NATYA, NRITYA, NRITTA B.A. I By- Dr. Mansi Saxena

Natya, Nritta and Nrittya In the dance there is the combination of the movements of the body, of the hands, of the expression, of the face and the eyes together with a music accompaniment exalting the theme that the dance wants to describe; a theme which can have a religious, mythological, legendary character or one from the classic literature. The Sanskrit terms used to refer to the dance confirm such assertion. It is divided, in fact, in three categories: natya, nritta, nritya. 

NATYA This term which is often translated with “dramatic art” is explained by a verse of the Natya Shastra saying: “when the representation of the deva (gods), the daitya (demons), the kings, the heads of the family and their daily activities is expressed through the gestures of the body and everything which is correlated to them, then it is the natya” (Natyashastra, I,121). Natya  refers to the drama in which dance plays always a very important role; Indeed The word “natya” derives from the Sanskrit root nrt which means “to dance”. From natya comes also the term nata meaning usually the actor even though its primary meaning is “dancer”

NRTTA corresponds to pure rhythmic dance NRTTA corresponds to pure rhythmic dance. Here the movements of the body has just an aesthetic value so do not convey any mood or meaning and its purpose is just creating beauty by making various patterns, lines in space and time. According to Abhinaya Darpanam, ‘Bhaavabhinayaheenam tu nrittmityabhdheeyate‘, that is, that dance which does not relate to any Psychological State (bhaava) is called nritta.

NRTTYA refers instead to the danced interpretation of a poem or a work of literature expressed as songs. Nritya corresponds to the mime performed to the song. That is in other words, it is the Interpretative dance. The vaachika abhinaya of natya where the actors themselves use speech, is replaced by the music and song which accompanies dance.  According to Abhinaya Darpanam, ‘Rasabhaavavyanjanaadiyuktam nruttamitiryate, etannnrutyam mahaaraajsabhaayaam kalpayet sadaa‘, that is, that dance which relates to Sentiment (rasa) and Psychological States (bhaava) is called nritya.