India is a large country with 29 states and 7 union territories, so there are different languages, costumes, food traditions and of course dance and culture. I have previously talked about kathak which is very widespread in north-east India and is one of eight classical dance forms. Bharat natyam is very widespread in south India, more precisely in the state of Tamil Nadu, the word is Sanskrit and means Bharat's dance. Bharat is the local name for India and they also use Bharat mata which means mother India . The dance was originally reserved for temple maids called devdaasi until the 20th century, only then was it allowed to perform on stage. Until 1910, performance was only in temples. After the ban by the British government during the colonial period, there was an opening for performance as entertainment. Thus, men and women from higher castes had access to education.
The dance form can be traced back to 330 BC and has been somewhat changed when Rukmani Devi , a major influence on the dance as it is today, removed some of the hip, chest, neck and lip movements considered inappropriate. Originally, it is a solo dance that often expresses love and longing, often love for Krishna or Shiva and maternal love. The dance is very demanding and the whole body is used. The eyes, neck, arms, bent legs and hand positions - mudras and facial expressions are very central to conveying the art. The dancer performs several roles in a performance without a break and the costumes are very beautiful, with large and many pieces of jewelry and nose rings! Ghungroo foot bells are used extensively, but not as intensely as in kathak. The hands and feet are painted with a circle of alta , a bright red "ink"-like liquid that dries but can be washed off (not like henna paint ). A large red bindi in the middle of the forehead is also a very classic element.
In the fall of 2014 I was so privileged to cook for one of Bollywood's most famous actresses and exemplary Bhartnatyam dancer Hema Malini in 2014 (see video above). The performance lasted two hours and the then 65-year-old showed great fitness and execution skills like no other. She truly danced like a goddess with her beautiful smile and "talking" eyes, such a formidable ability to communicate with body and eyes can be searched for a long time.
