Among the many styles of dance that we have on the subcontinent. It is perhaps Bharatanatyam which represents the dancer as Goddess; her costumes, her jewellery, her stance, the clear and precise geometries of the dance, its meaning, its techniques that reveal the visionary four dimensional geometries of inner space in three dimensional sections.
While the dance is seen on stage in front of an audience, yet it takes form in an invisible, mystical world from which the dance itself is believed to have emerged.
Jayalakshmi Eshwar's book -"Bharatanatyam: How to…" states in simple terms all the first steps that are necessary to enter this world of dance. It would be an invaluable reference for students and teachers alike.
The book leads the student from the general ideas of the principles, methods and techniques of Bharatanatyam, to the main topic of the dance units 'Adavus'.
The book is self-explanatory with detailed pictorial and written instructions of the Adavus in a simple and systematic manner. Over 1400 illustrations integrate to form a comprehensive reference. A descriptive historical background to the dance form and it's evolution introduces the content. In addition separate audio CD and DVD are also available as support material.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jayalakshmi Eshwar
Jayalakshmi Eshwar is the Founder-Director of Abhinayaa. She trained in the celebrated Kalakshetra of late Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale in Chennai, where she imbibed the catholicity and flair of the Kalakshetra tradition. Today, she is a leading exponent of Bharatanatyam. Her style is modern and innovative within a classical framework. An excellent performer, teacher and choreographer, she has performed at various national and international festivals, and to audiences in India, Scandinavia, Europe, CIS Countries, Gulf nations, Latin America, Canada, USA, China, Indonesia, North Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. Her thematic group productions Tat Tvam Asi, Bharatam, Vyamanika Shastra, Nrityarupam, Nadopasana, Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, Bhaktamara Stothra on Jainism, and others have won her great acclaim. She heads the Bharatanatyam Department of Triveni Kala Sangam, a premier institution for the fine arts in New Delhi. She is involved in dance instruction with Suniye, an organization that helps hearing impaired children. She has developed a TV documentary for rural children, produced by CIET and supported by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). She also works with the Center for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Bal Bhavan and the India International Rural Cultural Centre. She has been a visiting faculty in 25 schools in Scotland under the invitation of the Asian Artists Association and the Strathclyde Educational Council. Her interest in other dance forms has led her to learn and perform Odissi under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Mayadar Raut and Ramani Ranjan Jena. She has also enacted the role of a Tanjore Dancer in the National Award Winning Kannada Film Hamsa Geethe of G.V. Iyer. Cultural organizations have conferred titles such as Natya Kala Selvi, Natya Kala Nayaki and Natya Ilavarasi on Jayalakshmi. She was given the Lion's Club of Delhi Teachers Excellence Award 2001.
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