Author: srishtikala

Bharatanatyam, is the oldest Indian classical dance form originated in the Tanjore district of tamil Nadu and regarded as the mother of many other classical dance forms of India. Bharatnatyam Dance – Bha- Bhavam (means expression), Ra- Ragam (means music), Ta- Talam (means beat or rhythm) and Natyam (means dance) in Tamil.

Firstly, it was initiated in the Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu and eventually flourished in South India. It was performed with excellent footwork and impressive gestures and it includes nrita, nritya and natya.

Bharatnatyam is one of the most popular classical Indian dances. Bharatnatyam is more popular in South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Bharatnatyam dance is almost 2,000 years old. It is believed that Bharatnatyam was revealed by Lord Brahma to Bharata, a famous sage who then codified this sacred dance in a Sanskrit text called the Natya Shastra. The Natya Shastra is one of the fundamental treatises on Indian drama and aesthetics. Natya Shastra divides dance into two distinct forms- nritta, and nritya. In nritta, focus is on mastery of abstract hand gestures and movements, whereas the dancer employs a complex system of hand signals and body language to depict emotional expressions in nritya.