The Nattuvanar's Art

Bharata Natyam is the classical dance of south India. It is accompanied, along with vocal and instrumental music, by compositions of recited syllables and percussive hand cymbals performed by a person known as the nattuvanar. The Nattuvanar's Art analyzes and discusses this unique musical form and the distinctive characteristics of these compositions. Included are the history of the nattuvanar and the syllables, and a general introduction to tala. The appendix to The Nattuvanar's Art includes transliteration of compositions from the past from Natanadi Vadya Ranjanam, a Tamil text; Sabdam alias Tala Solkattu, a Tamil transliteration of Telugu texts; and Bharatarnavam, a Sanskrit text.