Academy Vacation

Dear Students,

The Online Bharathanatyam Academy will remain closed for summer holidays till the end of July 2008. I will be moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during the vacation and will continue the website administration and maintenance from there.

Keep Practicing during the holidays. Please continue the warm up/Flexibility Exercises during the holidays to maintain your flexibility!

Will  meet you soon!

Happy Holidays.

Regards,

Sangeetha

Session 40- Greeva Bedha/neck Movements

Four variations in neck movements are prescribed.

Here is what Mr. Santosh Kumar has to say about Greeva Bhedas

Sundari cha tiraschinaa tathaiva parivarthitha

Prakampitha cha bhavagnair gneyaa greeva chathurvidhaa

Meaning

• Sundari - Moving neck from side to side (atami in general terms)
• Therashchinaa - Moving neck up and down in atami like the gliding of a snake
• Parivarthitha - Moving neck from right to left like a half moon
• Prakampitha - Moving neck front and back like bird/ pigeon

Session 39- Paidhal step 4

Let’s begin with watching this small animation file..

Source: Our video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKKAfjkjtkA

Explanations will follow soon!

Session 38 - Paidhal Step 3

Lets begin with watching this animation…

Now lets look at the movement flow in the step.

Start Position: Stand with feet together with katakamukhams at chest level in the right hand and the katakamukham stretched up above the head and facing upward in the left hand.

• Tai: -
  • Tap right feet behind the left to form a swastikam(crossed) behind the flat left feet
  • Bend to your left at your waist

· Tai

• Leap and land with right feet . Fold your left leg at the knees and keep it raised behind the right leg.
• The right hand opens out in alapadmam, and it is stretched out at the shoulder level to the front.
• Bend towards the outstretched hand

• Yum

o The left leg is now landed on its toes behind the right feet .

o The hand position and bending are as above

· Tatta – this is a rest/silent phrase (where no movement is done)

·For the next set of tai- tai yum- tatta mirror the movement in the left.

Try this with this audio link

Session 37- Paidhal Step 2

Lets take a look at this animation…

Ref Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOi4K8OG-bk

Start Position: Araimandi with katakamukhams at chest level.

Stage 1:

• Tai: -
  • Leap and land with right feet . Fold your left leg at the knees and keep it raised behind the right leg.
  • The right hand opens out in alapadmam, tracing an arc it is stretched out at the shoulder level.
  • Bend towards the outstretched hand.

· Taiyum:

o The left leg is now landed on its toes to form a swastikam(crossed) behind the flat right feet.

o The hand position and bending are as above

· Tatta – this is a rest/silent phrase (where no movement is done)

Stage 2: Repeat as in stage one to the left. The left hand is now stretched in alapadmam and the right hand is brought back into a katakamukham in front of the chest.

Till this point it is just like the first step.

Stage 3:

• Tai: -
  • Leap to the front landing on right toes, and begin to sit in Muzhumandi (full sitting position)
  • Both hand at avahitha in front of the chest are opened out and taken in a curve above the head in alapadmam,

· Taiyum:

o The left leg is now landed on its toes into the full mandi position.

o The hands continue their upward movement in alapadmam

· Tatta – With the feet already into position the hands alone are strtched completely in katakamukhams facing upward.

Stage 4

• Tai: -
  • Stand up and balance on your left foot with the right leg bent at the knee and the foot placed in front of the left knee.
  • The right hand is stretched to the right, in alapadmam, horizontally at shoulder level, and the left hand stretched up in katakamukham vertically
  • The 360 degree turn (or bramhari) while supported on one (left ) leg is now initiated. This is called the Eka Paada Bramhari (Eka - one. Paada-feet, Bramhari-turn/revolution)
    

· Taiyum:

o Maintaining the feet as above a the turn is now completed to around 270 degrees.

o Hands as above .

· Tatta – Now the dancer completes the turn and faces the audience. The left hand is still stretched up in an upward facing katakamukham. The right hand is brought and placed in a katakamukham, in front of the chest

All the four stages are then repeated to the left. It may be remembered that for the left side of this adavu, the turn is now executed towards the right side with the right leg firmly placed on the floor and the left leg lifted up.

Most young students have a trouble remembering which side to turn. Here is something that can help them to remember.
For the right side, the right hand and right leg(folded up) turn towards the left.
Similary for the left side, the left hand and left leg turn towards the right.

You could practice saying

• Right- taiyum- tatta
• Left - taiyum- tatta
• Sit- taiyum- tatta
• Turn- taiyum- tatta
• Left - taiyum- tatta
• Right- taiyum- tatta
• Sit- taiyum- tatta
• Turn- taiyum- tatta

Session 36- Paidhal Step 1

This step involves systematic and rhythmic leaps to the sides, front and back.

Lets watch the animation that demonstrates the adavu to the right side.

Start Position: Araimandi with katakamukhams at chest level.

Stage 1:

• Tai: -
  • Leap and land with right feet . Fold your left leg at the knees and keep it raised behind the right leg.
  • The right hand opens out in alapadmam, tracing an arc it is stretched out at the shoulder level.
  • Bend towards the outstretched hand.

· Taiyum:

o The left leg is now landed on its toes to form a swastikam(crossed) behind the flat right feet.

o The hand position and bending are as above

· Tatta – this is a rest/silent phrase (where no movement is done)

Stage 2: Repeat as in stage one to the left. The left hand is now stretched in alapadmam and the right hand is brought back into a katakamukham in front of the chest.

Stage 3:

• Tai: -
  • Leap and land diagonally to the front on the right side and land with right feet . Fold your left leg at the knees and keep it raised behind the right leg.
  • The right hand opens out in alapadmam, it is stretched out at the shoulder level. The left hand is stretched above the head in an upturned katakamukham.
  • Bend towards the outstretched hand.

· Taiyum:

o The left leg is now landed on its toes to form a swastikam(crossed) behind the flat right feet.

· Tatta – this is a rest/silent phrase (where no movement is done)

Stage 4

• Tai: -
  • Leap back to the start position with the left feet . Fold your right leg at the knees and keep it raised beside the left leg.
  • The right hand in alapadmam, and the left hand stretched up in katakamukham are brought back and placed in katakamukhams in front of the chest.
  • The torso is now straightened.

· Taiyum:

o The right leg is now placed beside the left feet in parshvagam.

o Hands as above .

· Tatta – this is a rest/silent phrase (where no movement is done)

All the four stages are then repeated to the left.

Try this with this audio link .

While teaching kids it may help to say

• R -taiyum -tatta
• L-taiyum -tatta
• Front-taiyum -tatta
• Back -taiyum -tatta
• L-taiyum -tatta
• R-taiyum -tatta
• Front -taiyum -tatta
• Back -taiyum -tatta

Session 35- Introduction to Paidhal/leaping steps

Paidhal or Paichal is a Tamil term that means “to leap”. It differs from the Kudhitametti in the sense, the dancer while doing the Paidhal covers space, whereas in Kudhitametti she/he jumps in the same spot. A very graceful step in itself, paidhal is usually seen at the end of korvai(a string of adavus) as part of ardhis..(The concluding steps)

Paidhal itself includes a variety of leaps and may also be coupled with spins (Bramhari). It also includes the famous Kartari(Scissors) Adavu where the movement of the hand and feet trace criss-cross patterns in space.

• Sthanakam: Araimandi
• Hastas: Katakamukham, Alapadmam, Shikaram, Ardhachandran and Kartarimukham
• Leg Movements/feet positions: Utplavana(Jumps/leaps) bhedas akin to Motitam , Kartari and kartari. Eka paada Bramhari(turn) is also used. These new terms will be explained in detail at a later stage. Right now it would suffice if you understood paidhal uses various leaps and turns.
• Sollukattu:
  • This set of davus is set to a 3 beat cycle, though it need not be limited to it.
  • The sollukattu I was taught is Tai-Taiyum-tatta
  • The other commonly used sorkattu is tathinthaka-tatdhin-dina

Let’s look at the sorkattu distribution in 3 speeds.

Sorkattu/beat	1	2	3
Speed 1	Tai	Taiyum	tatta
Speed 2	Tai- taiyum	Tatta -tai	Taiyum-tatta
Speed 3(For convenience)	Ta-ki-ta	Ta-ki-ta	Ta-ki-ta

Let’s listen to the audio here

Session 34- Shiro Bhedas or Head Movements

Bhedha as most Indonesian and Malaysian students will understand, is a term that denotes a change/difference (from the previous state).This Sanskrit word is very commonly used word in these two languages. Bhedhas in dance terminology means a variety of movements prescribed for a particular anga/pratyanga.

In this session Mr. Santosh will elucidate the Shiro Bhedas or movement of the Head . Let’s watch him teaching his class…

Here is the verse and the explanation…

Samam udhvaahitham adhomukham aalokitham dhutam

Kampithamcha paraavrittam utkshiptam parivaahitham.

• 1. Samam :natural/ straight
• 2. udhvaahitham:Raised up
• 3. Adhomukham: Head cast down(down cast face)
• 4. aalolitham:rotating the head
• 5. dhutam:shake head from side to side, as if to say no
• 6. kampitham:nodding up and down, as if to say yes
• 7. paraavrittam: head turned away to the side (looking away), as if to ignore
• 8. utkshiptham: Moving head in half moon shape with chin touching neck (thrown up),as if to command or request
• 9. parivaahitham:shaking the head swiftly from one side to the other (as if shivering Wagging, /widly moved)

Session 33- Sarukkal adavu step 4

This is the last of the steps in this set of adavus.

Hastas used: Mrigasirsham and pathakam (kept at the waist). Some styles do use the dola instead of the pathakam.

Movement: The first step involved moving to the sides, the second to the front, the third, all 4 directions (R,L, Front and back). This step involves moving in diagonals to create a zig zag pattern in space.

Let’s now go throught the flow of movements in this step:-

Start Position: Samapadam with left hand in pathakam at the waist. The right hand is held in mrigarsirsham placed on the shoulder. The students begins standing slighlty turned towards the left (at 45 degress).

1. Tai- Take a step to the back with your left leg. Bend to your right. Face left.
2. Ha- Place your right feet in line with the left. Straighten your torso.
3. Dit - Now go up on both your heels (as in executing a taditam). With a smart turn of your chin, look forward (ahead of the mrigarsirsham in your right hand).
4. Tai- Put your toes down and return glance/drishti to left.

For the next set of tai-ha -di-tai, repeat the movements in your right.For another two sets of tai-ha -di-tai, mirror the movement to your left. While doing the left, the mrigarsirsham and pathakam are interchanged quickly and gracefully.

So in essence, you move twice backwards(obliquely) to the right and twice to the left creating zig zag patterns.

This step is definitely a challenge to visualize, to those of you who are learning it for the first time. But put on your thinking caps and try constructing one. It will definitely be fun to check it later on with our visual aid which will be posted soon.

Now lets look at our animation

Now let’s practice this with the audio.

Session 32 - Sarukkal Adavu Steps 2 and 3…

The second variation in sarukkal adavu involves executing the sarukkal adavu while moving to the front. The hastas used in this step include, the katakamukham and alapadmam.

Let’s watch the animation… In this clip we have some beginners performing the step for you. You might notice how the posture(a confident stance) improves with practice. Hopefully we will get to watch the same students over a period of time to watch their progress.

Let’s now go throught the flow of movements in this step:-

Start Position: Samapadam with left hand stretched up in katamukham facing the roof. The right hand is held in alapadmam in front of the chest.

1. Tai- Take a step to the front with your right leg. Bend to your left at your waist
2. Ha- Place your left feet in line with the right. Straighten your torso.
3. Dit - Now go up on both your heels (as in executing a taditam). Gently lift your chin and look upwards. Care should be taken to not raise the neck too much; that will hamper the aesthetics of the presentation.
4. Tai- Put your toes down and return glance/drishti to look straight.

For the next set of tai-ha -di-tai, repeat the movements in your left. It may initailly be a problem to shift hands while changing sides, but as with any other step (or for that matter any learning process) repetition will make the transition softer .

Now let’s practice this with the audio.

Step 3 is combination of steps 1 and 2. The first step is immediately followed by the second one to make the thrid step.

The step is discussed in the following table…

SORKATTU/ FOOTWORK	Tai	ha	dit	tai	Hasta
Move to R (as in step 1)	R	L	DIT (Toes up, rooted on heel)	TAI (Bring toes down)	Pathakam
Move to L (as in step 1)	L	R	DIT	TAI	pathakam
Move upfront (as in step 2)	R(FRONT)	L(FRONT)	DIT	TAI	Katakamukham(L) and alapadmam(R)
Move back (as in step 2, but move backwards)	L(BACK)	R(BACK)	DIT	TAI	Katakamukham(R) and alapadmam(L)

It may be seen that the step involves movement to the right, left, front and back.

Let’s practice this one with the audio