A Brief History And Evolution of Bharatanatyam

​

Bharatanatyam is the oldest and most popular of India’s classical dance styles, originating from Balasaraswati which is nothing but diversification of Natya Yoga. Balasaraswati brings forth into the practice the spiritual semblance through synchronized physical and emotional body movements. Bharatanatyam was born in temples as an offering to Gods. In style and substance, Bharatanatyam reigns supreme for the preciseness and perfection of movements. Bharatnatyam has a rich history of the style almost dating back to 2000 years. 

This ancient dance was performed by  temple dancers, called devadasis. However, thousands of years prior to this, it was danced by Lord Shiva, or Nataraja, on top of his home, Mount Kailash. Today, it is a widely spread art form with thousands of dancers around the world.

​

Origin of the name:
"Bhavam" = expression
"Ragam" = music
"Thalam" = rhythm
"Natyam" = dance

​

Bharatanatyam is greatly influenced by the dancer's devotion to the deity that the song is referencing to. As a result, it is necessary for the dancer to have a deep spiritual connection with everything, from the expression to each hand gesture. According to Hinduism, the main god for dance is Nataraja or Shiva and the famous "fire-dance" originates from Him. For most of its time, the dance form has been a solo dance that focuses on both the masculine and feminine aspects of a specific individual.