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WEEK 1, UNDERSTANDING BASICS, , 1) BHARATANATYAM, , Bharatanatyam, the oldest classical dance heritage of India, is regarded as the, mother of many Indian classical dance forms, and it originated in Tamil Nadu., , The word Bharata is a mnemonic, consisting of "bha"—"ra"—"ta." According to, this belief, bha stands for bhava (feelings, emotions), ra stands for raga (melody,, framework for musical notes), and ta stands for tala (rhythm). Natya is a, Sanskrit word for dance. The compound word Bharatanatyam thus connotes a, dance that harmoniously expresses bhava, raga, tala., , 2) NAMASKAR, , A Bharatanatyam dancer starts and ends every session of dancing with, Namaskar (obedience). Dancer seeks blessings and permission from Mother, Earth to stomp on her during the dance. The dancer pays respect to God, (Nataraja), Teacher (Guru), and Audience., , PRAYERS, , 1) DHYANA SHLOKA, , It is traditional to start a dance practice with a dhyana shloka. 'Dhyana' is a, Sanskrit word that means meditation, and 'Shloka' means a prayer., , This is a popular shloka in praise of Lord Shiva, who is said to be the King of, Dance. The dancing form of Lord Shiva is known as 'Nataraja' (read: Nuh-tuhraa-jaa).

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Meanin:, , Guru Is Brahma, who plants the qualities of goodness., , Guru Is Vishnu, who nurtures and fosters the qualities of goodness., , Guru Is Maheshwara, who weeds out the bad quality., , Guru Is Supreme Brahman Itself, , Prostration unto That Guru., , We significantly revere Guru (Teacher or Master) as he is a wealth, of knowledge. And by offering our sincere obedience to him, we, expect to gain understanding from him. Master or Teacher is the, one who would direct us to the path of Enlightenment and save us, from the darkness of ignorance. Hence Teacher should be given, profound honour and respect.