To many people, Bharatanatyam is just that –– a great tradition of Indian classical dance. To the expert eye, however, there is much more to it and the differences among the various schools of Bharatanatyam are easily discernible. And there are many such different styles/ schools prevalent.
In Karnataka, this dance-form has a rich tradition. It has been practised since ancient times and has gradually evolved into different schools. The Chalukyan sculptures of Aihole and Badami are regarded as evidence that Karnataka’s sculptors had the knowledge of Bharata’s Natyashastra in 5th century BC itself.
Broadly speaking, the Karnataka paramapara of Bharatanatya once had Mysore, Moogur, Kolar, Nanjangud, Chintamani, Mulabagalu and Bangalore schools. Today, only the first four remain. Incidentally, since Karnataka’s erstwhile name was Mysore, sometimes the entire Karnataka tradition is referred to as the Mysore school. Generally speaking, the Karnataka shaili is abhinaya pradhana (emphasises facial expression), has “pure” adavus, and the movements are more rounded and less geometrical, say experts.
“Though the Tanjore and Kanchi traditions had mingled with Karnataka’s local modes of dance, the Karnataka school, encompassing all these elements, yet retained a distinct flavour of its own,” explains Lalitha Srinivasan, dancer, teacher and choreographer.
Research scholar, dancer, teacher and representative of the Nanjangud tradition, Mala Shashikanth explains that the Badami Chalukyans, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyans, Hoysalas and Vijayanagar Empire patronised classical dance. Many of their queens actually achieved excellence in the art - Hoysala Queen Shanthala was called Natyarani.
Hundreds of natyacharyas and thousands of dancers migrated to the courts of Mysore and Tanjore. Classical dances continued to enjoy the patronage of the Maharajas of Mysore and reached their peak during Krishnaraja Wodeyar's rule. Danceologists founded many new traditions and placed Karnataka dances on a pedestal.
“However, the ban imposed on the Devadasi system in the early 20th century resulted in the withering away of many dance traditions practised in temples and in public domain.
Fortunately, ritual dances continued to flourish in Nrutta Bhava Samanvaya, i.e., the Nanjanagud tradition founded by Dasappa and Rajamma who made new efforts, and also due to the relentless efforts of Natyacharya Guru Subramanya Koushik. He created two new parameters in dance - Vedic Kreeda and Yoga. He was also an innovator who offered visual representations of modern Kannada literature. Koushik's monumental work, Bharatanatya Digdarshana, was his great contribution to dance. This tradition continues to be preserved and propagated by us,” adds Mala.
The Kolar/ Bangalore school was exemplified by Bangalore-based Yajaman Kolar Kittanna, ‘head’ of 300 devadasis, including the legendary Bangalore Nagarathnamma. His presentations would include pushpanjali, choornika, taaya, jathiswara, pallavi jathiswara, sapthathalavarna, swaraprabandham, swarapallavi, swarajathi, sabda, padam, javali, thillana, and mangalam. Kittanna also categorised dancers into asthana, aalaya and sabha narthakis.
Kittanna’s repertoire was vast. He also kept meticulous notes of all compositions. Today, his grandson, Chinnayya Radhakrishna Naidu, a Bharatanatya guru, is in possession of these carefully preserved handwritten manuscripts in Telugu script, containing lyrics in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Sanskrit, and Urdu thumris and ghazals. The erudite Radhakrishna carries forward Kittanna’s traditions while enriching it greatly with his own innovations and choreography.
The genial Radhakrishna has groomed many a fine student including yesteryear film star B Saroja Devi. “I have given my life to this great art form. My ardent hope is that future generations treasure and propagate it,” he says.
Udupi-based Kodavoor Bhagavatha Madhav Rao is an exponent of the Moogur school. Subbanna was an icon of this tradition. Later, Moogur Amruthappa carried it forward. Amruthappa served the Mysore royals during the last stage of Mummidi Krishnaraja Wodeyar’s reign and the beginning of Chamaraja Wodeyar’s rule. Amruthappa’s granddaughter Moogur Jejamma continued the tradition.
“Footwork received great emphasis in our school,” explains Rao. “Body exercises were rigorous. Today, students learn dance and perform at any age. But in those days, a girl’s Gejje Pooja was done only between eight and 12 years. Jejamma gave me her anklets, a few manuscripts and the thaalam instrument. She told me, ‘save and preserve our tradition with dedication’. I followed her dictum,” he says.
The articulate Lalitha –– who represents the Mysore school –– learnt from H R Krishnamurthy and the famed Venkatalakshamma. Lalitha reveals: “Our school has a great repertoire of abhinaya items. Our ntyadharmi is very stylised. Also, melody and grace received great emphasis.”
Among the best-known items of Mysore school were kshetrayya padams, javalis, varnams, vachanas, swarajathis including sahityam, ashtapadi, choornikas, and notably, several items unique to this school like amarushathaka shlokas, bhartruhari subhashithani, mukundamala, rajashekharavilasa padyas, geeta gopala, neeti shataka, kanda padyas, krishnakarnamrutha shlokas, etc. The dancer would render the kanda padya as a prelude to the javali to establish the nayaka’s and nayika’s roles. The jaaru adavus embellished the javali, adding grace to the rendition.
Explains dancer and teacher Vidya Ravishankar, disciple of Venkatalakshamma: “Abhinaya was very important in Mysore school though we also had many nritta or pure dance items. Sancharis received great attention and krishnakarnamrutha especially allowed great scope for this.” Shakuntala Hanumanthappa, granddaughter and disciple of Venkatalakshamma, is another well-known exponent of the Mysore style.
For many practitioners, the concern is how to preserve and propagate this style. Some experts believe the unique Karnataka Bharatanatya tradition was influenced, if not overwhelmed, by Tamil Nadu traditions, for various reasons. One reason was that Chinnayya of the famed Tanjore Quartet found patronage in the Wodeyar court. Another reason could be the lack of assiduous promotion by Karnataka school practitioners themselves of their own styles.
However, it is heartening that today’s gurus are making concrete efforts. The Karnataka Bharataagama Prathisthana, with Radhakrishna as founder-president, and Mala as secretary, was established in 2010 to preserve and propagate various Karnataka Bharatanatya styles. Individually too, the dancers are doing all they can to receive the best of this tradition from their gurus, and pass it on to their own students. It will make for a great gift to posterity.