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Bharata Natyam is one of the oldest dance forms of
India. It was nurtured in the temples and courts of
southern India since ancient times. Later it was
codified and documented as a performing art in the
19th century by four brothers known as the Tanjore
Quartet whose musical compositions for dance form
the bulk of the Bharata Natyam repertoire even
today.
The art was handed down as a living tradition from
generation to generation under the Devadasi system
under which women were dedicated to temples to serve
the deity as dancers and musicians forming part of
the elaborate rituals.
These highly talented artists and the male gurus
(nattuvanars) were the sole repository of the art
until the early 20th century when a renewal of
interest in India's cultural heritage prompted the
educated elite to discover its beauty. By this time
the Devadasis had fallen upon evil days due to lack
of state patronage and changed social mores. The
revival of Bharata Natyam by pioneers such as E
Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale brought the
dance out of the temple precincts and onto the
proscenium stage though it retained its essentially
devotional character.
Today Bharata Natyam is one of the most popular and
widely performed dance styles and is practiced by
male and female dancers all over India. Due to its
wide range of movements and postures and the
balanced melange of the rhythmic and mimetic aspects
lends itself well to experimental and fusion
choreography.
Degree and Post Graduate courses covering the
practice and theory of Bharata Natyam as well as the
languages associated with its development are
available at major universities of India.
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