Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam is a classical dance from Tamil Nadu in southern India. Its theory draws on the Natya Shastra, and a performance combines pure rhythmic dance (nritta), expressive storytelling (nritya) and dramatic elements. In the eighteenth century four brothers known as the Tanjavur Quartet organised the recital into a structured sequence, from alarippu to tillana.
It is accompanied by Carnatic music, with instruments such as the mridangam drum, flute and violin. In 1932 the older form called sadir was renamed Bharatanatyam, and Kalakshetra, founded in Chennai in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale, teaches it today. The dance is now performed on concert stages around the world.
Sources
Organisations connected with this dance
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