Indian Dance
Bharta Natayam is an ancient and highly codified dance form. In bharatanatyam pure dance ( or nritta ), movements are done to demonstrate rhythm, and to create beauty. The expressive movements (or abhinaya ) convey meaning and show emotion, through a codified vocabulary of hand gestures, and facial expressions. Their purpose is to portray a theme or feeling, and to transmit this experience of it to the audience. Utilized as part of religious rituals and performed in the temples and in the courts by Devadasis
In the winter of 1999, Nicole began her journey into South Indian Dance under the guidance and grace of yoga and bharata natayam teacher, Bonnie Novokov. Bonnie had studied with famed devadasi dancer, Bala T. Saraswati. to whom she will always be indeep appreciation of. In 2008, Nicole travelled to Chennai, India and studied with dance master Shymala Mohanraj.Presently, Nicole continues her studies with Aggie Brenneman
The instructional bharta Natayam dance DVD, produced by Nicole Fish, is devoted to demonstrating the basic adavus of the Bala T. Saraswati dance lineage. Bharta Natayam is a beautiful ancient and highly codified dance form hailing from South India. Noted for it’s complex footwork, yogic extension of limbs and articulate hand mudras. Bharta Natayam is held in high regard in the world of Dance. Nicole Fish presents each adavu, which is a combination of positions with co-ordinated movement of the feet, arms, hands and head. Each adavu has a spoken rhythmical syllable ( sollukatu) said in accordance with each movement.