Tatta Adavu
தட்டடவுTamilSay it: thaṭ · ṭa · ḍa · vu
- ṭ ḍ — t and d with the tongue tip curled back
- th — a soft t with the tongue against the teeth, not the English 'th'
The tapping step — usually the first adavu a student learns
TechniqueBharatanatyam
Meaning
In Tatta Adavu the dancer holds aramandi and strikes the floor with the flat of the foot, alternating feet in time with syllables such as "tai ya tai". It trains steadiness of the half-seated stance and evenness of beat, and the variations build in speed.
Also written: tattadavu, thatta adavu, tatta adavus