28/09/2019
Bharatanatyam’s most powerful feature is its ability to express meaning and emotion, and to transmit an experience to the audience. This is a profound subject, of which we’ll just touch the surface, by looking at two of its aspects. One is the art of abhinaya, and the other is the blending of music and dance to express more than either could alone.
*Abhinaya* -
Abhinaya refers to the art of expression, as well as transmitting an experience to the audience. Thus, it enters all aspects of the dance, including nritta, nritya, and natya. Abhinaya is a distinguishing characteristic of Bharatanatyam; it goes beyond conveying an abstract aesthetic experience, beyond narration, beyond showing a story unfolding, and expresses the inner experience of the dancer, or the character portrayed by the dancer. To be believable, the dancer must truly enter the spirit of what is being portrayed. How fully the dancer is expected to embody the subject will be evident from a brief description of the different aspects of abhinaya.
Angika (body)
Vachika (voice)
Aharya (costume)
Satvika (state)
Angika relates to body movements, which are the primary means of expression in Bharatanatyam. The relationship of every movement to the emotions is taken into account. Movements are classified as belonging to the angas or major parts of the body, pratyangas or intermediate parts of the body, and upangas, which include the extremities and facial features. Thus, the entire body of the dancer is a vehicle for expression. Angika also covers the hand gestures and eye movements.
