SriRangaNrityam - readapted dance form of the Arraiyars of Srirangam
From the Bhakti List Archives
• October 4, 2001
Sri: Sri Ranganayaki Sametha Sri Ranganatha Parabrahmane Nama: Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha SriRangaNrityam - readapted dance form of the Arraiyars of Srirangam (to be held Oct. 13, 2001 at the Livermoore Temple,CA) http://www.geocities.com/dehee_arts/ The "Arraiyar Sevai", a visual enactment of the passionate expression of Bhakti by the Azhwars, is a kind of worship of the Lord Sriman Narayana through dance for divine music called deva ganam, and is performed solely by temple priests called Arraiyars, in the privacy of the inner sanctum for the exclusive pleasure of the Lord alone. Such dances are not even watched by devotees in the temple, as they are part of the private rituals of the daily "seva" of the Lord. This tradition of the dramatic rendering of the poetry of the Tamil Veda through music and dance is only passed on to the sons in the 'Arraiyar' family - decendents of the well known Saint, Sri Nathamuni of Kattu mannar. According to Koil Ozhugu, Thirumangai Azhwar started the practice of presenting before the Lord of Srirangam, his work known as "Thirunedunthantakam" to the accompaniment of music and dance. But it was Sri Nathamuni who instituted the art in its present form in temples in the Tamil month of "Margazhi", during the "Thiruvadhyayana Uthsavam". Shri Ramanuja was also known for promoting the arraiyar's dance behind closed doors for the recreation of the Lord and he was further instrumental in nurturing this form of worship at the Srirangam Temple. Smt. Usha Narayan, a distinguished exponent of the Pandanallur style of Bharata Natyam is a well-known choreographer and teacher, has dedicated a large part of her dancing career to the research into Arrayar sevai tradition and its readaptation and performance in the Divya sthalas and on stage. Her main aim besides enjoying dancing the Divya prabandham is that of taking the message of the greatness of this form existing at the SriRangam temple. All this was done only after a thorough study of the Natya Shastra and other texts for finding the origin of this dance form and placing this dance style. In the strong foundational Bharathnatyam style she received senior expert training (in the various elements of Bharathnatyam), under the likes of Pandanallur Guru Nana Kasar, Guru Swarna Saraswati, Kalanidhi Narayanan and Guru Kittappa Pillai since 1972. A recipient of Sahitya Kala Parishad Certificate of Eminence and Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship, she has been active in the cultural framework of New Delhi for over 20 years now. Presently she has been awarded the Senior Research fellowship for classifying this dance form. After thorough research, with the guidance and blessings of Sri Rangam Arrayars, Shri Vaak Amrita Varshi Velukkudi swami, Shri Annangarachar swami, Mudaliandan swami, Vanamamalai Jeer and Muna Swamigal, Smt. Usha has adapted the elements of Arraiyar Sevai for the stage which she calls it the Sriranga Nrityam. As 'Arrayar' IS A TITLE and not a name of a dance form she prefers to name it as the dance form mentioned as per the Natya shastra. Secondly she does not wear the head gear of the Arrayars as it is the cymbol of their crown like a king and none other than decendants have the right to that crown.However she has widened the scope of the dance form and the dancing of the Divya Prabandham based on the tenets of Sringa nrittyam as mentioned in the Natya shastra. Her research work in the rare dance form 'Arraiyar Sevai', has been acclaimed and even featured on the cover of Limca Book of Records (1980). She has performed all over India, giving performances and educative workshops in various parts of the country. She has about twenty troupe productions to her credit. Smt. Usha has also actively contributed to the implementation of Performing Arts as part of the structured curricula at the school level. Smt.Usha and her troupe of dancers, all dressed in dhotis and angavastras, will be presenting this rare art at the Shiva-Vishnu Temple in Livermore CA as a fund raiser on October 13th, 2001. This recital by her troupe of senior disciples will highlight some of the differences between Sriranga Nrityam and the Bharata Natyam style. The performance is meant to introduce the Bay Area to the basic elements and delightful nuances of this mystic dance form dedicated to Emperumaan. Smt. Usha is dedicating this performance to the memory of Shri Nathamuni Arraiyar of Sri Rangam who has recently left us at a loss on his way to the abode of Shri Vaikunta. For further information visit: http://www.geocities.com/dehee_arts/ or email dehee_arts@yahoo.com Nathamuni thiruvadigale sharanam ||Sarvamsreekrisnaarpanmasthu|| >>>>>>>>>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------- - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH - To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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