Abhinaya
Sanskrit
The art of expression — making meaning visible.
TechniqueBharatanatyamKuchipudiOdissiKathak
Meaning
Abhinaya is how a dancer conveys meaning, classically divided into four: angika (body and gesture), vachika (speech and the sung word), aharya (costume, ornament and stagecraft) and sattvika (genuine inner feeling, shown through the involuntary — tears, trembling, a change of breath). Sattvika is considered the hardest and is what separates a technician from an artist.