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Teaching artist Praneetha Akula explains how to use gestures, expression, and body movements to create a classical Indian dance about a rainy day.

Vocabulary You Will Learn:

• Bharatanatyam—The oldest form of Indian classical dance. When translated into English, Bharatanatyam signifies the combination of expression, rhythm, music, and dance.
• Bhava—The conveying of meaning through facial expressions.
• Raga—The melody used in Bharatanatyam, intended to evoke emotion from the audience.
• Tala—Rhythmic groupings of beats used in Bharatanatyam. Tala is independent of the music it accompanies.
• Natya—The combination of bhava, raga, and tala, meaning to tell a story through dance. 
• Hasta—Hand gestures used in Indian dance to convey meaning within the story. 

Materials You Will Need:

• Nothing—just yourself and your imagination!

How to Create a Classical Indian Dance about a Rainy Day 

1. The first hasta, or hand gesture, you will use is called pataka. To create this hasta, hold your hand up and extend your fingers so they are pointing straight up toward the sky. Fingers should be together and touching, and your thumb should be bent. 
2. To tell the “I wake up” part of the story, hold your hands palms out, at chest level, in pataka position. Stretch arms up overhead while yawning. 
3. With hands still overhead, turn your palms to the ground. Shake your hands while bringing them down to hip level to show the rain falling. At the same time, step side to side while stomping your feet to show how heavily the rain is pouring.
4. The next hand gesture used is called kartari, or twisted fingers. Hold two fingers up, twist your wrist so that your palm is facing towards yourself, and then twist your fingers so one is in front of the other. To show the bolt of lightning striking, lift your hand up and to one side, and then shake your fingers while drawing them down in a diagonal motion. At the same time, either jump or run across the floor to show how the lightning travels.

5. The next move in the dance, used to show fright, is called dab hands. With your hands back in pataka position, push them up and away from your body on a diagonal, as if you’re dabbing. At the same time, turn your head to look down and away from your hands. 
6. To create the next hasta, called alapadma, hold your fingers closely together, and then open so that fingers are extended out. With arms at your side, create this gesture with both hands and then slowly lift your arms overhead, to show the sun coming out. 
7. Now you get to choreograph the last part of the dance! The final part of the story is “I’m ready for the day.” What move can you create to show that you are ready to begin your day? Try to use kartari, pataka, or alapadma in your move. 
8. Remember to use bhava, or facial expressions, to show how you feel as you dance. How does the rain make you feel? What about the lightning? And how do you feel as the sun comes out? 
9. Finally, it’s time to put all the parts of the dance together! Combine the hastas, body movements, and facial expressions to tell the story of a rainy day.

At the end of the video, Praneetha challenges us to teach the dance to a friend, or even to choreograph our own dance. Earlier in the video, she said that Bharatanatyam dance can tell epic stories about love and war or gods and goddesses, or focus on a topic as simple as the weather. If you want to go even further, think about these questions: 

• How could using different facial expressions tell a different story about the rainy day? What if you wanted to tell a story about someone who loves the rain and doesn’t want the sun to come out?
• Can you think of a classic or popular story you could tell through dance? What might that look like?
• What other stories about simple daily events could you tell using movement, hand gestures, and facial expressions? What about getting ready for school, or going to the playground?
• What epic stories could you tell through dance? Can you create a story about an important event, such as a wedding or a battle, and tell it using what you learned about Bharatanatyam?

Accessibility

Don’t forget that you can turn on “Closed Captioning” to view the YouTube video with English captions.

More about the Teaching Artist

Praneetha Akula (she/her) practices and teaches an ancient type of Indian classical dance called Bharatanatyam. It is a rigorous discipline that incorporates all parts of the body, including facial expressions, intricate footwork and rhythm, and a variety of melodies. Praneetha typically teaches early childhood to elementary-aged students, but has also taught seniors, adults, and high schoolers. She is based in Silver Spring, Maryland, and strives to have her students understand the connection between Indian classical dance and the world around them.

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