Online Indian Classical Dance Training Course in Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam Training is designed as a 3-year program that will culminate with students earning a Pneuma Dance Certificate. Through defined year-long coursework, students will navigate a path to training while finding companionship and support from a group of fellow students.

The Bharatanatyam Training Program is a year-round program that is a technical and theoretical study of the performance technique, repertoire choreography and art of Bharatanatyam. The program is designed for the dancer (beginner or professional level) who has encountered Bharatanatyam dance and wishes to follow a well-defined path of study toward mastery, either for personal enrichment or to become a professional performer.

Each calendar year includes 250 hours of structured study to include: 125 hours of live training during the annual training seasons in India. In addition, there are 125 hours of online study, group projects and practice sessions (Yoga and Dance), reading and writing assignments, and logged personal practice hours. Students are expected to develop a regular dance practice regimen and incorporate the lifestyle teachings of the program such as establishing regularity in their yoga and dance practices.

Most of the training hours will be spent immersed in the sacred art environment of India. This unique environment offers students the opportunity to directly experience the cultural and spiritual elements that have shaped Bharatanatyam dance and Yoga throughout its evolution.

The trainings in India include 4-6 classes per day of 1 to 2 hours each and include: Hatha Yoga, Bharatanatyam steps and technique, repertoire, Mantras, Mudras, Meditation, Philosophy and theory class, while online classes are held four times a week (option to record) for technique training, four during the week that are condensed into 4 hours and on the weekend that are condensed into 2 hours.

The unique approach of this program differs from informal workshop enrollment in its emphasis on year-round study, individual support, teacher and peer feedback, group work and projects, as well as collaborative creation of archival material and special research trips throughout India. By earning this certificate, students will be well on their way to becoming effective, prepared and knowledgeable dance practitioners and leaders in the world of sacred dance.