The Teacher – Disciple Tradition of learning “ Gurur Brahma gurur vishnuh Gurur Devo Maheshvarah Gurur sakshat param brahma Tasmais srigurave namah” Salutations to the guru who is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara. The Guru is none other than the Supreme Brahman. To truly understand dance and music in India, one must acknowledge the paramount role of the guru. Much as a loving mother with her child, the bond between the guru and the disciple is nurtured, yet remains in tangible. Only those who have experienced the faith, loyalty, respect and love that this bond represents can understand its importance. A guru is not only a dance teacher or a sishya is not only a student of dance and learning Bharatanatyam is not like learning any other dance. Time is of little importance in the teaching process and a lesson can last for five minutes or two hours. Unlike academic teaching that requires the use of textbooks and taking notes, a gurus teaching is traditionally done orally. The learning and the appreciation of what is learned in Bharatanatyam requires time and certain maturation process that cannot be acquired by rushing or skipping the steps. The concentration focus and peace of mind that is essential to the intrinsic understanding of dance can only be learnt with a guru’s blessings. The Training Period The disciple first learns the basic dance steps or Adavu-s.Once these are completed the items or pieces of choreography are taught, generally starting with pieces of pure dance. Pieces containing a theme or a story that require the use of facial and bodily expression are taught next. Exercises pertaining to each part of the body are taught along with the dance pieces. Many years will pass before the guru deems the shishya apt to present the newly acquired repertoire to the public. The disciple will then be trained to perform Arangetram. Arangetram in Tamil is derived fro two words, aranga meaning raised floor and erram meaning climbing. An arangetram is prepared for much a like a wedding, and sometimes unfortunately costs as much. The dancer bejeweled and decked in a beautiful silk saree will receive for the first time the right to wear anklets or shalangai. These anklets will have been blessed by and given to the disciple by the guru. Arangetram was actually a devadasi ritual that has been adopted into modern day Bharatanatyam.Public performances of Bharatanatyam whether it be an arangetram or not sometimes have a statue or a deity usually Shiva as Nataraja, placed on a dais at the left of the stage. The Nataraja figurine as we know it today, however is distinct from those mentioned in the Purana.The figure represents the five activities (panchakritya) of God –creation (shrishti) preservation (stithi) destruction (samkara), illusion (tirobhava) and salvation (anugraha). The importance of the five activities and the five elements is represented in every detail of the Nataraja.His nose symbolizes air, His face, the earth, His third eye, fire, the radiance of His face, the sky and His hair, water.