Bharatnatyam is a classical art form that originates from Tamil Nadu in Southern India.
Bharatnatyam is a very popular dance form in India and is appreciated worldwide. It is not uncommon to find a girl in every household in south India who is either learning this form of dance or has at least considered learning it.
While my sister and I also have been learning Bharatnatyam as are many of my friends, it is only recently that I came to understand that every movement in Bharatnatyam is part of abhinaya.
At first, for me, the steps I had been learning was nothing more than some random aerobic exercise. However, everything changed when a little cousin of mine asked me the difference between Shirobheda( head movements) and Dreevabheda( neck movements). Doesn’t the neck move when the head is moving and isn’t the head also moving when the neck is? why then the two categories?
Well, in Shirobheda, the neck movements are pretty much not very different from our regular use as in our daily life. The emphasis remains on what the head has to do. However, in Greevabheda, stress falls on the neck muscles and therefore becomes the focus of attention.
THE HEAD MOVEMENTS
Shiras in Sanskrit means the head. The category of movements by the head is called Shirobheda in Bharatnatyam.
Shirobhedas are classified into the nine types of head movements used to indicate specific abhinaya.
- Sama: The head is kept straight. At the beginning of a dance, the dancer keeps her head in Sama.
- Udvahitam : Head lifted upwards
- Adhomukha: Head lowered down
- Alolitam: The circular Movement of the head
- Dhutam: Right to left movement of the head
- Kampitam: Up and down movement of the head
- Paravrittam: A strong jerking movement towards the right or left
- Ukshiptam: Head tilted upwards as when the dancer holds a thinking posture.
- Parivahittam: Quick small shakes of the head.
SHLOKA :
Sama udvahitam adhomukha-lolitam Dhutam
kampitam cha paravrittam ukshiptam parivahitam
navdhakathitam shirasa natyashastra visharadaihi.
NECK MOVEMENTS
The neck movements are also as greeva bheda.
1. Sundari: Here the neck is moved from side to side. It is also called as Attami.
2. Tirashchina: V-shaped movements
3. Prarivartita: The Semicircular or moonlike shaped movement of the head.
4. Prakampita: forward and backward movement of the head like a dove.
SHLOKA
“Sundari cha Tirashchina tathaiva Parivartita
Prakampita cha bhavagnair gneya greeva chaturvidha”C
Pictures are credited to Indance.com
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