Archipelago Archives Exhibit #3: If I could set with the sun GUIDE BOOK | Page 50

6. Glossary
*This glossary offers one interpretation of terms as understood
and used within the context of Archipelago Archives Exhibit #3:
If I could set with the sun
Alus: This is a ‘soft male’ movement quality found in
Javanese court dance.
Arjuna: Arjuna is the third of the Pandava brothers from
the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is warrior prince and a
skilled archer.
Asana: In Hatha Yoga, this refers to posture.
Bharata Natyam: This ostensibly traditional dance form
from Tamil Nadu is an invented form that has roots in
temple dancing. The dance of the devadasis, sadir, was
sanctified and codified into this form that is currently
widely practiced across the globe.
Brahmaris: These are turns that feature in ‘classical’
dance forms. This was adapted in Study #7.
Brihannala: Brihannala is Arjuna disguised as a female
dancer. In the last year leading up to the Mahabharata
war, the warrior prince Arjuna takes on the form of a
dancer to remain effectively invisible from his enemies. In
the Indonesian context, he is also referred as ‘Wrihatnolo’.
Charis: These are patterns of walking that feature in
‘classical’ dance forms. This was adapted in Study #7.
Devadasi: Devadasis are commonly regarded as servants
(dasi) of the Gods (Deva). They were assumed to be
married to the God and this matriarchal community was
highly respected during pre-Colonial times. However
their ambiguous positioning of being sacredly married to
gods and their sexual servitude to wealthy men resulted
in the banning of the temple dancing tradition.
In Orissa, the devadasi is referred to as mahari.
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