Solution
Bharatanatyam is a classical dance style from the South of India. It is called the ‘fifth veda’, and is considered to be one of the oldest dance practices in India. Known as Sadir until the early 1900s, it is recorded as far back as the 9th century.
The name Bharatanatyam is explained two different ways. The first is that it is composed of related words:
BHAva (expression)
RAga (melodic mode)
TAla (rhythm)
NATYAM (dance)
The second is that the name comes from a combination of the name of the sage Bharata Muni who wrote the ‘Natya Shastra’ the principles of this dance, and the word for dance “natyam”.
Bharata is believed to have lived between the 1st and 2nd century AD.
The dance itself is largely a storytelling dance. Most of the stories are from the epics and Hindu mythology. The intimate association with Hindu religion from its origins as a temple dance has been preserved through the centuries.
