Pataka, tripataka, ardhachandra — a primer for parents who watch their children rehearse and never quite know what they are seeing.
The first mudra is *pataka* — a flat hand, fingers together, thumb pressed in. The book says it means flag, cloud, forest, wind, blessing, beginning. The book does not say which one your eight-year-old means when she does it for the third time this minute, looking at you for confirmation.
A mudra is not a sign. It is a sentence with one word, waiting for context.
How to actually watch
Parents at a Bharatanatyam recital tend to do one of two things: scan for their child, or stop watching entirely. The middle option — watching without scanning — takes practice. Start with the hands.