Indian Classical Dance Bharatanatyam Bharatanatyam is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of eight forms of dance recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and it expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism. It is noted for its fixed upper torso, legs bent or knees flexed ( Aramandi ) out combined with spectacular footwork, a sophisticated vocabulary of sign language based on gestures of hands, eyes and face muscles. The dance is accompanied by music and a singer, and typically her guru is present as the Nattuvanar, director and conductor of the performance and art. The dance has traditionally been a form of an interpretive narration of mythical legends and spiritual ideas from the Hindu texts. The performance repertoire of Bharatanatyam, like other classical dances, includes nrita (pure dance), nritya (solo expressive dance) and...