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India Dance : Bharatanatyam
 Bharata
Natyam is poetry in motion, Tracing its hoary origins in the Natya
Shastra, written by the great sage, Bharata, it is a highly traditional
and stylized dance form, Crystallizex in the cast iron mould of
Bharata's technique, this art form grossily disallows new fangled
innovations or gimmicks except in repertoire and forms of presentation.
Emerging far back in the labyrnthine twists of ancient history (as
information for the date conscious, 4000 B. C. is the ascribed date
to immortalized in successive generations, as by the nimble fingers
of renowned sculptors who have demonstrated the perfection of Bharata's
technique in the flowing lines of temple sculptures.
Its present form was evolved by the Tanjore quartet namely Poniah
Pillai and brothers. Earlier variedly known as Dasi Attam and Sadir,
it was practised by Devadasis of the South Indian temples. It went
in to disrepute due to economic and social conditions and it was
Rukmini Devi who gage it new life and respectability.
Its format consists of Alarippu (invocation), Jathi Swaram (note
combinations) Shabdam (notes and lyrics), Varnam (a combination
of pure dance and abhinaya) lighter items like Padams and Javalis
(all erotic) and finally the thillana (again pure dance). On par
with Rukmini Devi, there was Bala Saraswati, the queen of Bharata
Natyam.
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