METAPHORS AND SIMILES PART III

Another aspect of Bharatha Natyam is the use of comparative devices that are not present in the lyrics. For example, in the following piece, the line smara sundaranguni seri evaro asks: “who is equal to my beautiful lord?” The word beautiful is available for any interpretation by the dancer: As beautiful as manmatha, eyes like the lotus, lips like coral, hair like the bees, brows like a bow, teeth like a string of pearls, skin the colour of tender mango leaves, chest as broad as a mountain, waist like a lion, gait like an elephant, etc. However, it is important not to lose the essence of the lyrics and choose comparisons that are completely unrelated to the poetry.

Similarly, in the javali marulu minchera, the words “parama sundara kara” translate as “oh the beautiful one”, but can be interpreted as the following:

            Oh my beautiful lord.

            Your lotus eyes are meant to look at me.

            Your coral lips are meant to kiss me.

            Your broad chest is my abode and I will adorn you like a creeper.

            Your long limbs are meant to embrace my beautiful body.

In the following number from Kumara Sambhavam, the lyrics do not provide any specific comparative description, and are thus:

            Paani peedana vidhdheranannintharam, shaila raja duhi duhir haram prati

            Bhava sadhva sa pari grihathu aa boothkama dhohatha sugam manoharam

            After the wedding of Shiva to Parvathi, the daughter of the mountain king, Shiva looks at his new bride, who is coy and full of love, and derives pleasure from observing her shyness. Here, the lyrics do not explicitly say anything about beauty, but I have interpreted them to show Shiva looking at Parvathi, and describing her beauty using his own accessories. Doing this immediately establishes the scene of Shiva and Parvathi in the bridal chamber.

When the situation of the poetry warrants, the dancer may employ relevant metaphors and similes to more creatively describe the scene.

 In the Kamas varnam of the Tanjore quarter, the line “avar samanya durai alladi sakhi” indicates a heroine telling her friend that Shiva, her lord, is not someone ordinary, but a great being. Greatness is here illustrated by incomparability:

The glowing sun is ashamed looking at Shiva’s glowing body, his

majestic walk puts an elephant’s majesty to shame, his small waist embarrasses the slender lion, the mountain bends its head looking at

Shiva’s broad chest. 

                                                                                                       TO BE CONTINUED..........

METAPHORS AND SIMILES IN BHARATHANATYAM PART II

Beauty is a favourite topic of the poets of yore. In countless pieces, the beauty of the face is described in numerous ways. The face is compared to the moon, a lotus flower, a mirror, the sun, etc. When one compares the face to the moon, what exactly does one mean? One might mean that the face is as round as the moon, as fair as the moon, as cool as the moon, or as romantic as the moon. One might mean that the face that is hidden by tresses of hair is like the moon that plays amongst the clouds. Or that the face that evokes a smile in another is like the moon, which touches the lilies and makes them bloom.

The dancer can make many interpretations describing the qualities of the moon within the framework of the given comparison. In the piece Yaro Ivar Yaro, Rama speculates about the identity of the beautiful girl that he sees, and in the charanam, he describes her faces as “Chandra bimba mukha.” In the first line, the lyrics are “yaaro ivar yaaro”, which the dancer can interpret in any way. In the charanam, however, the lyrics “Chandra bimba mukha” encourage the dancer to elaborate within the framework of the comparison of her face to the moon.

It is obvious that in this open-ended line, the dancer can elaborate on the comparison using many different attributes of the moon, but the dancer must use artistic discretion when doing this so as not to show so many comparisons that the essence of the lyrics is lost. Similarly, when choosing the phrase on which to elaborate ,  the dancer to be careful in choosing the word which is relevant to the context and evokes the proper emotional response from the audience.

            Another piece that can illuminate the importance of word selection contains the following lyrics: “Varaji mukhi neevu vachae vella anukonni, korrikatho raja gopala swamy nee.” In this line, the dancer is a sakhi, who takes the message of love to the lord and tells him: “that lotus-faced girl is waiting for you full of love, oh Raja Gopala Swamy.” Here, if one chose to elaborate on the words “Rajagopalaswamy”, it would be irrelevant to the mood of the song, as this simply the lord’s name. One has to read the lyrics fully to find the basic mood, or sthayi bhava, and then interpret accordingly. Here, the sthayi is the sakhi describing her friend waiting, so the words “varija mukhi neevu” is a more appropriate choice for elaboration.

In this interpretation, the heroine’s state is compared to the lotus, although the lyrics say “lotus-faced”, indicating that there are different ways that one may interpret the poet’s lyrical intention. Additionally, taking the poetry too literally is also a danger that the dancer must avoid. For example, in the piece Chinnan Chiru Killiyae, Bharathiyar uses many similes to show a mother’s love for her child. If these descriptions are acted out literally with no nuance, the piece will become immature and childish.

                                                                                            To be continued.........

METAPHORS AND SIMILES IN BHARATHANATYAM

PART I

Metaphors and similes have been created by people as a means to relate to the world around them; in other words, as instruments to bring some familiarity to the incomprehensible. It is extremely difficult to describe sublime or profound emotions in direct terms, as these deeply subjective and personal experiences (such as love, isolation, anger, or despair) are beyond the bounds of language. As a result, it is common to employ modes of figurative language in order to illuminate these otherwise elusive emotions. Dance and music are very personal experiences of an artist, and so he or she may use metaphor and simile to communicate feeling to the audience.

             Metaphors and similes are not technically the same, but instead of examining the differences, the terms and their interpretations can be used interchangeably in Bharatha Natyam. There are two aspects of metaphor and simile in dance: one is the use of these devices in the lyrics written by the poet, and the other is their use in places where the lyrics do not explicitly state them.  In the first instance, the lyrics provide the dancer with a base to expand, but confines him or her to the given lyrics, restricting the interpretation to the given metaphor or simile. In the second instance, the open-ended quality due to the absence of these devices in the lyrics, leaves the interpretation entirely to the dancer’s imagination. However, the lack of restriction can cause the interpretation to become tangential or unrelated to the artist’s intention or lyrical nuance. It is the dancer’s task to make the comparison both interesting and relevant.

                                                                                             

                                                                                                  To be continued....................

Teacher's Pride

Krishna Leela
On dec 14th my students performed krishna leela, a dance production conceived by Smt.Verushka Pather from South Africa . It was a colloborative effort between verushka and my school.
It was the first time I sat in the audience and watched my own students perform and the kind of emotions I went through as I watched them perform was something only a teacher can relate to.
When I watched my students as they entered the stage, I felt a rush of blood and I sat up just to be sure I dont miss anything.  Then they started dancing to the music.  I have watched their rehearsals many times, corrected them and danced along with them to fill in the gaps.  But what was novel during the show was that I was able to see myself in each one of my disciple.  It was like one piece of me was embedded in all of them in different propotions.  Some had taken my movement, some my attitude and others my abhinaya... It was magic to see my disciples perform and felt like a part of me was on stage along with them..

Krishna Leela at kalakshetra

Being a teacher has its own rewards.. ...the students not only learn the art form but they reflect  our personalities also... Infact teachers spend more time with their students than with their own children.... Till such time they are under your, wings they are just reflecting your thoughts .. once they are on their own, they start growing and developing an independent personality in dancing... and that is what makes it more beautiful....
As a teacher I have seen many of my disciples grow and flourish and it is always with happiness and pride I watch them ..... Like a gardener taking pride in the flowers that have blossomed with his careful nuturing....















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Shobana Bhalchandra
Tharanginee School of Bharata Natyam
Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
+91 94440 37197
theshoba@gmail.com, shobana@tharanginee.com
www.tharanginee.com

View videos of concerts, workshops in youtube - shobanaa tharanginee

STAMINA FOR DANCERS ON STAGE

Why do dancers feel tired and breathless on stage much more than in rehearsals? Why is it that the stamina levels drop down to almost fifty percent in a performance although a lot of practice has gone into it? I spoke to some other dancers and understood that they were also facing the same issue.

I started analysing  to resolve this problem that I and many other dancers are facing…. Finally I worked out something which in my opinion will help the dancers ..

Why do we get tired inspite of hours of practice?

• on stage we are aware in the subconscious level that we cannot stop and will have to keep going however tired the body feels

• the stage lights, costume and the makeup make it more difficult to move as against the ease of the practice costume

• the dancer tries to conserve the energy in the lighter numbers hoping to perform  better in more challenging numbers

• the body is never allowed to go to the maximum level and is always pulled back, in the fear of collapsing, thereby never allowing the body to warm up and attain great level of energy and stamina

What should we do to resolve this issue?

• the first thing a dancer has to do is warm up before the show… atleast for 20 mins … enough to start sweating

• make sure to have something solid, not heavy, half an hour before the show

• do some deep breathing just before getting on stage to relax the mind

• now the most important thing is to push the energy level to the maximum in the first number, without conserving energy

• when the tiredness sets in on stage just ignore and push the body to go ahead

• The moment the body gets to the maximum level it is used to, it starts relaxing thereby allowing us to dance without being pushed

 

My dancer friends, this is something I have tried out personally and benefited ….. go ahead and try out for your next show… but beware these things work only when the body is in good form and the practice is regular…. One cannot expect miracles if we are not regular in our practice schedules …

MUSCLE MEMORY FOR DANCERS

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My last performance in the season gave me some insights into a few things that my teachers have given me, but I have never really cared to analyse, or give it a thought!!
I used to wonder why we were made to perform the same numbers over and over again. The sheer repetition used make it boring and annoying.  But my teachers used to tell me that the same number should be performed over a hundred times before the essence of the piece comes out.  Yes I did understand that practice makes perfect.. but never went deeper into that. Today as a performer and teacher I realise the value of those teachings.
Why do they say practice makes perfect?  The sheer boredom of repeating the old numbers can be exasperating at times.. but what really happens is that the muscle memory kicks in and you start performing without actually having to think about it.  Then what is muscle memory?  It is not memory stored in the muscles, ofcourse, but that which is stored in the brain. It is a procedural memory which helps us go through the motions without deliberate thinking .  It doesn’t mean the dancer performs without thinking… !!!!
And why is muscle memory important to dancers?  When the dancer goes on stage , there are many things that can cause distraction… the lights, the musicians, the audience… etc etc..  the dancer has to transcend all these and give himeself/herself  to the art form.  Dance is not to exhibit your technical talent. It has to go beyond all technicalities and the dancer should be able take the audience along with her/him  in the journey of dance. How is this possible? That is when the muscle memory comes in.  when the technical details are stored as procedural memory and it can be performed without any deliberate thinking, then the dancer is able to dwell deeper into the creative side giving it a different hue.  That is what makes  a wholesome performance. Merely spewing out technical details in correct order doesn’t do justice to the art form.  So dance students, activate your muscle memory and give the dance form  a little of yourself!!!!
Shobana Bhalchandra
www.tharanginee.com+91 9444037197

Dancing to the Musicians

Come December season…. The dancers go mad…  trying to get the musicians for rehearsals… I am sure all my dancer friends agree with me on this issue

Getting shows in the season is one thing… but how do we organise practice with the musicians…

The evenings are always busy for the musicians with programmes.. so what is left is the morning sessions… but since the accompanying artists are few compared to the dancers, there is always a demand for good musicians..and the musicians take full advantage of the situation…

I decide to do something new and call the musicians to come a month or two in advance, the answer is’ it is too early to have a rehearsal now. We will come closer to the time of the show”

Closer to the show, they are busy….. Either it is the rehearsals or programmes….”oh new numbers.. why do u choose to do it in season.. we really don’t have the time’ and if the same old numbers” why do we need rehearsals for something which we have already done ’ ….. so it is a no win situation for the dancers…

The rehearsal timing is another issue… there are 3 musicians and we have 3 different time given by them… impossible to coordinate…. One musician says he will come at 5 in the morning and the other is busy with house work so can come only after 10 …. Yet another only early afternoon.. dear god .. how are we to coordinate… if we request one of them to adjust to the other one.. it becomes an  ego issue … why should I adjust .. why cant the other one do it… and the drama goes on….   we end up making 20 phone calls and still unable to solve the issue,  end up  having 3 rehearsals for each one of the musicians separately suiting their convenience….. how come musicians always have the upper hand were dancers are concerned?  Do they think they are doing us a favour ???  

Shobana Bhalchandra 
www.tharanginee.com
+91 94440 37197