{{Use Indian English, date=July 2020 The Melattur style of

Bharatanatyam ''Bharatanatyam'' is a Indian classical dance form that came from Tamil Nadu, India. It is a classical dance form recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas of Hinduism and Jainism.< ...

dance was developed largely out of the

devadasi In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...

traditions and Melattur

Bhagavata Mela Bhagavata Mela is a classical Indian dance that is performed in Tamil Nadu, particularly the Thanjavur area. It is choreographed as an annual Vaishnavism tradition in Melattur and nearby regions, and celebrated as a dance-drama performance art. ...

by Mangudi Dorairaja Iyer (1900–1980), a sanyasi following Srividya Upasana. Classical-indian-dancer-bharatanatyam-sridevinrithyalaya-8

He re-established the Suddha Nrittam from

kuchipudi ''Kuchipudi'' ( ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit ...

(intricate tapping footwork that explores different time measures in different tempos), Bhattasa Natyam and Perani Natyam (dance on the clay pot). Mangudi became interested in Shuddha Nrittam after watching a performance by devadasi of Cheyyur Sengalvarayar temple, who performed it along with other 71 types of items (e.g.

Kavita Kavita (Hindi: कविता) is a feminine given name. Notable people named Kavita * Kavita K. Barjatya (born 1977), Indian producer * Kavita Channe (born 1980), American sports announcer * Kavita Chaudhary (1956-2024), Indian actress * K ...

, Nritta,

Vadya ''Vadya'' (, ), also called or , is one of the three components of (musical performance arts), and refers to "instrumental music" in the Indian traditions. The other two components of are (vocal music, song) and (dance, movement). In the g ...

Sangeeta Sangeeta may refer to: Song and music * Sangita or Sangeeta, music-related performance arts in the ancient and medieval era Indian texts * '' Sangita Makarandha'', an ancient work on Indian classical music Sangeet Sangeeta *Sangeeta Bijlani ( ...

and others).

Themes

Unlike other Bharatanatyam gurus, Mangudi avoided the items which glorified the poet's human patrons, as performing such items would be inconsistent with his adherence to spiritual practices of Srividya Upasana. It is only the deities or the great rishis who were deemed worthy of such glorification. Thus, the repertoire of a Melattur style dancer consists mostly of the ancient items performed in the temples.

Footwork

The Melattur style discourages stamping the feet hard against the floor. Instead, the dancer is expected to use the salangai (ankle bells) in a more sophisticated manner that produces a richer variety of sounds and highlights the rhythm. Another distinctive feature is the presence of pancha nadais and extensive use of gati bhedas. For instance in

varnam Varṇam is a type of composition in the Carnatic music system that encapsulates the key features of a raga, and considered as a foundational element in the learning path. Varnams capture the essence of the ragam in terms of typical swara patt ...

there would be gati bhedam in every jati. There is a special emphasis on crisp adavus, fluid variations or patterned korvais.

Abhinaya

Due to the Melattur

influence, the style makes extensive use of the dramatic elements, i.e. characterisation, which requires highly expressive and intricate

abhinaya Abhinaya (Sanskrit ''abhi-'' 'towards' + ''nii-'' 'leading/guide') is the art of expression in Indian aesthetics. More accurately it means "leading an audience towards" the experience (') of a sentiment ('). The concept, derived from Bh ...

. Unlike other Bharatanatyam styles, the facial expressions in of the Melattur style dancer are not rigidly defined, are neither theatrical nor understated, which requires a high degree of introspection and individual improvisation. Due to the devadasi influence, there is an emphasis on

sringara Sringara (, ) is one of the nine rasas, usually translated as erotic love, romantic love, or as attraction or beauty. ''Rasa'' means "flavour", and the theory of rasa is the primary concept behind classical Indian arts including theatre, music, ...

rasa, rather than on a neutral

bhakti ''Bhakti'' (; Pali: ''bhatti'') is a term common in Indian religions which means attachment, fondness for, devotion to, trust, homage, worship, piety, faith, or love.See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. In Indian religions, it ...

. The nritta abhinaya is different from most other styles in the sense that each body movement is to be reflected in a different facial expression in a spontaneous manner.

Other distinctive features

*The dance movements are supposed to be performed with a larger amplitude on a wide scale of tempos, making it physically the most demanding style of Bharatanatyam. *The application of loka dharmi and natya dharmi is different from other

styles. *The Melattur style dancers wear a special protective cotton belt around their waist. Bharatanatyam styles