Bharat Natyam

Bharatnatyam is the oldest of all the classical dance forms in India. It is believed to be nearly 3000 years old. It originated and is mainly practised in the present day region of Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. Bharatnatyam derives its name from the Bharata's Natya Shastra - the earliest treatise on dance and drama.

Bharatnatyam is an amalgam of Bhava (expressions), Raga (music), Tala (rhythm), and Natyam ( dance). It mainly features mythological stories. This dance form makes prominent use of hand and eye movements to covey its message. Bharatnatyam signifies the man's quest for the God and his desire to unite with the Omniscient. Its core philosophy is the search of human soul for the ideal.

Since its evolution Bharatnatyam has undergone several transformations. During the medieval era Bharatnatyam prospered in the temples of the South India where Devdasis (servants of the God) performed this dance as a matter of religious devotion, under the royal patronage. In the colonial period the system of Devdasis degenerated into prostitution and Bharatnatyam dancers were eventually outlawed from performing at the temples. In the early part of the 20th century nationalists and cultural reformers seeking to preserve and promote India's cultural heritage restored Bharatnatyam to its original glory. Today, Bharatnatyam is an integral curriculum of girls' upbringing in Tamilnadu.

It is believed that Brahma, the first great trinity of Hindu Pantheon is the Natya Shastra or the Science of Dancing. Brahma was so moved by the entreaties of Indra and other devas of heaven that he used the four Vedas to create Natya Veda. The Natya Veda or the fifth Veda was bestowed on Bharata and his disciples who introduced the art to the mortals on earth. Hence the name Bharatnatyam.

Bharata Natyam skillfully embodies the three primary ingredients of dancing. They are bhava or mood, raga or music and melody and tala or timing. The technique of Bharata Natyam consists of 64 principles of coordinated hand, foot, face and body movements, which are performed to the accompaniment of dance syllables.

Bharatnatyam comprises three elements of life- philosophy, religion and science. It is a dynamic and earthy dance style and its antiquity is well established. It has been aptly called a symbol of beauty and aesthetic perfection. It is, in effect, a tradition that demands total dedication, detachment from worldly ties and a sublimation of self to the art from the performer. Bharatanatyam is a relatively new name. It was earlier known as Sadir, Dasi attam, and Thanjavur Natyam.

In the past, it was practised and performed in the temples by a class of dancers known as the 'devadasis'. Bharatanatyam dancers are usually women and, like the sculptures they take their positions from, always dance bent-kneed. It is an extremely precise dance style where a huge repertoire of hand movements is used to convey moods and expressions. Bharatanatyam is vibrant and very demanding of the dancer. The body is visualized as made of triangles, one above and one below the torso. It is based upon a balanced distribution of body weight and firm positions of the lower limbs, allowing the hands to cut into a line, to flow around the body, or to take positions that enhance the basic form.

Special features of this dance form are Padams or poems on the hero-heroine theme. The tempo of these love songs is slow and each phase of the performance is crystallized into a specific mood of love.

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