For the last week in Chennai, we had two dance instructors from Kerala come and teach us Bharatanatyam (a traditional dance that originated in southern India). Before we would begin dancing, we would dedicate a large portion of our time into relaxing our mind and body by doing yoga.
For one of my assignments, I decided to write a short paper on the history of Bharatanatyam and some of the sociological changes it has undergone. Below, I have shared a section of my paper that explains the dance origins and the alterations over time in the value and norms of the dance.
Southern India, specifically the Tamil region, is embedded in an identity that revolves around classical music and arts. When I hear south India, I automatically think classical instruments such as the veena, and the mridangam. Associating the word “classical” to the south and rather than north is merely a reflection of what makes the region unique and allows it to have an identity that stands aside from the rest of India. Besides making connections to classical instruments, I also think, “traditional” and “rich in culture.” I picture a region where beliefs and customs have been preserved by the practice of dance, art, and cuisine by passing them down generation and after generation. As a result, South India is able to stand out on its on not only because of how classical Indian music, such as Carnatic, originated from there, but because the arts and music have been preserved for such a long period of time yet, still be linked to their origin.
An important factor to consider when referring to an art form viewed as traditional in today’s time period, are the alterations it has faced in order to remain “traditional.” Society is constantly modernizing and adjusting; adjusting to how politics, religions and new customs are coming to play. Bharatanatyam originated in Tamil Nadu 2,000 years ago. It continues to be practiced yet has faced a number of changes with how it’s danced and who performs this classical art form.
All classical dance music and roots in India are said to have derived from the Sanskrit book Natiya Shastra. It is believed that is was written between 200 AD and 200 BC by theartologist Bharata Muni. Whether Bharata Muni is the author is debated. Many have argued that the Natiya Shastra is composed of multiple authors because of a few contradictions and flaws found between the verses. Yet, its value and wisdom for Indian classical arts is not diminished. For instance, the book claims that Shiva is the originator of all dance forms in India. Today, that continues to be the belief in classical arts. Whether a musician, dancer, or any artists chooses to believe that art is practiced in correlation to religion depends on their personal views. Natiya Shastra can still be read through an atheist eye and hold valuable information and details on classical Indian arts. That is because every performing aspect of stagecraft from, design to music and makeup is detailed in the book.
When Bharatanatyam began to be practiced in Tamil Nadu, it was primarily centered around women who dedicated their lives to temples. Many women took different positions in the temples, but those who were viewed as talented, danced and sang for the deity in form of worship. The women who performed Bharatanatyam used different poses, facial expressioms and hand movements to tell a Hindu mythology; as the main purpose of the dance was to educate the public about Hinduism. Interestingly, these women were able to live a matriarchal life. They were not not suppressed for being women and were allowed to be literate and hold property.
Between the 14th century and 17th century the dance was a “living art.” Literature written in Tamil, Telugu and Kanada from this time period allows for thearteologists to make these assumptions. The repetition of dance poses of Bharatanatyam in main temples such as the, Sarangapari and Nataraja, were very prevalent and allowed for the dance to become popular. Unfortunately, Bharatanatyam stopped being practice in temples when the last Hindu empire, Vijayanagar, was destroyed by the Islamic Empire in 1665. This did not mean that the dance vanished completely. Women still danced but not as entertainers or in the public eye. They danced in homes or private spaces. They taught the dance to others and by doing so, Bharatanayam was able to be preserved for a period of time.
In the 19th century, performances slowly began to make their way to temples again but were only seen during temple festivals. Devadasis would combine Bhava, Raga and Tala to create a poetry in motion. As Bharatanatyam started to make its way to temples again, the British banned the dance under their rule in 1858-1947. They believed that it was against morals and a dance for women of the night. In 1928 a legislation stating that women can longer dedicate themselves to temples was passed. It created a “revolution” where thousands of music and dance pieces were lost. Bharatanatyam was almost wiped out but due to a few families, it was able to prevail. It was not until India had won its independence, that Bharatanatyam came back to public eye. Only this time, it was the upperclass who were attracted to the dance style. The dance had undergone many changes after the multiple attempts at preserving it. It was not until the Natiya Shastra began to make its way to the eyes of classical dance gurus that the dance began to be “mastered” again.
Today, the dance continues to hold it’s Hindu association. It has became a huge phenomena in Southern India. It has also reached western societies where gurus of the dance teach it Through globalization, the attention towards Bharatanatyam has spread quickly as dancers are trying to learn this form of art.