Understanding Bharata Natyam

The DVD starts with the history of dance in Tamil Nadu, with an emphasis on the late Nayaka and Maratha periods.It examines the ritual functions of the devadasi or temple dancer, the public group performance of the kuravanci, and the fundamental execution of both nritta and abhinaya techniques. It continues with a discussion and demonstration of the marga or the seven-fold repertoire crystallized by the Tanjavur brothers in the nineteenth century. The alarippu, jatisvaram, sabdam, varnam, javali and tillana are described and accompanied by excerpts from performances.

It concludes with a discussion of "New Directions", or the transformation of Bharatanatyam technique in the era after India's Independance, and includes a short excerpt from Mrinalini Sarabhai's Memory is a Ragged Fragment of Eternity (1963).

Duration	:	71 Minutes
Rs.	:	1500.00, USD - 190.00 (Institutional) / 95.00 (Individual)