Attire, Musical Instruments and Symbolism

 Attire

The attire of a Bharatanatyam dancer resembles a Tamil Hindu's bridal dress. It consists of a fitted, brilliantly colored Sari which is mainly of warm colors with mirrors on them. The Sari is made of a specially stitched pleated cloth which falls in front and opens like a hand fan when she flexes her knees or performs footwork. The Sari is worn in a special way, wrapped upwards along the back and tightly to the body contour, past one shoulder, with its end held at the waist by a jeweled belt. The dancer is typically adorned with jewelry on her ear, nose, and neck that outlines her head or hair. Her face has conventional makeup, eyes lined and ringed by collyrium, which help viewers see her eye expressions. Her hair is tied up in the traditional way, often braided in with fragrant flowers (veni or gajra). She wears one or more leather anklets (ghungroos). Ghungroos are basically made up of small bells. They can be either attached to a broad strap that has bells uniformly attached to it (rows) or it can be like a string of bells like bracelet which are tied around the feet. The outlines of the dancer's fingers and feet may be partially colored red with kumkum powder or alta, a costume tradition that helps the audience more easily view her hand and foot gestures.

A proper attire for a Bharatanatyam performance


Musical instruments and Vocal Aspects

The accompanying music to Bharatanatyam is in the Carnatic style of South India, as is the recitation and chanting. The vocalist is called the nattuvanar, typically also the conductor of the entire performance, who may be the guru of the dancer and may also be playing cymbals or one of the musical instruments. The recited verses and text in Bharatanatyam are in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Sanskrit. The instruments used include the mridangam (double-sided drum), nadaswaram (long type of oboe made from a black wood), nattuvangam (cymbals), the flute, violin and veena.

Musical instruments


Vocal Aspects


Symbolism

Bharatanatyam, like all classical dances of India, is steeped in symbolism, both in its abhinaya (acting) and its goals. The roots of abhinaya appear in the Natyashastra text, which defines drama in verse 6.10 as something that aesthetically arouses joy in the spectator, through the medium of actor's art of communication, that helps connect and transport the individual into a sensual inner state of being. A performance art, asserts Natyashastra, connects the artists and the audience through abhinaya (literally, "carrying to the spectators"), that is applying body-speech-mind and scene, wherein the actors communicate to the audience, through song and music. Drama in this ancient Sanskrit text, thus is an art that engages every aspect of life to glorify and give a state of joyful consciousness.


Mudras


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