Classical Indian Dance, Bharatanatyam music to support - Grade 1-6

This music is an audio resource to support the ISTD’s Bharatanatyam Grade syllabi, created in response to teacher requests for a model for the Prepared Dance Sequence required for examinations. Please note that this resource is not prescriptive but aims to serve as a guide for examinations. 

Credits: 

Director: Nina Rajarani MBE 

Dance Composer: Pushkala Gopal MBE 

Nattuvangam: Pushkala Gopal with Nina Rajarani and Bhavani Shankar 

Vocals: Y Yadavan 

Mridangam: Bhavani Shankar 

Flute: Mahesh Swamy 

Violin: JK Sridhar 

Veena: Manjula Surendra 

Recorded at Prabhat Studios, Bangalore, Indian  

©2004

Grade 1 (6mins) – model of Prepared Dance Sequence, incorporating:

a) Ślokam: Gurur Brahma
Rāgam: Bhauli
Language: Sanskrit
b) Aḍavu pattern in miśram
c) Aḍavu pattern in tiśram
d) Korvai in ādi tālam
e) Ślokam: Angikam Bhuvanam
Rāgam: Nāttai
Language: Sanskrit

Grade 2 (8mins 04secs) – model of Prepared Dance Sequence, incorporating:
a) Rhythmic pattern in chaturaśam for paraval aḍavu
b) Rhythmic pattern in tiśram for simir and sarikkal/jaru aḍavu
c) Rhythmic pattern in chaturaśra jāti eka tālam for tirmānam aḍavu
d) Ślokam: Sāntākāram
Rāgam: Mohanam
Language: Sanskrit
e) Swara korvai
Rāgam: Hamsadhwani
Tālam: Adi
Music Composer: Pushkala Gopal MBE

Grade 3 (10mins 04secs) – model of Prepared Dance Sequence, incorporating:
a) Rhythmic pattern in chaturaśam for paakka aḍavu
b) Aḍavu pattern in khandam
c) Korvai: ‘tā hata jham tari tā’ in tiśra jāti eka tālam
d) Kuraippu: Rupaka tālam
e) Ganesha Kavvituvam
Rāgam: Nāttai
Tālam: Chaturaśra jāti ekam
Language: Tamil

Grade 4 Alārippu (3mins 44secs)
Rāgam: Śankarabhāranam
Tālam: Miśrachāpu

Grade 4 Jatiswaram (8mins 30secs)
Rāgam: Chakravākam
Tālam: Rupakam
Music Composer: Tanjore Quartette

Grade 4 Śabdam (9mins 23secs)
Rāgamālika
Tālam: Miśrachāpu
Language: Telegu
Music Composer: Vadivel

Grade 5 Kīrtanam (9mins 53secs)

Rāgam: Nilāmbari

Tālam: Ādi

Language: Sanskrit

Music Composer: Lingaraja Urs

Grade 5 Tillāna (11mins 42secs)

Rāgam: Hamsanandi

Tālam: Ādi

Language: Tamil

Music Composer: Dandayuthapani Pillai

Grade 5 Padam (8mins 12secs)

Rāgam: Yamum Kalyāni

Tālam: Miśrachāpu

Language: Kannada

Music Composer: Vyasaraya

Grade 6 Varnam (26mins 21secs)

Rāgam: Sri Ranjani

Tālam: Ādi

Language: Tamil

Music Composer: Papanasam Sivan

Grade 6 Aṣṭapadi (9mins)

Rāgam: Darbāri Kānadā

Tālam: Ādi

Language: Sanskrit

Music Composer: Jayadeva