02.March.2025 Workshop fully booked, additional date for another make-up workshop will be announced soon.
Bharatanatyam is a very expressive dance form that relies on abhinaya (facial expressions) to convey emotions. Therefore, makeup in Bharatanatyam is not just for beautification but is an integral part of the dance form that helps tell stories and makes the performer more visible. It combines tradition and aesthetics and makes the performance visually impressive.
Here are the four main reasons why dancers need to be well-versed in makeup to complete their dance:
Facial expressions (abhinaya): Bharatanatyam dancers use facial expressions to convey emotions. Makeup makes these expressions more pronounced and visible to the audience even from a distance.
Facial features: Makeup can highlight and accentuate different parts of the dancer’s face (such as eyes, eyebrows, and lips).
Stage lighting: Stage lighting washes out the natural facial features. The use of makeup ensures that the dancer’s face remains expressive and prevents the facial features from getting lost under the lighting.
Aesthetic look: Bharatanatyam is a visual art form. Makeup along with costumes and jewelry creates a harmonious and traditional appearance that enhances the dancer’s stage presence.
The next Tattva workshop builds on these points and teaches participants the basics that dancers need to know for their makeup. You will receive step-by-step instructions to help you find your routine or improve your existing knowledge.
02 March 2025, Hohlstrasse 502 8048 Zurich, 2 pm.
Please register using the link below, places are limited.
About the Tattva Workshops:
Anyone who has witnessed a dance performance notices at some point, how complex the different artistic disciplines work together to create the experience for the audience. There’s so much more than just dance technique and a good dancer that make up the entity of what we understand as Bharata Natyam. As a dance teacher, I often feel I cannot do justice to this vast knowledge necessary to understand the dance form.
To close this gap, Sharmila Rao’s dance school will host this year a new series of workshops to give dance students and interested audiences access to basics that never get enough attention in the dance class routine. Over the year we will touch all kinds of areas, be it dance make-up, dance fitness, music for dance, or related dance styles. Experienced teachers will share their knowledge and give you the unique opportunity to invest in learning that adds to your Bharata Natyam dance training and ultimately makes you a complete art connoisseur.
