Nrityanjali Academy of Dance

Basics of Bharatanatya

      Bharatanatya is a very popular dance form in South India. It is oldest of all classical dance forms in India. Dance of mind & soul. It is extremely traditional and known for its grace, purity, tenderness, staturesque & sculpturesque poses. It uplifts the dancer and the beholder to a higher level of spiritual consciousness. The dancer is considered as a worshipper, a worshipper of the Divine. An embodiment of beauty, charm and gracefulness.
The general interpretation for the name is
Bhava (expression) + Raga (music) + Tala (rhythm) + Natya (dance) = Bharatanatya

Origin of Bharatanatya

       The Gods & Godesses pleaded Lord Brahma to create another veda that would be simple for the common man to understand. It is believed that considering this request Lord Brahma created the Panchamaveda (Fifth veda), Natyaveda, an essence of the other four vedas. It is believed that he has taken pathya (words) form the Rigveda, abhinaya (gestures) from the Yajurveda, geeta (music and chants) from Samaveda and rasa (sentiments and emotional elements) from Atharvaveda to form the fifth veda, Natyaveda.
      
      After creating this natyaveda, Lord Brahma gave the same to sage Bharata and asked him to popularize this veda on Earth. Following the words of Lord Brahma, sage Bharata wrote Natyashastra or the Science of Dramaturgy, a great, comprehensive work on the science and technique of Indian drama, dance and music. Bharatanatya might have gotten its name from sage Bharata also.The dancers still follow this work to perform.

       To read more about Bharatanatya and its origins, view the documents below.