Adavus

Let's begin with identifying what an Adavu is, as they are the basic components of dance.

• Adavus are made up of the union of mudras (hand movements) and mandalas (foot movements). 
• The word 'Adavu' is supposedly derived from the Tamil word 'Aadu', which means 'to dance'
• A combination of Adavus together form a Korvai, which is like a routine or a sequence of movements
• Adavus are accompanied by normal vocal solkattu, by which I mean the nattuvanar recites the verbal syllables, such as 'Theiya Thei', and plays the nattuvangam. The mridangam and the other instruments won't be used for accompanying Adavus.
• They can be present in all 3 kalams or speeds, namely Vilamba, Madhima and Thuritha
• They are like the alphabets of Bharatanatyam. 
• There used to be so many different Adavus, but now they have been shortened down and organized into specific groups, such as Tattadavu and Nattadavu, by a group of people known as the Tanjore Quartet
• As of now, there are about 12-15 groups of Adavus, depending on the style of the Bharatanatyam, such as Kalakshetra and Vazhuvoor, and the Guru.
• Some groups, such as Tattadavu, have as much as 8 different varieties, while some, such as Kartari Adavu, have just 1.

New students should first take a lot of time to master the basic Adavus before moving on to learning dances like Alarippu and Jatiswaram, as Adavus are the foundation of dance and it's always important to have a strong foundation before moving on to more complex aspects