adavus

Kuchipudi- The Divine Art Form

Adavus

    Adavus means the basics of dance. These are the abc's of dance. These are steps, which help us learn the beat and rythm. Everyday pactise helps us maintain stamina.In Kuchipudi we have a number of steps which cover every aspect of nritta (pure dance). They have been classified as follows:

     Jaaru adugulu: The first half steps.
     Chaukamu: Flows in the four beat.
     katrinattu: where the feet are crossed as in a scissors.
     Mandekappu: Where we hop like a frog, as we do these steps.
     Onti adavu: Steps where only one foot is used.

   There are three types of Di Di Thai in Kuchipudi style. Di Di Thai can be done when the foot comes from the back, or the side, or stretched in front. These are collectively described as trividhachevamulu.
      When we jump high as in 'thai tha kita thaka' we call it kuppinattu. Steps in which the footwork starts from behind the other leg, it is called venuka nattu; when it starts by the side of the other leg, it is called paka nattu; when both the legs are crossed, whether in front, or back after swinging the leg sideways,it is addakatera.

Thaalam

Thaala is the guide to rythm or the so called beat. Thala consists of different parts: a laghuvu (I), Drutham (O) and anudrutham(U). The combination of one , two or all of these helps us show and maintain Thala as we sing or play an instrument. The laghuvu comprises of a stroke of the palm on the other palm followed by pointing fingers. The jaathi of a thala is determined by the stroke, followed by number of fingers we point, like when there is one stroke and we point three fingers it is chaturasra jaathi; one stroke and two fingers is trisra jathi; when four fingers are pointed after a stroke, it is khanda jaathi; it is misra jaathi, when six fingers and a stroke comprise the laghuvu; and similarly, it is sankeerna jaathi when we point eight fingersafter a stroke.
         The Drutham is stroke of the palm and again hitting on the reverse, on the other palm.An anudrutham consists of one single palm stroke. The name of the thala is determined by the combination of laghuvu, drutham and the anudrutham.
         The swing or the nadaka of the thalam is determined by the number of syllables in each beat. If each beat moves as thakita, thakita....it is called the trisra nadaka. Thaka dhimi.......... is chathurasra nadaka; thaka thakita...... is khanda; thakita thaka dhimi...... is misra; thaka dhimi thaka thakita....... is sankeerna.
     In Kuchipudi (which follows the Carnatic system guidelines), seven thalas are basically recognised. Each of them are accepted in all the five jaathis making 35 thaalas in all. The conventional thaalas which are in vogue can be traced to the above seven basic thaalas in some way or the other. Four thaalas are distinct and these are in principle the cuts of 4, 3, 5 and 7, namely, aadi, rupaka, jhumpa and triputa respectively.
       The names of the seven basic thaalas are as follows:
   Dhruva    mathya    rupaka   jhumpa   triputa   ata   eka
This is the sloka for the thaalas:
    Dhruva mathya rupakascha
         jhumpa triputamevacha
    atathaala eka thaalascha
         saptha thaala prakeerthitha:

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