Araimandi: the base posture
Araimandi (also written aramandi) means "half-sitting". The dancer bends the knees and turns them out to the sides. The heels stay close, the feet point out, and the back stays straight. It looks easy, but it is tiring, so students build strength for years.
Why this pose? It keeps the body low and steady, so the feet can move fast and the upper body can stay calm.
Adavu, sollu, korvai and theermanam
An adavu is the basic unit of pure dance (nritta). It joins one footwork, one hand shape and one body line. Adavus come in families such as tatta, natta and visharu.
Sollus are the spoken rhythm syllables, for example tai ya tai hi or ta ka dhi mi. One syllable usually goes with one step.
A korvai joins several adavus into a longer pattern. It finishes with a theermanam: a closing phrase that is danced three times, so the last step lands exactly on sam (the first beat).
Jati, gati, avartana and nattuvangam
Gati (nadai) is the number of tiny parts in one beat: tisra 3, chatusra 4, khanda 5, misra 7, sankirna 9. Jati uses the same group sizes. It names a tala by the size of its main part, and it also means a rhythmic pattern of sollus.
An avartana is one full round of a tala. Adi tala has 8 beats (4 + 2 + 2), so one avartana is 8 beats.
Nattuvangam is the art of conducting the performance. The nattuvanar, often the guru, recites the sollus and keeps the tala with small cymbals.
Arangetram, costume and make-up
The arangetram is the first full solo performance on stage, after years of training. The word means "climbing on to the stage".
Costume: a bright silk dress with a pleated fan at the front that opens when the knees bend in araimandi, temple jewellery, flowers in the hair, and ghungroo (ankle bells) on the feet.
Make-up: eyes are lined boldly so that expressions can be seen from the back row, the hands and feet are painted with red alta, and a bindi is worn on the forehead.
Key formulas and definitions
- Araimandi = half-sitting base pose
- Adavu = basic unit of nritta; sollu = its spoken syllables
- Korvai = chain of adavus ending in a theermanam
- Theermanam = one closing phrase danced 3 times, ending on sam
- Gati: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 sub-beats per beat
- Adi tala = 4 + 2 + 2 = 8 beats = 1 avartana
- Nattuvangam = conducting with sollus and cymbals
- Arangetram = first full solo stage debut
Worked examples
1. A theermanam phrase is 5 beats long. How many beats does the theermanam take in all, if it is danced three times with no gaps?
3 times 5 = 15 beats. The last step of the third phrase lands on sam.
2. In chatusra gati, how many sub-beats are there in 8 beats (one avartana of adi tala)?
Chatusra gati has 4 per beat. 8 x 4 = 32 sub-beats.
3. Adi tala has 8 beats. A dancer dances 6 full avartanas. How many beats is that?
6 x 8 = 48 beats.
4. Name the term for each: (a) the first stage debut, (b) the person who recites sollus and keeps tala.
(a) Arangetram. (b) The nattuvanar, who does nattuvangam.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up adavu and korvai: an adavu is one unit, a korvai is a chain of adavus.
- Thinking the theermanam is danced once. It is the same phrase repeated three times.
- Using "jati" for only one meaning. It names tala groups and also means a sollu pattern.
- Saying gati is the speed of the whole song. Gati is the number of sub-beats inside one beat.