|| bhava - raga - tala - nataya - ithi: bharatanatya || || by combining: expression - melody - rhythm - dance - you get: bharatanatya || WHAT IS ‘BHARATANATAYA’? Bharatanatya derives its name from two sources. The first, Bharata, the Sanskrit name for India and nataya, the Sanskrit name for dance drama, give Bharatanatya its literal meaning of dance of India. Bharatanatya started as a story-telling form of art where dance, mime, and drama were combined to portray religious or theatrical stories. The origins of Bharatanatya are deeply rooted in Hindu religion and history. Lord Bramha is said to have invented it, feeling that humans needed an art which would have no barriers of appreciation. Lord Shiva is said to have been the first Hindu God to master the art form in the Tandava (masculine) style as Lord Nataraja. He then taught His celestial consort, Parvati who perfected the Lasya (feminine) style. They both then taught the first mortal, the great sage Bharata Muni. Thus was born the first great and wise teacher who gave Bharatanatya its second meaning as the dance of Bharata. Bharatanatya has adapted to the changes of time as India evolved and survived the invasions by several nations, civil war, social reform, modernization, and globalization. As it has matured, Bharatanatya has taken on new challenges and has become one of the worlds most admired art forms. An art form that once was highly guarded in remote villages of South India now flourishes across the world from United Kingdom, Germany, Dubai, South Africa, United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines to name a few. Similar to other classical dance forms, Bharatanatya requires a lot of practice, dedication, concentration, and hard work. Initiation into the art form starts from childhood and learning never ends! Bharatanatya is a mixture of art, sculpture, drama, literature, and physical exercise. For through study of the dance form, a dancer needs to understand all aspects of these and carry out deep study into Hinduism and its philosophy. It is not a mere form of entertainment. Instead, it is a spiritual journey not only for the dancer but also for the audience. Through the dancers movements, the dancer and the audience can become more spiritually aware and be transformed through space and time to experience worlds beyond ours! Although deeply rooted in Hinduism, Carnatic classical music, and South Indian languages, Bharatanatya does not rely solely on these boundaries for its performance themes and music. Bharatanatya is a form of story telling and has been since the time of Bharta Muni; thus, any story regardless of theme, music, or language can be used to structure a performance with Bharatanatya choreography. Dance dramas are being performed across the United States from themes taken from Hindu theology to modern day social struggles such as preventing teen smoking. Traditional representation of Bharatanatya uses Carnatic classical music and the dancers wear costumes stitched from sarees for women – the traditional clothes for South Indian women – and dothis for men – the traditional clothes for South Indian men. The makeup and headdress also play a critical role in the art form. Women usually wear a long braid or a bun with flowers wrapped around the hair. They also adorn their head with jewelry representing Shiva. Men usually have short hair and do not wear any jewelry on top of their head. Both male and female dancers wear necklaces, earrings, and finger rings to add beauty to the performance. In addition, the dancers paint their hands with bright red color to draw the audience’s eyes to the subtle hand gestures. They wear bells around their ankles to keep the beat of the music as they dance to the music in intricate movements and formations.