Bharatnatyam is recognised all over the world as the most elegant classical dance form that communicates the ideals of Indian culture.
In a western influenced world, learning Bharatnatyam has remained a ritualistic practice for Indian girls as a way to stay connected to Indian culture.
In earlier times, this dance was practiced in the royal courts and temples all across India. But today, this dance form goes beyond its appeal as an entertainer to one that serves the purpose of preserving the crucial aspects of Indian culture.
In India, this dance serves as a way to instill discipline and build awareness about Indian culture in girls from an early age. Everything about Bharatnatyam, whether it’s the movements, the expressions, the costumes or the themes portrayed, speaks of the shy and reserved nature of Indians.
With several eminent theme expressed through this dance form, including religion and spirituality in context of shaivism, vaishnavism and shaktism, one gains an immersive knowledge of Indian history and the religious evolution that took place in the yesteryears.
An interesting explanation for the origin of Bharatanatyam can be found in mythology. According to legends, Lord Brahma visited Bharata Muni, the ancient sage and gave him the knowledge of this spiritual dance form. He documented this sacred dance in a text book which is referred to as Natya Shastra.
From that time, Bharatnatyam has remained popular all over South India but is most prevalent in Tamil Nadu.
It is a unique style of dancing where the upper body sways along rhythmic leg and feet movements together with the sign language that goes on simultaneously with the dance to convey different stories and emotions through eyes, facial expressions and hand movements.
Several archaeological evidences also represent the historical significance of Bharatanatyam including paintings, stone and metal sculptures from the ancient times.
A prominent example is the Chidambaram temple where stone sculptures depict a variety of Bharatanatyam poses. Hence, this dance form is closely intertwined with the cultural heritage of India.
The main book referred for studying and learning of Bharatanatyam is called the Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikesvara.
Mastering this dance style requires both knowledge and skill along with years of training and practice under the guidance of a Guru.
Traditionally, it takes about 7-9 years to reach professional level in bharatanatyam which requires constant training and practice.
Today, with several modern dance forms taking over the mainstream media, the practice of traditional Indian dance forms is dwindling.
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This change is because of the evolution of the socio-economic structure of the society as people are placing less importance on culture as they are more busy in attaining a formal education and later get busy in their careers.
In such stressful lives, recreational activities have taken a backseat. Technology, however, can help describe the beauty and purposefulness of this graceful dance form and also build an understanding of one’s culture.
Today, you don’t have to travel far away to find a Guru as you can learn Bharatanatyam from anywhere and at any time with the help of the internet.
There are several online Bharatanatyam classes which can teach you at least the basic level of Bharatanatyam. It is a great initiative to preserve this ancient cultural heritage and encourage the busy youth of our country to take interest.
Here, we present you a list of the best online Bharatanatyam classes:
1. Natyarambha
Natyarambha is an app with interactive bharatnatyam lessons both for the beginners and advanced level learners.
An initiative by Shankar Ananda Kalakshetra, Natyarambha app brings to you a selection of bharatnatyam courses in a way that makes it easy to learn the finer details with ease.
Bridging the gap between professional trainings and at-home learning, the app focuses on honing the dancing techniques through live interactive sessions to help make learning a trouble free task.
The fee for training sessions start from Rs. 2500 and up for beginners and more for advanced courses. Those wanting to get a know how of the dance training can go for a free trial before signing up for the course.
This free trial gives you access to 3 chapters of adavus, 3 practice routines and 1 personalized routine, while the premium feature provides all sorts of routines and has everything in it for you to become a certified bharatnatyàm dancer.
2. Kafqa
The homepage has a guide about how to use the website to learn Bharatanatyam.
The online classes are provided by Anjali Nandan who is a student of Smt. Madhukari Kelkar and a nritya visharad from Bhartiya Sangeet Samiti. She has won various accolades and has performed the spectacular dance form in several eminent platforms. Nowadays, she teaches Bharatanatyam to many students all over the world through her online classes.
You can learn the basics of Bharatanatyam by using the index portion of this blog. There are videos and audios that cover the basics concepts, adavus and mudras of Bharatnatyam and also has some important information about the history of Bharatanatyam. You can also request for official online classes by filling a form on the website.
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3.Ipassio
This website has expert teachers who teach Bharatanatyam over Skype. There are four different courses available according to the skill level of the students. The courses include:
- Basics of Bharatanatyam: A 16-week long course by Dr. Rekha Raju, the prodigy of Bharatanatyam.
- Basics of Bharatanatyam Beginner Level 1: A 42-week long course by Dr. Rekha Raju.
- Bharatanatyam Dance for Beginners: This course is taught by Veena Chikkanahalli Seshadri and is a 52-week long course for beginners to learn the dance form in depth.
- The Art of Bharatanatyam level 2: It is an intermediate level 42-week course by Dr. Rekha Raju.
The training provided by the teachers is personally developed according to the strength and weaknesses of the students and timing is adjusted according to the local time of the country.
4. Indian Raga
These online classes are conducted over Skype or Zoom calls by the experienced classical dancer, Mrs. Sachitra Sanjiv, who has a Masters in Bharatanatyam. She stays in Abu Dhabi and teaches pupils from all age groups, starting from 5 years to 50! You can opt for different levels of training including beginners, intermediate and advanced level through the live classes. The time schedule is fixed according to the convenience of the students depending on their time zones. Many students who are passionate and accomplished in Bharatanatyam have recommended her classes.
5. Samridhi
Divya dance school is a renowned school of classical dance and music in India which has a faculty of well experienced and trained teachers who have instructed many groups of professional classical dancers. Apart from Bharatanatyam, several other dance forms are taught in this school through both regular and online mode. There are different types of courses available including a 3-month hobby course and 6-month certificate courses for both beginner and advanced level.
For people who want to pursue Bharatanatyam as a profession or master it, there are diplomas which are two year courses: the junior diploma and senior diploma. Once you complete your senior diploma, you can go for the Sangeet Prabhakar course which is another two year course to complete your education in Bharatanatyam. For admission, you have to fill the form given on their website or contact them through email.
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