Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam is an ancient South Indian Classical dance form.
The art and style of dancing has been passed on for generations and has been refined over time and again. Today it is regarded as a fine art and is still handed down to the interested. It is one of the most recognizable forms of Indian fine art and culture. After years of rigorous training and learning, a Bharatanatyam student presents on stage an Arangetram - literal meaning of the Tamil word is "ascending the stage by an artist". It is a major accomplishment and milestone in the young artist's life. It is a demonstration of the Guru (teacher)'s as well as the student's prowess. It is not the culmination of the students lessons, it is actually a recognition by the society, parents and teachers that the student has learnt enough to ascend the stage and make a presentation.
The right spelling ? - Bharatanatyam - Bharathanatyam - Barathanatyam - Bharatnatyam - Bharata Natyam - Bharatha natyam --- Well, due to the discrepancies in the phonetics, several different spellings are followed. In Tamil - the native language of the people where this dance originated, it is spelled பரத நாட்டியம். A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.. wouldn't it? The same applies to spelling... :-)
Bharatanatyam and Arangetram Portraits of young artists, photographed by Sundar Karthikeyan, San Diego, California. They are password protected, kindly contact the dancer /family for access.
Would you like me to shoot your Arangetram ? Just get in touch and we can chat over Coffee or Tea.
