Approaches to Methods of Analysis and Transcription
1. Approaches to Methods of
Analysis and Transcription:
Rhythmic Units of Kuchipudi
Jathis
2. Dance as “Seen Sounds”
“If dance is a part of music as (Charles)
Seeger, rightly suggests, then some
‘sounds’ are not heard but seen”.
-- Sylvia A.Nannayona-Tamuza, PhD,
Ethnomusicologist
3. Units of Rhythm
In this paper I will discuss approaches
and methods of analysis of macro and
micro rhythmic units of Kuchipudi
jathis as performed by highly
respected Kuchipudi artist Nilimma
Devi.
4. Nilimma Devi
Dancer,
Choreographer,
Teacher, and Scholar
Student of Vedantam
Prahlad Sarma,
Nataraja Ramakrishna
and Vedantam
Jagannath Sarma
Studied Andra Court
Tradition from
Sanjeevaratnamma,
one of the last court
dancers from the
princely state of Bobbli
5. Respected Artist and Scholar
Taught at Shiraz University in
Iran, University of London and
Goldsmith’s College
Artist in Residence at the
Universities of Maryland,
Wisconsin, and Minnesota
Has taught at George
Washington University. George
Mason University and John’s
Hopkins University
Has had works commissioned
by Smithsonian
Directed 3 part dance drama for
Kenyan television
6. Questions in forming a Research
Methodology
What tools are useful in analysis? How is a particular tool useful?
How is it possible to transcribe and analyze Kuchipudi dance as
“seen sound”?
What methods facilitate rather than complicate a
visual representation of Kuchipudi dance?
Is there diminution and/or augmentation in the piece performed
by Nilimma Devi?
7. Ter Ellingson
Primacy of Vocal Music in South Asia
Musical Structures as Acoustical Mandalas
Notation: Drum Syllables and Drum
Language
8. Adrienne Kaeppler, PhD
“Structure in dance consists of specific
system of kinemines which combine
into morphokines, which combine into
motifs, which combine into choremes,
which combine into dances---
according to concepts of a specific
group of people at a specific time.”
•According to Kaeppler structure is
emic, meaning based on the concepts
of the holders of the tradition.
9. Kinemines
are units of movement
that are finer and more
subtle than morphokines
Morphokines Motifs
Micro movements of
head, neck, eyes, torso,
limbs
Adavu
Step or unit
of movement
Jahti
Movement
phrases
or step
sequences
Linguistic Model of Units of
Movement
10. Richard Widdess
Study of Diminution and Augmentation
in South Asian Music
Transcribe: Software
Moving loop sequence
Does Nilimma Speed up during the
piece?
11. The Nattuvanar
“He or she who makes the
dance, the conductor”. The
"nattuvanar" is the person who
"conducts" the dance recital. While
the singer sings, she keeps the tala
(time) and directs the dancer during
the jathi sequences with the help of a
pair of cymbals (nattuva talam). She
also recites the jathis to which the
dancer performs sequences of
adavus.
---Janet O’Shea, Ph.D.
12. Recognition of Layers of Sound in
South Asian Classical Dance
“The music incorporates the sharp sound of the foot
striking the floor, augmented by the use of ankle
bells. The dance form utilizes rhythmic
counterpoint in which phrases based on different
micro pulses are juxtaposed against the rhythmic
structure of the piece. The dance leads the music,
with the dancer interacting with the musicians,
creating rhythmic patterns through the use of her
feet”.
----Janet O’Shea, PhD
Dance Theorist
13. Adi Tala
The most common tala is Adi Tala 4+2+2.
Adi tala is a cycle of eight beats. This tala is conceptually
adaptable for Western dancers since dance sequences
for many Western genres are normally counted in eight.
In adi tala each beat will consist of four pulses. Because
there is a spoken language of carnatic rhythm, we could
say that Adi tala consists of 8 x 4 = 32 words.
16. Intro (Zither Opening) Vocal Intro
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
TA ka
Ti na
TUM
Ta ka
Di na
TUM
TA ka
DHI
na_
Jahti 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DHI mi
DHI mi
TA
T i
-DHI
Mi ta
TEYYI- DHI mi
DHi mi
TA
T i
DHI mi
ta_
TA_
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DHI mi
DHi mi
TA
T i
– Dhi
Mi ta
TEYYI- DHI mi
DHi mi
TA
T i
DHI mi
ta_
TA_
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DHI mi
DHi mi
TA
T i
– DHI
Mi ta
TEYYI- DHI mi
DHI mi
TA
T i
DHI mi
ta_
TA_
17. Kuchipudi Vocabulary
Adavu: basic unit of
movement in Kuchipudi
which consists of a
combination of micro
movements of eyes,
neck, limbs which is
considered a basic step
Jahti: a combination of
adavus that form rhythmic
patterns in different tala
which are danced to bol
mnemonic syllables
21. Yato Hasta Stato Drushti
Yato Drushti Stato Manaha
Yato Manaha Stato Bhavom
Yato Bhavom Stato Rasaha
Where the hand goes, there the eyes should follow
Where the eyes are, the mind should follow
Where the mind is, there the expression should be brought out
Where the expression is, there the rasa.
Rasa
Sloka
22. Keep the song in your throat
Let your hands bring out the meaning
Your glance should be full of expression
While your feet maintain the rhythm
