Bharatanayam

Bharatanatyam is a rigorous Indian Classical Dance form that originated in South India. This dance form focuses on fierce footwork, a fixed upper torso, and all elements of the body including the head, neck, and eyes. Most of the dances tell spiritual stories about the Hindu gods and religious texts. An Arangetram is a 3-hour long debut on-stage performance where the dancer showcases all of her items together in a sequence. It is essentially the dancer’s graduation and completion of the dance course. After this, the dancer is now a professional and can go on to teach the art to others. Growing up, the concept of an Arangetram always seemed so abstract and unthinkable, but as the years past by, I dreamed of this day and knew that this is something that I wanted. Finally, after ten years of preparation, hard work, and dedication, my sister and I were able to achieve our dream and make it a reality this past summer.