Relatively recently the term 'Bharata Natyam' has come into general use; initially it was known as Daasi Attam and this change was an attempt to detach the art from the devadasis who had come to be regarded as disgraceful practitioners. The term 'Bharata Natyam' implies dancing according to the principles of Bharata'a term that could, indeed, apply to any of the chief schools of classical dance in India, since all of them were based essentially upon Bharata's work. ![]() Temple dancing was, however, regarded unnecessary, especially in view of the fact that some devadasis performed services of an immoral nature in addition to their temple duties. Buddhism exerted great influence on dance particularly and eventually it played a role in the history of Bharatnatyam. The Shastraic literature kept the traditional form of dance alive and provided it the basis upon which it could develop and its form gradually took its solid structure. The dances of Bali and Cambodia bear a superficial resemblance to the Bharatnatyam, which was their initial inspiration. In the theatre and dance of Japan there still exist traces, which connect them with the Indian dances. ![]() The Vaishnavite temples at Belur and Halebid have an important significance for the history of Bharatnatyam. The temples are decorated with sculptures of Vishnu and the many stories and legends are related to him. A royal lady, Queen Santala, is said to have been the greatest of dancers; the sculptures depicting her name are among the most beautiful in south India. Lord Krishna was one of Vishnu's avatars and the history of Bharatnatyam added to its repertoire, a new store of songs and stories based on Krishna's love for Radha. Later in the kingdom of Vijayanagar, Bharatnatyam flourished. The influence of the Muslims eventually led Bharatnatyam to their courts as well. It is at this time that terms from the Muslim dictionary like 'salamu' and 'tillana' were added to Bharatnatyam. Both of these are adaptations of Persian words. In this way Bharatnatyam started on a new phase of secularization. The Bharatnatyam dancers danced for the king or highly placed patrons and the dance form were included in the celebrations of domestic festivities and taken part in religious functions. Abhinaya or expression was articulately used and a greater use of love songs, which could be interpreted in both human and divine terms, was played in the backdrop. In the history of Bharatnatyam, south India played a vast role and is thus considered to be the founding ground of this art. The Bharatnatyam was defined anew by the four brothers, namely Chinniyah, Punniah, Vadivelu and Shivanandan of Tanjore. After their influence, Bharatnatyam came to be known as 'Tanjore Nautch' in the region. However Rabindranath Tagore, Uday Shankar and Menaka were the great personalities who had already begun to revive the interest in the north Indian dances. While, in the South, E. Krishna Iyer started to re-awaken the interest of his countrymen in the real Bharatnatyam. Eventually many others joined him in this effort. Public interest was aroused and in the early thirties some of those who had nursed Bharatnatyam through its period of dishonor, were able to perform again in public. ![]() Bharatnatyam made dancing once again respectable, so much so that it is an essential social accomplishment, which everyone flocked to acquire. The history of Bharatnatyam is regarded as a healthy trend since it has aroused a consciousness of the dance, and so this dance form is given a wider field of appreciation both at home and abroad, and in addition given recognition and employment to the old nattu-vanars. In recent years there are several schools for teaching Bharatnatyam and the mushrooming of 'Academies', 'Schools', 'Colleges', 'Institutes' and 'Societies' run by the Bharatnatyam teachers owe their existence to the history of Bharatnatyam. The exodus of the dance from the temple to the theatre and then to home is in harmony with the spirit of the contemporary times. (Last Updated on : 24-11-2010) |
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