Learning

Margam means a path or a course followed. It is one full definite course where in dance items are performed in a traditional order. The items that are included are Alarippu, Jatiswaram, Shabdam, Varnam, Padam, Tillana and Shloka or Verse.

According to some scholars, it does not mean that these are the only items that can be performed but any traditional dance item or any song which can give scope for the exposition of Nritta and Nritya at their best can be included. Therefore, Pushpanjali, Kauthukam (Kauvutvam), Mallari, Javalis and others are also found in the repertory of certain schools of BharatNatyam.

In early 19th century, the four famous and great musicians, nattuvanars, dancers, poets of Tanjore, namely, Chinnaiya, Ponnaiya, Shivanandam and Vadivelu (1777-1832) have created and propagated the present format of a BharatNatyam recital from the traditional Sadir Natya or Dasiattam.

Bharatanatyam style is noted for its fixed upper torso, legs bent or knees flexed out combined with spectacular footwork, a sophisticated vocabulary of sign language based on gestures of hands, eyes and face muscles. The dance is accompanied by music and a singer, and typically her guru is present as the director and conductor of the performance. The dance has traditionally been a form of an interpretive narration of mythical legends and spiritual ideas from the Hindu texts. The performance repertoire of Bharatanatyam, like other classical dances, includes nrita (pure dance), nritya (solo expressive dance) and natya (group dramatic dance).