Thillana- the rhythmic harmony

As brightly clad dancers come together on state to present Thillana, a culminating group event in a Bharatanatyam performance, it resembles the flames of fire dancing, signifying the conception of the dance as the ‘fire dance’. Bharatanatyam is believed to be the mysterious display of the abstract element of fire in the human body.

Thillana explores the extent of strong kinetics. This style requires exemplary skills in terms of rhythm, timing and synchronization in order to radiate the unique performance charm associated with it. It is Anita Ratnam, the famous Bharatanatyam artiste and her disciples who present this unique dance here.

Bharatanatyam, an ancient Indian classical dance form which had its origin in Tamil Nadu has also roots in the Natya Sastra, a treatise on dance by sage Bharata. This dance form is the manifestation of the ancient Indian idea of the celebration of the eternal universe through the celebration of the beauty of the mortal human body.