Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam, the 2000-year-old classical dance, is one of the oldest dance forms in India. This dance form had its origin in the state of Tamil Nadu and has roots in Natya Sastra, an ancient treatise on dance written by Sage Bharata.
Bharatanatyam is a dance form with unfettered rhythmic movements and expressions. This dance form is conceived as Natya Yoga or the effort for revealing the spiritual through the corporal. Devotion is the key element of this dance form and the movements are highly stylized and sophisticated.
The dance is a composition of the elements of Nritta (rhythm), Nritya (rhythm and expression) and Natya (drama). Symmetrical lines of the body, exuberant leaps and bends contrasting with subtle neck and eye movements and crisp, intricate footwork are the hallmarks of Bharatanatyam. The musical compositions used in this classical dance are based on Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada.