Bharatanatyam - Indian classical dance

Bharatanatyam is a traditional dance form originating from South India, primarily a mode of storytelling using sharp movements, facial expressions, and hand gestures. Principles of Bharatanatyam is based on the techniques such as Nritta, Nritya and Natya which focusses on speed, endurance, stability and rhythm.

In the course, you will be introduced to the basics of the dance form - the basic techniques and postures.

The course is structured as follows:

• Adavus aka. Basic steps (focusing on posture and foot work)
• Mudras aka. Hand-gestures (focus on using your hands to describe a situation/ convey message, positioning of hand, name of each gesture/ mudra)
• Bhavam aka. Facial expression (learn the 9 main expressions and its usage in different context)
• Learn Bharatanatyam dance to a song (class to be divided into 2 groups to learn 1 song each)

A class spans for 1.5 hours which will be divided to cover all the sections of the course structure described above. There will be a warm-up session for the first 15 minutes. The class will typically be a combination of rigorous practice session where the student performs foot works and intermediate pause where they are taught mudras. A Bharatanatyam dancer is one who has a balance between rigorous fast paced movements and the required flexibility.

The student is introduced to different ragas and talas while learning the basic steps. The knowledge of understanding the rhythms or beats in a music is inherently learn through the process of learning the adavus or basic steps. The student is also able to decipher the difference in the tone of the tunes they dance for. Bharatanatyam enables the student to have an interactive conversation as the essence of this dance form is indeed story telling using dance movements. A fine balance of hand-eye coordination, body-balance and mind concentration is established upon learning Bharatanatyam.

Trial class for kr. 75,-

Are you curious if this class is right for you? Join a trial class before the course starts. Sign up for the trial class here. 

Requirements for the Course

Bharatanatyam - Indian classical dance is open to everyone, but aimed to target absolute beginners without any previous experience to the dance form - perhaps not to any form of dance. It is also an ideal setup for those who know a little about Bharatanatyam but would like to learn the techniques involved and evolve as a better dancer.

Practical Information

There is a changing room at the venue. Bring a water bottle and a small towel. Kindly wear comfortable clothing that will enable you to do squatting, bending forward and lifting/bending your arms. Bring a thin scarf/ shawl that can be tied around your waist (if you don’t have, it is fine).

We will dance barefoot therefore, please be prepared. You may use socks but there is a possibility of slipping if you dance with socks on. Strictly no shoes while dancing.