First Adavu in Bharatanatyam – Tatta Adavu

July 31st, 2007 by Anjali

The word Tatta literally means “to tap”. In this adavu, we are taught the Bharatanatyam way of leg tapping. This adavu involves only the use of legs unlike most other adavus.

As described in earlier post “More about Adavus”, every adavu has a Bol or syllable. The Bol is used to provide a rythym for the steps (like 1-2, 1-2-3 etc.) and also acts as a mnemonic for the steps. The Bol for Tatta adavu is “tai ya tai hi”.

Please check the animation here (courtesy library.thinkquest.org) before you read the description below. The site has a very nice representation of the steps.

1) While doing this adavu, you need to be in the Ardhamandal(half sitting) posture

3) Please try to keep a practice of starting every Adavu with your right side(leg in this adavu). So first lift your right leg towards the inner thigh and then tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai ya”).

4) Once the right leg is grounded, repeat the same with the left leg (say ”tai hi”).

5) Continue the steps (”tai-ya”, “tai-hi”) till you have a good feel of the step. We would practice each step 30 times in around 3 minutes. Remember that the one tap each of left and right legs is counted as one step.

Simple Is’nt it? I shall post the details of next steps for Tatta adavu on next posts. Meanwhile look at the rest of the animation for the other steps in link.

Tatta Adavu - Second Step

August 6th, 2007 by Anjali

This is the second part of the Tatta Adavu post. As you read this, I hope you have read the first part posted earlier. If you have tried out the same as part of your current learning or online learning for the first time, my hunch is that you are experiencing some aches and pains. Take heart! That means you are on the right track

Again, let us refer to the animation at library.thinkquest.org to look at the second step within this adavu. For the second step, please follow this link. Note that you need to wait for the red bar to glow before the animation starts.

1. Stay in the Ardhamandal (Half seated posture). Place your Palms on the waist with the inside of the palm facing outside.

2. Lift your right leg towards the inner thigh and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai ya”). Once the right leg is grounded, again lift the same (right) leg and then tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai hi”).

3. After the second tap of the right leg, lift your left leg in a similar fashion and then tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai ya”). Once the Left leg is grounded, again lift the same (left) leg and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai hi”)

We can now practice the first and second step together for 25 times each. Please note that (”tai-ya”, “tai-hi”) is one count and so for the second step, one count is completed on one side itself i.e. double tap with right leg is one count.

In the first step, one count is completed after one tap of right and left legs. Hope you get a hang. Watch the Video for Tatta Adavu here.

Tatta Adavu - Third Step

August 8th, 2007 by Anjali

I hope you have read the previous posts on Tatta Adavu which describes the First and Second steps for this adavu. We can again refer to the animation for the third step for a better understanding.

Note that from the third step onwards the Bols are “Tai ya tai hi tai tai tam”. The third step is similar to the first two and as you may have guessed it, you would tap each feet thrice on each side. The detailed steps are below (please note the changes in Bols below):

1. Stay in the Ardhamandal (Half seated posture). Place your Palms on the waist with the inside of the palm facing outside.

2. Lift your right leg towards the inner thigh and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai ya”). Once the right leg is grounded, lift the same (right) leg and then tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai hi”). Again lift the same leg (right) leg and then tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai tai tam”)

3. After the third tap of the right leg, lift your left leg in a similar fashion and then tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai ya”). Once the Left leg is grounded, again lift the same (left) leg and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai hi”). Again lift the same (left) leg and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai tai tam”).

Combine the third step into your practice routine. I shall post the details of next 3 steps soon.

Tatta Adavu - Fourth Step

August 14th, 2007 by Anjali

If you have been reading the previous posts on Tatta Adavu, you would have noticed the similarity in the First, Second and Third Steps. The Fourth step is similar and here, we have to tap thrice on one side and tap once on the other side. Watch the Tatta Adavu Video here. Here are the details for this step. Note the changes in Bol (sollukattu) for each of the taps.

1. Stay in the Ardhamandal (Half seated posture). Place your Palms on the waist with the inside of the palm facing outside.

2. Lift your right leg towards the inner thigh and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai ya”). Once the right leg is grounded, lift the same (right) leg and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai hi”). Again lift the same leg (right) leg a third time and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai tai”)

3. After the third tap of the right leg, lift your left leg in a similar fashion and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tam”). With this, we finish one count for this step.

4. For the next count, we begin with the left leg. So, Lift the Left leg towards the inner thigh and tap the floor with flat feet (say “tai ya”), tap again (say “tai hi”) and tap again (say “tai tai”)

5. Once the left leg is grounded lift the right leg and tap with flat feet(say”tam”). This completes the second count for this step.

Tatta Adavu - Fifth Step

August 20th, 2007 by Anjali

Over the previous posts, I have explained the First, Second, Third and Fourth Steps in Tatta Adavu. If you have been following the same, you would be acquainted with the rythmic leg taps in this Adavu. Watch the Tatta Adavu Video here.

Today I describe the penultimate step in this first Adavu. In this step, we tap the leg five times on each side. Please repeat and note the Bols (sollukattu) for each of the taps.

1. Stay in the Ardhamandal position. Place your palms on the waist with the inside of the palm facing out. Avoid the common pitfalls as you practice the steps in this posture.

2. Lift your right leg towards the inner thigh and tap it on the ground (say”tai ya”), lift the right leg again and tap the floor with flat feet (say”tai hi”). Again lift the same leg (right) and tap the floor with flat feet say (”tai”) , Tap the floor again with the right leg (say”tai”). Lastly again lift your right leg and tap it with flat feet (say”tam”). Here we finish one count.

3.For the second count lift your left leg and tap it on the ground (say”tai ya”), again lift your left leg and tap the floor with flat feet (say”tai hi”). Again tap the left feet flat on the ground (say”tai”) . Tap the floor again with left feet (say”tai) and once again tap a final time with the left feet (say”tam”).

4. Please note that when we are doing this step “tai ya” & “tai hi” taps are slow. Comparatively, the taps with “tai”, “tai” & “tam” (the last three taps) are fast taps.This is because we are using every syllable to tap in tai, tai & tam. Whereas in the former(”tai ya” and “tai hi”), every two syllable makes one tap.

Tatta Adavu - Sixth Step

August 22nd, 2007 by Anjali

This is the final post on Tatta adavu wherein I shall explain the last step of the series. The previous steps are posted earlier and you can refer to them in the archives if you have not read them yet. Watch the Tatta Adavu Video here.

The bols (sollukattu) here differ from the previous steps. They are “tai tai tat tat tai tai tam“. Here we need to tap thrice on right side then once on left side and again thrice on right side (when you start with the right side).

1. Stay in Ardhamandal position and place the palms on the waist with inside of the palm facing outside.

2. Starting with your right side tap the leg with flat feet (say”tai”) , tap the same feet again (say”tai”), again tap the right leg with flat feet (say”tat”). Now tap the left leg with flat feet (say”tat”). Once the left leg is grounded tap your right feet (say”tai”), once again tap the right feet to (say”tai”) and finally tap your right feet flat on the floor (say”tam”). This ends one count for this step.

3. Now starting with your left side tap the leg with flat feet (say”tai”) , tap the same feet again (say”tai”), again tap the left leg with flat feet (say”tat”). Now tap the right leg with flat feet (say”tat”). Once the right leg is grounded tap your left feet (say”tai”) once again tap the left feet to (say”tai”) and finally tap your left feet flat on the floor (say”tam”). Here ends the second count.

Practice this step for around 25 counts till you have a good feel for this step. Now you can combine all the steps and practice each to a count of 20 each.

Hope I could give you some sense of the Tatta Adavu. I shall describe the Natta Adavu over my next posts.