Bharatnatyam

I was fortunate enough to have attended an 'Arangetram' few days back. It was magical and simply captivating. The Carnatic renditions, Mridangam, Natraja, beautiful costumes, the central performer...oh it was so much of a feeling of being at home. I guess this dance form is something that I have felt very deeply about and regret the fact that I should have pursued it more sincerely over the years. I wont deny that watching and performing the same gives me an immense sense of joy and satisfaction. the fact is that it is so graceful and different in its approach which makes bharatnatyam stand out amongst other contemporary classical dances of India. It means bha- bhaav, ra- raga, ta- taal and natyam- dance. originally practiced by the Devdasis in the the Temples, today it has a more popular approach in the form of dance schools and international cultural troops.
Things i had learnt as a child cannot be forgotten. the hours of foot work, getting the neck movement correct, sitting in 'Aramandi', developing the hand 'Mudras', rolling the eyes and understanding the taal is something that will stay with me forever. though its a bit rusty right now I do hope to get back to it soon.
It requires hours of dedication, stamina, grace and focus to master a simple movement. Getting the posture, the expressions, the rhythm in sync is a tedious task. That night I felt that it must be such a big high to have THAT solo performance after years of devotion.