BHARATANATYAM - A Yogic Dance Form
D ance, Music and Theatre arts hold a significant position in the records of Indian culture. According to Indian Mythology, it is believed that all of these art forms had a sacred origin and Bharatanatyam is not an exception. The legend of the art has its birth from Thanjavor of Tamil Nadu, situated in the South of India. The art form has attained its inspiration from the sculpture of Natraja, lord of the dance and the one representing the entire energy in the universe situated at the Chidambaram temple. History and the Technique: Famous as Bharatanatyam today, this dance form was previously called as "Koothu" in ancient India. It was exclusively practised by temple dancers (devadasi), which later spread across the royal court giving birth to the "Rajanartaki tradition". Bharatanatyam dance is a seamless blend of 'Natya' (dramatic element), 'Nritta' (rhythmic elements) and 'Nritya' (combination of rhythm with expression -'