“There is no art, no science, no craft, no knowledge, which is not in Natya”
Thus spoke Bharata more than 2000 years ago in his monumental work the ‘Natyasastra’ which describes the principles of Natya or Performing Arts.
“We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.”
This is from Galileo Galilei
Even if scholars are in search of historical evidence of a person called Bharata and Galileo’s discoveries were disregarded in medieval Europe, one can discover what they postulated in these sentences.
- Discover the Power of the Performative, the knowledge in and through movement and expression, the art of communication, the art of science, the art of performance.
The Academy offers both regular open classes as well as a complete training in Bharatanatyam with all related disciplines, including music and yoga. Those who have reached the Intermediate II or Advanced level with aptitude for stage are given continued individual training leading to the so-called Arangetram or debut, followed or accompanied by lessons in theory, teaching techniques and performance skills through practical experience. After successful completion of the Arangetram – a presentation of the complete Bharatanatyam-Repertoire, which since 2006 includes the preparation and presentation of an individual choreographic work – and a written exam introduced in 1999, participants receive a Certificate. Senior teachers are invited from India for this purpose. Guest teachers and choreographers are invited at regular intervals to refurbish the repertoire and expose the advanced level students to various techniques.
The aim of the courses at the Academy is not to acquire items, though a basic repertoire of these are taught to obtain the necessary foundation. Students are encouraged to acquire the knowledge contained in Bharatanatyam, thus facilitating them an individual application of this knowledge in their respective professional fields.
- Angika: Articulation through the body.
Discover your immediate kinesphere – the body-mind complex. Discover the power in the kinetic chains. Learn how each Anga or body part is used in movement. - Vachika: Verbal Expression, spoken and sung.
Learn to convert spoken expression, songs, poetry to Body language - Satvika: From within.
What experiences, emotions and innermost feelings does dance help express?
