Bharatanatyam

 

Bharatanatyam, typically danced to Carnatic music, has its roots in Tamil Nadu, South India.



Bharatanatyam is considered to be one of the most sophisticated and graceful styles of dance in the world-  The muscles of the body are controlled in a certain pattern to match the rhythm and the facial expressions are continuously transforming to express different feelings.  It is an ancient dance form that has existed for more than 2000 years with its elements precisely described in the Natyashastra, which is sometimes referred to as the 5th veda. 

For the dance to be interpreted properly, the dancer must use various forms of bodily expression to convey the ultimate message of the song or poem.  The dancer does this by the movement of the limbs, the language of gestures or hastas, the rhythm executed by the feet, and most importantly the facial expression.

 

Yatho hasta, thatho dhrishti.

Yatho dhrishti, thatho manah.

Yatho manas, thatho bhavo.

Yatho bhava, thatho rasah.

 

Learning bharatanatyam is very valuable as articulated in the following article:

 

http://www.qykapp.com/article/why-should-children-learn-bharatanatyam/