Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam is a beautiful and old style of dance from Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the country's classical dance forms recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. This dance tells stories about South Indian religious ideas and spirits, especially from Shaivism and Hinduism.

People have been dancing like Bharatanatyam for a very long time. Old books and carvings in temples show that dance was already a special art many years ago. In 1932, the dance called Sadiraattam was renamed Bharatanatyam.

Bharatanatyam has its own special ways of moving. Dancers keep their upper body still while bending their legs and knees. They use their feet, hands, eyes, and face to tell stories. Music and singing go with the dance, and the dancer's teacher, called a guru, leads the music from behind the stage. A Bharatanatyam show usually lasts two hours and has many parts, all done by one dancer without leaving the stage. The dance can show pure movement, tell a story with gestures, or even act out a small play. Today, Bharatanatyam is enjoyed all over India and sometimes includes new ideas.

Etymology

The word Bharatam means feelings, melody, and rhythm. The word Natyam in Sanskrit means "dance." So, Bharatanatyam is a dance that mixes feelings, melody, and rhythm.

In 1932, two people suggested changing the old name Sadiraattam to Bharatanatyam. They wanted to give the dance more respect and also changed how it was performed.

History

The ideas behind Bharatanatyam come from an old book called Natya Shastra and later from a Tamil book called Kootha nool from Tholkappiyam (250 BCE).

The Natya Shastra was written by an ancient teacher named Bharata. It was written between 500 BCE and 200 CE. This book has verses about dance moves and feelings. It says that dance is a way to share ideas and good values.

Dance is mentioned in old Tamil stories like Silappatikaram (around the 2nd century CE) and Manimegalai (around the 6th century). The Silappatikaram talks about a dancer named Madhavi and her training. Carvings in temples show that dance was a well-known art long ago.

When British rule began in the 1800s, they did not like Indian classical dances. They tried to stop them. Later, people worked hard to bring the tradition back. Artists and leaders helped make Bharatanatyam popular again. Today, it is celebrated as one of India's important classical dances.

Elements

Bharatanatyam is a traditional dance often done by a group. It has a solo dancer with musicians and singers. This dance follows old rules from ancient Indian books.

The solo dancer, called an ekaharya, wears a colorful sari and jewelry. They dance with music, using special hand and face movements to tell stories from old Indian books. These movements are like a secret language for sharing legends and ideas.

Today, more dancers may join to act out parts of a story, making it easier and more fun for everyone.

Bharatanatyam has three main parts: Nritta, Nritya, and Natya.

• The Nritta part is fast and focuses on movement and rhythm.
• The Nritya part is slower and tells a story with feelings.
• The Natya part is like a play where the dancer shows different characters.

Arangetram

An arangetram is a special first performance for a young dancer. It shows they have finished their training and are ready to dance alone. This event is very important and celebrates years of hard work. The dancer performs many dances for about three hours, each showing something about Hindu religion.

Sequence of dances

A traditional arangetram follows a special order called Margam.

• Pushpanjali: The dance starts with offering flowers and respect to gods, the teacher, and the audience.
• Alarippu: This is a warm-up dance that thanks everyone and focuses the dancer.
• Jatiswaram: This adds music to the dance movements.
• Shabdam: Here, the dancer starts to express words and feelings.
• Varnam: This is a long part where the dancer tells a big story with movements.
• Padam: This part is emotional and shows deep feelings.
• Tillana: This is the ending part with fast movements.
• Shlokam or Mangalam: The dance ends with blessings for everyone.

Costume and attire

Female dancers wear a bright sari with gold or silver designs. Male dancers wear a white cloth around their legs. Both wear lots of jewelry and long hair, sometimes with flowers. They also wear special ankle bells called salangai that make sounds when they move their feet.

Symbolism

Bharatanatyam uses special gestures and faces to tell stories and share feelings. These gestures help connect the dancer with the audience and bring the story to life.

Image Gallery

Bharatanatyam is a beautiful classical dance from India. The image shows a performance at a school event in Thrissur in 2026.

In cinema

Bharatanatyam has been shown in many films in different languages. Some well-known films are Senthamarai (Tamil, 1962), Thillana Mohanambal (Tamil, 1968), and Phantom India - episode 2 (French, 1969). Other films that include Bharatanatyam are Paattum Bharathamum (Tamil, 1975), Sagara Sangamam (Telugu, 1983), Mayuri (Telugu, 1985), Manichitrathazhu (Malayalam, 1993), Sringaram (Tamil, 2007), Kamaladalam (Malayalam, 1992), and Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal (Malayalam).