Source - http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/01/09/stories/2009010951200600.htm
Celebrating Bharatam
RUPA SRIKANTH
| A panel of distinguished dancers brought out many unknown facts about Bharatanatyam. |
Informative: (From left) Jayanthi Subramaniam, Nandini Ramani, B.M. Sundaram, Adyar K. Lakshmanan and Indira Rajan at the Symposium.
A discussion on ‘Aesthetic Purpose of Bharatanatyam’ led by eminent music and dance scholar, Thanjavur B.M. Sundaram, with a panel of distinguished practitioners such as gurus Adyar Lakshman, Indira Rajan, Nandini Ramani and Jayanthi Subramaniam last Sunday, turned out to be a very lively and informative one. It was organised by Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha and as the secretary said, “It is through symposiums like this that sabhas educate the art world.”
The discussion began with the name of the dance form, Bharatanatyam, which is supposed to have come into being when Sadir was ‘renamed’ in the 1930s by social activist E. Krishna Iyer and others.
This was contested by B.M.Sundaram who says the name Bharatanatyam was in usage much before that. His earliest reference is from a book by Raghaviah Chari dated 1806 that says, ‘The dance of the Devadasis is called Bharatanatyam.’ He also quoted Pudukottai Ammalu, a famous devadasi, whose descendants are his neighbours in Thanjavur. A letter was found in her belongings that read, “... I went to Ramanathapuram to dance Bharatham.”
One more clarification came from the musicologist, this time about the name of nritta pieces- according to him, sequences ending with ‘thadinginathom’ adavus are theermanams and those ending with ‘kitathakatharikitathom’ are jatis.
Discussion moved to the performance arena and Guru Lakshman was emphatic that the Thanjavur Quartet-streamlined margam was still the best way to plan a programme. It allowed the dancer to unveil her skill in stages. He also underlined the role of music in dance and quoted the famous abhinaya-exponent Balasaraswathi who believed that a musician’s ‘kalpana’ should not be hindered.
Balamma’s style
Balamma’s style was to allow the music to soak in before the dance began. She would have the musicians sing the pallavi once and begin her dance only in the second repetition. Senior dance critic and student of the abhinaya maestro, Nandini Ramani, said that veteran Guru Kandappa Pillai, Balamma’s guru, introduced Thiruppugazh singing during the Alarippu. There were many who did not approve, but it found acceptance in time.
Guru Indira had an explanation for this change of heart. She feels that singing alongside in the Alarippu has gained acceptance because sollus are no more sung like before but recited. She had an opinion on the sancharis - she feels that the simple ‘kai’ is enough to explain the sahitya especially in a varnam, though she admitted she too includes stories to maintain audience interest. And what about nritta? The panel agreed that bhava cannot be incorporated into pure dance, but dancer Jayanthi Subramaniam wanted exceptions to be made in special cases such as ‘Ravana Pravesham’ or an equivalent keeping ‘ouchithyam’ or appropriateness in mind. Jayanthi also made a point about executing adavus in their proper manner.
The experts also agreed on the futility of dancers coming on stage to render explanations. Some felt it was wrong to submit the rasikas to watch the mime twice over. Another opinion was stronger, ‘The dancer is not educating the public; she is brainwashing them!’ The alternative? Print pamphlets or announce from the wings... Nandini went a step further, “The greatest thing about Bharatanatyam is that it should communicate without words. Why not elevate the audience by dancing with feeling?”
Anecdotes
Besides the animated discussion, B.M.Sundaram’s anecdotes about the devadasis he met and about the legendary nattuvanar Pandanallur Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, to whom he is related, were most interesting.
He related an instance about the nattuvanar’s star student, Pandanallur Jayalakshmi. During one of her recitals, the guru sitting in the audience thought of a new theermanam. This he communicated to Chockalingam Pillai who was handling the nattuvangam on stage. When Sundaram questioned the wisdom of a new, unrehearsed theermanam, the guru brushed it aside. The new sollus were recited; there was a moment’s discomfort on the dancer’s face. In a few seconds she caught on and understood the sequence to follow. When she finished, the guru turned to Sundaram and said, ‘See, thats my Jayam!’
There was another tale, this time about a devadasi from the Tirunelveli district, Shanmugha Vadivu Amma, whom Sundaram met to collect material for his books. She was an old woman with a crinkled face drying her wet sari outside a very modest dwelling. She turned when addressed, and Sundaram was struck by her expressive eyes... ‘Who are you,’ they asked. ‘I am not free, go away. Come later!’ The whole conversation took place without a word being uttered. This is the depth of our cultural ancestry where such artists live unsung, in obscurity.
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