|
 Varnam is the most important item in the individual dance performance onstage. It is the main item too. It is a little longer than other items and complicated and hence challenging to the performer. The
theermanas in Varnam take longer time and are a bit complex.
Let’s now see what a theermana is. We saw earlier that a
korvai is a combination of adavus. (See: Legs and their positions in Bharata
Natya) Theermana also is a korvai, in a sense. The beats - or
solkattu - that are played on mrdhanga are recited (like
thariththa thana thana tha….). The theermana is performed to the oral recitation of the
mrdhanga beats.
When performing to a Varna, a couple of lines of the
varna are sung again and again for say, four, five or six times or more, and the dancer performs the relevant
abhinaya to express the idea or feelings contained in the lines that are sung. When the lines are sung for the first time, the dancer expresses the feelings or the message of the lines through a combination of
abhinayas and mudras. In the first time, the direct sense of the lines would be expressed. And when the lines are repeated for the second, third, fourth times, the dancer would bring out the inner and related meaning of the lines and the feelings related to the feelings expressed in the lines, varying the
abhinayas and mudras accordingly.
If the lines sung in the background convey the message, ‘I have come for your
darshan of your enchanting beauty, O Lord Shiva,’ the dancer conveys its direct meaning through
abhinayas and mudras, when it is sung for the first time. When the lines are recited for the second time, the dancer may choose to portray the Lord adorned with the tiger’s skin. The Lord with a magnificent appearance with Ganga flowing from his matted hair would be portrayed in the third recital. And then the Natraja, the presiding deity of all dancers would be portrayed in the fourth and so on. It all depends on the skill, talent and imagination of the performer. It may be reiterated here that the way each dancer expresses the couplets that are sung would differ from dancer to dancer. No two dancers would perform it in the same manner or even the same dancer, when performing on another occasion would choose to vary the portrayal.
The sanchari bhava is performed after the dancer performs several times as above. The word
sanchari means, ‘to travel.’
 Let us see what sanchari
means in Natya. Let us assume that the dancer had executed abhinays and
mudras to portray Lord Shiva, adorned with the tiger’s skin, when the couplet was sung for the last time. He or she would then elaborate the message. There would be a story behind how and why Lord Shiva killed the tiger and why he wears its skin et al. The story would then be portrayed through Natya. The singer in the background would continue to recite the same couplets again and again. This is either rehearsed before the performance or the artiste extemporizes as guided by his or her imagination, insight, talent and skill. This elaboration, as we saw above, differs from person to person.
Krishangini - Neeraja Nagarajan
Postures by Neeraja Nagarajan
Translated by Hari Krishnan
previous articles
|
|
