BHARATA NATYAM

Bharata Natyam is rooted in the sacred temple rituals of South India (Tamil Nadu) and more than 2000 years old.
Dance and drama are woven into each other, when stories of the hinduistic gods and goddesses are visualized in movements.
The dance consists of „abstract“ items with very dynamic, rhythmic footwork and of meditative expressive dance, called Abhinaya, with a special language of hand gestures and facial expressions.
In abstract (nritta) pieces, harmonic and geometrical lines of the body are playing a significant role, as well as very fast footwork in which the dancer is giving the rhythm together with the drum.
The expressive dances are including spiritual and philosophical items. They are narrating mythological stories of hinduistic gods and goddesses. Here the dancer also is representing the human soul, which is longing to be reunited with the universal soul where all beings originate from.
So abstract energies and philosophical/metaphysical contents are set into a language of body expression.
Bharata Natyam is combining in one artform essences of music, dance, yoga with sculptural poses, meditation and philosphy as well as drama and lyrics.

There are solo performances as well as group performances.
Ensemble: see www.rr-dance.com (Rajyashree Ramesh)