Session 29- Kudhitametti step 6

Kudhitametti step 6,another longer variation, can be looked upon as an extension to step one where one more range of hand movement is added . The new movement is upwards.
Lets watch the simplified animation…

Start Position: araimandi with hands stretched in katakamukham

Thai-ha: Take both your hands above your head and cross them in [...]

Session 28- Kudhitametti step 5

Kudhitametti steps 5 and 6 are the longer ones which use up 8 sets of Tai-ha, tai-he syllables for a complete execution on the right and the left. This can be a test to the student’s stamina and pain tolerance initially.
Step 5 has the hands drawing an approximate arc of 270 degrees.
Start Position: Fig [...]

Session 27- Kudhitametti steps 2,3 and 4

We will be practising the 2nd , 3rd and 4th steps in Kudhitametti today. Can you figure them out yourselveslooking at the pictures? Did you give it a try? Ok If you didn’t here are the explanations.
Step 2 (ref Fig 1 an 2)
Start Position: Fig. 2 (Araimandi with katakamukham at chest level)

Thai-ha: Turn your torsos [...]

Session 26- Kudhittametti Step 1

Lets watch the synchronized movements of the hands and feet in the first step of Kudhittametti in our animation…

Let’s carefully go through the sequence…
Start Position: Araimandi with hands stretched out in katakamukham.

Tai - ha: For this first of the ” Jump and heel down” movement of the feet, open your hands out from the [...]

Session 25- Kudhittametti the Jumping steps

While our previous set of adavus the mardhita has all sorts of stylistic variations, Kudhittametti is more or less a set of adavus where there is a lot of conformity.
“Kudhita”, means to jump and “mettu”,means to strike the floor with the heel while the toes are already in contact with the floor.
While looking at the [...]

Session 24- Asamyutha Hastas, verse from Abhinaya Darpana

We have learnt (learned) the names and meanings of Asamyutha hatsa in our previous sessions (sessions 8 and 15). Today we will have a theory session with Mr. Santosh Kumar(Please see our about page to know more about him)
Mr.Santosh will be now review the verse on Asamyutha Hasta from the Abinayadarpana. Please [...]

Session22- Mardhita Step 8

Lets look at the last variation in Mardhita/Paraval . This step involves the movement in the form of the alphabet “V”.
The hastas used include the katakamukham, alapadmam and dola.
The notable feet positions and movements include : Araimandi,Kudittu position, agratala sancharam, naatu, thaditham and chankramanam Chari. We have studied all these in earlier sessions.
Let’s watch the [...]

Session 21-Mardhita Step 7

This is a very common step to most styles of Bharathanatyam practiced today. I like to call this step the spiral staircase, since the hands move around the body like the way the steps do around a central pillar in a spiral staircase.
The Hastas used in this adavu are katakamukham, alapadmam and pathakam at the [...]

Session 20-Mardhita Step 6

The step we will learn today introduces a few new concepts.
1. A new padha bhedha/feet movement called Taditam again a term from Sangita Ratnakara
2. The typical dancer’s walk with folded knees called, Chankramanam Chari, which we shall see in detail when we learn about Charis a little later
3. A jump in the aramandi position, balancing [...]

The dancing Nataraja and Shivarathri

Shivarathri or ‘Shiva’s Great Night’ is a celebration that has special significance to dancers and students of dance. Mahashivaratri, is an auspicious Hindu festival that is celebrated on a moonless night in the Hindu month of Phalguna that corresponds to February - March in English Calendar.
According to the Ramakrishna Mutt, the Puranas contain many [...]