Andhra Natyam
Encyclopedia
Andhra Natyam is a classical dance form originating from the Southern Indian
stat of Andhra Pradesh
.This traditional dance form having a history of 2000 years got lost in the Mughal
and British era,but it came to be revived in the 20th century. However, it is considered an amalgamation of Bharatanatyam
and Kuchipudi
because of its strong grammatical and structural resemblance to both.
and Bharatanatyam
, including the older dance styles like Dasiattam, Kacherittam, Chinnamelam.
Though it originated in temples,this dance form was also performed by the courtesanss known as Kalavantulu in Telugu
,open-air public performances known as Kalopam are a part of Andhra Natyam.
. The musical instruments accompanying the dance include Mridangam, Manjira
, Veena
, the Violin
, Venu
, Tanpura, Surpeti, and Kanjira
.
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
stat of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
.This traditional dance form having a history of 2000 years got lost in the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
and British era,but it came to be revived in the 20th century. However, it is considered an amalgamation of Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
and Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form Andhra Pradesh, India. It is also popular all over South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form, it acquired the...
because of its strong grammatical and structural resemblance to both.
Origin
It is derived from various dance forms and has strong similarities with KuchipudiKuchipudi
Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form Andhra Pradesh, India. It is also popular all over South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form, it acquired the...
and Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
, including the older dance styles like Dasiattam, Kacherittam, Chinnamelam.
Though it originated in temples,this dance form was also performed by the courtesanss known as Kalavantulu in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
,open-air public performances known as Kalopam are a part of Andhra Natyam.
Introduction
This dance form is essentially performed by females, characterised by rich footwork and AbhinayaAbhinaya
Abhinaya is a concept in Indian dance and drama derived from Bharata's Natya Shastra. Although now, the word has come to mean 'the art of expression', etymologically it derives from Sanskrit abhi- 'towards' + nii- 'leading/guide', so literally it means a 'leading towards' Aside from its clear...
. The musical instruments accompanying the dance include Mridangam, Manjira
Manjira
The manjïrà is a traditional percussion instrument of Bhàrata India. In its simplest form it is a pair of small hand cymbals. It is also known as manjeera, tala, jalra, khartàl or kartàl....
, Veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
, the Violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, Venu
Venu
The venu is a bamboo transverse flute used in the Carnatic music of South India. Although it is often called Carnatic flute or simply flute in English, venu is the instrument's ancient Sanskrit name...
, Tanpura, Surpeti, and Kanjira
Kanjira
The kanjira, khanjira or ganjira, a South Indian frame drum, is an instrument of the tambourine family. It is used primarily in concerts of Carnatic music as a supporting instrument for the mridangam...
.