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Dance is a way to express oneself and to connect to the soul that makes your mind and body agile. Bharatnatyam is one of the ancient and classical forms of dance in the Indian history. Earlier it was performed predominantly by women, but these days men are also inclined towards learning this dance form.

I learnt Bharathanatyam and Mohiniyattam for about 15 years with a primary focus on Bharathanatyam. Having performed in various stages I was fortunate enough to win most of them.

My Bharathanatyam guru’s are:
Mydhili Venkatachalam (Midhilalaya Dance Academy, Trivandrum, Kerala, India)
Kanaka Devi (Kuwait).

The Bharathanatyam dance style I am more inclined towards is Vazhuvoor.

About Bharatnatyam – A brief History

The Bharatnatyam dance prospered in the Hindu temples of South India and the dancers who used to perform it with religious devotion made it a ritual at that time. However, gradually with the change in the value system of the society this dance form started losing its popularity. But, because of the commendable efforts of the artists like Rukmimi Devi Arudale and Bala Saraswati, Bharatnatyam regained its charm and got the attention of westerners as well.

It was earlier known as “Natya” which means Dance.

Performing Bharatnatyam:

Bharatnatyam focuses on depicting various types of emotions through hand moments and the knees of the dancers are always bent while performing. It is a dramatic art and the steps involved in this are in firm positions and makes a balanced distribution of the body weight. The range of emotions which the dancer conveys in Bharatnatyam is despair, happiness, love, disgust etc.. Apart from this, some interesting mythological tales are also conveyed.

It is imperative to mention that the basic theme of Bharatnatyam is “LOVE”. It can be a tender love of a mother towards the child or devotion and love towards the Supreme Soul.

Some of the basic qualities that a dancer needs to work on to learn Bharatnatyam:

1)      Steadiness in the body to perform controlled and smooth steps

2)      Ability to move the eyes creatively since in Bharatnatyam eyes follow the hand movements

3)      Dedication to practice it regularly to have endurance and perfection

4)      Concentration is also very important for this dance form to have refined movements

Four techniques of Bharatnatyam

·         Hastas is a technique that makes use of hand movements for expressing the emotions.

·         Karnas are more focused on leg, hip, body and arm movements complemented by hasta mudras.

·         Adavus is a series of steps focused on the feet movements. There are 60 Adavus that an artist can learn.

·         Bhedas, neck, head and eye movements are an integral part while performing Bharatnatyam.

Benefits of Bharatnatyam

This classical dance form depicting various emotions through body movements, expressions and mudras is beneficial not only for the body but also for the mind.

1)      It improves our body’s blood circulation and thus it is very good for a healthy heart and builds the stamina

2)      The cerebellum, a region in our brain that facilitates coordination is stimulated by the various forms of movement specific for Bharatanatyam which also increases our memory

3)      It improves the balance of the body and makes the body flexible

4)      Learning different Hastas and Mudras in the dance also develops the concentration level and mental alertness

5)      Improves your self-control

6)      Last but not the least; it certainly maintains a healthy body weight.

There are different variations in Bharathanatyam:

1. Thodayam: This is a beginner dance to show your respect to the Lord

2. Alarippu: This is a dance presentation involving more of the hand, Leg and neck movements. Alarippu is when we request the Gods to bless the performance

3. Jathiswaram: This is a dance where leg movements are synchronized to the beats in the music.

4. Saptham: This is a presentation involving fewer leg movements but more of the facial expressions and actions to denote a story

5. Padam: This dance denotes a story that a dancer communicates with the help of a more poetic song

6. Varnam: This is the longest of them all and involves a mixture of steps and facial expressions.

7. Thillana: This variation is the most complex with intense leg and hand movements.

Bharatnatyam possesses a rich mythological heritage of India. It makes you connect with the Supreme Being which makes you feel at bliss and it is well known for its grace, purity, tenderness and classic poses.
God bless you !