Learn the lingo
Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Eyes and neck Urmila Sathyanarayanan performing sundari griva.
Dance
Griva bheda: The generic term for the variety of neck movements used in dance. These neck movements may be part of the entire posture and movement of the body, as in executing various steps, or they may add character to the depiction o
f a role. For example, certain animals and birds are characterised by particular neck movements, while the qualities of, say, a beautiful woman, or a haughty person, would be emphasised using other griva variations.
Sundari griva: One of the most commonly seen neck movements in Indian classical dance, the sundari griva involves the lateral movement of the head. Although known as a type of neck movement, it is actually achieved by keeping the neck
still and moving the head from side to side. In Bharatanatyam and other highly symmetrical forms, the movement is done in three or four speeds in tandem with the music. The sundari griva is commonly known as attami in Bharatanatyam parlance. It denotes feminity, beauty and grace.
Drishti bheda: The various types of ‘glances’ or eye movements. Each position of the eyes – whether looking straight ahead at eye level, down at the feet or up at the sky, or rolling the eyes, etc. – is given a
particular name. Like the movements of the neck, or the hand gestures, the drishti bhedas have twofold use: in purely ornamental dance and in mime. They may be used to enhance the look of a posture. For example, the technique of Bharatanatyam requires the dancer’s eyes to follow the movements of the hand.
In the mime aspect of dance, the drishti variations are used to convey emotions and other dramatic messages. In the latter case, the importance of the eyes is greater than any other movement of the body.
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