Bharatanatyam Technique
Bharatanatyam technique may be discussed under two broad heads, namely nritta
and abhinaya. The nritta aspect has to be understood as a technique of human
movement.
In Indian dance the human body has been conceived of, as a mass which can be equally
divided along a central median. Further movement is determined by the nature
of deflections from this median. It is only when the weight is equally divided
that the completely balanced (sama-bhanga) position emerges. In poses where
there is only one deflection, the slightly imbalanced (abhanga) position emerges.
In postures with more than two deflections on opposite sides of the central
median, the thrice-deflected (tribhanga) position emerges. Bharatnatyam conceives
of movement in space mostly along either straight lines or in triangles.
The head forms the first unit and lateral movements of the head are common.
The torso is seen as another unit and is hardly ever broken up into the upper or
the lower torso. The lower limbs are seen either as straight lines or two sides
of an imaginary triangle in space. The upper limbs either follow the lower limbs
or weave circular patterns along space which is covered by the lower limbs. It
is the latter aspect, along with the use of the torso as a single unit, that
gives Bharatnatyam its particularity.
The dancer begins with samapada position which is the first basic position, with the feet facing front. The body of the
dancer is neither relaxed nor unduly taut. This is followed by turning of the
feet sideways which is known as the 'Kalai tiruppudal' in Tamil. Then comes the
'ardhamandali' position in which the feet are sideways and the knees also bend
sideways. The ardhamandali is often termed as the 'ukkaramandali', the Tamil word
'ukkar' literally meaning sitting. The entire movement pattern is built from the
first movement in which the feet are turned sideways, the knees are bent and the
arms either extended out or placed firmly on the waist. The dancer is trying to
achieve a series of triangles. The line joining the two shoulders may be
conceived as the base of one triangle and the waist as the imaginary apex of an
inverted triangle. From this apex a second triangle is conceived with the
thighs, as the two sides and the line joining the two knees, as the base of this
triangle. The third triangle is formed by the
space covered by the two calves and the line joining the two knees. The arms
reinforce this by forming other triangles on either side-the extended arm
forming one side of the triangle and the line joining the hand to the knee
suggesting the second side .
Foot contact is important. In the first position, the entire foot touches the
ground and weight is equally distributed. The stamping of this flat foot on the
ground is known as 'tattu'. In the same position the second type of foot contact
occurs where only the toes of one foot touch the
ground and the heel is raised; the third type of foot contact results when the
heel touches the ground and the toe is raised. These are the usual movements in
the 'ardhamandali' position. Then follows the permutation and combination of these
positions by the use of either one foot or both the feet.
The unit which emerges as a coordinated pattern of movement of the feet, thighs,
torso, arms, hands, neck, head and the eyes is knows as the 'adavu'. The adavu is
perhaps the closest to the cadence of movement called the 'Karana' in the
Natyasastra terminology. The adavu always begins with a static position in place
and then explores the possibility of movement through different types of foot
contacts; with the sole, the toe or the heel and the combination of these, first in
place and then in space.
