Namskaram !
My name is Anjali Nandan and ‘am currently in Plano,TX, USA. I have been learning Bharatanatyam from the age of 6. The learning has mostly been in Mumbai from late Smt. Madhuri Kelkar. I am a “Nritya Visharad” in Bharatnatyam from Bharatiya Sangeet Samiti.
I have got the good fortune to work along with Padmashri Smt. Hemamalini as part of various dance Ballets. It was a Divine experience working in her productions like “Mahalakshmi”, “Savitri” and “Geet-Govind”. She is a graceful and disciplined exponent of Bharatanatyam.
Apart from online lessons her school Natyam Academy in Plano, TX offers Bharatanatyam lessons to interested students in Dallas/Plano/ Frisco communities.
I am not any expert in the field having seen many greats in this art form. This Blog is a humble attempt to provide some information on the dance form as I have learnt it.
Thanks for your help and encouragement along the way!
Note (Updated Sep 21, 2009): Thanks for all the comments, suggestions and encouragement. I truly appreciate each of that. To enable a better format for our discussion, I have added forums to the website. Request you to discuss your questions and ideas there.
Thanks Nivedita, for your encouragement. It would be better if you ask your daughters guru, because he/she will be the right person to select a song best suited for her depending on her dancing abilities.
Hi Monika, thanks a lot for your kind words. If your daughter enjoys the whole process then you can go ahead with it. Else cannot force her to do so. Otherwise the right age to begin is 6yrs and above.
Hi Anjali,
I am Chitra from Singapore. Today i stumble upon your page by chance. I have learnt dancing when i was young and have stopped it for the last 7 years due to circumstances as i was out of the country. But the passion is still there in my heart. I would love to dance again. I am 28 years old now and thinking whether it is too late to start all over again.. I even have the drean of someday doing my arangetram.. Kindly advise me…
Hi Anjali
I am truly impressed by your website and the service you do to all the students of Bharathanatyam world wide.
Please can you let me know of any good Jatiswaram videos. My daughter is doing it right now and I am keen that she watches some videos.
Hi, i’m christina. i’m 15yrs old. i really love dancing and i would love to learn Bharatanatyam. But i’m nervous about learning i feel like i’m too old to learn dancing now all my friends graduated from their bharatanatyam class. Anjali can you email me at [email protected] if you have any suggestions for me? By the way i saw your classes on youtube you were amaaazzinnng:)
Thank you have a nice day
Namasthe Anjali:
People like you who are adepts in the Bharatanatyam and other Indian classical dances are the true ambassadors of our culture. I salute you and wish you all the very best.
May God bless you in your efforts.
[email protected]
Hello dear Anjali,
Congratulations for your new web design. It’s very nice. Well, I’m studying Bharatanatyam in Spain and I may visit Mumbai in a few months. I would like to ask you if you can recommend some book so I can purchase them when I visit India and also if you know about some Guru who gives intensive courses or something like that.
Thank you very much for such a wonderful site. It’s very helpful and inspiring.
Regards
Sol
Hello Mr Vishwanathan (Am I hindu)
Thanks a lot for visiting. I believe it is the duty of every Indian to carry and preserve our rich culture. May be this blog has given me an opportunity to contribute in my own way.
Dear Sol
I am happy that you liked this design. Thanks.
Mumbai is a very vast city. If you could tell which part of Mumbai you will be residing (may the name of the place) I will be able to guide you. And certainly there are lot of Bharatanatyam teachers in mumbai. A well known school is the Nalanda institute of performing arts founded by Dr Kanak Rele.(a renowned Mohiniattom dancer.)
Dear Mrs. Anjali:
Thanks for the Bharatanatyam videos. We live in Detroit. My 6 year daughter Bavya is learning everyday from your videos. Instructions are very clear. May be you can release instructional DVDs.
Any way !!, Thanks for all the good work and making it available for us.
Thanks again
Regards
Sakthivel
Hi ! Anjali,
Congrats on your new website design. Your website is very rich in content and has great information for beginners and newbies like me, even just to read about Bharata Natyam. Hats off to you !!!! Keep up the good work.
All the very best to you.
Kapil
Thanks Sakthivel for these motivating words. I wish your daughter good luck in all her endeavors.
Thanks kapil for your inspiring comment.
Hi Anjai,
I liked yr website. I stay in Aundh Pune. I havee 2 qtns –
1) what is the right age to start learning Bharatnatyam dance. I have a 21/2 yr old daughter.
2) I want to know any good carnatic music teacher in Aundh or nearby places. I have already learnt music but lost touch. Also If someone can come home and teach music to small kids.
Vidya
Hi Anjali!
I love the new look of the website!! 😀
Keep up the good work!
Sri Ramajayam
May Lord Shiva Bless you always.
With Love and Prayers
aumsree
Dear Anjali,
I really appreciate your efforts in creating this website, especially videos with explanation. I have learnt Bharatnatyam for 5 years in India and now am in USA.
I came across your site today while looking for dance classes in our area for my 3 year old daughter.
I will surely visiting this site frequently.
Thanks, Archana
Dear Vidya
Thanks for visiting. The right age to start a formal bharatanatyam lessons is 6yrs and above. Sorry I am not aware of any music teachers.
Dear Bansuri
Thanks again for your encouraging words.
Hello Aumsree
Thank you for the blessings. May God bless you too.
Dear Archana
It feels nice when this site is liked by dancers themselves. Thank you very much.
hi Anjali…i am Gayathri…actually i use to collect the famous dancer’s albums and videos, photos…..and i use to go and purchase many dvds, & acds from http://www.kalakendra.com and other sites. But i couldn’t find your any product cds on kalakendra.com and other than sites..also..like celextel…artindia.net…etc..etc…
so, can u just help me to identify that where can i collect your products…..
Cheers..
Gayathri N
Hi Gayatri. thanks for the interest shown. I have not yet thought about releasing the Cds. But yes it is a good idea.
Dear Anjali,
Thank you very much for your reply. I will be in 7, K.M.Munshi Marg Girgaon Chowpatty. That’s the exact address. I will spend maybe a couple of months so what I was looking for was for some intensive course or something. If you have some information that would be great!
Thank you very much and sorry for the inconvenience.
regards, Sol 🙂
Dear Anjali
Thank you so much for this blog. My daughter is 4 years old and she is crazy for dance, whenever she listens music automatically she starts dancing and she likes classical dance mostly. We are in UK and I was just worrying about how to teach her dance here and I saw ur blog just today and its really amazing I feel. I will try to teach her from ur videos and could u please suggest me where to start first and which part continues… it will be a great help for me
All the best and Thanks again
this is just amazin
cool
extraodinary
tremendous
i couldnt find any site learning bharatynayam
online
i searched for months
finally today i got see ur video in u tube.com
thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
u are so perfect st dancing
ur dance is awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
i love it
thanx for the help
i appreciate that u respect our tradition
Dear Devi
Thanks for encouraging. You can begin with the Namaskaram followed by the Adavus. check http://onlinebharatanatyam.com/2007/07/more-about-adavus/. Good luck.
Dear Tina
Thanks a bunch for your kind words. May god bless you.
G8 work,but can u make the site more organised ,what I mean is the video clipings can be provided in a way how a student starts off with this great art.Also u can have a archieve of all the clippings in the order so that a lay person like me can about it.
Congrats on ur great effort and the dedication to the unparallel dance art.
Thanks a lot , I have got a answer for my questions from ur website itself.Thanks G8 wrk
Thank you Mr Rajesh for the feedback. I have now organised some of my videos on the Index page. I hope that should be better. Do let me know.
I just saw your blog. very good. I don’t know much about about. but am learning instrumental (flute) music along with my wife sudha. we are running a news website – http://www.carnaticdarbar.com.
this is one is basically aiming to serve as a platform to provided all news (shorn of frills). this site will not be complete sans news about bharatanayam. i wish you take a look at the site. will be glad to receive your feedback. your comments are very important for us. shall keep dropping into your blog to pick up a few lessons.
sincerely
kt
Hi. I was wondering how does each dance in Bharatanatyam represent each God’s life in the Hindu culture?
Hi Rupa, thanks for visiting the site. Bharatanatyam began as a worship in temples by Devadasis. They usually sang and danced on songs and poetries in praise of gods. Thats how kautukams and kirtanams came in. Also there are lot of padams that narrate stories of the gods. It is largely based on Indian mythology.
Hello dear Anjali,
This is Sol again. I don’t know if you remember me, but asked if you had some information about some intensive course in Mumbai. I will be visiting India in 2 or 3 months and I’m trying to find some teacher. If not intensive at least I would like to take regular classes.
I’m very neophyte student. Just know a few adavus, but I have great enthusiasm to learn.
I will stay at Girgaon Chowpatty. Maybe some of your readers have some information too.
I feel a bit embarrassed for asking again. I guess you must be very busy.
Thank you again,
kind regards, Sol 🙂
Hi Sol,sorry for not having answered. I have mailed you with necessary details now.
Meanwhile if there are any readers who know about good classes around the area, please feel free to write and send us the information.
Namaste Anjali,
Dear Anjali, i like your entusiasm in teaching Bharatanatyam online very much 🙂 I’m translating diary of vaishnava saint Cintamani Devi to lithuanian and i’m looking everywhere for illustrations for my work. Could you help me? I’d like to ask you some beautiful pictures of bharatanatyam dance.
Radhe Radhe,
Best wishes, May Radhika bless you.
Namaste Baladev das ji
What kind of pictures do you want. Is it relating to any mudra or any deity etc. If You can specify may be I can help. and Thank you for you kind words
Namaste,
Dear Anjali, it’d be nice to find one illustration of ‘luxurious’ bharatanatyam performance, because that diary is about girl who was dancer and entertainer and suddenly became brahmacharini. In exchange I could give you some interesting food recipies. And I have one question, can I dance bharatanatyam? I’d like to dance only in presence of my home Deities. Thank you very much.
Radhe Shyam,
May Radhika bless you 🙂
Dear Mrs Anjali,
Thank you so much for creating this website. It’s great help as I practice this wonderful dance often at home, too. I’m from Europe and there’s only one Bharata Natyam teacher in my country; our other teacher from India comes twice per year. Our dance group practices on a regular basis but there’s so much more I’d like to learn about this wonderful dance form (and, luckily, there’s a lot of great info on this website – I really like your views on how to prepare for a stage show:)
I also have a question: How can I improve the balance in pirouettes/turnings – especially in the 3rd speed?
Looking forward to your reply.
Kind regards,
Sylvia
Dear Baldevdasji
There are a number of dance performances on the youtube. You should visit and you would get one. I have in my favorites added a few. Take look at them aswell.
Dancing before the god is a very noble thought and yes, you can learn this art too.
Dear Sylvia
Thanks a lot for your kind words. Its good to know that there are so many Bharatanatyam enthusiasts outside India. I wish you good luck and success ahead.
A step that is difficult practice it again and again with a positive belief that I will get it right. Start with a slow speed and as you progress try doing it faster.
Dear Mrs Anjali,
I’m very happy to have recieved your advice – thank you:) I shall practice such steps in this way. There’s another thing I’d really like to know about Bharatanatyam. So far, we have been learning various choreographies (Alarippu, Swarajati, Tillana, etc.). But is improvisation possible in this dance form, too? Many friends ask me and I don’t really know what to tell them. If it is possible, how many years experience (or what knowledge) is needed to improvise well?
Best regards,
Sylvia
Namaste,
Thank you, Anjali ji,
I’ve learnt Nata and Tata Adavus a bit from your videos 🙂 I’ll try to learn more. Thank you for posting such educational videos. And one more question, i’m dancing with dhoti now, are there any special dhoti draping styles for dancing? 🙂 Best Wishes
May Radharani bless you,
Radhe Radhe
Dear Baldevdasji
Traditionally bharatanatyam is danced in dhotis. If you are comfortable you can continue or can switch over to a pyjama.
Any improvisation must look decent and not just altering or cutting down the item. just take a look at these links on how allarippu is improvised.
1. http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=UJIISv6ZwWA
Allarippu can also be done on a song playing at the background and sollukettu being said simultaneously.
2. http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=_qWonFBGisM&feature=related
Hi Anjali,Very useful site for the readers. Very helpful. Please provide me the details of Sthayi, shathvika and other bhavas.
Ann, Thanks. I shall very soon put up some details on Bhavas. Meanwhile check out a the articles on Navarasa and Abhinaya part 3 for bhavas and satvika abhinaya.
hi anjali
i found this site to be such a great informative site. i m a student of bharatnatyam and have just begun learning it since the last 2 mths. when i do the leg movements, specialy in madhalya, i feel my heel gives me quite some pain, which makes me uncomfortable to do more practice. as such i dont have any heel problem. is it becoz i m putting too much pressure on my heels while doing it, coz even my arms start paining, and my teacher says i m keeping my arms too tightly stretched. well, maybe its becoz of less practice since its only 2 mths?
i love reading the information on ur blog, keep it up. i wud love to visit ur blog for more.
thanks!
sheetal
Dear Anjali,
it`s great that you show us how to dance Bharatanatyam! We live in Germany and we made a one-week-class with an indian dancer and now we continue to dance with your intenet-you-tube help.
Thanks a lot!
Varsana Rani and Draupadi
Hey Varsana and Draupadi I am glad you liked it. Thank you so much.
Hi, anjali… like your post… I am 30 and have just started learning the dance form!
It is beautiful… i was always enthralled by bharat natyam and never got an opportunity to learn… i gave up.. but i work for a school and told our dance teacher that i was interested… she immediately made me realize its never too late!!
I am enjoying this learning experience!!
I want to learn and read deeply the theory… can you suggest some good books…
Love
Sherryna
Sherryna, it is encouraging to know you liked the posts. Two good books that is a must read is the Abhinayadarpanam and the Natyashastra. There are lot of English translated versions available. Books by authors Manmoham gosh and P. Ramchandrashekar are good. I wish you good luck for your lessons ahead.
Gud work……i like this site as its very useful for all who would like to begin with. I appreciate your hard work that you put in this site. Keep going.
Please suggest me
I am male with age 30.Unmarried and leaving in Bangalore. I want to know if its feasible for me to start learning this now. And what is the process i need to follow and the time i need to dedicate if i want to consider my self that i learned considerable amount of this art in next 1 or 2 years….? …Thanks.
Hello Kiran, I am glad that you liked the contents here. Thank you. You can surely start learning now. If you only have a time of 1 or 2yrs, Then I think you must devote as much time as possible towards understanding the art. You can join dance institutes like kalakshetra, that offer 2-3 yrs full time course on Bharatanatyam. Good luck.