- Thoughts by Parimal Phadke
We all know how the hand gestures play an important role in our daily life. They serve different purposes in different areas. Some time ago they played an important role in the stock exchange. Even a traffic policeman controlling the traffic or referees in professional athletics use gestures for transmitting a meaning, a course of action, or a purpose.
When we are talking about Indian dance, we must not forget that gestures play a critical role. In classical dance, hand gestures serve dual purposes. They transmit the meaning of the word and act as a unit in the whole body to explain emotion.
The ancient dance treatises have recorded lots of work in this area. In the 13th century, the theorist Sarngadeva, authored the large work Sangitaratnakara in which he explained their importance. On the basis of this treatise we observe a three-fold division of what constitutes a hand gesture - fingers, wrists and arms. All three tools make a hand gesture possible. I feel the fingers are like the eyes, the palm is the face, the wrist acts as the neck and the whole arm as the body.
The Fingers
Starting with the fingers, this treatise classifies the movements into seven types - enjoined, separated, crooked, curved, fallen, bent at the roots, or spread out.
After analyzing the movements of the fingers I have come to the conclusion that the movement of a finger can take place from two parts - either the root of the finger or the middle of the finger:
Root
Under this category the finger itself is kept straight but various positions are derived by moving the root of a finger. To make the classification explicable I will take an example of a wall clock. If we assume that the hour's arrow is the finger then we can divide a finger position into 7 types. First, it points to the 12th hour, and then stays straight through 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00, then starting to slightly bend as it reaches 4:00, 5:00 and at 6:00 finally touching the palm.
Animations by: Amit Chitale
Middle
In a similar manner, a finger can have 6 different folding positions from the middle of a finger. In the final position it touches the root of a finger as shown in the illustration to the left.
If we combine these root and middle positions in distinct ways, we can actually create variety of gestures. Here you can see two common gestures used in Bharat Natyam, the classical dance from the South of India.
The first one is termed as bhramara (bee). This gesture is mostly used to symbolize the bee. This gesture makes use of movements from both the root and the middle of the finger. To make this gesture, using your right hand:
Extends the little finger to 12 o'clock
Extend the ring (or 2nd) finger to 10 o'clock
Extend the middle finger to 9 o'clock
Finally bend the 4th finger in the middle to 6 o'clock
The second gesture shown is mayura (peacock).
The first, third and fourth fingers extend straight up facing towards 12 o'clock.
The position of the ring finger folds as in the 2nd illustration to meet the thumb.
The Wrist
But just finger movements do not establish a hand gesture. Two other parts play an essential role in transforming the finger positions into a hand gesture. The next is the wrist. The treatise divides the wrist movements into 5 types.
- Bent outwards (the palm is exposed)-According to the author this movement is to be employed to indicate a gift, and giving refuge.
- Bent inwards (the palm is unexposed)-The author applies this in pushing away people.
- Inwards and outwards - this is to be used in invoking.
- Circular movement - It is the circular movement of a wrist which we use in skipping. The author assigns this movement in brandishing swords and knives
- Straight -The author concludes this series with a straight position to be used while holding a book or receiving a gift.
The Arm
And lastly we must consider the movements of the arm. The author gives the following positions of the arm.
- Above head position - this position is used to show tall objects.
- Downward - The arms pointing downwards.
- Sideward - The hands reaching the side.
- Opening - when the arm proceeds out from the region of the chest with a circular movement.
- Stretched out - The arm is stretched out towards the front
- To and fro - The arm proceeding from the region of the chest and returning to the chest.
- Circular - when the arm is turned out in all directions is called Circular movement. It is prescribed for brandishing a sword*.
- Cross - crossing the arms so that they touch each other at wrists. It is employed in embrace.
- With wrist - From this we can understand that the author expected us to go through the wrist movement before venturing towards the arm movements.
- Reaching arm - The arm reaching the back e.g. Taking an arrow out of the quiver.
- Inwards - When the arm moves inwards (towards the center).
- Bent Elbow - Till now we had movements where we had not specified the bending of an elbow. The author specifies the bending of the elbow in this particular movement. The author says when the arm is bent till the elbow is pointed, it is termed as the bent elbow movement. It is prescribed in wielding a sword, striking, eating, drinking.
- Slightly bent - The arm is slightly bent as employed in carrying a garland.
- Swinging - It involves swinging movement of the arms.
- Reaching - It is the arm movement where the arm reaches its own from the other side.
At Rest
The author of Sangitaratnakara has also given places for resting the hands. The author defines the meaning of the hand when placed on some part of the body or near some part of the body. He names fourteen places for the hands. The two sides, in front, above, below, head, forehead, ear, shoulders, chest, navel, above the hips, and the two thighs.
Wrapping Up
So we have covered the three tools involved in a hand gesture. The fingers, wrist and the arm. These three tools give us a whole new dimension to a hand gestures. But the author of this 14th century treatise goes further by listing positions of the hands with the palm as the focus.
Sarngadeva gives fifteen positions, but the following are the most identifiable, with the others looking too repetitive for description here. The five I will give you are: palms facing upwards, downwards, sidewards, forwards, facing oneself.
Sarngadeva mostly talked about the positions of fingers, wrist and arm but he also lays down pure actions of the hands. He lays down twenty in number. They are as follows:
Shaking, contact, separation, throwing out, protecting, releasing, accepting, restraining, raising up, drawing inwards, drawing outwards, beating, weighing, cutting, splitting, bursting, snapping, dismissing, beckoning, threatening.
Interestingly, he mentions such mundane things for eating, drinking, receiving a gift, and holding a book while specifying the usage of each movement. The view, which I hold is that he wanted us to realize that all such movements are performed during the daily course of activities. To conclude, the dancer has to make himself aware regarding these movements , create his own vocabulary of actions and movements and assimilate them in his or her own choreography.
Parimal Phadke
Parimal Phadke has trained for 16 years in Indian Classical Dance, specifically in Bharat Natyam. He was recently honored with the national title "Singarmani," for excellence in dance. He seeks to rediscover the relevance of ancient classical theories of dance with contemporary and Indian Classical dance.
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