Tala
तालSanskritSay it: taa · la
- aa ee oo ē ō — long vowels: hold them twice as long
The rhythmic cycle a piece is set in.
RhythmBharatanatyamKuchipudiOdissiKathak
Meaning
Tala is the metrical cycle that governs a composition — a fixed number of beats, grouped in a fixed way, repeating throughout. It is kept visibly by hand in Carnatic practice, with claps, finger counts and waves. Everything a dancer does is measured against it, and landing exactly on the first beat of the cycle is the constant discipline.
Also written: thalam, taal, talam