Bharatanatyam () is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

. It is one of the eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

and in general of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

.Bharata-natyam
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. 2007 A description of Bharatanatyam from the 2nd century CE can be found in the ancient Tamil epic ''

Silappatikaram ''Cilappatikāram'' ( ta, சிலப்பதிகாரம் ml, ചിലപ്പതികാരം,IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the e ...

'', while temple sculptures of the 6th to 9th century CE suggest it was a highly refined performance art by the mid-1st millennium CE. Bharatanatyam is the oldest classical dance tradition in India. Bharatanatyam is the state dance form of

. Bharatanatyam contains different types of ''baanis''. ''Baani'', or 'tradition', is a

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...

term used to describe the dance technique and style specific to a guru or school. These are named according to the village of the guru (with the exception of some ''baanis''. Bharatanatyam style is noted for its fixed upper torso, bent legs and knees flexed (Arai mandi) combined with spectacular footwork, and a sophisticated vocabulary of

sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with non-manual markers. Sign l ...

based on gestures of hands, eyes, and face muscles. The dance is accompanied by music and a singer, and typically the dancer's

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...

is present as the Nattuvanar, director, and conductor of the performance and art. The performance repertoire of Bharatanatyam, like other classical dances, includes ''nrita'' (pure dance), ''

nritya Nritya (), also referred to as Nritta, Nritta, Natana or Natya, refers to "dance, act on the stage, act, gesticulate, play" in the Indian traditions.natya'' (group dramatic dance).Kavitha Jayakrishnan (2011)
Dancing Architecture: the parallel evolution of Bharatanātyam and South Indian Architecture
MA Thesis, Awarded by University of Waterloo, Canada, page 25 Bharatanatyam remained exclusive to Hindu temples through the 19th century. It was banned by the colonial British government in 1910, but the Indian community protested against the ban and expanded its performance outside temples in the 20th century. Modern stage productions of Bharatanatyam has been spread out and popular throughout India that has been done in different ways and have incorporated technical performances, pure dance based on non-religious ideas and fusion themes. Tanjavur brothers gave the actual form of the recent day repertoire of Bharatanatyam by formalizing bharatanatyam into a melodious art form.

Etymology

In 1932, E Krishna Iyer and

Rukmini Devi Arundale Rukmini Devi Arundale (née Shastri; 29 February 1904 – 24 February 1986)Sharma, Shoba and Gangadean, Ashok (January 31, 2004 Naatya.org. Retrieved on 10 December 2018. was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian cl ...

put forward a proposal to

rename Rename may refer to: * Rename (computing), rename of a file on a computer * RENAME (command), command to rename a file in various operating systems * Rename (relational algebra) In relational algebra, a rename is a unary operation written as \r ...

''Sadir aattam'', also known as ''Parathaiyar Aattam or Thevarattam'' (), as "Bharatanatyam", to give the dance form a measure of respect, at a meeting of the Madras Music Academy. They also were instrumental in modifying mainly the

Pandanallur style The Pandanallur style is a style of Bharatanatyam Indian dance. It is mainly attributed to Dance Guru Meenakshi sundaram Pillai (1869–1964), a dance guru who lived in the village of Pandanallur, in the Thanjavur district in the south Indian st ...

of dance. The word ''Bharatam'' is also seen as a

backronym A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...

, with ''bha'' standing for ''

bhavam ''Bhavam'' is a 2002 Indian Malayalam film, directed by Sathish Menon, starring Murali Menon and Jyothirmayi Jyothirmayi is an Indian actress, television presenter, and former model, who works in Malayalam cinema. Starting her career as a ...

'' (feelings, emotions), ''ra'' for ''

ragam A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as a ...

'' (melody, framework for musical notes), and ''tam'' for ''talam'' (rhythm). The term "''Natyam" is'' a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

word for "dance". The compound word ''Bharatanatyam'' is seen to connote a dance that harmoniously expresses ''bhavam'', ''ragam'' and ''talam''.

History

Thanjavur, Brihadishwara Temple, dance (6851706080)

The theoretical foundations of Bharatanatyam are found in ''

Natya Shastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary ...

'', the ancient Hindu text of performance arts. ''Natya Shastra'' is attributed to the ancient scholar

Bharata Muni Bharata Muni (Hindi: भरत मुनि) was an ancient sage who the musical treatise '' Natya Shastra'' is traditionally attributed to. The work covers ancient Indian dramaturgy and histrionics, especially Sanskrit theatre. Bharata is con ...

, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE. The most studied version of the ''Natya Shastra'' text consists of about 6000 verses structured into 36 chapters. The text, states Natalia Lidova, describes the theory of ''Tāṇḍava'' dance (

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

), the theory of ''rasa'', of ''bhāva'', expression, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, standing postures—all of which are part of Indian classical dances. Dance and performance arts, states this ancient text, are a form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues and the essence of scriptures.; Also see chapter 36 More direct historical references to Bharatanatyam is found in the Tamil epics ''

'' (c. 2nd century CE) and ''Manimegalai'' (c. 6th century). The ancient text ''Silappatikaram'', includes a story of a dancing girl named Madhavi; it describes the dance training regimen called ''Arangatrau Kathai'' of Madhavi in verses 113 through 159. The carvings in Kanchipuram's Shiva temple that have been dated to 6th to 9th century CE suggest Bharatanatyam was a well developed performance art by about the mid 1st millennium CE. A famous example of illustrative sculpture is in the southern gateway of the Chidambaram temple (≈12th century) dedicated to the Hindu god

, where 108 poses of the Bharatanatyam, that are also described as karanas in the ''Natya Shastra'', are carved in stone. Many of the ancient Shiva sculptures in Hindu temples are the same as the Bharatanatyam dance poses. For example, the Cave 1 of

Badami cave temples The Badami cave temples are a complex of Hindu and Jain cave temples located in Badami, a town in the Bagalkot district in northern part of Karnataka, India. The caves are important examples of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami ...

, dated to 7th-century,JC Harle (1972), Aspects of Indian Art, BRILL Academic, , page 68 portrays the ''

Tandava Tandava (also spelled as ) also known as , is a divine dance performed by Hindu god Shiva. Shiva is depicted as dancing the Tandava in his form of Nataraja. The ''Natya Shastra'', a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts describes various as ...

''-dancing Shiva as

Nataraja Nataraja () also known as Adalvallaan () is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandava.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2015) The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the ''T ...

. The image, tall, has 18 arms in a form that expresses the dance positions arranged in a geometric pattern.Alice Boner (1990), Principles of Composition in Hindu Sculpture: Cave Temple Period, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 89–95, 115–124, 174–184 The arms of Shiva express ''mudras'' (symbolic hand gestures), that are found in Bharatanatyam.

Devadasis, anti-dance movement, colonial ban and the decline

Some colonial

Indologist Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is o ...

s and modern authors have argued that Bharatanatyam is a descendant of an ancient ''Devadasi'' (literally, servant girls of Deva temples) culture, suggesting a historical origin back to between 300 BCE and 300 CE. Modern scholars has questioned this theory for lack of any direct textual or archeological evidence. Historic sculpture and texts do describe and project dancing girls, as well as temple quarters dedicated to women, but they do not state them to be courtesans and prostitutes as alleged by early colonial Indologists. According to Davesh Soneji, a critical examination of evidence suggests that courtesan dancing is a phenomenon of the modern era, beginning in the late 16th or the 17th century of the Nayaka period of Tamil Nadu. According to James Lochtefeld, Bharatanatyam remained exclusive to Hindu temples through the 19th century, only in the 20th century appearing on stage outside the temples. Further, the Maratha rulers of Tanjore patronized and contributed towards Bharatanatyam. Rukmini Devi

With the arrival of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

in the 18th century, and British colonial rule in the 19th, many classical Indian dance forms were ridiculed and discouraged, and these performance arts declined. Christian missionaries and British officials presented "

nautch girl The nautch (; meaning "dance" or "dancing")Scott A. Kugle, 2016When Sun Meets Moon: Gender, Eros, and Ecstasy in Urdu Poetry p.230. was a popular court dance performed by girls (known as "nautch girls") in India. The culture of the performing ...

s" of north India (

Kathak Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern Ind ...

) and "devadasis" of south India (Bharatanatyam) as evidence of "harlots, debased erotic culture, slavery to idols and priests" tradition, and Christian missionaries demanded that this must be stopped, launching the "anti-dance movement" in 1892. The anti-dance camp accused the dance form as a front for prostitution, while revivalists questioned the constructed colonial histories. In 1910, the

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...

of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

altogether banned temple dancing, and with it the Bharatanatyam tradition within Hindu temples.

Post-colonial revival

The 1910 ban triggered powerful protests against the stereotyping and dehumanization of temple dancers. The Tamil people were concerned that a historic and rich dance tradition was being victimized under the excuse of social reform. The classical art revivalists such as

E. Krishna Iyer E. Krishna Iyer (9 August 1897 – January 1968) was an Indian lawyer, freedom-fighter, classical artist and activist. He was the follower of traditional Isaivellalar practitioners of Sadir, also known as Bharatanatyam. Early life Krishna I ...

, a lawyer and someone who had learnt the Bharatanatyam dance, questioned the cultural discrimination and the assumed connection, asking why prostitution needs years of learning and training for performance arts such as the Bharatanatyam, and how killing performance arts could end any evils in a society. Iyer was arrested and sentenced to prison on charges of nationalism, who while serving out his prison term persuaded his fellow political prisoners to support Bharatanatyam. While the British colonial government enforced laws to suppress Bharatanatyam and all Hindu temple dances, some from the West such as the American dancer Esther Sherman moved to India in 1930, learnt Indian classical dances, changed her name to Ragini Devi, and joined the movement to save and revive Bharatanatyam and other ancient dance arts. The Indian independence movement in early 20th century, already in progress, became a period of cultural ferment and initiated an effort by its people to reclaim their culture and rediscover history. In this period of cultural and political turmoil, instead of Bharatanatyam becoming extinct, it expanded out of Hindu temples and was revived as a mainstream dance by Bharatanatyam artists such as

Balasaraswati Tanjore Balasaraswati, also known as Balasaraswati (13 May 1918 – 9 February 1984), was an Indian dancer, and her rendering of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style originated in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, made this style of d ...

and

Yamini Krishnamurti Mungara Yamini Krishnamurthy (born 20 December 1940) is an Indian dancer of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi styles of dancing. Early life Yamini Krishnamurthy was born in Madanapalli, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh. She was brought up in Chidam ...

They championed and performed the Pandanallur (Kalakshetra) and Thanjavur styles of Bharatanatyam, respectively. In late 20th century, Tamil Hindu migrants reintroduced the Bharatanatyam traditions of temple dancing in British Tamil temples.

Repertoire

Bharatanatyam is traditionally a team performance art that consists of a

solo dance A solo dance is a dance done by an individual dancing alone, as opposed to couples dancing together but independently of others dancing at the same time, if any, and as opposed to groups of people dancing simultaneously in a coordinated manner. S ...

r, accompanied by musicians and one or more singers. The theory behind the musical notes, vocal performance and the dance movement trace back to the ancient ''Natya Shastra'', and many Sanskrit and Tamil texts such as the ''Abhinaya Darpana''. The solo artist (''ekaharya'') in Bharatanatyam is dressed in a colorful

sari A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO * bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO * gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std= ...

, adorned with jewelry who presents a dance synchronized with Indian classical music. Their hand and facial gestures are coded

that recite a legend, spiritual ideas or a religious prayer derived from Hindu

Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...

scriptures, the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

, the

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

, the

Puranas Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...

and historic drama texts. The dancer deploys turns or specific body movements to mark punctuations in the story or the entry of a different character in the play or legend being acted out through dance (''Abhinaya''). The footwork, body language, postures, musical notes, the tones of the vocalist, aesthetics and costumes integrate to express and communicate the underlying text. In modern adaptations, Bharata Natyam dance troupes may involve many dancers who play specific characters in a story, creatively choreographed to ease the interpretation and expand the experience by the audience. The repertoire of Bharatanatyam, like all major classical Indian dance forms, follows the three categories of performance in the ''Natya Shastra''. These are ''Nritta'' (Nirutham), ''Nritya'' (Niruthiyam) and ''Natya'' (Natyam). *The ''Nritta'' performance is abstract, fast and rhythmic aspect of the dance. The viewer is presented with pure movement in Bharatanatyam, wherein the emphasis is the beauty in motion, form, speed, range and pattern. This part of the repertoire has no interpretative aspect, no telling of story. It is a technical performance, and aims to engage the senses (prakriti) of the audience. *The ''Nritya'' is slower and expressive aspect of the dance that attempts to communicate feelings, storyline particularly with spiritual themes in Hindu dance traditions. In a ''nritya'', the dance-acting expands to include silent expression of words through gestures and body motion set to musical notes. The actor articulates a legend or a spiritual message. This part of a Bharatanatyam repertoire is more than sensory enjoyment, it aims to engage the emotions and mind of the viewer. *The ''Natyam'' is a play, typically a team performance, but can be acted out by a solo performer where the dancer uses certain standardized body movements to indicate a new character in the underlying story. A ''Natya'' incorporates the elements of a ''Nritya''.

The Arangetram

A Bharatanatyam Arangetram is a solo debut performance that signifies the completion of initial formal training of a young dancer in Indian Classical Dance. The term ''Arangetram'' translates to "ascending the stage". This performance is typically done ten to twelve years after a dancer begins learning Bharatanatyam, but more importantly, it is done when the

believes the student is ready for a solo performance. This solo debut is synonymous to a "coming-of-age" celebration but in terms of Indian Classical Dance. The Arangetram is a culmination of multiple years of hard work by the student and the guru, and it is an opportunity for the dancer to showcase his or her dedication and skills developed over the years. Throughout this debut, the dancer performs a series of dances that are learned over a course of time. The dancer must build up his or her concentration and stamina to perform solo dances for approximately three hours. Each dance performed symbolizes various aspects of

Hindu religion Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global pop ...

that are valued in Indian culture and Indian classical dance.

Sequence of dances

The traditional Bharatanatyam Arangetram performance follows a seven to eight-part order of presentation. This set is called ''margam''. ''Pushpanjali'' The Arangetram performance typically begins with a dance called the ''

Pushpanjali Pushpanjali (Sanskrit:पुष्पाञ्जलि, literally ''folded hands full of flowers'') is an offering of flowers to Hindu deities. Pushpanjali is the first dance in a Bharatnatyam performance. It is the salutation to the lord of d ...

'', which literally translates to "offering of flowers". In this dance, the performer offers flowers and salutations to the

Hindu deities Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The terms and epithets for deities within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavān and Bhagavati. The deities of Hinduism have evolved ...

, the

, and the audience as a mark of respect. The beginning of the dance symbolizes supplication, from which the dancer then commences the rest of the performance. ''Alarippu'' The presentation can also begin with a rhythmic invocation (''vandana'') called the '' Alarippu''. It is a pure dance, which combines a thank you and benediction for blessings from the gods and goddesses, the

and the gathered performance team. It also serves as a preliminary warm up dance, without melody, to enable the dancer to loosen their body, journey away from distractions and towards single-minded focus. ''Jatiswaram'' The next stage of the performance adds melody to the movement of ''Alarippu'', and this is called ''Jatiswaram''. The dance remains a prelim technical performance (''nritta''), pure in form and without any expressed words. The

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

s set the beat, of any Carnatic music ''raga'' (melody). They perform a sequence (''Korvai'') to the rhythm of the beat, presenting to the audience the unity of music, rhythm and movements. ''Shabdam'' The performance sequence then adds ''Shabdam'' (expressed words). This is the first item of margam where expressions are introduced. The solo dancer, the vocalist(s) and the musical team, in this stage of the production, present short compositions, with words and meaning, in a spectrum of moods. This performance praises God (such as Krishna, Shiva, Rama and Murugan) and their qualities. ''Varnam'' Rajasree warrier IMG 7539

The performance thereafter evolves into the ''Varnam'' stage. This marks the arrival into the sanctum sanctorum core of the performance. It is the longest section and the ''nritya''. A traditional Varnam may be as long as 30–45 minutes or sometimes an hour. Varnam offer huge scope for improvisation and an experienced dancer can stretch the Varnam to a desirable length. The artist presents the play or the main composition, reveling in all their movements, silently communicating the text through codified gestures and footwork, harmoniously with the music, rhythmically punctuated. The dancer performs complicated moves, such as expressing a verse at two speeds. Their hands and body tell a story, whether of love and longing, or of a battle between the good and the evil, as the musicians envelop them with musical notes and tones that set the appropriate mood.T Balasaraswati (1976), Bharata Natyam, ''NCPA Quarterly Journal'', Volume 4, Issue 4, pages 3-5 ''Padam'' The ''Padam'' is next. This is the stage of reverence, of simplicity, of ''abhinaya'' (expression) of the solemn spiritual message or devotional religious prayer (

bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

). The music is lighter, the chant intimate, the dance emotional.Bharatnatyam Dance
Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, Government of IndiaT Balasaraswati (1976), Bharata Natyam, ''NCPA Quarterly Journal'', Volume 4, Issue 4, pages 3, 5-6 The choreography attempts to express ''rasa'' (emotional taste) and a mood, while the recital may include items such as a keertanam (expressing devotion), a ''javali'' (expressing divine love) or something else. ''Tillana'' The performance sequence ends with a ''

Tillana A Tillana or thillana is a rhythmic piece in Carnatic music that is generally performed at the end of a concert and widely used in classical indian dance performances. It was popularised by Dr. M Balamuralikrishna and some other musicians A Til ...

'', the climax. It closes out the ''nritya'' portion, the movements exit the temple of expressive dance, returning to the ''nritta'' style, where a series of pure movement and music are rhythmically performed. Therewith the performance ends. ''Shlokam or Mangalam'' The seventh and final item in the sequence can be either a '' Shlokam'' or a ''Mangalam''. The dancer calls for blessings on the people all around. The overall sequence of Bharatanatyam, states Balasaraswati, thus moves from "mere meter; then melody and meter; continuing with music, meaning and meter; its expansion in the centerpiece of the varnam; thereafter, music and meaning without meter; (...) a non-metrical song at the end. We see a most wonderful completeness and symmetry in this art". Bharathanatyam By Ranjitha

Costume and attire

The costume of a female Bharatanatyam dancer resembles a Tamil Hindu bridal dress. It typically consists of a

in bright colors with golden or silver ''

zari ''Zari'' (or ''jari'') is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris etc. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily silk, to make in ...

'' embroidery on the borders. The costume can be stitched from the ''sari'', with individual pieces for a bottom (either a skirt or ''

salwar Salwar or Shalwar is cloth worn from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately. It is the lower-garment of the Shalwar kameez suit which is widely-worn in South Asia. It is known for its lively hues, rich fabrics, and embroidery. It ...

''-shaped pants), a pleated piece which falls in front and opens like a

hand fan A handheld fan, or simply hand fan, is any broad, flat surface that is waved back-and-forth to create an airflow. Generally, purpose-made handheld fans are folding fans, which are shaped like a sector of a circle and made of a thin material (suc ...

when the dancer flexes her knees or performs footwork, a hip piece that covers the seat of the pant / skirt, and a torso piece that looks like an ''aanchal'' (i.e. the draped part of a regular sari). Some dancers also opt for an unstitched ''sari'' that is draped in a special way, with the single piece of cloth starting around the legs like a ''

dhoti The dhoti, also known as veshti, vetti, dhuti, mardani, chaadra, dhotar, jaiñboh, panchey, is a type of sarong, tied in a manner that outwardly resembles "loose trousers". It is a lower garment forming part of the ethnic costume for men in the I ...

'', then upwards along the front torso, over the left shoulder, and then down the back with its end held at the waist by a jewelled belt. The costume of a male Bharatanatyam dancer is usually either a ''sari'' or a white cotton cloth draped around the legs and bottom half of the body like a ''dhoti''. During performances, the upper body of the male dancer remains bare. Male dancers typically do not wear stitched costumes. Both female and male dancers wear elaborate jewellery on their ears, nose, neck, and wrists. Female dancers wear additional jewellery on their head that emphasises their hairline and parting. They also wear a smaller piece of jewellery on each side of their parting. These represent the sun and the moon. Long hair on both male and female dancers are either secured by a bun or a braid. Female dancers with short hair often use braid extensions or bun hair pieces to simulate long hair. Female dancers also wear imitation flowers made of either cloth or paper around their braids or buns. These are known as (''veni'' or ''

gajra A Gajra is a flower garland that is worn by dharmic women across the world during festive occasions, weddings, or as part of everyday traditional attire. They are made usually of varies types of jasmine flowers but rose, crossandra and barl ...

''). Both male and female dancers use wear makeup, including foundation, blush, lipstick, and thick eyeliner or

kohl Kohl may refer to: *Kohl (cosmetics), an ancient eye cosmetic *Kohl (surname), including a list of people with the surname *Kohl's Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. ...

, which help the audience see and understand their facial expressions. All dancers wear leather anklets on each feet, which are called ''salangai'' or ''

ghungroo A ghungroo ( hi, घुँघरू, ur, ), also known as ghunghroo or ghunghru or ghungur or ghungura (Assamese, Bengali and Odia) or Chilanka or Salangai or Gejje (in Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada respectively), is one of many small metallic ...

s''. These are made of small bells attached to a broad leather strap with belts that secure them at the back of the ankle. The bells are arranged in uniform rows and can be heard when the dancer moves their feet. The ''salangai'' helps emphasise the rhythm of the music as well as the dancer's footwork. Lastly, all dancers outline their hands and feet with red ''kumkum'' powder or

alta Alta or ALTA may refer to: Acronyms * Alt-A, short for Alternative A-paper, is a type of U.S. mortgage * American Land Title Association, a national trade association representing the land title industry * American Literary Translators Associatio ...

, a tradition that helps the audience easily see their hand and foot gestures. For classes, training, practice, or rehearsals, dancers traditionally wear a special dance sari. These saris are always cotton and have a shorter breadth than normal saris, falling at the knees rather than the ankles. These are paired with cotton pyjamas and blouses. The sari is worn with pleats at the front and tied tightly around the torso and hips. However, in recent times, dancers also opt for

salwar kameez Shalwar kameez (also salwar kameez and less commonly shalwar qameez) is a traditional combination dress worn by women, and in some regions by men, in South Asia, and Central Asia. ''Shalwars'' are trousers which are atypically wide at the wa ...

or athletic wear (like T-shirts and leggings) when not performing.

Vocal aspects and musical instruments

The accompanying music to Bharatanatyam is in the Carnatic style of

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

, as is the recitation and chanting. The vocalist is called the ''nattuvanar'', typically also the conductor of the entire performance, who may be the

of the dancer and may also be playing cymbals or one of the musical instruments. The recited verses and text in Bharatanatyam are in

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

and

. The instruments used include the

mridangam The mridangam is a percussion instrument of ancient origin. It is the primary rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic music ensemble. In Dhrupad, a modified version, the pakhawaj, is the primary percussion instrument. A related instrument is the ...

(double-sided drum),

nadaswaram The Nagaswaram (nādḥasvaram) is a double reed wind instrument from South India. It is used as a traditional classical instrument in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala. This instrument is "among the world's loudes ...

(long type of oboe made from a black wood), nattuvangam (cymbals), the

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

and

veena The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( sa, वीणा IAST: vīṇā), comprises various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.< ...

Symbolism

Bharatanatyam, like all classical dances of India, is steeped in symbolism, both in its ''abhinaya'' (acting) and its goals. The roots of ''abhinaya'' appear in the ''Natyashastra'' text, which defines drama in verse 6.10 as something that aesthetically arouses joy in the spectator, through the medium of actor's art of communication, that helps connect and transport the individual into a sensual inner state of being. A performance art, asserts ''Natyashastra'', connects the artists and the audience through ''abhinaya'' (literally, "carrying to the spectators"), that is applying body-speech-mind and scene, wherein the actors communicate to the audience, through song and music. Drama in this ancient Sanskrit text, thus is an art that engages every aspect of life to glorify and give a state of joyful consciousness. The communication through symbols is in the form of expressive gestures and pantomime set to music. The gestures and facial expressions convey the ''ras'' (sentiment, emotional taste) and ''bhava'' (mood) of the underlying story. In the Hindu texts on dance, the dancer successfully expresses the spiritual ideas by paying attention to four aspects of a performance: ''Angika'' (gestures and body language), ''Vachika'' (song, recitation, music and rhythm), ''Aharya'' (stage setting, costume, make up, jewelry), and ''Sattvika'' (artist's mental disposition and emotional connection with the story and audience, wherein the artist's inner and outer state resonates). ''Abhinaya'' draws out the ''bhava'' (mood, psychological states). The gestures used in Bharatanatyam are called ''Hasta'' (or ''

mudras A mudra (; sa, मुद्रा, , "seal", "mark", or "gesture"; ,) is a symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. As wel ...

''). These symbols are of three types: ''asamyuta hastas'' (single hand gestures), ''samyuta hastas'' (two hand gestures) and ''nrtta hastas'' (dance hand gestures). Like words in a glossary, these gestures are presented in the ''nritta'' as a list or embellishment to a prelim performance. In ''nritya'' stage of Bharatanatyam, these symbols set in a certain sequence become sentences with meaning, with emotions expressed through facial expressions and other aspects of ''abhinaya''. The basic standing position is called as Araimandi. Bharatanatyam contains at least 20

asana An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose,Verse 46, chapter II, "Patanjali Yoga sutras" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math p. 111 and later extended in hatha yoga ...

s found in

modern yoga Modern yoga is a wide range of yoga practices with differing purposes, encompassing in its various forms yoga philosophy derived from the Vedas, physical postures derived from Hatha yoga, devotional and tantra-based practices, and Hindu nation-b ...

, including

Dhanurasana Dhanurasana ( sa, धनुरासन, lit=Bow pose, translit=Dhanurāsana) is a back bending ''asana'' in ''hatha yoga'' and modern yoga as exercise. Etymology and origins The name comes from the Sanskrit words धनुर (dhanura) meanin ...

(the bow, a back-arch);

Chakrasana Chakrasana ( sa, चक्रासन, lit=Wheel Pose, translit=Cakrāsana) or Urdhva Dhanurasana ( sa, ऊर्ध्वधनुरासन, lit=Upward-Facing Bow Pose, translit=Ūrdhvadhanurāsana) is a backbending asana in yoga as exercise. ...

(the wheel, a standing back-arch);

Vrikshasana Tree pose or Vrikshasana ( sa, वृक्षासन, translit=vṛkṣāsana) is a balancing asana. It is one of the very few standing poses in medieval hatha yoga, and remains popular in modern yoga as exercise. The pose has been called ico ...

(the tree, a standing pose); and

Natarajasana Natarajasana ( sa, नटराजासन, translit=Naṭarājāsana), Lord of the Dance Pose or Dancer Pose is a standing, balancing, back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. It is derived from a pose in the classical Indian dance form B ...

, the pose of dancing Shiva. 108 karanas of classical temple dance are represented in temple statuary; they depict the devadasi temple dancers who made use of yoga asanas in their dancing. Bharatanatyam is also considered a form of

Bhakti Yoga Bhakti yoga ( sa, भक्ति योग), also called Bhakti marga (, literally the path of ''Bhakti''), is a spiritual path or spiritual practice within Hinduism focused on loving devotion towards any personal deity.Karen Pechelis (2014), ...

. However, Natarajasana is not found in any medieval hatha yoga text; it was among the many asanas introduced into modern yoga by

Krishnamacharya Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (18 November 1888 – 28 February 1989) was an Indian yoga teacher, ayurvedic healer and scholar. He is seen as one of the most important gurus of modern yoga, and is often called "the father of modern yoga" for h ...

in the early 20th century.

Modern revival: schools and training centers

Bharatanatyam rapidly expanded after India gained independence from British rule in 1947. It is now the most popular classical Indian dance style in India, enjoys a high degree of support in expatriate Indian communities, and is considered to be synonymous with Indian dance by many foreigners unaware of the diversity of dances and performance arts in Indian culture. In the second half of the 20th century, Bharatanatyam has been to Indian dance tradition what

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

has been in the West. When the British government tried to attempt to ban Bharatanatyam traditions, it went on and revived by moving outside the Hindu temple and religious ideas. However, post-independence, with rising interest in its history, the ancient traditions, the invocation rituals and the spiritual expressive part of the dance has returned. Many innovations and developments in modern Bharatanatyam, states Anne-Marie Geston, are of a quasi-religious type. Major cities in India now have numerous schools that offer lessons in ''Bharatanatyam'', and these cities host hundreds of shows every year. Outside India, Bharatanatyam is a sought after and studied dance, states Meduri, in academic institutes in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, Gulf States,

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

. For expat Indian and Tamil communities in many countries, it is a source and means for social life and community bonding. Contemporary Bharatanatyam choreographies include both male and female dancers. In 2020, an estimated 10,000 dancers got together in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

, India, to break the world record for the largest Bharatanatyam performance. The previous record of 7,190 dancers was set in

Chidambaram Chidambaram is a town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Vellar River where it meets the Bay of Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Chidambaram taluk. The town is believed to be of si ...

in 2019.

Gallery

File:Bharathanaatyam at Kerala school kalolsavam 3.jpg, A female Bharatanatyam dancer making an expression. File:Bharathanaatyam (12).jpg, A male Bharatanatyam dancer making an expression. File:Bharatanatyam is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in the state of Tamil Nadu.jpg, A female Bharatanatyam dancer. File:Shylaja mahadevan.png, A dancer performing the pose of Goddess

Meenakshi Meenakshi (Sanskrit: ; Tamil: ; sometimes spelled as Minakshi; also known as , and ), is a Hindu goddess and tutelary deity of Madurai who is considered an avatar of the Goddess Parvati also referred to as Durga. She is the divine consort of ...

File:Barathanatyam dancer.jpg, A Bharatanatyam dancer striking a pose during practice File:Bharat Natyam dancers in performing in Bharat Bhavan Bhopal 1.jpg, A group of female Bharatanatyam dancers.

In cinema

# ''

Senthamarai Senthamarai may refer to: * Senthamarai (actor) Senthamarai was an Indian actor who acted in Tamil cinema and theatre. Career Senthamarai was born on 13 April 1935 at Kancheepuram. His family included his father Thiruvenkadam, his mother Vedamm ...

'' (Tamil, 1962) # ''

Thillana Mohanambal ''Thillana Mohanambal'' () is a 1968 Indian Tamil-language musical drama film written, directed and produced by A. P. Nagarajan. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, Padmini and T. S. Balaiah, with A. V. M. Rajan, Nagesh and Manorama in supporting ...

'' (Tamil, 1968) # ''

Paattum Bharathamum ''Paattum Bharathamum'' () is a 1975 Indian Tamil-language film, directed and produced by P. Madhavan. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, Jayalalithaa, Sripriya and Vijayakumar. The film had musical score by M. S. Viswanathan. It was released on ...

'' (Tamil, 1975) # ''

Sagara Sangamam ''Sagara Sangamam'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language dance film written and directed by K. Viswanath and produced by Edida Nageswara Rao. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jaya Prada, Sarath Babu, S. P. Sailaja and Chakri Toleti. Upon release, t ...

'' (Telugu, 1983) # ''

Mayuri Mayuri may refer to: * ''Mayuri'' (film), a 1984 Telugu film produced by Ramoji Rao * ''Maya'' (2015 Tamil film), released as ''Mayuri'' in Telugu * Mayoori (actress) (1983–2005), a South Indian actress in Malayalam film industry * Mayuri Upa ...

'' (Telugu, 1985) # ''

Manichitrathazhu ''Manichitrathazhu'' () is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language epic psychological horror film directed by Fazil, written by Madhu Muttam, and produced by Swargachitra Appachan. The film stars Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobana with Nedumudi Venu, ...

'' (Malayalam, 1993) # ''

Sringaram ''Sringaram'' is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language period drama film directed by debutante Sharada Ramanathan, a cultural activist. Co-written by novelist Indra Soundar Rajan and produced bPadmini Ravi herself a dancer, it stars Aditi Rao Hydari, in ...

'' (Tamil, 2007) # ''

Kamaladalam ''Kamaladalam'' () is a 1992 Indian Malayalam-language musical drama film written by A. K. Lohithadas and directed by Sibi Malayil, starring Mohanlal, Murali, Vineeth, Nedumudi Venu, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair, Monisha, Parvathy Jayaram and ...

'' (Malayalam, 1992) #''Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal'' (Malayalam)

Notes

References

Bibliography

*Uttara Asha Coorlawala, ed. ''Re-presenting Indian Dance.'' Dance Research Journal. Congress on Research in Dance 36/2. Winter 2004. ISSN 0149-7677 * * * *Douglas M. Knight, Jr. ''Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life''. Wesleyan University Press. Middletown, CT, 2010. *Sunil Kothari, ''Bharata Natyam,'' Marg Publications, Mumbai: 1997. * * * * *Narayanan Chittoor Namboodiripad, "Revealing the Art of Natyasastra." *Srividya Natarajan Another Stage in the Life of the Nation: Sadir, Bharatanatyam, Feminist Theory. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Dept of English, University of Hyderabad, 1997. * *Sukanya Rahman. ''Dancing in the Family.'' Rupa and Co. New Delhi: 2004. *Vijaya Rao, (1987), Abbild des Göttlichen. Bharata Natyam. Der klassische Indische Tanz. Freiburg (Germany) * *
Table of Contents
* * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bharata Natyam Tamil culture Hindu traditions South India Indian culture Classical dance genres of India Articles containing video clips Hindu art

Etymology

History

Devadasis, anti-dance movement, colonial ban and the decline

Post-colonial revival

Repertoire

The Arangetram

Sequence of dances

Costume and attire

Vocal aspects and musical instruments

Symbolism

Modern revival: schools and training centers

Gallery

In cinema

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links