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Bharata natyam : an introduction
The dance form we know as Bharata Natyam today had its origins in Sadir Natyam, also known by the names of Daasi Attam, Chinna Mélam, or simply, Sadir. After the tenth century, Bharata Natyam seems to have developed chiefly in the Southern region of Tamil Nadu. The Chola and Pallava kings who ruled this region were great patrons of the art. The accuracy with which dance poses or karanas are depicted on the Brihadeshwara Temple bears proof of their understanding of the laws of dance movements.
However, Bharata Natyam crystallized into its present form during the nineteenth century. This was primarily due to the remarkable contributions of the four brothers from Thanjavur who lived in the courts of the Maratha King Sarfoji Maharaj. Known as the Tanjore Quartet, they brought about far-reaching changes in the technique, format and the style of presentation, conceiving the dance as a narration by the dancer rather than a performance of a role. Their vast body of musical work became the bedrock on which the Bharata Natyam dance compositions were built and developed. This artistic milieu combined with vast royal and temple patronage enabled the dance to flourish.
For many centuries Bharata Natyam has been performed only by certain families inheritors of the craft being known as 'Nattuvanars'. The chief exponents of this dance were the Devadasis or temple dancers. They would perform the dance daily at the time of worship or on festive occasions. It came to be patronized by the Rajas and princes.
The 18th century saw emergence of rule of the East India Company followed by setting up of British colonial rule in the 19th century. Such developments saw decline of various classical dance forms which were subjected to contemptuous fun and discouragement including Bharatanatyam that through the 19th century remained exclusive to Hindu temples.
Eventually social and economic conditions associated with Devadasi culture added with contempt and despicable attitude from the Christian missionaries and British officials, who held the Devadasis of South India and nautch girls of North India as harlots, disgraced such systems. The Madras Presidency under the British colonial government banned the custom of dancing in Hindu temples in 1910 and with this the age-old tradition of performing Bharatanatyam in Hindu temples also came to an end.
As the Indian freedom movement progressed steadily during the early 20th century, an effort to revive Indian culture and tradition seethed with excitement among Indians. The revival of bharata natyam involved individuals from different backgrounds: freedom fighters, westerners interested in Indian arts, people outside the devadasi who learned Bharatanatyam, and devadasis themselves. Eminent Bharatanatyam dancers like Arundale and Balasaraswati expanded the dance form out of Hindu temples and established it as a mainstream dance form. Later the Tamil Hindu migrants revived this Hindu temple dancing custom in British Tamil temples during the late 20th century.
Today this ancient classical dance form also includes technical performances as also non-religious and fusion based themes.
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