Bharatanatyam is the most prominent dance style of South India. Its name, and much of its style and technique, derives from Bharata's Natya Shastra, an ancient handbook on dance and drama. The general interpretation for the term BHARATHANATYAM is BHAVA (expression), RAGA (music), THALA (rhythm), NATYAM (dance). Traditional Bharatanatyam is a solo dance with two aspects, lasya, the graceful feminine lines andmovements, and tandava, the masculine aspect. It combines artistic expression with spirituality, and uses three modes of kinetic expression, Nritta (pure movement), Nrittya (lyrical interpretation) and Natya (drama). For much of its early history Bharatnatyam was a devotional dance, performed almost ritualistically in temples and at ceremonial processions. It is generally accepted that the sharp and precise technique of Bharatnatyam as it is practised today developed around a century ago.

Bharatanatyam, as Balasaraswathi puts it is an artistic yoga (natya yoga), for revealing the spiritual through the corporeal and is the embodiment of music in its visual form. The Bharatnatyam repertoire is rich and varied, comprises of different adavu (basic step unit), or compositions, linked together in combinations and interspersed with rapid and dynamic bursts of rhythm that accentuate a particular moment in the performance. Movements of the eyes and eyebrows, as well as the neck, shoulders and hands are also used to provide some ornamentation and subtlety. Bharathanatyam provides supreme aesthetic experience, drawing the dancer and the spectator through several shades of emotions and ultimately elevating the mind to a plane of ineffable spirituality and joy.Nritya has its place in Bharatnatyam through abhinaya, whereby the dancer renders, interprets, and gives expression to a song or poem. According to the ancient texts there are nine different sentiments/emotions expressed in dance and they are called 'Navarasas'.

The Navarasas are categorized as Shringara (Love), Hasya (Mirth/laughter), Karuna (Compassion/pity), Roudra (Anger), Veera (Courage), Bhayanaka (Fear), Bhibatsa (Disgust), Adbutha (Surprise/wonder) and Shantham (Peaceful).