Bharatanatyam: The Classical Dance of India

Bharatanatyam originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu, India, and is considered one of the oldest classical dance forms in the world.

Bharata Muni is considered the father of Bharatanatyam, as he is the author of the ancient Sanskrit text, the Natya Shastra, which is a treatise on the performing arts.

Bharatanatyam consists of three main components: Nritta (pure dance), Nritya (expressive dance), and Natya (drama).

Bharatanatyam is primarily used to tell stories and convey emotions through dance, music, and facial expressions.

Bharatanatyam often explores themes of devotion to gods and goddesses, as well as stories from Hindu mythology.

The traditional costume for Bharatanatyam is a sari, which is a long piece of fabric draped around the body in a specific manner.

Bharatanatyam dancers traditionally wear gold and diamond jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and anklets.

Bharatanatyam dancers traditionally wear heavy eye makeup, including kohl and eyeliner, and dark lipstick.

Bharatanatyam dancers traditionally wear a bun adorned with flowers, jasmine garlands, and other ornaments.

Bharatanatyam is traditionally accompanied by Carnatic music, which is a South Indian classical music genre.

The main instruments used in Bharatanatyam music are the veena (a string instrument), the mridangam (a percussion instrument), and the flute.

The traditional dance repertoire of Bharatanatyam includes alarippu (an invocation dance), jatiswaram (a rhythmic dance), varnam (a complex dance with intricate footwork), padam (a lyrical dance), and thillana (a fast-paced dance).

The main mudras (hand gestures) used in Bharatanatyam are hasta mudras (hand gestures), pada mudras (foot gestures), and shirobhedas (head movements).

The main charis (footwork patterns) used in Bharatanatyam are adavu (basic footwork), jathi (rhythmic footwork), and korvai (complex footwork).

The traditional way of learning Bharatanatyam is through a guru-shishya (teacher-student) relationship, where the student learns directly from the teacher in a one-on-one setting.