Ardhamandala in Bharatanatyam
Ardhamandala is the fundamental posture of Bharatanatyam. It is also known as Ayatam, Araimandi, Ukkaramandala, or the Half sitting posture. Pure Dance called Nritta involves frequent use of this posture.
In this posture, the performer assumes a half sitting position with the knees turned sideways, and the spine erect. The arms are either extended out or placed firmly on the waist. The dancer is here trying to achieve a series of triangles. The line joining the two shoulders may be conceived as the base of one triangle and the waist as the imaginary apex of an inverted triangle. From this apex a second triangle is conceived with the thighs, as the two sides and the line joining the two knees, as the base of this triangle. The third triangle is formed by the space covered by the two calves and the line joining the two knees. The arms reinforce this by forming other triangles on either side-the extended arm forming one side of the triangle and the line joining the hand to the knee suggesting the second side.
The Natyashastra says that in Ardhamandala, the distance between the head and the navel becomes equal to that between the earth and the navel.
Related posts:
- Four Points to consider with Ardhamandala Posture
- Bharatanatyam Namaskar
- Visharu Adavu in Bharatanatyam
- Tatta Adavu in Bharatanatyam (video)
- First Adavu in Bharatanatyam – Tatta Adavu
Tags: Araimandi · Ardhamandala · Ayatam · Bharatanatyam · Bharatnatyam · class · Classes · Dance · halfsitting · Learning · lessons · online · Steps · Video
25 responses so far ↓
Fabulous presentation. You deserve a huge round of applause. I wish you could hear that. Fantastic job. Waiting eagerly for Natta Adavu video. Thanks.
hi, i am very happy to find this web site. I try by my self to dance. It make me increase my level. I am impatient to see naat adavus and the oters in video.
When are you going to post them also in the site.
thank you again.
Indynna from France.
Hi Indyana, Good to know this site is helping you and thanks a lot for your kind words. Yes I will be posting Natta Adavu video soon…..so stay tuned
Hi,
Anjali,
My daughter just now started the classes for Bharthanatyam and she is not getting this ardhamandala right.Her body moves forward
and her teacher is making demoralising comments in front of all the children and my daughter comes home and cries.She wants to learn the dance but maybe she is scared of making a mistake and very very conscious and is doing it right.Any ideas and suggestions for my problem.
Thanks,
Bye
Probably dancing in front of the mirror could help. When she looks at herself from the side in aramandi, she can identify her mistake and correct it on her own. The sooner it is corrected, the better .
Before you point this mistake to her, tell her something good about her dancing too. For eg. her rhythm, her hastas, her smile etc.
It might also helpif you tell her that no dancer started without being pulled up by the Guru for better araimandi. In fact if the Guru did not, others might point it out at a later stage and that can be too late.
Please accept Anjali from your virtual student.
My sincere appreciation and awaiting more of your videos.
Thanks Mrudula, for your appreciation. May God Bless you. Good luck.
Hi Anjali,
I am 30 years old and a very dedicated bharathanayam student. I have been learning for 4 years and presently learning a varnam. I notice that anytime I learn a new piece, I start getting knee pain. I think this is partly because I use my body in different ways and also I practise more rigorously in order to perfect the item. I practise for about 1 hour per day (5 days a week) and my class is usually 2 hours, 1 day a week. Is there any way to avoid knee pain in bharathanatyam…or do we just have to learn to live with it. I really want to practise hard and do very well but this knee pain is very discouraging. Do experienced dancers like yourself also get knee pain frequently? Thanks much in advance.
Hi Rekha, I can understand how passionate you are. Knee pain is often seen among dancers, especially women. Me too. What I do is
1. I donot practice at a stretch. I take regular breaks. Only once will be a full stretch practice.
2. I do a mind practice of the song twice or thrice. Here I imagine myself doing the best. I strongly believe that its all up to the mind.
3. Drink water during practice to avoid dehydration.
4. Exerting on a step to make it perfect will only worsen the situation. Move on. RELAX. The more you work, the more straining it is. Just enjoy what ever you do. This approach has helped me overcome pain and improve stamina.
5. Finally, you are free to modify any step as far as it in accordance with the Tala.
Please consult a doctor if you feel there is something really wrong.
Can you please clarify something? I have learnt dance when I was small..I remember my teacher (Kalakshetra style) telling me that in Aramandalam, the distance between the two heels should be 3 fingers. Is this right? Can you please clarify?
Yes, Kavitha a small gap is recommended in the Shastra. “Vitasy aantarito pado” is what it is called. Which means that the feet is separated by one vita space. So a 3 fingers gap is fine. Thanks for bring up this point.
Hi Anjali,
Thanks for offering this great opportunity to learn Bharatanatyam online. It really helps me! I have a question on Aradhmandala: I’ ve been dancing for quite a long time, but I still dont manage to stay in Aradhmandala posture for a long time. My former teacher said that I think too much about my Aradhmandala, thats why I feel the pain even more, but I still have problems. What do you recommend me to do?
Thanks!
Hello Ashima,
With practice you will soon overcome pain. I think your teacher is right. She knows you better. And thank you for the encouragement. Wish you all the best
Hi, I found this website through Google. I started learning Bhartanatyam from my 7th just to accompany my sister, but by the time I was in my diploma dance had became a part of me, close to my soul. Due to family situation, job and other reasons I had to stop dancing. It is 7 years I stopped dancing physically. But now, after going through your website I feel that I got my guru again. No words to spell out my gratitude, thanks
Re: half sitting posture frequent in nritta. An amazing similarity is found in the primer research book “Dancing at the dawn of Acriculture”, that covers some 10.000 yrs back in the mideast, shows this position on p. 33, Fig 2-4 Frequency of the basic body positions in dancing scenes = 27%= the most frequent position. see link for google books
http://books.google.com/books?id=i0ZE7_uEwecC&dq=dance+at+the+dawn+of+acriculture&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=de&ei=bXDjSfjPG8iPsAa5jq3YCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4
since this is an artificial position, perhaps one day scholars see this as a direct link to origins of a time, when as some think, dancing was the main source of education. There are indications that this goes back in cave culture some more 20.000 years to europe, where flutes were produced.
Btw there is fantastic 30 min documentary online called “Apsaras” (and Gandharvas) about dance instruction from a guru in the zdf mediathek
http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/content/Meisterwerke_der_Menschheit_Apsara/497146?inPopup=true
Hi Anjali
Wonderful website!
I’ve just started to again relearn bharatanatyam, I used to do it when I was little, but I still cannot get my araimandi correct. In order to sit deeper I’m going forward and it looks that I’m staying on the half of my foot and not on the entire one. Could you please, give me some advises on how to perfect it? I know it will come with practice, but to help to achieve it would be great! thank you
hey Reena, try making a wider “V” with your feet. Also you can keep two finger distance between the feet, this will help you go low. Thanks
How long should I be able to stay in ardhamandala position?
@Siva, as long as you can. For practice sit in the position till 50 counts.
hi Anjali, I am very happy to see your website. I am 22 yr girl I wish to learn the course but it couldn’t happen so long. After seeing your site my desire is being converted into action. Thank You so much for giving us this kind of opportunity. I never thought that I will be learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 22 . Can you suggest /send me some CD’s which will help me in my practices.
Thank you once again Anjali for your good work.
Keep going and motivate us:)
can you add the leg movements (paada bhedas)?pls..
Hi Anjali,
I am 40 and starting to learn bharatnatyam, do you think it’s too late to learn?will my body cope with the steps and be graceful?
I always wanted to learn this dance form, it’s like a dream coming true…but now i’m a bit anxious…i can’t even do my namaskar properly..any advice from you will really help.
thanks
hey.. i realy want to learn classical dance..i learnt the basics wen i was really small n i hardly remember.. can u help me out..?? i want from the basics with videos
Hi Anjali
I started learning Bharatnatyam only a few months ago. My teacher insists on ardhamandala. I am suffering my leg pain everytime I do this. Any suggestions
@Anupallavi, you might want to ensure that you pain is not knee pain. Muscle pains are common and will get better with more practice. Ardhamandala is a challenging posture and the most fundamental step in Bharatanatyam. All teachers will insist
Hello mam…
i m jst lvin ur site..its really vry useful..i m vry passionate towards bhartanatyam but sumhow i cudnt mange doing regular practice.My frens and my teachers alwas motivates me to choose this as my profession but dnt knw wat to do but m really crazy fr bharatnatyam…pls do reply me..i really need ur help mam..
thank u so vry mch…