South Indian Woman performing Bharatnatyam the classical dance of India


Bharatnatyam is a solo classical Indian dance form of religious origin performed traditionally by women. It is believed by some scholars to be more than 3, 000 years old and was once performed by Hindu temple dancers, or devadasis. Today it is to be found mostly in southern India. A distinctive feature of Bharata Natyam Dance is the use of expressive hand gestures (Hastas) as a way of communication. Many hastas can be used in more than one way, depending on the song accompanying the dance, and what the dancer is trying to convey to the audience.


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Photo credit: © PhotosIndia.com RM 11 / Alamy / Afripics
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