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Kalakshetra Dance Centre

Trace the tradition of India's oldest dance form, Bharatnatyam

To truly understand a city, one must look into its cultural customs. In Chennai, a visit to the Kalakshetra centre of dance can help you explore the roots of Bharatnatyam, one of India’s oldest dances, among other forms of art and music. Bharatnatyam is an ancient dance form practiced by Lord Shiva while creating the cosmos, with its dance postures, gestures and facial expressions carved into some temples across South India.

Image credits: Ananda Shankar Jayant, CC-BY

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