Dancing Bodies of Devotion: Fluid Gestures in Bharata Natyam examines how Bharata Natyam, a traditionally Hindu storytelling dance form, moves across religious boundaries through both incorporating choreography on Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, and Jain themes and the pluralistic identities of participants. Dancers traverse religious boundaries by reformulating an aesthetic foundation based on performative rather than solely textual understandings of rasa, conventionally defined as a formula for how to physically craft emotion on stage. Through the ethnographic case studies of this volume, dancers of Bharata Natyam innovatively demonstrate how the rasa of devotion (bhakti rasa), surprisingly absent from classic dance-related texts, serves as the pivotal framework for expanding on their own interreligious thematic and interpretive possibilities. In contemporary Bharata Natyam, bhakti rasa is not just about enhancing religious experience; instead, these dancers choreographically adapt various religious identities and ideas in order to emphasize pluralistic cultural and ethical dimensions in their work. Through the dancing body, multiple religious and secular interpretations fluidly co-exist.

The compelling story of a beautiful and versatile South Indian dance form

When I look back, my life has been devoted to performing, choreography and above all, to the noble profession of teaching Bharatanatyam, sharing whatever knowledge I possess with my students.A child has to have an open mind when he/she goes to the Guru. To make the learning more fruitful and meaningful, the student embarks on a long and arduous journey from the exploration of self to the achievement of the pinnacle of glory.Achieving the goal is not as easy as it may seem. It requires immense dedication and hard work and no doubt, an inborn talent or aptitude for fine arts.Whenever a student joins the Dance Class, he or she wishes to have a book to fall back upon. It is always been a great task for me as a teacher to dictate or to write notes for each and every student so that he or she understands the theory of dance and also its practice. At that stage, even a simple movement appears complicated. Also, one question that is always asked of me is whether I could suggest a book, that would help the student in understanding the basics of dance. Also a guide book which would assist the senior students when they take up to teaching carrier.The basic purpose of this book is to present all the principles, methods and techniques of Bharatanatyam in a simple, systematic and comprehensive manner.It leads the student from the simple to the complex: introduction to the dance form, tala (time measure), gestures, feet positions, the dancer's workout orchestra and the main topics of the dance units, Adavus. The Advus have been explained in detail with complete illustrations.The pre-recorded audio and the video-cassette to assist in the practice is also available.Some speci

Bharatha Natyam The Dance of India: Demystified for Global Audience provides an overview and explanation of Indian dance for the uninitiated, specifically about the popular classical dance from South India, Bharatha Natyam. This is a thorough book, which has material from the ancient texts on dance simplified for easy understanding. The history, mythology, music system, and rhythmic structure, give the readers a synopsis to understand and appreciate the art. Ranging from topics such as the introduction to the ancient classical dance form of India, the book covers wide range of topics such as the history, mythology, literary works on dance, the concert repertoire, the costumes and jewelry, and the cultural content of the art form in a comprehensive manner which is valuable for readers as an introductory book on this art as well as students and practitioners of the dance. The experiences of the author learning dance in India, teaching dance in the United States and the connect between cultures is presented. A comprehensive book for lay public as well as students and practitioners of any genre of dance.

On Sundays, Varun has his karate lesson, and his sister Varsha heads to dance school with their grandfather. One weekend, Varun reluctantly accompanies his sister to her lesson. Bored of waiting, he peeks into the classroom, and almost immediately, he is fascinated by the rhythm and grace of bharatanatyam, a dance from India that Varsha is learning to perfect. Varun tries a few moves at home in secret because...well, boys don’t dance, do they? His grandfather is not so sure. Will Thatha be able to convince Varun to dance in his footsteps? A heartwarming picture book about a multigenerational Indian-American family discovering a shared love for bharatanatyam, an ancient classical dance that continues to fascinate dancers worldwide.

Bharatha Natyam The Dance of India: Grammar and Technique is a book for all dance students, specifically those learning the popular classical dance from South India, Bharatha Natyam. This is a thorough book, which has material from the ancient texts on dance simplified and even tabulated for easy understanding. The in-depth explanations of music, theater and dance, the technical details of dance including pure dance and expressive elements of dance, adavu units of dance, hand gestures, detailed movements of the body based on the codified rules stated in the dance treatise the Natya Sastra are explained in simple language. The experiences of the author having to market her art and artistic career in US, advice to emerging artists, the creative and technical aspects of dance choreography are also detailed from her personal experience. The book has over 600 full color photographs that help in understanding the technical nuances. A comprehensive book that is valuable guide for students and practitioners of Bharatha Natyam or learning Indian dance as part of world dance.

Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form; a study.