Looking like a dancer..

I am well into my second week of Bharatanatyam training and already I have learned a great deal of information. By the end of this week I will have completed all the adavus (basic movement combos) and their variations. I will have completed all my single handed mudras and uses. Next we will learn double handed mudras and uses, clean up and perfect the form and speed of all the tricky adavus, and then I will learn some simple Jatis (combo routines) to practice stringing the movements together to form dance phrases. Finally, I will learn a Padam.

A Padam is a dance item that is considered pure Nritya, that means it utilizes mostly the storytelling aspects of this dance form and little of the dance step movements. It is pure acting and pantomime with heavy use of facial expressions and hasta mudra. Basically, I will employ my entire body, face, and hand gestures to recite a poem/story/concept to the audience.

A Padam is a love poem or a expression of adoration towards God. It is generally taught much later in a dancer’s training, as it is considered quite difficult. However, Aparna, is a great actress, and she has identified in me some great qualities of acting and facial expression. She wants to put that to use and start training this talent. Not a surprise, Aparna wants to teach me a Padam. She is a great actress and her strength lies in her ability to emote a story. In fact, she is well known here in Kerala for her moving, expressive Mohiniyattam performances. I am quite honored to be learning from her talent.

Here is a video of a Padam by Souraja Tagore a acclaimed dancer from Kolkata.

Originally I was scheduled to learn the Alarippu. That is a pure dance item that is essentially a dance that drills usages of some of the (adavus) movements. We are choosing to skip learning the Alarippu at this time as my teacher feels a better employment of my short time here will be in developing my performance skills. She knows I have a teacher at home and feels the constant drilling needed to properly do the Alarippu will be better facilitated when I have more time to dedicate to practice.

Here is a video of what the Alarippu looks like. This dance is purely a rhythmic drill in three speeds and can display the dancers command of tala (beat) and control. 

 

The fact that I can emote on stage is something many people in my dance community have seen. My stylized renditions of Classic Bollywood flirtations and Mujra dances hopefully have left positive impressions on many in my local town. Bharatanatyam is an art form that will take that skill to the next level.

Upon learning this Padam I am anxious to perform a bit when I return home. Aparna is a great stage motivator – she is not at all apprehensive about pushing one to stage-perform. She believes a dance should be expressed publicly and it is through these open expressions you grow and perfect your craft.  Hell, I already have a costume on order for stitching, and will soon have another designed.

Speaking of, here is a photo of a very similar costume. The colors I chose where pink and green. These colors look great on me and will have great stage appeal. Bright color arrangements are popular in this dance form. The costume style I selected is pajama style with two fans. Other styles can include different fan style, or a skirt pattern. This style I chose is a the most used style in this dance. Learning to dance in it will be the next step.

Additionally, I am designing a second costume. I will in a few days return to Varna Dance Designs and pick out the fabrics, but here is a general picture of what I want. I will choose the fabrics and brocades in the store, but this is a general color/style combo. This costume is in the three fan style and I will have added a long pallu (long/loose end of a saree) to the back. This style is not a typical Bharatanatyam costume style - Aparna advised it is rather "old fashioned", she said it is considered a semi-classical type design. Which is good as I wanted to have one costume that will be good for possible fusion/semi-classical pieces. I will also buy extra fabric so I can have some different top choices made locally when I get home. Fun….who doesn’t love playing with costumes, right?  

In all class is going very well. I am a little shocked at how well my body is keeping up and feel great and very strong. Taking this risk and jumping off into a intensive Bharatanatyam dance study had really made me feel empowered. I only wish I had more time to spend here dancing. This is just a start…

Namaste,

Christy