Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam is a classical dance from southern India. It is one of the oldest dance forms in the world. Dancers stamp their feet, make hand gestures, and use their eyes to tell stories. They wear colorful costumes and jingle ankle bells.

How Bharatanatyam Works

Bharatanatyam dancers use their whole body to tell stories. Their feet stamp out rhythms. Their hands make special shapes called mudras. Each mudra has a meaning, like a flower or a bird. Dancers also use their eyes and face to show emotions like happiness, love, and bravery.

Learning Bharatanatyam

Students start learning Bharatanatyam at a young age. They train for many years with a teacher called a guru. The first big performance is called an Arangetram. It is a solo show that marks the dancer as ready to perform. Bharatanatyam schools can now be found all around the world.

Fun Facts

• Bharatanatyam is over 2,000 years old.
• Dancers wear ankle bells that jingle with every step.
• There are over 50 hand gestures called mudras in Bharatanatyam.

Did You Know?

Bharatanatyam dancers can tell entire stories using only their hands, eyes, and facial expressions without saying a single word!