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: [...]

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: [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 notice the [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]