Bharatanatyam Dance

Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest classical dance forms in India.  Since it was nurtured in the temples of Southern India, it is deeply related to the Hindu religion, philosophy and mythology.

This sacred art was handed down from generation to generation under the Guru-Shishya Parampara (Teacher-disciple tradition). Tamil scripture have revealed a lot of material on Bharatanatyam; its techniques, practice, tradition, etc. Bharatanatyam has its origin in Bharata’s Natya Shastas, an ancient treatise on the fine arts. Bharatanatyam is yoga with dance, for revealing spiritual through the corporeal. 

The term Bharatanatyam is derived from the four syllables, the main elements of this dance art: Bhava (expression), Raga (melody), Tala (rhythm) and Natyam (dance). It comprises of three aspects: Nritta (pure rhythmic sequences), Natya (dramatic sequences), and Nritya (combination of Rhythmic and dramatic sequences).

Today, Bharatanatyam is one of the most popular and widely performed classical dance styles of India. It is practiced and performed by male and female dancers-both.