Bharatnatyam or Ekharya
Related to Devdasi culture.
Oldest among all classical dance forms, Bharatnatyam derives its name from Bharata Muni and 'Natyam' which means dance in Tamil.However other scholars have ascribed the name Bharata to Bhava, Raga and Taal.The origin of this dance form can be traced back to Sadir - the solo dance performance of the temple dancers or devadasis in Tamil Nadu, hence it was also referred to as Dashiattam. With the decline of the devadasi system, the art too became nearly extinct, however, the efforts of E Krishna Iyer, a prominent freedom fighter, revived this dance form. Previously this dance form was performed by solo female dancers; it has since become increasingly popular among male and group artists as well. Rukmini Devi Arundale, another famous proponent of BharatnatyamOther prominent dance forms in Tamil Nadu are Bharatnatyam, Kumi, Kolattam, Kavadi.
Kuchipudi
This essentially centred around god Krishna who came in the dream of Sidharth Yogi to create this art form. Originally performed by a group of actors going from village to village known as Kusselavas, Kuchipudi derives its name from the Andhra villages of Kusselavapuri or Kuchelapuram. In the 17th century, Siddhendra Yogi formalized and systematized the tradition.
He authored Bhama Kalapam and many other plays. With the advent of Vaishnavism, the dance form became a monopoly of the male Brahmins and began to be performed at temples. Stories of Bhagavat Purana became a central theme of the recitals, and the dancers came to be known as Bhagavathalus.
The dance form gained prominence under the patronage of the Vijayanagar and Golconda rulers. However it remained confined to villages remained obscure till the advent of the twentieth century, when Balasaraswati and Ragini. Devi revived this dance form. Lakshminarayan, Shastry, in the early 20th century, brought in new practices such as solo recitals and female participation.
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