WBharatanatyam is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Modern day region of Tamil Nadu. Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni and "Abhinaya Darpana" by Nandikeshvara are considered to be the original sources of Bharatanatyam. The dance form is also briefly mentioned in Kannada text Manasolalla written by Someshwara III. It has flourished in the temples and courts of southern India since ancient times. It is one of eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms and it expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism.
WBala is a 1976 documentary film made by Satyajit Ray, about a Bharatanatyam dancer, Balasaraswati, fondly known as "Bala". The film was jointly produced by National Centre for the Performing Arts and Government of Tamil Nadu. The thirty-three-minute documentary features the life and some of the works by Balasaraswati in the form of narration and dance, starring herself. At the age of fourteen, Ray had seen a performance of Balasaraswati in Kolkata, then known as "Calcutta", in 1935, when she was seventeen years old.
WChains is a solo Bharatanatyam Dance Theater production choreographed, directed and performed by Savitha Sastry. It is based on a trilogy of short stories written by her husband AK Srikanth, who is also the producer of the show. The soundtrack was scored by the Chennai-based music composer Rajkumar Bharathi, the great grandson of veteran freedom fighter and poet Subramania Bharathi. Unlike Savitha’s other productions, Chains is not a work of fiction but is entirely based on true lives. The production premiered at Mumbai’s NCPA Auditorium on 31 January 2015, and is highly acclaimed for its nuanced delivery.
WEssence of Life is a performing art group based in Bangalore, established by Dega Deva Kumar Reddy in 2012 to promote teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti.
WThe Melattur style of Bharatanatyam dance was developed largely out of the devadasi traditions and Melattur Bhagavata Mela by Mangudi Dorairaja Iyer (1900–1980), a sanyasi following Srividya Upasana.
WSunanda Nair is an Indian dancer trained in Mohiniattam. She did her master's degree in this dance form from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya affiliated to the University of Mumbai. She has completed her PhD from University of Mumbai for her thesis "Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohiniattam". She was born in Mumbai, India.
WNatyanjali is an annual dance festival commemorating Hindu deity Shiva. It originated around 1981, and started off as a relatively obscure event. It is currently organized by collaborative efforts of the Department of Tourism of Tamil Nadu and the Natyanjali Trust. Although celebrations are most prominent at its original venue, the 12th-century Chidambaram temple, they also occur in a wider spectrum across Tamil Nadu and Murugan temples. Mumbai also organize their own versions of the festival under the same banner. The current version lasts around 13 days, and various classical dance forms of all styles offer their art up to the god Nataraja. Senior gurus have been performing on Shivarathri night year after year.
WPushpanjali is an offering of flowers to Hindu deities.
WMithun Shyam is an Indian Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer and teacher based in Bengaluru. He has contributed to social and gender-based themes through classical dance.
WSoul Cages is a solo Bharatanatyam Dance Theatre production choreographed and performed by Savitha Sastry. It is based on a short story of the same name by AK Srikanth, and featured music by the Chennai-based music composer Rajkumar Bharathi, the great grandson of the veteran poet Subramania Bharathi. The production premiered on 28 January 2012 at New Delhi’s Kamani Auditorium, and has since played in over 20 cities. The presentation was received with critical and popular acclaim.
WThe Prophet is a solo Bharatanatyam Dance Theatre production choreographed and performed by Savitha Sastry. It is based on a short story of the same name by her husband AK Srikanth, who is also the Producer of the show. The music is by Rajkumar Bharathi, great-grandson of the freedom fighter and veteran poet Subramania Bharathi. The production premiered at Bangalore’s ADA Ranga Mandira Auditorium on 20 October 2013. The presentation has been highly acclaimed for its unconventional and intense denouement.
WVarṇam is a type of composition in the Carnatic music system consisting of short metric pieces which encapsulate the main features of a raga. Varnams capture the raga bhavam, ranjaka prayogas visesha sancharas, etc. Dhatu and Janta prayogas are usually part of a Varnam. Understanding of these aspects is key to developing manodharma sangeetham.
WYudh is a solo Bharatanatyam Dance Theatre production choreographed and performed by Savitha Sastry. It is based on a short story of the same name by AK Srikanth, and featured music by the Chennai-based music composer Rajkumar Bharathi, the great grandson of the veteran poet Subramania Bharathi. The production premiered on 2 February 2013 at Mumbai’s NCPA Auditorium, and has since played all across India. The presentation was received with critical and popular acclaim.