Not just drawing and painting are arts. Dance is also an art.

Traditional dance... Malaysia is rich with a lot of traditional dance as all of us are from different ethnics and culture. All the dances have their own style and uniqueness. However, only one dance has amazed me. It is the Bharatha Natyam. It an Indian traditional dance which origins from India. Now, this art is also being practices by the community in Malaysia.
This dance has both combinations of both the dance steps ( nritta) and dramatic art (natya). In this dance emphasises is also given to the facial expressions and gestures. The dancer should be expressive according to the mood of the song that he /she are dancing. Sometimes the dancer may need to change the facial expression in seconds. This is as though the dancer is communicating with the audience using only his facial expression and gestures. This allows the audience to distinguish the various characters in the song that the dancer is dancing.
In addition, the use of make up in this dance is something that I really adore. One might think that the makeup is just a simple matter. However, it is not as easy as some may think. For bharatha natyam, more emphasis is given to the eye part. Thick eye lining that is tilted up a bit at the end will be put on the dancer’s eyes. This is because the eyes play the most important part in the facial expression. On the other hand, the costumes are also amazing. The materials are based on ‘sari’, which is being stitched as a Bharatha Natyam costume. Through the appearance of the costume, we might think that it is very heavy and inconvenient to wear it when dancing. Conversely, it is actually comfortable and allows the dancers to move freely when dancing. What is dance without jewelleries...?? in my opinion, Bharatha Natyam dancers especially the female ones wear the most numbers of jewelleries(not from 916 gold) when dancing. The utmost important thing that each Bharatha Natyam dancers should wear is the dancing bells (salanggai), which they wear on their legs.
A Bharatha Natyam dancer will pass through different stages in the dance. The final stage, which is more like a graduation performance (Arangetram), is an occasion where the guru presents his/her student to the public. This is the time the student will perform the dance to be judged by the public. At the same time the guru’s knowledge of the dance will also be reviewed by others through the student’s performance. That is why only the guru will decide when the student is ready for it. Typically, it will take at least 10 to 12 years of training before Bharatha Natyam dancer is ready for Arangetram.
Dancer of Bharatha Natyam should have good stamina and concentration. This is because the time duration for a Arangetram will be 2 ½ till 3 hours. In addition, the dancer should perform at least a minimum number of eight songs with only a very small break in between. Some of the songs might even take up 15 minutes per song.

I learned this dance when I was six years old. At that time, I was unable to understand the underlying meaning of the songs that I dance. I just follow whatever my guru teaches me.
It took me two years to finish my basic which is ‘salanggai pooja’. I can still remember the excitement at that moment. It is one of the memorable moments for me.
“Mogana, do some ‘bhavanai’ when you are dancing.” I have never realise what was the purpose my guru said so, as I had always thought we must only remember the dance steps and dance following the rhythm of the song. However, I started to realise it when I was in my teenage age.
Bharathanatyam is not just about the dance steps, it also combines the dramatic art (bhavanai / natya). Facial expression and gestures are very vital for this dance. The dancer should be expressive according to the mood of the song that he/ she is dancing.
I began to understand that the facial expressions that we give when dancing actually help to deliver the underlying meaning of the song. It is actually as though I am communicating with the dancer using my dance steps and facial expressions together with the gestures. There were times when I had to change my facial expressions in seconds.
Many will be thinking that it is very easy to master this art, but it has never been as easy as they thought. It took me two years to finish the basic level. I was on my way to the final stage (Arangetram) after learning the dance for almost eight years; however I had to stop due to my studies. And if I want to continue, it will take me at least another five years. That is not a short period at all. It is almost like studying to be a doctor!!
When we were required to read an extract in the book “Now Read On”, I immediately recognised that the extract is about bharathanatyam due to my previous knowledge about the dance.
Watching a dance performance and watching a play or drama is the same. We have to give importance towards the characters’ expression and gestures besides their speech to know about the play and the characters’ traits.
Finally, one should learn a traditional dance as it is an art that we should uphold. It is very gifted to know our own traditional dance as it reflects our own identity. Maybe after I finish my degree, I might also pursue to complete my dance. Wish me the best for it. :-)