About NatyaShastra Vision And Mission
About Natya-Shastra.in, our mission is to serve as a gateway to the illustrious world of the Natyashastra. We offer insights, resources, and a platform to delve deeper into the nuances of Indian performing arts. Our aim is to bring forth the richness of this ancient text, shedding light on the profound wisdom it holds. With its everlasting influence on various artistic traditions.
Join us on this journey of cultural exploration and artistic appreciation. Become a member for updates, articles, and resources, delving into the depths of the Natyashastra.
Our Vision
We are your gateway to mastering the captivating art of Indian Classical Dance. Rooted in the wisdom of the Natyashastra, we empower you to transcend mere steps and delve into the soul of this practice.
Our vision: Transformative learning. Profound connection.
Through our platform:
- Demystify intricate nuances: Simplify profound concepts for seamless understanding.
- Become more than a dancer: Unleash the performer within, embodying the true spirit of the art.
- Connect with a vibrant community: Share, learn, and grow alongside fellow dancers worldwide.
Join us on this exhilarating journey. Embrace the legacy, elevate your art.
Natya-Shastra.in: Where heritage meets passion.
Dramatic Composition and Stagecraft
Delve into the structure of plays, the art of composition, and the intricate details of stagecraft. Explore how the NatyaShastra elucidates the foundational aspects of theatrical performance.
Acting Techniques and Body Movements
Explore the various acting styles, body movements, gestures, and expressions detailed in the NatyaShastra. It offers a profound understanding of the nuances of the performing arts.
Makeup, Costumes, and Art Direction
Explore the significance of makeup, costumes, and the pivotal role of an art director in creating the visual and aesthetic appeal of performances. As elucidated by the godly text.
Journey Through the NatyaShastra
Our mission is to foster a vibrant, global community of Indian Classical Dance enthusiasts. We empower dancers with the timeless wisdom of NatyaShastra.
We aim to demystify the intricate art form, providing a transformative learning experience that transcends mere steps.
Our platform is a hub where dancers and schools unite, nurturing connections, sharing knowledge. Let’s celebrate the rich heritage while shaping the future of this mesmerizing art.
My journey in Bharatanatyam
The body learns before the mind understands. That truth has shaped every step of my journey with Bharatanatyam, a journey that began in 1996 and continues to deepen with each passing year.
I am Krishna Yoganarasimha Vedanta Deshikachar, a disciple of Smt. Jyothi Pattabhiram of the Sadhana Sangama Trust, Bengaluru. Under her guidance, I took my first steps into this ancient art form and gradually grew into its vast interior – its rhythms, its grammar of gesture, its capacity to carry meaning across time.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of participating in several in-house productions, each one a study in a different dimension of classical expression – Vishwamitra Gayatri, Preksha Gruha, Naada-Moda, and Navarasadevi, among others. These productions were not just performances; they were laboratories of learning, shaped by the vision and creative rigour of my Guru. I have also cleared the examinations conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB), a formal marker on a journey that is, at its heart, informal and lifelong.
As an editor at Natya-Shastra.in, I work to ensure that what is published here stays true to the rigour of the tradition while remaining accessible to the genuine student.
Today, my practice has found a quieter, more textual direction. I spend time with the source, the Natyashastra, the Abhinaya Darpana, and related classical treatises – not merely as a practitioner seeking technique, but as a student seeking understanding. This platform grows from that same impulse.
Dedication – Guru Vandanam
In the tradition of the shastra, no learning begins without acknowledging the one who lights the lamp.
Smt. Jyothi Pattabhiram, founding director of Sadhana Sangama Trust, is a rare confluence of scholarship, spiritual depth, and artistic devotion. Initiated into Yoga and Srividya by Swami Rama of the Himalayas, she later deepened her Srividya Tantra practice under Sri Satyanandanatha of Mysore. Her study spans sacred texts from Saundarya Lahari to Vijjana Bhairava Tantra, and she has carried their wisdom across India, the United States, and Canada for over fifteen years.
As a Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher – committed to the art for more than four decades – Jyothiji has guided thousands of students. Through Sadhana Nritya Kalpa, the dance wing of the trust, she has shaped original choreographies where classical form and spiritual inquiry meet. Her students learn to see dance as sadhana.
I offer this work at her feet.
विद्यादानप्रदात्रीं च योगमार्गरतां सदा ।
ज्योतिपट्टाभिरामंतांवन्देगुरुंगुणाकरम्॥
vidyā-dāna-pradātrīṃ ca yoga-mārga-ratāṃ sadā |
jyoti-paṭṭābhirāmaṃ tāṃ vande guruṃ guṇākaram ||I bow to my Guru, Smt. Jyothi Pattabhiram, who is an ocean of virtues, the generous giver of knowledge, and one who is eternally immersed in the path of Yoga.
