Bharatnatyam class with Dr. Varun Khanna
History
Bharatanatyam is one of seven classical dance forms of India. It’s also one of the oldest documented classical dance forms of the world and one of the most popular classical dance forms in India. It originated in temples of Thanjavoor, Tamil Nadu, in South India. and has an unbroken tradition that goes back 2000 years.
The Natya Shastra by Bharat Muni and Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikesvara are considered to be the original sources of Bharatanatyam. It flourished in the temples and courts of Southern India since ancient times. Bharatanatyam expresses Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism or the worship of Lord Shiva, Vaishnavism, the worship of Lord Vishnu and Shaktism, the goddess centric tradition of Hinduism, collectively Hinduism.
Historical representations of this dance is available in the Sangam literary works like Silappadikaram and Manimekalai. It was originally known as Sadirattam or Thevarattam. Sadir refers to dancing in the royal courts. Bharatanatyam was a form of entertainment for the rulers of India. Dancers known as the Devadasis or temple dancers lived and danced in the temples and royal courts. The Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur has been a center for Bharatanatyam since 1000 CE.
Bharatanatyam is known for it’s grace, purity, tenderness and sculpturesque poses. Gestures used in Bharatanatyam are called Hastas or mudras. There is a lot of symbolism and this dance form includes many asanas found in Yoga. Karanas are poses of Bharatanatyam and solo artists are called Ekaharya. Traditional Bharatanatyam recitals have a series of presentations and the entire set is called a Margam.
Meet your Teacher
Kalashree Varun Khanna, our Head Faculty for Bharatanatyam has trained under legendary Gurus, Padmabhushan awardee Guru Dr. Saroja Vaidyanathan and Mrs. Rama Vaidyanathan. He has been awarded the title of “Kalashree” in dance by the prestigious Ganesa Natyalaya.
He has performed across India at important events and festivals
- National Classical Dance festival (Chandigarh; 2018)
- World Art Festival (Panchkula; 2019)
- Ramamoorthy Bhagvatar Festival (Delhi Tamil Sangam; 2018)
- Shivvarghya (Ganesa Natyalaya; 2020).
He has starred in 2 music videos directed by Directors, Mr Adamya Sharma and Mr Bhavesh Kakkar.
He has also acted in theatre dramas “Ardhanarishwara”, “UNS” and a short film “WAQT”, all directed by Mrs Nisha Luthra, which was selected for and premiered at Jaipur Literature Festival 2022.
Bharatanatyam class for Beginners
On an average, it takes students about 2- 3years for basics. Basics cover the following:
- Adavus/steps
- Eye movements
- Various Hand gestures
- Different feet positions
- Movements
- Exercises
- Neck and head movement
After learning the basics, students proceed to learn the repertoire of Bharatanatyam, which is also known as Margam
1. Pushpa anjali
2. Alarittu
3. Jathi Swaran
4. Shabdam
5. Varnam
6. Padam/Javali
7. Thillana
8. Mangalam
There are innumerable variations of each piece. Exams can be a part of your learning if you so choose. They are not compulsory.
Yes, of course you can. With dedicated practice and a passion for learning, age will never be a barrier for you. We have certified teachers with years of teaching and performance experience, who take special care to give personalised training even in a group batch. If you still have concerns or any injuries, please feel free to contact us to discuss.
Please go through the common questions in the section below. If you have any other questions apart from these, about our classes please send us a WhatsApp message on +91 9971594812
To Join classes, click the button below
Common Questions
We have classes for all age groups, starting from age 5 uptil 60 years. Men and women both can join.
If you are an adult beginner in Bharatnatyam, you will also start with Year 1.
Yes! There is no age to learning. Learning Bharatnatyam is a beautiful journey to self exploration, self- expression. We offer Beginner batches for kids and adults in Bharatnatyam.
The best age is the age at which you decide to learn. You can start learning Bharatanatyam at any age. The best age to start is as early as 5-7 years old.
You can pay via Online bank transfer, Google pay or Paytm.
Send us an email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us at 9971594812
We will send you an online registration form and UPI ID for fee payment. Once you fill the form and pay the fees, you will get your welcome message, joining date and batch ID.
Strong internet. Any device, preferably a laptop, Zoom App, water bottle. Attire for this class is Salwar kameez with dupatta.
Online dance classes are so worth it! You save travel time, fuel money, energy and can learn so many dance forms from the comfort of your home. In-studio lessons are also available in case you want to travel to our studio, to supplement your learning, get further corrections from the teacher.
We offer Online classes for Bharatnatyam through Zoom App or Google Meet. To register for online class, please email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us at +91 9971594812
That’s great, we offer personal training and few group classes for people living abroad.
Please send us a WhatsApp message on +91 9971594812 with your details – full name, city and timezone. We will get back to you within 24 hours with our available class timings and fees.
