applied. The founder-principal of ‘Kala Sadhanalaya’, Ms. Revathi Ramachandran, choreographed the dance. A group of eight dancers was used to elucidate the nationalistic theme and the audience appreciated the dance very well. For this presentation, Revathi used an innovative fusion of Bharathanatyam and folk dance forms so that even audiences not well versed in the intricacies of Bharathanatyam could easily understand the message being conveyed.

The song “Aduvome Pallu Paduvome”, performed as a ‘Varnam’, brought the destructive downward spiral of free India and the dangers of corruption in modern India forth. Similarly, the song “Kaneer Vittom Valarthom” expressed the hopes of the Indian ancestors who lit the lamp of freedom and the depressive situation prevalent today. A tinge of optimism and hope for the future was infused by the song “Oli Padaitha Kanninai”, which was performed by young children to metaphorically emphasize that the children are the future of the nation and hold the key to the flourishing of the nation. A newspaper daily reporting on the performance summed it up by saying; “The entire thematic presentation of the dance show was strikingly innovative, with the choreographer using non-conventional modes of presenting ideas”. These non-conventional modes of presentation and innovative ideas were hugely responsible for the success of the show.

In 2002, Bharathanatyam dancer Janaki Ganesh performed a production at the famous Narada Gana Sabha in Chennai that handled the theme of ‘religious violence’ in the world today. This production used verses written by the poet Abdul Rahman and showcased how religious fanatics from all the major religions of the world were acting in a manner directly opposed to the peaceful tenets of each religion. Then the item focused on India and on incidents of communal and religious violence such as the Babri Masjid incident. Portions of the holy texts of major religions such as Hinduism (Vedas), Christianity (the Holy Bible) and Moslem (Quran) were interpreted through dance and then incidents were the basic tenets of each of these religions were violated by the religious fanatics was highlighted.

Another Bharathanatyam dancer, Sreekala Bharath (whom I have closely worked with), has experimented with choreographing a dance production about several great Indian women through the ages such as Andal, Avvaiyar, Mother Aurobindo, Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy and Rukmini Devi Arundale. While some of these women belonged to historical periods of the past (Andal, Avvaiyar), there are others who belonged to very recent times (Rukmini Devi Arundale). Thus, this is a breakthrough from the conventional mythological depictions of women in Bharathanatyam. Some of the contemporary dance presentations also involve self-critique (criticism of Bharathanatyam itself) which in itself is a very post-modern approach.

Chandralekha, for instance, choreographed and performed a full-length production, as early as 1959, called “Devadasi” which was a critique about the diving origins of dance. Chandralekha, in Rustom Bharucha’s book “Chandralekha” (1995) states, “I felt that dance doesn’t belong to the temple or to the court or even to one’s country. It must go back to the people, to the body” (p. 52). The book further states that “… the attempt to make a personal (and political) statement about Bharatanatyam through dance must be regarded as one of the first ventures of its kind contrasting sharply with the celebrated dance-dramas performed in Kalakshetra which relied predominantly on mythological themes and stories” (p. 53). Banerjee (1942) too believes that the Kalakshetra style of Bharatnatyam focused on mythological themes in their group narrations like Shakuntala, Brihatkatha, Srimad Bhagwat, Mahabharata, and Ramayana etc.

End of part 2...to be continued. Go To Part 1

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