Bharatha Natyam The Dance of India: Grammar and Technique

Bharatha Natyam The Dance of India: Grammar and Technique is a book for all dance students, specifically those learning the popular classical dance from South India, Bharatha Natyam. This is a thorough book, which has material from the ancient texts on dance simplified and even tabulated for easy understanding. The in-depth explanations of music, theater and dance, the technical details of dance including pure dance and expressive elements of dance, adavu units of dance, hand gestures, detailed movements of the body based on the codified rules stated in the dance treatise the Natya Sastra are explained in simple language. The experiences of the author having to market her art and artistic career in US, advice to emerging artists, the creative and technical aspects of dance choreography are also detailed from her personal experience. The book has over 600 full color photographs that help in understanding the technical nuances. A comprehensive book that is valuable guide for students and practitioners of Bharatha Natyam or learning Indian dance as part of world dance.

Jayanthi Raman has been performing and teaching Bharatha Natyam for over three decades. Recipient of many awards and honors consistently over the years, she has been referred to as a scholar, cultural treasure, master artist and world-class dancer and is considered the Gold Standard of Indian Dance in the region by the press and her peers. She is has been performing and teaching in Portland, OR.Gaining much of this knowledge from the Gurus of Indian dance as an oral tradition in the Kalakshetra lineage, she has structured the knowledge into a written format. Having the experience of being a cultural ambassador of her art form and culture, Raman has also brought much of the information in this book from research done for her lectures, master classes and workshops presented over the years.