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Nattuvanar's Role in Bharatanatyam: Learn Online at Kafqa Academy
by Aiden Lincoln ChoreographerBharatanatyam dates back more than 2000 years. It is a dance that has its roots predominantly in Tamil Nadu, a region of southern India. Additionally, it is India's oldest classical dance still in existence.
This dance style is discussed in Natyashastra by Bharat Muni and Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikesvara. Bharatanatyam is thought to have been revealed to Bharata by Lord Brahma.
Bharatanatyam was first only performed by female temple dancers, and it wasn't brought to the stage for a show for the general public until around 1930.
And now, this beautiful dance form is also taught by the expert gurus of Kafqa Academy, which is a dance academy via online Bharatanatyam classes.
If we talk about the relationship between Nattuvanar and Bharatanatyam, then we can observe that Nattuvanar was traditionally the guru, the choreographer, and the cymbal-wielder. The Nattuvanar is frequently used as an accompanist these days.
Vasanthalakshmi identified the Nattuvanar as the modern-day "Sutradhar," whose duty is to keep up a steady "dialogue" with the vocalist, percussionist, and dancer. So, before moving forward, let’s briefly look at the Nattuvanar’s role in Bharatanatyam.
Who was Nattuvanar?
The name "Nattuvanar" refers to a guy who served as the dance leader, musical conductor and vocal percussionist for the devadasi dance. The Nattuvanar would train the dancer and perform with her in premodern South India, particularly among the Tamil-speaking devadasi communities, by reciting vocalized rhythms (Sollukattu).
The Talam, a pair of tiny hand cymbals that the Nattuvanar would beat in time with the dancer's movement, served as the main visual indicator of his presence. In the Thanjavur court, some of the most renowned Nattuvanars were employed. For instance, since the seventeenth century, the Thanjavur Quartet's forebears had been working as Nattuvanars in the Thanjavur Palace.
Starting of Nattuvanar tradition:
But men have also participated in devadasi dancing outside of the Nattuvanar tradition. Particularly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, ritual experts such as Otuvars (those who recite the hymns of the Tamil Shaiva poets), court poets, and other upper-caste composers frequently interacted with devadasis.
During the social reform movement, the Nattuvanar community also experienced stigma as a non-Brahmin performing group. Still, unlike the devadasis, they continued to enjoy patronage from the new urban practitioners who turned to these men (rather than the devadasi women) for the technique and repertoire needed to develop the modern form known as "Bharatanatyam."
With this full description, it is very clear that the art of Bharatanatyam is not new, but it has its roots in the past. So, to maintain this beautiful essence of Bharatanatyam, Kafqa Academy, a dance academy, provides Bharatanatyam classes in their original and authentic form by providing online Bharatanatyam classes. Kafqa Academy makes your experience of learning Bharatanatyam online awesome.
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About Aiden Lincoln 
Choreographer
3 connections, 0 recommendations, 27 honor points.Joined APSense since, May 31st, 2022, From Mumbai, India.
Created on Jul 28th 2022 08:34. Viewed 148 times.
