Pattern and Symmetry

Bharatnatyam, a traditional Indian dance, unites community and culture.

By: Indrani Datta

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Susana Ayyanathan performs a dance dedicated to Lord Krishna at the Bharata Kala NrityakShetra school in South Brunswick.


   It’s 9 a.m. Sunday and five teenage girls are stamping their bare feet on the cold floor of the Bharata Kala NrityakShetra dance school in South Brunswick. They’re dressed in colorful cotton outfits — long embroidered tunics and loose-fitting pants.
   The girls’ mothers sit to one side. As the class begins, they watch intently as their daughters are transformed from chattering magpies into synchronized swans — graceful practitioners of an ancient Indian dance form called Bharatnatyam.
   Bharatnatyam is one of many different regional dances derived from a Sanskrit text called the Natyashastra. Written sometime between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200, this seminal treatise explores the foundations of the performance arts.
   "Universal themes are delineated by the vocabulary of the Natyashastra," explains Bala Devi Chandrashekar, director of Shree PadmaNrityam Academy for Performing Arts, a Bharatnatyam school in Princeton. "All the regional dances of India are derived from it: Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak."

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Bala Devi Chandrashekar demonstrates one of the poses of Bharata Nrityam. "Dance should be seen in the context of South Asian culture — (it’s) a holistic approach combining mythology, anthropology, theater arts, religion, philosophy, art history and music," says Ms. Chandrashekar.


   A rigorous dance form, Bharatnatyam folds dizzying footwork and expressive gestures into lyrical rhythms, wrapping it all in gorgeous costumes. Just as jazz has many faces, Bharatnatyam comprises many styles.
   The Kalakshetra style was developed in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale. It is a distilled form of Bharatnatyam. An energetic and fearless pioneer, Mrs. Arundale fought to reveal the spiritual nature of the dance, which had acquired a patina of disrepute.
   "It is time-consuming and takes a lot of discipline," says Selvi Chandranathan, director of the Bharata Kala NrityakShetra school in South Brunswick. "There are more basic steps than other styles of Bharatnatyam."
   Mrs. Chandranathan, a South Brunswick resident, has taught the Kalakshetra style for over 30 years to more than 500 children. Her students use a special shorthand to record the patterns of their movements. Although older students take their own notes, younger students are helped by their parents.
   When 5-year-old students start learning with Mrs. Chandrashekar, they are taught a kind of calisthenics. As they twist and stretch, they describe their movements with Sanskrit chants from the Natyashastra. The exercises, combined with hand gestures and controlled footfalls, develop balance, flexibility, physical endurance and a sense of rhythm.
   Mrs. Chandrashekar teaches a style called Bharata Nrityam. This style was developed by Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam and is based on her study of the 108 Karanas — sculptures from temples constructed around the 9th century A.D. throughout South Asia. Dr. Subrahmanyam’s research extrapolated patterns of movement by applying the Natyashastra’s artistic laws to the frozen postures of the sculptures.
   "It takes about eight years to learn the basics," says Mrs. Chandrashekar. "There’s a scientific method of approaching it — it’s just a vocabulary and a grammar."
   But learning each style’s poses and patterns is only the first step. "In mastering the basics of pure dance, it’s also important to translate the meaning of the dance," says Mrs. Chandrashekar. "And always, every motion must speak of grace."
   For the dancer, this means learning to use theatrical facial expressions and subtle gestures to bring stories to life. To charge the movements with meaning, the story of each dance piece must be whole-heartedly understood.
   The tales told by Bharatnatyam dancers are mostly taken from the two great Indian epic poems composed between the 12th and second centuries B.C., the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Saturated with Hindu religious symbology, both poems overflow with vibrant episodes and teem with memorable characters.
   "It’s not just about sacred cows; there’s a story," quips Anitra Das, a law student from Plainsboro who has been studying classical Indian dance since she was 7 years old. Ms. Das sees dance as a devotional medium. "It’s a very attractive way of portraying religion. It’s eye candy with music and rhythm."
   Classical Indian music most often accompanies Bharatnatyam pieces. Its traditional format presents a central theme, develops the theme with increasingly complex variations, and winds down with a symmetrical finish. Serving as both framework and filigree, rhythm is essential.
   "Onlookers are especially intrigued by the challenging rhythms," says Mrs. Chandrashekar. "Bharatnatyam is very rich in tala — rhythmic patterns."
   But Bharatnatyam need not be wedded only to classical Indian music. The elemental nature of the postures lends itself to any type of music.
   Mrs. Chandrashekar recently performed a story from the Ramayana set to Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture. "The music sounds like it was made for this story," she marvels. "Although I keep true to the Natyashastra — to some rules of the dance form — the need for pattern and symmetry spans across cultures."
   Sticking to basics within the context of global movement is a recurring theme among these members of the Indian diaspora.
   "For the availability of Indian cultural activities, the best place in the U.S. is New Jersey," says Mrs. Chandranathan. "We are lucky to have a strong Indian community. It makes me happy to help the community by teaching the children part of their culture."
   Parents are often instrumental in introducing young children to Bharatnatyam. Anjali Nanakumar’s father started looking for a dance teacher when she was 6 years old. "I started because they wanted me to do it," explains Ms. Nanakumar of Franklin. Over time, she grew to love her dance classes. She would start crying if she missed a class.
   From little girls who practice secretly under their desks at school to married working women who struggle to find practice time — even young men who buck stereotypes — dancers choose the aspects of Indian culture that resonate with who they each are.
   They are touched by the wealth of Indian stories, the depth of Indian songs, the brilliance of Indian costumes. Just as they weave expression into their movements, students of Bharatnatyam blend their art into their lives.
   "When I was little, it fascinated me," says Piscataway resident Sneha Patel, one of Mrs. Chandranathan’s teenage students. "I’ve continued with it because it inspires me."
Shree Padma Nrityam Academy for Performing Arts will present Shree Rama Arpanam at Sri Venkateswara Temple, 780 Old Farm Road, Bridgewater, April 17, 5 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (908) 725-4477 or e-mail: [email protected]. Shree Padma Nrityam Academy for Performing Arts, Princeton, teaches classes in Bharata Nrityam, For information, call (609) 430-0301.
Bharata Kala NrityakShetra will present Rhythm of Life 2005 at Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School, 112 Rues Lane, East Brunswick, April 30, 5-9 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (732) 398-0307. On the Web: www.barathanatyam.com. Bharata Kala NrityakShetra, South Brunswick, teaches classes in the Kalashetra style of Bharatanatyam. For information, call (732) 398-0307.