An Indian Art

Styles of Bharathanatyam

There are several original Bharathanatyam styles that are over 150 years old:

• Melattur
• Pandanallur
• Vazhuvoor (or Vizhuvur)
• Thanjavoor (or Tanjore)
• Mysore
• Kanchipooram

The distinctive characteristics of the Melattur style are:

• natural (spontaneous) and highly expressive abhinaya
• largest amplitude of movements, which requires a higher degree of flexibility
• emphasis on sringara bhakti
• emphasis on crisp adavus, accuracy of jathis/ gathis,
• fluid variations of patterned korvais
• dramatic elements (characterisation)
• original methods of application of principles of "loka dharmi" and "natya dharmi"

The Pandanallur style stresses:

• its deep sitting positions
• its lasya (feminine dance style) of padams is rather slow and difficult to perform
• it is performed on three levels: in deep sitting positions, on the ground, in standing positions and while moving or jumping.

The Vazhuvoor style includes:

• wide range of dancing pace
• static postures are inserted, most often in the tillana, to break the monotony and to add the variety of rhythms
• softer facial abhinaya
• abhinaya is subtle with more natyadharmi (spontaneous expressions), so the presentation is not "overdone"
• the adavu's flow smoothly, with rare abrupt movements
• extremely elaborate movements
• deep sitting positions
• variety of positions on the floor
• rich sringar elements
• lasya dominates tandava
• the dancer's body from the waist up is stlightly bent forward
• leaps are introduced into every jati
• the jati's have more korvais (intervals), which creates a suspense effect
• performance begins with a Thodaya mangalam in praise of Lord Gnana Sabesar of Vazhuvoor
• the dancer starts the performance while entering the stage from the wings

The modern Kalakshetra style is a simplified form based on Pandanallur and, to some extent, Thanjavoor styles.

• The Balasaraswati style, although derived from the authentic devadasi traditions, is still a relatively recent introduction.
• Note that, most recently, Dr.Padma Subramaniam's school, claiming to be the one which is the most faithfully reflects the techniques described in Natya Shastra, is called Bharatnrityam.

Bharathanatyam dancers

In the ancient scriptures, a professional danseuse was called "patra". The AbhinayaDarpana has a sloka that describes Patra Prana Dasha Smrutaha - the ten essential qualitiess of the professional dancer:

1. Javaha (agility),
2. Sthirathvam (steadiness),
3. Rekhacha (graceful lines),
4. Bhramari(balance in pirouettes),
5. Drishtir (glance),
6. Shramaha (hard work),
7. Medha (intelligence),
8. Shraddha(devotion),
9. Vacho (good speech), and
10. Geetam (singing ability).

According to Abhinayadarpanam, one of the two most authoritative texts on Bharathanatyam, a patra must be

• young,
• slender,
• beautiful,
• large-eyed,
• with well-rounded breasts,
• self-confident,
• witty,
• pleasing,
• capable of keeping time (following the rhythm)
• splendidly dressed
• of a happy disposition.

See more details in Natya shastra (XXVII.97-98).

The ten disqualifying criteria according to Abhinayadarpanam:

1. white specks in the apple of the eye
2. scanty hair
3. thick lips
4. pendant breasts
5. being either very fat or
6. very thin,
7. being either very tall or
8. very short
9. being hunch-backed
10. being either voiceless.