Abhinaya
Sign in to saveAbhinaya (Sanskrit abhi- 'towards' + nii- 'leading/guide') is the art of expression in Indian aesthetics. More accurately it means "leading an audience towards" the experience (') of a sentiment ('). The concept, derived from Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra, is used as an integral part of all Indian classical dance styles.
~4 min read
Encyclopedic overview
8 sectionsContents
- Expression of the limbs (''Āṅgika Abhinaya'')
- Expression of speech (''Vāchika Abhinaya'')
- Costume and scene (''Āhārya Abhinaya'')
- True expression (''Sāttvika Abhinaya'')
- Lokadharmi and Natyadharmi Abhinaya
- See also
- Notes
- Further reading
Abhinaya (Sanskrit abhi- 'towards' + nii- 'leading/guide') is the art of expression in Indian aesthetics. More accurately it means "leading an audience towards" the experience (') of a sentiment ('). The concept, derived from Bharata Muni's Natya Shastra, is used as an integral part of all Indian classical dance styles.
Abhinaya has four interrelated aspects: angika (the body), vacika (the voice), aharya (costumes, make-up, scenery), and sattvika (mental states).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Abhinaya” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.