and dancer are in complete sync with each other. The third form, called Abhinaya, meaning expression, purely expresses the poetic meaning of the composition, without emphasis on rhythmic patterns (Bhagyalakshmy, 98). This is a dance technique that is not as easy for the beginner audience to understand.As far as the dancers appearance itself is concerned, the aim is to look as extravagant and vibrant as possible. This is accomplished by adorning oneself with an elaborate silk costume, along with much jewelry and make up. This too is done to represent the exquisite beauty and royalty of the gods and goddesses. Also, at the beginning of a performance, the dancer is presented with an anklet of bells by his teacher. These anklets are known as jingles, and for a dancer, are considered divine. This presentation of the jingles is considered an honor for the dancer, since it signifies that he is deemed talented enough by his teacher to perform for an audience (Chandra 28).Once again this may all seem too gaudy for the beginner audience to understand, yet over time it all begins to fall into place with the colorful performance.The duration of a full length Bharata Natyam recital today is between two to three hours. To perform for such long hours one must have good stamina and concentration. The people in the audience are expected to be a rasikas, meaning, people who are well versed in appreciating the arts, and also a 'sahridaya' or a person who has come with an intention of appreciating, learning and savoring the richness of the art. The performance begins with a prayer sung in praise of God Ganesha or Ganapathi (the elephant headed deity) in a brisk pace, called the melaprapti. To the left of the stage, as viewed from the audience, one sees the musicians sitting on a raised platform or on a mat. The main conductor is the nattuvanar who leads the singer(s) and other accompanists with the help of cymbals (nattuva talam). There is a percu...
