The Devadasi Tradition

HISTORY LESSON!

The Devadasi Tradition is one of the most notorious parts of Indian history. Devadasis were women who were "married to God." They were the temple and royal dancers that survived under the patronage of kings and noblemen in medieval India. However, patronage tended to be a very kind word. In order to take care of themselves, the devadasis often had to resort to prostitution. 

The Devadasis were the original performers of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and the like. In those times, dance education had a looser structure. Thus style evolved with the person. In the view of one of my interviewees, the devadasis' style evolved with need. Dance was there livelihood - how does one make the dance enticing and earn a living (and more patrons)? This does not refer solely to prostitution, but to entertainment as a whole. Style evolved with necessity. 

My Existential Crisis Pt. 2

So I'm back!

The more I think about my projecty crisis, the less crisisy it seems. It's merely a lot of thinking and sorting that hurts my brain. So let me explain where I stand right now. As far as analysis between different styles of dance go, I'm golden. I have plenty of material and grasp to present the differences between Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniattam. But it all gets a bit confusing when I hit the analysis of various styles within Bharatanatyam. So when I asked all the experts during the interviews, one of the responses I got was quite shocking. "Defined schools of style do not exist."

......
LOLWUT
......

Down crashing comes my mindset and the organization system I had. So now I'm exploring the two viewpoints: the traditional view of schools of style, and the non-style viewpoint.

My Existential Crisis- Part 1

Dear everybody,

Okay so maybe my title is  little dramatic. But my project is kind of having an existential crisis. So my trip to India was simultaneously the best and worst thing to happen to this project. The best because, well, it was amazing, and enlightening, and a whole slew of other adjectives. But as much of a intellectual journey as the interviews were, they confused me to no end. I have so many ideas that I think I'll have to end up formulating an answer before changing my original questions themselves. I don't even know. The interviews took me on a path that challenged traditional thoughts on school of style. They took on a very definitive tone - what IS style? Some may argue it is individualized per person. So....there's a lot of thinking to do :/

~Prithvi

More on Mohiniattam

Hi! 
So one of the important things I discovered about Mohiniattam is that it is a highly evolving dance form. While Bharatanatyam is also still evolving, Mohiniattam is growing much faster. Mohiniyattam is the only art form of India that was subject to several revivals and renaissance. The efforts of Maharaja Swathitirunal (1813-1846) and the attempts of Kerala poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, in 1932,1937 and in 1950, are important endeavours in the history of this art. The late Thankamani was the first student of Mohiniyattam at the Kerala Kalamandalam (1932). She left the institution within a couple of years on her marriage to the late Guru Gopinath. 

Mohiniattam went through a period of outlaw, when it was thought to be a form of prostitution. Thus, during its revival, it began evolving and reforming. Ms. Gopika Varma was telling me how when she was learning, Mohiniattam only had about 32 or so adavus. Now it has over 160!

So more in the next post,

~Prithvi

More Mohiniattam

Hi!

Here's a video of a basic adavu in mohiniattam.

As you can see, this dance form is much more graceful and swaying. The basic stance (arramandi, akin to the plie in ballet) has legs placed much further apart as compared to Bharatanatyam. Hope you enjoy this video! I sure enjoyed taking it.

~Prithvi

Mohiniattam

Hello!

So I'm back from my week in Chennai, and did all my actual work. It was a week full of interviews (and extreme humidity induced insanity). But it was a crazy enlightening week, that probably gave me way too many ideas. My first interview was with Ms. Gopika Varma, a Mohiniattam expert and renowned performer. I had the luck of sitting in on her class and asking her a few questions. I'll elaborate on that in the next post, but I noticed that while Mohiniattam and Bharatanatyam share a base, they differ significantly in execution. The goal of Mohiniattam is for the performer to sway gracefully and hypnotize the audience. The footwork involves a lot more heel and toe work, and lacks the rigidity thats characteristic of classic Bharatanatyam.

I have an awesome video that I took in the class (multiple actually) but the wifi here is spotty at best, so I'll post them when I return next week! Off to pack :/

~Prithvi

Madras Madras!

So I'm finally in Madras, and now begins the bulk of my work. This week, I'll be meeting with dance professionals and conducting Interviews (with a capital I for some added importance). I've spent my train ride composing my questions so here they are. This is purely a base skeleton and I'll ad lib depending on the progress of the interview. Feast your eyes:

1. The major schools of Bharatanatyam are Kalakshetra, Vazhuvoor, and Pandanallur. What is it that sets [insert style name] apart from the others?
2. What are the stylistic components used in choreography that are uniquely [insert style name]?
3. How would you characterize the nritta in [style]? (ie: rigid, flowing, etc.)
4. How would you characterize the abhinaya in [style]? (ie: subdued, dramatic, etc.)

These are my basic questions. I start all this lovely business tomorrow, but right now I'm off to the beach! Ta :)

~Prithvi

Tales of Travels

Hola!

Yes, I am indeed doing some major blogging catch up. But between travel, catching a nasty stomach bug, and sending Natasha back off (loneliness...), it's been a bit crazy. As for our travels themselves, they were glorious! The rich history, the beautiful architecture (meh the blazing hot weather in India's hottest state),
 and the regional arts were fantastic. This post features a bit random and tangential facet to my research. When we were in Agra, obviously we went and saw the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, etc. Cue brief picture interlude.



Gorgeous aren't they? So whilst touristing it up at the Taj, we stumbled upon a dance drama called Mohabbat the Taj. This dance was a series of scenes depicting the saga of love - the true and immortal love of Shajahan for Mumtaj Mahal- his beautiful wife; the lavish lifestyle of mughal era; epic hardship of the artisans for 22 years that created the most precious specimen of craftsmanship. As far as the dance goes, this drama had a definite Bollywood theme (like, it smacked you in the face). But I enjoyed picking out the pieces of Kathak dance implemented. And the ending piece paid a tribute to thre various dance forms of India (oh look...it's my project). So this dance was special in that it showed the wide
spread influence of classical dance, especially in the prevalent culture of Bollywood today. Here's an excerpt from the performance:

Notice the frequent spins - this is an integral part of Kathak dance. However, it's integrated with a cinematic flair that's undeniably Bollywood. 

So that's all for now! More traveling tomorrow...at 4:30 in the morning. Adieu!

~Prithvi

Still in INDIA

Hello! So we've been in Bangalore for three days now. Leaving on some epic travels tomorrow! Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Bombay/Mumbai. Come at me world. We've been pigging out like no other since we got here, and the moments not eating food are spent either shopping, researching, or drinking large amounts of tea. So in my last post, I talked about how I would post a second subpar picture to show one of the Ashtanayika. (Props for the pseudo-artistic lens flare and lighting? Thanks Natasha!) Here we go -

This is the classic pose of a Vasakasajjika (The dressed up heroine who awaits her lover). Clearly, I'm failing a bit on that dressed up front. But the vasakasajjika usually is looking over her shoulder yearningly, posing in wait. This pose combines a feminine stance with abhinaya (expression) to convey the heroine's situation. 

So currently that is all. A delicious luncheon awaits me :) I shall excuse myself for that very valid reason! Adieu!

~Prithvi

Hello Homeland!

I'm in India guys! It's so exciting (and crazy hot) :) All I do is stuff my face all day long and shop with Natasha. And read my books obviously. So to put the stuff I've been talking about into a little context, I tortured both Natasha and myself (mainly her) to have a mini photoshoot. So here is one example of mudra usage in a pose. (Side note: This was done on the balcony of the house whilst we were racing against the setting sun. It is very rough.)

So here, one hand is holding the alapadmam murdra, and the other is depicting bangles being put on the hand. Together, they create decorative pose that is also showing a motion. This is only one of hundreds of uses of the alapadmam mudra, which is used in both nritta and abhinaya. So next post, I will use another subpar picture to show one of the Ashtanayika. Off to explore some temple architecture!

~Prithvi

PART DOS

Hello from London!

It feels amazing to say that :) It's 1 in the morning here in the Grand Plaza (Notting Hill), and I'm writing whilst jetlag. It's been a crazy filled with the Tube, snow flurries, Epsom, and the craziness of Oxford Street. So before I succumb to jetlag and sleep, here's my quick post.

So Mudras. A Mudra is a hand gesture. In dancer lingo, we also call them Hastas (Hasta in Sankrit is hand). Bharatanatyam and other dance forms use mudras to communicate meanings. in Nritta, mudras hold no meaning (just augment the dance) but in Abhinaya, they combine with expressions to provide meaning. (Refer to old videos) The wifi is very spotty here, so I'll have more next week!

Prithvi

Structure Structure Structure - Pt. Uno

My goodness, I'm leaving tomorrow. It's a crazy race of suitcases and shopping and packing that's turned my room into a hazardous waste zone. I'm writing this post in on a pile of clothes on my bed before I stuff everything into suitcases. Here's my savior as of now for this project:

Laghu Bharatham: Hand Book on Bharatha Natyam. What more could I need? Even better, I got an Abhinaya flow chart out of it. I adore flow charts let me just say, they just simplify everything for you! It helps me put my prior knowledge into words to further both my own understanding, and explain concepts better to my readers. 

So the point of this post is to explain that while Abhinaya might seem free flowing and expressive, it's based on a servers of rigid structures. I mentioned the term Aangika Abhinaya a while back - expression through body and limb movements. This is split into anga (major limbs) and pratyanga (minor limbs - neck, eyes, eyebrows, etc.). To give you an idea of just how structured this gets (according to the Abhinaya Darpana, the most referenced text for Bharatanatyam dancers):

• The nine head movements are shiro bhedha.
• The eight eye movements are netra bhedha.
• The four neck movements are greeva bhedha.

I'm not even going to suggest going into the specifics, for the sake of my sanity and yours. Next time (FROM LONDON OMG) I'll pick up with mudras. Whoa. What are those? Well, you'll just have to read next time! Adieu!

~Prithvi

So you want to emote

Hello hello!

Fitting this blog post in before I'm off to shop for my trip :) Trying to finish everything off and pull out the suitcases before my birthday tomorrow!!! (18 what even.)
Onwards to the educational aspect of this post! Two posts ago, I talked about Abhinaya and the Navarasas. Now I shall be describing the AshtaNayika, or the eight kind of heroines that exist in abhinaya (most significantly in Bharatanatyam). Recap: a Nayika is the word for a heroine in an abhinaya piece. (The word for hero is Nayaka - one letter change in sanskrit.) So here are the eight:

• Vasakasajjika - the dressed up heroine who awaits her lover
• Virahotkanthita - distressed due to the non-arrival of her love
• Svadhinapathika - confident of her love
• Kalahantartha - the quarrelsome heroine who later repents for quarrel
• Khandita - enraged heroine whose husband is unfaithful
• Vipralabhdha - the disappointed heroine who has been deceived by her love
• Proshitabhartruka - the one who's husband has gone away and does not return on time (depicted as mourning)
• Abhisarika - the one who sneaks out (sacrificing modesty) to meet her love

Phew, that was long. A heroine can go through a transition from one of these characters to another. A Vasakasajjika can easily transition to a Khandita. Here is a video (it's quite long but helpful) describing the AshtaNayika - AshtaNayika in Bharatanatyam. That is all for now! Off to go pack :) See you next week!

~Prithvi

A Change in Matters

Hello!

It's been a tiring day...for once I had to wake up before 11 today. The horrors! (7 to be exact) Thankfully, I got some delicious breakfast + good company out of it. So onward to the change in matters mentioned.
For the last few weeks, I've felt like my project has been lacking some kind of focus. Today, I finally figured out how to fix it and modified my proposal! So - I'll still be studying the impact of Hindu mythology on choreography, and be looking at various dance styles. However, my main focus will be Bharatanatyam, and how there are stylistic differences between the various schools in Bharatanatyam. This focus is where my true passion lies, and allows me to focus my resources more.
I've finally linked my proposal to my blog and it's on the right side of the screen! So do check that out, and here's a link for convenience: Senior Research Proposal (ENJOY).

Phew. So with that headache out of the way, it's full speed ahead! I'll continue rambling on about terminology and choreography, desperately hoping for an audience. So that's all for now, adieu!

~Prithvi

To Pick Up....

.....Where we left off!
Wow two blog posts a week didn't seem like a lot, but...well it is. Anyway, so last post I talked about the physical component of  classical Indian dance, or Nritta (Previously, on Just Dance: Indian Edition...). This time we shall be discussing Abhinaya, or the emotive aspect! And it's time to define :)

Abhinaya: Derived from Sanskrit, the word literally means leading the audience towards an emotion.

• Abhi- towards
• naya - leading or guide

Abhinaya is divided into 4 types, as set by the Natyasastra (reminder: the ancient book).

• Angika Abhinaya - how a sentiment is expressed through the movement of the limbs, body, and face. Angika comes from the Sanskrit Anga, which means limbs.
• Vachika Abhinaya - how emotion is conveyed through speech. As far as dance goes, this relates more to the tonal qualities of the supporting music.
• Aharya Abhinaya - conveying tones and meanings through the costumes and makeup
• Sattvika Abhinaya - the dancer's own connection and personal experiences that are meant to be communicated to the audience (Ie. through tears, goosebumps, etc.)

Another important part of abhinaya is Navarasa, or Nine emotional states or themes (nava-nine, rasa - essence).
Sringaram (love), Hasyam (laughter), Raudram (Fury), Adbhutam (Astonishment, Wonder), Bhayanakam (Fear), Karunyam (Compassion), Bibhatsam (Disgust), Viram (Bravery, Heroism), Shantam (Peace)

Here's an example of pure Abhinaya in Bharatanatyam : Abhinaya in Bharatanatyam
In this piece, the heroine (known as the Nayika in Bharatanatyam) is waiting for her lover (boyfriend...thats the gist) and reminiscing about their times together. She asks her pet parrot to fly away with a message for him. This brings us to a topic known as the AshtaNayika, or 8 kinds of heroines. But for that, you shall have to tune in next time! Farewell!

~Prithvi

Background Research You Say?

Hello hello!

So it would seem I'm a free, jobless, teenager (who gets mistaken for a dropout on the regular). It just feels like every day is a Saturday, doesn't it? And it shall remain so until I leave on February 20th to the motherland. Before I foray into the project related contents of my post (it shall come, do not fret Mrs. McConaghy!), Happy National Pancake Day to one and all! I enjoyed a free short stack with my fellow  seniors, which forced me to leave the house (thank you IHOP + wonderful company!).

Onwards to the related topics. Since I'm a bit over two weeks away from jetting off, I am focusing on my background research and interview questions. This post will focus on my preliminary research.
There's this ancient book called the Natyasastra (Sanskrit for treatise on dance; natya = dance). It was written somewhere around 200 BC, and basically laid out all the rules for classical Indian dance - a guidebook for creation if you may. It's a literal guide to the dramatic arts, and lays out everything from body positions to makeup/costume to musical accompaniment. So basically, all the dance forms have similar core values and ties to spirituality. However, their styles and choreography have evolved completely differently.

So crash course: The classical Indian dance forms are unique in that they contain not only a physical dance facet, but also a theatrical (mime, acting, emoting) side. Vocabulary time!

Nritta: Pure dance composed of choreographed movements, which does not convey any underlying meaning. This is the basis of a student's tutelage, such as learning the various positions in ballet. This video is a demonstration of Nritta in Bharatanatyam (South Indian classical) - Nritta in Bharatanatyam.

Nritta is broken down into teaching blocks when one first learns a dance form. The name for these blocks is different in each dance style - Adavus in Bharatanatyam, Atavus in Mohiniattam, fluid motions in Manipuri, etc. The organization varies with the dance style.

I think I've overloaded my meager reading audience with enough information. That was a basic crash course and demo in Nritta. Tune in next time for some hard core emotion known as Abhinaya folks!
I am off to scavenge for food :)

~Prithvi

And So It Begins

It's a bit awkward to welcome someone when I don't who I'm welcoming. But welcome to my blog, readers! Though I'm pretty sure most of you who are reading this know me (Hi Mom!), I'll do a quick introduction. My name is Prithvi, I'm a senior (clearly), and I love dance. I've been learning Bharatanatyam (classical Indian dance) for almost 13 years now, and I decided to base my senior project off that passion.

Basically, my research questions are the following: 

How does Hindu Mythology influence the choreography in the theatrical aspect of classical Indian dance? How does this choreography vary through the different dance styles, specifically focusing on Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam? How has the theatrical choreography changed to reflect contemporary themes and issues, such as women’s empowerment, freedom, and social justice?

I'll be traveling to India (It just got real.) and doing all my research there. After I reach India, in between battling jetlag and handling many a long lost relative (along with a wild Natasha), I will be pestering experts in the different styles of dance. I plan on documenting everything I do through videotaping. That means this blog can expect Survivor-style documentaries featuring yours truly, lots of dancing and eating, and maybe a couple of cows in a traffic jam (it is India, after all). As February progresses, and I do my own background research, I will be updating my 

blog with all the knowledge you've ever wanted 

to maybe know about Indian classical dance, and more. But for now, I leave you with a picture. 

Oh yes, that is indeed yours truly. Bharatanatyam - 3 hours of getting ready. It's the lifestyle. With that, I bid anyone who might be reading this adieu! 

~Prithvi