Don't Procrastinate

Late by a day, since I put off recording to the last hour possible, yesterday and that didn't work out and had to be redone this morning.

Mohiniyattam this week. I think the gurus who put down the structure for this said to themselves - let's load the first piece with everything. So the cholkettu, which I think is the first piece taught in most schools, has almost all the steps in Mohiniyattam's repertoire.

This video probably shows how not to do it 😛. No bending, not sitting enough. But it is a tough 11:45 minute piece. The fact that I can even finish it without my knees buckling is a good thing at this stage!

https://youtu.be/jC9kVd_aEJc

Do better

If I can do better, I should. If I do love dance at all, it is high time I did something about it. So here goes - Julie and Julia style - 52 dances in 52 weeks. I am taking up learning / re-learning one dance every week, in 2019.

Will start with the first one of course, Alaarippu.

It is most commonly done in the thishram, but can also be done in chatusram and khandam

Here is a good video on the choreography of an alaarippu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZahOHQVvis&t=845s
Guess the struggle with the taala is part of the learning. But helps if you know the panchanada.

Tha ki ta,
Tha ka dhi mi,
Tha ka Tha ki ta,
Tha ki ta tha ka dhi mi,
Tha ka dhi mi Tha ka tha ki ta

And my alarippu, at obscene number of kilos!! Of course, I have to leave my trademark, at least one mistake. Find where the mistake is and it is not where I loose balance in the sitting sequence.

https://youtu.be/hoqtCHcEVgg

Bhuoomi pranaam

Thari               kita               dhi            dhala
anga                tath               dha            -
tath                 dha                thaka        dha
tath                 dha                thaka        dha
tath                 dha                thaka        dha
tha                  dhomtha         kadthak    gadhiin
dhin                thinakadhini    tha          


Sabhapranaam

(Dhai                -                      Dhai              -
Thadhi             kidathaka         dhai              -     2)
Dhai                 dhai                 thadhi            kidathaka
dhai                  dhai                dhai                dhai
thadhi               kidathaka        dhai                dhai
(Dhinda              Atha               atha                dhinda  (3)
dhinda               atha                tha                 dhai - 2)
thinkthere kitethaka nathere kitethaka
(tha                     thomtha           thai               kitathaka- 2)
tha                     thomtha             thai
kidatha dhai kidatha dhai
kidathaka
dinna kidathaka (4)
dheigida             dhinda                kite               thaka
thaka                   -                     gadhi               gine
tha                      -                      kitetha             gadhigine (3)
thaathomtha
kidathaka gadhigine dha (3)

Tripathaka hasta viniyoga

Mukute - crown
Vrikshabhaveshu - tree
Vajre - lightning
thadaravasave -
kethaki kusume -
deepe - lamp
vanhi jwaala - fire
vijrumbane -
kabothe - pigeon
pathralekhaayam - writing a letter
baanardhe - arrow shooting
parivarthane - change difference
yujyanthe thipathakoyam kathito bharatotamiyihi 

Being in a Nrityagram Choreography

there is the gurukul and the surrounding area that makes you want to stay there forever - and the trepidation i feel as i enter anticipating the yelling that's definitely coming at me in that day's class - its somewhat like being in an abusive relationship - one that i cannot give up. at 40 it really hurts to see how much the body has forgotten or probably never even learnt - the difference being aware of what muscles i was using to hold a particular pose, can make to that pose - how i could feel perfect but there is still another level of corrections that there is. i am not giving up. how feeling like a tree yourself can actually make the audience believe you are a tree - how there is no one among the 13 of us on stage that is not being seen at any point of time - "not on my stage" - how this will NOT do - how every single person is uma putra even if someone else is depicting uma and putra - how thandava priya putra is absolutely different from that - how much making a connection with the person next to you can actually help you balance your own pose - how none of this makes any sense unless you are there, going through it yourself!!  

Chowk 5.3

Extend both hands together in front of chest as if receiving something, pull hands towards chest - then goes to chowk position.
leg - half stretch right leg in front in the same line as a chowk leg (closer if needed but not wider from a chowk position) - bring left leg to same level as the right leg in chowk, right tap at chowk, left tap at chowk, right tap at chowk.
Bol - dhai kidathaka dha thunna - kidathaka dhai dha thunna

Pathaaka hastha viniyoga

List of things that can be depicted using just the pathaaka hastha

Naatyaarambhe - At the beginning of the dance
Vaari vahe - clouds
Vane - forest
Vasthu - things
Nishedhane - to say no
Uchasthale - to show the chest / breasts
Nishaayamcha - darkness / night
Nadyaa - river
Amaramandale - heavenly bodies
thurange - fast moving objects (like a horse)
Khandane - to kill
Vayu - breeze
Shayane - sleep
Ghamanodhyame - to walk together
prathapecha - valour
prasaadecha - to console
chandrikaayam - moonlight
ghanaathape - unbearable
kapaatapaatane - opening a door
saptha vibhakthyarthe - dividing into 7 parts
Tharangake - little waves
Veedhi - pathway
praveshabhavepi - entering
samathvecha - equal
changaragake - annointing oneself
Aathmarthe - Me
Shapathe chaapi - to promise
Dhooshneembhaava Nidharshane - to tell a secret
Thaala patreecha - manuscript
Khetecha - shield
Dravyaadi sparshane thadha - touch
Aashirwaada griyaayamcha - blessing
Nrupashreshtasya bhavane - king of kings
thatratatrethi - here and there
vachane - speak
sindhoucha sukruti krame - big waves
sambhodhane - to adress people
purogethu - to invite inside
katga roopasya chaarane - bearing a sword
maase - month
samvatsane - the passing of many months
varshadhine - rainy day
sammarjane thadha - to clean
evam ardhesu yujyante pathaaka hasthe bhaavanaha - these are the meanings of all the pathaka hastha depictions