The art of Bharatanatyam: Classical Indian Dance, a brief introduction and public performance

The School of Archaeology and Anthropology is delighted to present 'The art of Bharatanatyam, the history and current practice', a Lecture and Demonstration for students. Aranyani Bhagarav began to train in Bharatanatyam at a very young age under Leela Samson, one of India's most celebrated exponents of the form. Since then, Aranyani has continued her training and performed extensively in India and across the globe. Aranyani's distinctive approach to this form of Classical Indian Dance places equal importance on the traditional and modern forms, the human and divine, the religious and secular. Aranyani's approach is eclectic, and she draws from other dance forms: ballet and contemporary dance, Pilates, yoga and martial arts. This approach has also led her to engage with dance academically. Studying at the University of Oxford, she wrote her dissertation of multiple-modernities within Bharatanatyam. Aranyani is now also the artistic director of her dance company 'Vyuti', which explores interactions and body contact between multiple dancing bodies through the grammar of Bharatanatyam.