Stage on Bharata Natyam Indian dance held by Raghunath Manet

Bharata Natyam dance originated in the temples of southern Indian over 3,000 years ago. It combines the main aspects of nritia (technique) and nriiya (the display of emotion through hand movements (mudras) and facial expression (abhnaya), on both a conceptual level and through performance. In its sophisticated grace, Bharata Natyam has exceeded the bounds of Hindu temples, becoming known throughout India and the world without losing the profound spiritual essence manifested in the dancer’s mystical identification with the divinity.
Raghunath Manet, is a dancer, choreographer and musician from Pondichéry, an ancient French colony in southeast India. He studied under Sri Nathan at the Villenour Temple School and, in 1985, graduated from the Kalakshetra Academy of Music and Dance in Madras. After working with several teachers of traditional Indian dance including Ram Gopal, he is now considered a leading figure of the Bharata Natyam style of southern India. A musician as well as a dancer, Manet was introduced to the world of song by his grandfather, Gnanamani Pillaj. He learned to play the veena under Goumati Shankara. Manet has directed his own dance company since 1990 and in 1998 founded Pondichéry Tala Sruti, a dance and music school. As a dancer and choreographer, he divides his time between France and India, and makes periodic world tours. Raghunath Manet is dedicated to reviving and preserving traditional Indian dance theory and technique.

Venice, Island of San Giorgio Maggiore
29 August – 4 September 2008

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