Blokesblogin

Danseuse

Tarakita tirakita tadheem tha dheem dheemll
The nonsense words roll out of the mouth through twisted tongue and breathless rhyme. The eyes follow the footwork of the danseuse while the hands transcribe the patterns on the cymbals. The brain remembers to follow along and refer to notations for complex choreography. The chanting alternates with the song sung by the singer, closely followed by the drummer. The wrists flick back and forth like a pre-programmed automaton striving to strike the right bell-metal note amidst the twinkling of brass bells. The strings on the violin support the notes of Gambhira Naatai as the first jati is essayed.

Bha- Bhaava (expression), Ra- Raaga (melody, emotion, color), Tha- Thaala (rhythme)+ naatyam, when performed with live accompaniment makes for a sensual overload! The celebrative mood is catching even when the naayika(heroine) is yearning for her divine beloved to show up. Even in Virahaa ( pain of yearning through seperation), the shringaara that flows through brings forth tears of Bhakti (devotion) and there is great rejoicing in the hope of the ultimate merger between jivaatma (soul with an identity) and paramaatma (Infinite aka non-defined!).

If we could just begin to dance along through life...
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