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NADU - DANCES OF TAMILNADU |
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BHARATA NATYAM :Bharata
Natyam, which originates from the state of
Tamil Nadu in South India, is one of the
oldest and most popular dance styles in India.
The word itself is a combination of :-- BHARATA
NATYAM = BHAVA (expression) + RAGA (musical
mode) + TALA (rhythm) NATYAM (dance)
This style
is a direct descendant of devotional |
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dances
performed in the temples of South India from
the tenth century to the middle of this century.
The art of Bharata Natyam has been carried by 'nattuvanars'
and ritualistic dancers called devadasis, in
the temples of south India.
Bharata
Natyam is poetry in motion. Exploring its
history in the Natya Sastra, written by the
great sage
Bharata, it is a highly traditional & stylized
dance form. Bharata Natyam has been immortalized
in successive generations, as much by the
grace of great dancers as by the nimble fingers
of
renowned sculptors who have demonstrated
the perfection of Bharata's technique.
Bharatanatyam's
blend of the abstract & the emotional
is derived from its fusion of two prime elements,
nritta (pure dance or dance without interpretive
meaning) & nritya (expressive dance). Bharatanatyam
derives much of its intense, dramatic impact
from the juxtaposition & contrast with which
both elements are utilized. Nritta comprises adavus,
which are the basic dance units of Bharatanatyam.
Each adavu contains 3 essential elements, a basic standing
position (sthanaka), movement of the legs & feet
(chari) & decorative hand gestures (nritta-hasta).
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Folk Dances:This is
done by girls dressed as peacocks, resplendent
with peacock feathers and a glittering head-dress
complete with a beak. This beak can be opened
and closed with the help of a thread tied to
it, and manipulated from within dress. |
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Bommalattam
or Puppet Show:Puppet
shows are held in every village during festivals
and fairs. There are always kinds of puppets
used for this show made of cloth, wood,
leather, etc. They are controlled by strings
or wires. The persons stand behind a screen
and the puppets are held in front. The stories
enacted in the puppet shows are from Ved-puranas,
history and folklore. These shows are very
entertaining and hold both adults and childrens
quite for many hours. |
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Kummi:Kummi
is one of the most important and ancient forms
of village dances of Tamilnadu. It originated
when there were no musical instruments, with
the participants clapping their hands to keep
time. This is performed by women; many varieties
of Kummi, such as, Poonthatti Kummi, Deepa
Kummi, Kulavai Kummi, Kadir Kummi, Mulaipari
Kummi etc
are known. The women stand in a circle and
dance clapping their hands rhythamically. This
dance is usually performed during temple festivals,
Pongal, the harvest festival, family functions
like the one to celebrate the coming of age
(onset of puberty) of the girl-child etc. The
first
line of the song is sung by the leading lady,
which the others repeat. |
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Kai Silambu Attam : This
dance is performed in temples during Navaratri
festival. The dancers wear ankle-bells and
hold anklets or silambu in their hands, which
make noise when shaken. They perform various
stepping styles jumps. The dance is in praise
of all female deities, the most preferred being
the powerful angry goddess - Kali or Durga.
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