11/01/2011

All About Bharatanatyam Classes Los Angeles

By Elena Estrada


Bharatanatyam is a dance that was derived from the South Indian concept of celebrating the eternal universe using the beauty of the body. It is a fire-dance and spiritual expression of the human body. The dance movements and steps taught at Bharatanatyam classes Los Angeles resemble movements of dancing flame.

This dance is practiced mostly by women or young girls as a traditional Indian dance accompanied by classical Carnatic music. The inspiration and roots of this dance can be traced to the ancient sculptures found in the Temple of Chidambaram. This is a Hindu temple located in Tamil Nadu, South India.

In ancient India, the kings would ask the temple devadasi or dancers to perform this dance at their courts. The original purpose of the dance was to perform it as an offering to their God and as an expression to satisfy the soul. The requests to perform in a public venue transformed the art to a different category called rajanarthakis.

The new rajanarthakis dance was invented for entertainment purposes. The dance was adapted into western society as Bharata Nayuam ballet dances. This type of newer form of dancing did not implement traditional concepts according to old criteria dictated by India's holy scriptures.

Today, this type of dance is no longer performed inside temples or for a Kings court but for pure entertainment purposes. They have been popularized on television and movie. Many contemporary dance performances are held at public venues such as festivals, at cultural events, and other commercial venues for various occasions.

If you take Bharatanatyam classes Los Angeles you may have to perform at recitals and wear traditional costumes associated with the dance. You may wear jewelry that is unique to the dance which are called Temple Jewelries. Costumes are intricate and deeply symbolic. You may also have to wear ankle bells called Salangai to complete the tradition. Read more about: bharatanatyam classes los angeles




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment