Past

Bharatanatyam Taster Class

This class has passed
This class has passed

What’s it all about?

What is Bharatanatyam anyway?

Well, it is an Indian classical dance, a tradition that hails from the south of India. It was derived from a preceding temple dance tradition called Sadir. Bharatanatyam is best understood as a form of dance-theatre, and contains both expressive and abstract elements. It is a psychophysical dance form, and consciously engages the body, mind and spirit in choreography.

The participants require no previous experience of dance but so you know Bharatanatyam is normally performed barefoot!

What will we cover?

The workshop will cover a very basic introduction to the rhythmic aspect, hand gestures and facial expressions used extensively in the Bharatanatyam repertory, so come along and give it a go! The class will also cover a basic history of Bharatanatyam and will open up ways of understanding and appreciating one of India’s leading cultural exports.

Who will be teaching?

1052525_10151421365706981_945623692_oNithya Nagarajan is a trained and practicing Bharatanatyam artist, with over 15 years of experience in the field. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Theatre Performance at Monash University, where she also tutors undergraduate students and Transimage (Canada) recently filmed a documentary on her dance research. Prior to her move to Melbourne, Nithya gained experience in arts management with the Leeds City Council, UK and uses that experience in volunteering with Tedx Melbourne. You can also find her on her blog.

DISCLAIMER: Bharatanatyam bears no resemblance to Bollywood whatsoever