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. Descriptions of early forms of this dance appear in old books from around 500 BCE to 500 CE. Carvings in temples from the 6th to 9th century CE show that dance was already a special art by the middle of the first millennium. 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 that are not about religion.

Etymology

The word Bharatam is thought to stand for feelings, melody, and rhythm. The word Natyam in Sanskrit means "dance." Together, Bharatanatyam describes a dance that brings together feelings, melody, and rhythm in a beautiful way.

In 1932, two people suggested changing the old name Sadiraattam to Bharatanatyam to give the dance more respect. They also helped change the way the dance was performed.

History

The ideas behind the dance form Bharatanatyam are first found in a very old book called Natya Shastra and later in a Tamil book called Kootha nool from Tholkappiyam (250 BCE).

The Natya Shastra, written by an ancient teacher named Bharata, was put together between 500 BCE and 200 CE, though some think it could be between 500 BCE and 500 CE. This book has about 6000 verses in 36 parts. It talks about dance moves, feelings, and how to show stories through dancing. The book says that dance and other performances are ways to share deep ideas and good values.

We see dance mentioned in old Tamil stories like Silappatikaram (around the 2nd century CE) and Manimegalai (around the 6th century). The Silappatikaram tells about a dancer named Madhavi and her training. Carvings in temples from the 6th to 9th century CE show that dance was already a well-known art by then.

When British rule began in the 1800s, they did not like Indian classical dances. They thought they were wrong and tried to stop them. In 1910, they even made a rule against dancing in temples. This hurt the tradition, but later, people worked hard to bring it back. Artists and leaders helped change people's minds and made Bharatanatyam popular again, performing it outside temples and teaching it to everyone. Today, it is celebrated as one of India's important classical dances.

Elements

Bharatanatyam is a traditional dance that is often performed by a group. It includes a solo dancer who is joined by musicians and singers. This dance is special because it follows old rules from ancient Indian books.

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

In today’s shows, more dancers might join to play different parts of a story, making it easier for everyone to understand and enjoy.

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 that they have finished their training and are ready to dance alone. This event is very important and celebrates many years of hard work. The dancer performs many dances that last 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 and important 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 featured in many films across different languages. Some notable examples include Senthamarai (Tamil, 1962), Thillana Mohanambal (Tamil, 1968), and Phantom India - episode 2 (French, 1969). Other films featuring 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).