Understanding the Pandanallur Style of Bharatanatyam

The Pandanallur style is a bani, or teaching lineage, of Bharatanatyam named after the village of Pandanallur in the Thanjavur region. It is associated with Guru Meenakshisundaram Pillai and later Chokkalingam Pillai and Subbaraya Pillai. The style is known for geometric precision, a deep araimandi, clean lines and restrained, dignified abhinaya.

What is a bani in Bharatanatyam?

A bani is a style passed down from guru to disciple, usually traced to a particular teacher or family of nattuvanars. All banis share the same broad grammar. They use the same stances, the same families of adavus and the same concert structure, the margam. What changes is the detail:

• how deep the stance is held and how the arms are placed in each adavu
• the sollukattu, the spoken rhythmic syllables, used for teaching and conducting
• the choreography of individual items such as the Alarippu or a particular varnam
• the approach to abhinaya, from understated suggestion to fuller dramatic expression

The banis most often named today are Pandanallur, Vazhuvoor, Thanjavur, Kalakshetra and Melattur. Each grew out of the same Sadir tradition described in our history of Bharatanatyam. Each has kept its own way of doing things through generations of teaching.

The village and the lineage

Pandanallur is a village in the Thanjavur region, the heartland of the nattuvanar families who taught and conducted Sadir. The bani carries the village's name and is linked above all with Guru Meenakshisundaram Pillai, the great nattuvanar of Pandanallur. He was one of the most respected dance masters of the early twentieth century. During the revival of the 1930s, Rukmini Devi Arundale first trained under him before going on to found Kalakshetra.

The tradition was carried forward by Chokkalingam Pillai and then Subbaraya Pillai. Through them it reached a wide circle of dancers and teachers in Chennai and abroad, among them the well-known soloist Alarmel Valli. Like every bani, Pandanallur lives on through its teachers rather than through a written rulebook. The way a guru corrects a student's arm or counts a jathi carries the style forward.

At Mayura Natyalaya, the twin sisters Smt. Aishwarya and Smt. Soundharya teach in the Pandanallur style. They are disciples of Guru Kalaimamani Smt. Charulatha Jayaraman, herself a disciple of Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Guru Smt. Indira Rajan. The about page sets out this lineage.

Hallmarks of the Pandanallur style

Geometry and line

Pandanallur dancing is often described as sculptural. The body is arranged in clear straight lines and triangles. The bent knees and turned-out legs of the stance form a diamond shape. The arms extend in line with the shoulders, and the hands finish exactly where the line ends. When a dancer pauses, the pose should look as though it could be carved in stone.

A deep, steady araimandi

Araimandi, the half-seated stance with knees bent outwards and heels together, is the base of almost every adavu. In this bani it is held low and kept steady through the movement, without bobbing up between steps. Building that strength takes time and must be done safely. Our araimandi and safe practice routine explains how.

Clean, complete adavus

Each adavu, the basic unit of steps and hand movements, is finished fully before the next begins. A tattadavu, the first family of foot-striking steps, is expected to sound clear and even in all three kalams, or speeds. Hand and foot arrive together on the beat. The adavus guide describes the main families.

Restrained, dignified abhinaya

Expression in the Pandanallur tradition tends to be understated. A feeling is suggested through the eyes and a small change in the face rather than shown with large gestures. The aim is dignity and clarity. Even in shringara, the mood of love, the expression stays graceful rather than exaggerated. Our article on the nine rasas looks at how each emotion is conveyed.

How does Pandanallur compare with Vazhuvoor and Kalakshetra?

Comparisons between banis can only be made in broad terms. Individual teachers vary, and fine dancers come from every lineage. With that caution, this is how the three are usually described:

Because Rukmini Devi began her training in the Pandanallur tradition, Kalakshetra and Pandanallur share some of their emphasis on line and precision. Over the decades Kalakshetra developed its own clearly recognisable look.

What does learning in the Pandanallur style mean for a student?

For a beginner, the style shows up in the early months as patience. Expect a lot of time in araimandi and a lot of attention to where the arms finish. Tattadavu and nattadavu are repeated in all three speeds before new steps arrive. Teachers correct the angle of a wrist or the line of a shoulder because these small things add up to the look of the bani.

The reward comes later. A student with a clean foundation finds the Jathiswaram and Varnam far easier to learn, and their dancing looks settled rather than hurried. Adults often enjoy the clarity of the style. Children respond well to its clear, countable structure in Adi tala.

The bani matters less than the teacher, though. When you are choosing a Bharatanatyam class in Chennai, look for careful correction and a sound foundation. If you would like to learn the Pandanallur style near home, our weekend classes in Porur take beginners from age five, as well as teens and adults.