Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest (considered to be over 2000 years old) and most popular forms of classical dance that originated in Tanjore district in Tamil Nadu, India.
The origin of this dance can be traced to the sage Bharata Muni's Natyashastra.
The Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikesvara is one of the main sources of textual material, for the study of the technique and grammar of body movement in Bharatnatyam Dance.
The style was kept alive by the devadasis, the young girls 'gifted' by their parents to the temples and married to the gods.
Features
Bharatnatyam dance is known to be ekaharya, where one dancer takes on many roles in a single performance.
The dance involves transitional movements of the leg, hip and arm. Expressive eye movements and hand gestures are used to convey emotions. It encompasses Bhav, Rag, Ras and Taal.
This form of dance is slow and moving, but at times fast and fluid and hence is also called Fire Dance.
The accompanying orchestra consists of a vocalist, a mridangam player, violinist or veena player, a flautist and a cymbal player. The person who conducts the dance recitation is the Nattuvanar.
