Learn the lingo
Bhramari A dynamic feature of Kathak
Dance
Bhramari: A turning movement or pirouette. There are many techniques of rotating the body, depending on the technique of each dance style.
In Kathak, the bhramari has become a characteristic feature, known commonly as chakkar (Hindi for taking a turn). The chakkars are performed continuously, giving the impression of spinning.
The chakkars are timed with the rhythmic pattern, and the challenge for the dancer is to finish a certain number of turns and freeze on the concluding beat in a perfect statuesque pose.
In South Indian dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, one often finds the bhramaris, instead of coming continuously, are performed consecutively, first counter-clockwise and then clockwise.
Utplavana: Jumping movement. Like the bhramari, the type of jump depends on the technique of each dance form. The ancient shastras of dance, including the Natya Shastra and the Abhinaya Darpana, describe a variety of utplavanas.
Several of them are to be found in Bharatanatyam, though jumps are negligible in the technique of Kathak. Certain characters in Kathakali dramas are known for high jumps and leaps that cover space. For example, forest dwellers like the monkey kings Vali and Sugreeva.
Music
Ragamalika, ragamala: Literally, a garland of ragas. When a composition contains two or more ragas, it is described as being set in ragamalika. Every raga has as a characteristic pattern of notes, hearing which the discerning listener
will be able to recognise it.
When performing a ragamalika, the challenge for a singer or instrumentalist is twofold: To be able to bring out the uniqueness of each individual raga in the garland, but also to make the changeover from one to the other in a harmonious and aesthetic manner.
Art
Installation art:Installation art came to prominence in the 1970s. This genre of contemporary art uses sculptural materials and other media to transform the way we experience a particular space. It is not necessarily confined to art galleries. Materials used in installation art range from everyday and natural materials to new media such as video, sound, performance, computers and the Internet. Some installations are site-specific, designed to exist only in the space for which they were created.
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