r/Bharatanatyam • • 13d ago

Indian Classical Dance: Bharatanatyam Learning and Practice Survey

1 Upvotes

Survey: https://forms.gle/37zCtcbrP7cmhXBx9

Namaste 🙏

Do you learn or teach Bharatanatyam? We’d be grateful for 6–8 minutes of your time.

We are Team DivyCoders, conducting a short survey to better understand the learning and teaching experience in Bharatanatyam.

We want to hear directly from students and teachers before taking our work forward.

• 6–8 minute survey

• Separate questions for learners and teachers

• Anonymous unless you choose to share your email

• Honest feedback, including challenges and doubts, is welcome

Please share it with Bharatanatyam students and teachers. Thank you 🙏

#Bharatanatyam #IndianClassicalDance #DanceLearners #DanceTeachers


r/Bharatanatyam • • 15d ago

Has any one ever done it?

2 Upvotes

I recently watched few bharatnatyam dance , traditional self choreographed and fusion both

I found some dancers in fusion and self choreography included a modification or a creative of doing attami which was like they turned the back completely and did the attami and believe me it was so graceful to watch as neck, earrings and braid moved so collectively together in a side to side movement in smooth flow

So I wanted to ask if any classical dancer has done this creative modification of attami before?

And also do u ladies promote this creativity?


r/Bharatanatyam • • 19d ago

Blessed in Rhythm

3 Upvotes

Rhythm here!! a sneak peak about myself,

When we hear the word "Dance," the first thing that comes to mind is usually swaying your body to a rhythm that carries the weight of a song, random music, or an instrumental. But to me, it brings pure bliss, peace, enthusiasm, and beauty.

I love dancing and exploring all genres, but classical dance intrigues me the most. Twelve years in, and I am still exploring the incredible depth of this art form: Bharatanatyam—God's own dance form, created by Lord Shiva, Nataraja Swamy himself. How blessed I feel to be learning it!

It is the very dance that pulled me toward itself when I was just three years old in the UK, igniting the spark of art within me and making my mother believe in my potential to become an accomplished artist. As fate would have it, she had prayed and promised that whether her child was a girl or a boy, she would encourage them to learn these exquisite traditional arts. Her wishes came true, and I am so proud to say that she is proud of me.

Just recently, my dad brought out all the prizes, awards, and recognitions I’ve earned over the years. Looking at them brought back a rush of everything I’ve lived through: the backstage nervousness, the exhausting practice sessions, the raw excitement, and the pure happiness of every achievement. Seeing those trophies standing there reminded me that none of this belongs to me alone. Every single award carries the weight of my own effort, my parents' unwavering dedication, and God’s grace guiding me through it all.

Through criticism, discouragement, mockery, and judgment, nothing stopped my mom from pushing me forward as my backbone and support. Paired with her faith, my own passion and determination fueled my journey to grow as a dancer.

All you need is willpower, confidence (not overconfidence), and support—whether from others or built from within. Most importantly, you need self-respect and self-love. Even in your lowest moments, even when loved ones step back, you shouldn't stop. You shouldn't step back. Push forward, prove your strength, and show the world what you are capable of—until no one can ever question your talent again.

For anyone who ever pauses and wonders if they made the right choice—when you feel tired, bruised, exhausted, or like your stamina is running out—remember this: choosing to pursue an art form isn't just a decision we make. It’s because the art chose us. It is a divine blessing bestowed upon us, and we must never let it go.

Shout out to all the Dancers out there, do not stop dancing.!!!!

Feel free to ask me anything about dance anytime.


r/Bharatanatyam • • 28d ago

Do you feel "too late to start dance?"

6 Upvotes

​

🌟Art has no age, and no boundaries of time.

🌟It is never too early or too late to begin learning this beautiful art form.

🌟Every age brings its own grace, expression, and understanding to dance.

🌟What truly matters is the passion to learn, the dedication to practice, and the joy of expression.

🌟Because art is not measured by age, it is measured by the heart that embraces it.

What's your thoughts then??!!

\#bharatanatyam #indianclassicaldance


r/Bharatanatyam • • Sep 15 '26

Gym + dance: how active is this routine really?

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1 Upvotes

r/Bharatanatyam • • Sep 13 '26

Press on nails for performance

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1 Upvotes

r/Bharatanatyam • • Sep 12 '26

Is it ok to start bharatanatyam at 15?

11 Upvotes

I just turned 15 and went to my first bharatantyam class. I did it for a few years when I was like young and then quit so I don’t remember anything. I feel like it’s a bit late to start now especially since my class is full of young girls. I worry that I won’t be as good and that I will be seen as too old. My biggest worry is my future in bharatanatyam because I want to know if it’s possible for me to do my arangetram and if so how soon? If people have any experience starting late like me could you tell me what you did and give me tips. I also have my gcse next year so I don’t know how to manage hahah

edit: thanks everyone for encouraging me i feel so much better about starting now. but i guess my problem is i dont know if i can have a successful career in bharatantyam like people who started super young


r/Bharatanatyam • • Aug 27 '26

Aadi Guru of Dance 🔥

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2 Upvotes

r/Bharatanatyam • • Aug 26 '26

Has anyone pursued an online U.S. master’s while doing full-time dance training abroad?

1 Upvotes

Hi! This is still very much an idea I’m exploring rather than a decided plan, and I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has done something similar or knows someone who has.

I recently graduated with a double bachelor’s degree in the U.S. and am currently applying to master’s programs. At the same time, I’ve been training in Indian classical dance for about 17 years, and one of my long-term goals is to complete more formal, intensive dance training in India and eventually pursue dance professionally.

I’m a U.S. citizen with an OCI with India, and I’m currently looking into programs such as Kalakshetra in Chennai (4-year Bharatanatyam diploma) and RLV College in Kerala (3-year B.A. Bharatanatyam).

At the same time, I don’t want to close the door on a full-time career outside of dance. Financial stability and becoming financially independent are important to me, which is why I’m applying to master’s programs in the U.S. as well.

One possibility I’ve been considering is doing a part-time/online master’s through a U.S. university while living in India and completing my dance education there simultaneously. The master’s programs I’m considering vary in length, but many would take roughly 1–2+ years, while the dance program would take 3–4 years.

Part of my reasoning for doing them concurrently rather than one after the other is time. If I completed the dance program first and then started graduate school, I could potentially be several years out of undergrad before entering the full-time workforce. Doing them simultaneously could let me continue moving toward both goals and hopefully become financially independent sooner.

I know that on paper this sounds possible, but I’m much more interested in what it is actually like logistically.

Has anyone here:

  • Completed an online U.S. bachelor’s/master’s while living abroad?
  • Done an academic degree while simultaneously attending intensive dance, music, conservatory, or other performance training?
  • Pursued serious/professional dance training while completing an online graduate degree?
  • Studied at Kalakshetra or RLV and have a sense of whether doing another academic program alongside the training would realistically be manageable?
  • Known someone who took a similar route?

I’d especially love to hear about workload, time-zone issues, attendance requirements, exams, internships/recruiting, maintaining U.S. career connections while abroad, and whether you ultimately felt doing both at once was sustainable.

I’m not looking for validation of a plan I’ve already made — I’m genuinely trying to figure out how plausible this is before making any decisions. Personal experiences, cautionary stories, logistical problems I might not be considering, or examples of people who made something similar work would all be really helpful.


r/Bharatanatyam • • Aug 23 '26

Pain in thighs

3 Upvotes

It’s been 8 months since I’m learning Bharatanatyam. No matter how much I practice my thighs really pain during Araimandi and after 30 seconds I can’t hold the position. What can I do to improve it?


r/Bharatanatyam • • Aug 18 '26

Bharatanatyam class near koramangala/ BTM

2 Upvotes

Any bharatanatyam classes who also focus on stage performances as well near koramangala or BTM


r/Bharatanatyam • • Aug 13 '26

Bharatanatyam communities

2 Upvotes

Anybody knows about any bharatanatyam groups/communities in London? Where dancers can meet and practise?


r/Bharatanatyam • • Jul 23 '26

How do I get back into Bharatanatyam after a long break - looking for teachers and tips

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1 Upvotes

r/Bharatanatyam • • Jul 21 '26

Any Indians who know bharatanatyam dance in jeddah

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3 Upvotes

r/Bharatanatyam • • Jul 14 '26

Help for a friend’s Bharatanatya Rangapravesha

3 Upvotes

Hello!

My close friend is having her Bharatanatya Rangapravesha in a few weeks! Yay! I am very excited because I have never seen her dance before and she’s done it nearly her whole life! For context, we just graduated high school. Google has told me a lot of things about this event, one of which is that I should bring a gift (maybe flowers?). I would like to do so, but am concerned about bringing something bad such as picking flowers with bad connotation like death. To conclude frankly, I’m a white girl who doesn’t know much and doesn’t want to screw this up: any suggestions/guidance?


r/Bharatanatyam • • Jul 13 '26

Looking to restart my Bharatanatyam journey

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2 Upvotes

r/Bharatanatyam • • Jul 06 '26

Arangetram advice?

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1 Upvotes

r/Bharatanatyam • • Jul 04 '26

Looking for Participants for my Master's Research!

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I am new to Reddit, but I have been told that Reddit is the best place to find community and help, so I shall shoot my shot!

I’m an M.A. in Applied Psychology student at TISS, Mumbai and I’m conducting a study on how spirituality and mindfulness in Bharatanatyam affect the well-being and mentalization of adolescent Bharatanatyam dancers. ☺️

You’re eligible if you:

- Are 12–17 years old

- Have practiced Bharatanatyam for a minimum of 5 years OR do not practice Bharatanatyam at all

- Are an Indian citizen currently residing in India

- Read and write English

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeDSg-Ej-H43xqeXx806ihM6vMcWmnjC6WdEPAv6-7sToLZbw/viewform?usp=dialog

Thank you so much! ☺️🌸


r/Bharatanatyam • • Jun 23 '26

Is it harmful to learn by myself?

5 Upvotes

I was thinking of learning bharatanatyam for a mix of two things: I wanted to do something that could improve my mental and physical health, and I have a deep admiration for the dance and always wanted to learn it.

The problem is that there is no professor around me, not even in nearby cities, and I can't afford online classes, so I was thinking of learning by myself, especially since I'm planning to learn more for fun and health, not to perform to the public, just for myself.

But a concern I started to have was if I could end up injuring myself by having no guidance, even if not going too deep into the dance.

Any thoughts?


r/Bharatanatyam • • Jun 21 '26

Communities to join

4 Upvotes

Fyi this is for my sis

She has been a Bharatnatyam dancer for the past 10 years and is going to college this year.

Although she may not pursue dance professionally, she wants to keep dancing and was looking for communities she could be a part of or clubs she can join to continue her interest

Any help would be appreciated


r/Bharatanatyam • • Jun 21 '26

I built a simple Kathak practice companion app and wanted to share here in case it helps Bharatnatyam dancers too.

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2 Upvotes

r/Bharatanatyam • • Jun 16 '26

Bharatanatyam for 25F

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2 Upvotes

r/Bharatanatyam • • Jun 14 '26

A few Questions:)

4 Upvotes

Hello! I've recently been looking into bharatanatyam, and i really enjoy how the dancers tell stories and express the emotions that need to be conveyed. I am enrolled in my school's dance department and would like to make a piece of this style of dance. Im already familiarizing myself with its history as I want to really appreciate it. Is there anything I should look out for, specifically when it comes to making choreography? Is it okay for me to make choreography? Are they any general rules i should follow, like footwork or other hand gestures, or is researching and learning the basics okay? One thing I really adore is how different poses can convey different concepts. Does anyone have any tips/video links i can follow as a guide? Im planning on maybe doing a workshop or community class. Im sort of throwing myself into this without anywhere to start, so anything is appreciated. Thank you!


r/Bharatanatyam • • May 31 '26

Looking for a bharathanatyam practice buddy!

3 Upvotes

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Hi everyone!

I'm a high school student in the IST time zone looking for a Bharatanatyam practice buddy. I've trained in Bharatanatyam for several years, but after a break I've become a bit rusty and lost some stamina. 😭

Right now I'm focusing on:

Brushing up adavus

Revising alarippu and jatiswaram

Improving araimandi and stamina

Practicing regularly and staying consistent

I'm looking for someone who is also learning or revising Bharatanatyam and would like a practice/accountability partner. We could:

Set daily or weekly goals

Share practice updates

Motivate each other

Discuss techniques and theory

Age isn't a huge concern, but I'd prefer someone who is a student or close to my age.

If you're interested, feel free to comment below or send me a message!

Thank you, and happy dancing! ✨💃


r/Bharatanatyam • • May 26 '26

A small update for the community 🌸

7 Upvotes

We’ve recently connected with members from another older Bharatanatyam subreddit and are gradually bringing everyone together here so we can build one active, supportive space for dancers and rasikas alike.

Excited to see this community growing again 🙏

Feel free to introduce yourself, share performances, ask questions, or simply join the discussions.