About Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam is an ancient classical dance style, with sculptural evidence dating back over 2000 years. A highly spiritual and dedicatory dance, Bharatanatyam is rooted in the Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu, in South India. The dance moved from temples to theaters over time, but has retained its characteristic devotional component and expression of human emotions. In its present form, Bharatanatyam is approximately 200 years old.

Bharatanatyam is comprised of two main aspects - nritta, or pure technical dance, with a sophisticated base vocabulary used to build intricate combinations and rhythmic patterns; and nritya (also called abhinaya), or expressional dance, using highly stylized gestures, postures and body language to express any mood or story. Traditionally, the storytelling focuses on legends from Hindu mythology, but the techniques have now been adapted to stories of all kinds.