The intimate association of dance with religion and as a ritual, a form of worship in the temples is well established. The institution of the Devadãsis, servants of the God, contributed in perpetuating and preserving the art. In ancient times, the system of dedicating young dancers to the temples as devadãsis seems to have prevailed. Dance has special mention in two important Tamil works Silappadikaram and Manimekhalai of the Sangam age ( 500 B.C - 500 A.D ). The sacred texts of the Shaivagamas prescribed the mode of worship and referred to the consecration of dancing girls in the service of the gods. The temples were not only places of communication between man and God, but also strongholds of the Arts. In the beautiful Nata-Mandapas (dance-halls) of the magnificient temples, the devadãsis used to perform ritual dances as votive offerings to the presiding Dieties.

Sculptural and Historical Evidence

The present BharataNãtyam can be traced back to this form. It has been established from the sculptural evidence, that the technique of movement which this style follows can be traced back to the 5th century, the position common to the classical dance ( mãrgi style ) was the ardhamandali position (also called aramandi , with the out-turned knees. By the 10th century A.D. , this basic position was common to dance styles from Orissa to Gujarat and from Khajuraho to Trivandrum. From about the 10th century A.D. in sculptures of dance, we find that basic position of the lower limbs is common to relics in particularly every part of India.

After the 10th century, BharataNãtyam seems to have developed chiefly in the South and gradually came to be restricted to what is now known as Tamil Nadu. From chronicles we learn that the Cholã and the Pallava kings were great patrons of the arts. King Chola not only maintained dancers in the Temples in his kingdom, but was a very great connoisseur of music and dance. The tradition of the NatyaShãstra appears to have been widesprread. The accuracy with which the artists of the Brihadeeshwara temple in Thanjavur have illustrated the karanas of the fourth chapter of the NatyaShãstra is adequate proof of their understanding of the laws of the dance movement.

The magnificient temples built in the South during the rule of the Pallavas and the Cholas (4th century A.D - 12the century A.D) are a living testimony of their love for architecture, sculpture, paintings and primarily their belief in religion and devotion to the Gods. The Chola Kings maintained hundreds of Dancers in the temples. The tradition was nurtuted, sustained and kept alive by the successive Pandya, Nayakas and Maratha Rulers till the end of the 19th century. The Bhakti movement, the poets, the Vãggeyakãras, the saints, the musicians and composers helped the growth of this art.

About the 14th century A.D. we find that technical illustrations of dance movements were made in the Shãrangapãni temple at Kumbakonam and in the four magnificent gopurams of theNatarãja Temple in Chidambaram. Illustrations of the charis and the karanas are found in temples of Gangaikonda, Cholapuram, Kumbakonam, Madurai and Kancheepuram. The sculptural evidence can be supplemented amply by the Shãstras, textual criticisms, historical chronicles and creative literature. Between the 14th and 17th centuries, there was much repetition of dance poses already sclupted in the three main temples mentioned above.

Literary Evidence
From the creative literature in Tamil, Telugu and Kanada, one can easily conclude that the dance was a vigorous and living art. During the Marathã rule ( AD 1674 - 1854 ) over Thanjavur the art of BharataNãtyam received considerable fillip.King Shãhaji ( 1684 - 1711 ) wrote nearly five hundred padams ( short poetic compositions ). These marathi padams are found in the form of palm-leaf manuscripts in the Telugu script. These manuscripts are preserved in the Saraswati Mahal Library at Thanjavur. King Tulaja II ( 1763 - 87 ) wrote the Sangitasamrita which deals with adavus, the basic dance steps, is a landmark in the dance literature. During the reign of King Serfoji II (A.D 1798-1832), the tradition of bharataNãtyam received its definite shape from the Thanjavur Quartet Chinayya, Ponnayya, Vadivelu and Sivanandam, the four brothers who were disciples of the composer Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the trinity of Carnatic music.

Performance & Features

The complete performance of this dance involves six stage known as Alarippu, Jatiswaram, Sabdam, Varnam, Padam and Thillana. These stages combine the elements of Nritta or pure dance, and Nritya (expressive dance).Nritta comprises three elements, a basic standing position, movement of the legs and feet and also decorative hand gestures.Timing is based on beats of equal length known as Jatis.

Vocalist conduct the dance movements by calling out Shollukatus or rhythmic syllables.

There are a number of musicians and instrumentalists who provide the musical accompaniment. Typically there is one or more vocalist, a person reciting the dance syllables, and a mridangam. Additionally, one usually finds violin, vina (saraswati vina), or venu (bamboo flute). There is also a thallam (manjira) which is usually played by the person reciting the dance syllables. The overall style of the Bharat Natyam musical accompaniment is not unlike other Carnatic performances.

All of the traditional elements of classical dance are present in Bharat Natyam. The mudras (hand positions), abhinaya (facial expressions), and padams (narrative dances) form the basis for the performance.

There are a number of well defined of items. Alarippu is a traditional invocation. Jatis are strict compositions based upon the different time-signatures. Another piece is the Sabdam; this is an interpretative narrative, usually performed in seven beats. Another form is the Varanam; these are elaborate descriptions of the nature of God. Another piece which is usually performed toward the end of the performance is the Tillana; this is a purely abstract form devoid of narrative. The performance ends with a Mangalam; this is a short Shloka in praise of God.

Today

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.