RamyaLaya Dance Academy

Bharathanatyam is one of the oldest classical dance forms in India, originating in Tamil Nadu.
Its theory is largely based on Bharatha Muni’s Natya Shastra and Nandikeshvara’s Abhinaya Darpana. Originally called “Sadiraatam”, it was performed in temples in South India during ancient times and
then was renamed and structured into a performing art by E Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale
in the 1900s.

 

The word "Bharathanatyam" denotes:
BHA - bhavam (expression) 
RA - raagam (melody/music) 
THA - thaalam (rhythm)

and the term NATYAM means dance.
It consists of three main elements – Nritta (pure abstract dance), Nrithya (expressive dance),
and Natya (dramatic dance). Bharathanatyam is taught in different banis (styles or traditions), each
varying in their nuances and postures. The banis are: Thanjavur, Pandanallur, Kalakshetra, Vazhuvoor, Mellatur, and Mysore. (RamyaLaya Dance Academy teaches the Kalakshetra bani.)

 

Bharathanatyam is one of the few dance forms that utilizes the entire body using an extensive collection of hand gestures and movements of various body parts such as the head, eyes, neck, feet, limbs, torso, and postures. Ideas are communicated through 4 modes of expression, called Abhinaya. Its versatile nature not only allows us to depict Indian culture and traditions from the olden times but also allows us to represent new ideas, modern themes, and do fusion choreography.