Significance of Nataraja in Dance

Introduction:

The Nataraja or Nataraj, Lord Shiva's dancing posture, is a conceptual composite of the most important aspects of Hinduism, and a description of this Vedic religion's core values. The word Nataraj means' Dancers ' king.' Nata means Nayak or the Nartaki in Sanskrit, and Raja means the King. Thus the Natraj means Nartaki's king or all-dance ruler. Nataraj is the purest representation of God's action that any art or religious faith can speak of, a more dynamic and passionate depiction of a moving object than Shiva's dancing figure can hardly be found anywhere, Lord Shiva's Dancing pose, simply called the Nataraja, is an exceptional, supreme and sacred reflection of India's rich and diverse cultural heritage, its presence going back to Pre Vedic times when Lord Shiva performed the Tandave. It is claimed that seven different types of Tandava are done by Lord Shiva in Mount Kailash called Sapta Tandava. Nataraja's first pose was discovered in a collection of stunning bronze sculptures from the excavation of Harappa Civilization during the Chola era (1279-880 CE).

Significance of Natraja:

Nataraja is shown with four hands signifying the cardinal directions in an exceptionally cohesive and fluid system representing the pace and harmony of human life. He dances elegantly elevated with his left foot and the right foot on a prostrate platform, the personification of illusion and confusion which Shiva conquers. The upper left hand holds a fire, the lower left hand points to the dwarf, shown to carry a cobra. The upper right hand holds a drum or' Damroo' that stands for the essential rule between male and female, the lower hand displays the declaration of being without fear.

Snakes posing in glory are seen uncoiling from his hands, feet, and skin that is curled and garlanded. His knotted hairs move as he moves in a firestorm arch that reflects the constant cycle of birth and death. A skeleton is on his face, suggesting his conquest of death. Goddess Ganga, the symbol of the sacred Ganges River, still lives on his hairdo. The emblem for his knowledge, understanding, and salvation is his third eye. The devil of indifference is creased under one of his legs, and the movement shows another foot lifted in pleased pose. The whole vision stands on the base of a lotus, the emblem of the universe's creative powers. This Shiva's divine dance is called Ananda Tandava, meaning the Paradise Dance, and symbolizes the cosmic cycles of conception and destruction as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. Dance is a symbolic metaphor of the eternal energy's five principal appearances—creation, preservation, destruction, deception, and salvation. Shiva's dance often symbolizes his five activities: Srishti-creation, Sthiti-preservation, Samhara-destroy, Tirobhava-illusion, and Anugraha-goodness.

Sequence of Performance

The arrangement of things in a dance program of Bharatnatyam is called the Margam, which is historically sequenced by previous generations ' teachers. The present series of the solo recital Bharatnatyam is supposed to have been a modification of the renowned Tanjore quartet brothers Chinnayya, Vadivelu, Ponnayya and Sivanandam, music and dance masters during the late 18th century. Bharatnatyam has been a modern art throughout its two thousand five hundred years of history, fine-tuned by the Tanjore quartet which occurred during the time when both Carnatic music and dance underwent refinements by various master artists. The impetus for their alteration of the Bharatnatyam system is represented differently by several writers. For instance, in a single recital, different styles of dance structure are followed to appease Tanjore's royal court, or to highlight the Nritta, Nritya and Abhinaya features of the single dance called Bharatnatyam. The facts concerning its source may be indeterminate and vague, but to have continued throughout the modern day the situation was much stronger. Notwithstanding contemporary dancers ' creative movements, the latest changes in the recital format were either minimal or temporary. The solo recital of Bharatnatyam has a framework and a progression of objects within the proper sequence for the start of the presentation to the end.

Ø  Allarippu	Jatisaram	Shaabdam	Vaarnam	Padaam	Ashtaapadi	Kirtanam
Ø  Javalii	Tillana	Shlokaam	Mangallam	Nritta	Nritya

 

Share: