Students of Natyalaya are trained in Bharathanatyam, one of the most ancient classical dance forms in the world. Bharathanatyam is a highly structured and codified form of dance, which is taught in traditional progression, starting with Adavus, Allaripu, Kauthuvam, Jathiswaram, Shabdam, Varnam, and ending with Thillana. Students are also trained in Abhinaya, acting and story-telling.
Once students have completed a margam, they are given the opportunity to perform a kalarchana. After reaching a certain proficiency, they can complete an Arangetram, which is a solo performance given with live orchestra to introduce the dancer to the community. Students of Natyalaya also give various performances in the Austin area as well as around Texas.
New classes start every 3 – 5 months and are open to children and adults of any gender. Please fill out our interest form to be notified when new batches are starting. We would like all prospective students to observe one of our beginner classes and try out a few steps before enrolling. We recommend that students are seven when they start learning, but we also offer a pre-classical movement class for 3-6 year olds.
Natyalaya also offers summer camps from distinguished artists visiting from India. These camps are open to any interested students in the Central Texas area. For students coming from outside of Austin, housing arrangements may be available for the duration of the camp. Please visit the camps page for more information and to register for upcoming workshops.