Editing Bharatanatyam (section)

==Modern revival: schools and training centers==
Bharatanatyam rapidly expanded after India gained [[Indian Independence Act 1947|independence from British rule]] in 1947. It is now the most popular classical Indian dance style in India, enjoys a high degree of support in expatriate Indian communities, and is considered to be synonymous with Indian dance by many foreigners unaware of the diversity of dances and performance arts in Indian culture.<ref name="Leslie1992p149">{{cite book|author=Anne-Marie Gaston|editor=Julia Leslie|title=Roles and Rituals for Hindu Women|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sKDm8EH2L3kC |year=1992|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-1036-5 |pages=149–150, 170–171 }}</ref> In the second half of the 20th century, Bharatanatyam has been to Indian dance tradition what [[ballet]] has been in the West.<ref name="Leslie1992p149"/>

When the British government tried to attempt to ban Bharatanatyam traditions, it went on and revived by moving outside the Hindu temple and religious ideas. However, post-independence, with rising interest in its history, the ancient traditions, the invocation rituals and the spiritually expressive part of the dance has returned.<ref name="Leslie1992p149"/> Many innovations and developments in modern Bharatanatyam, states Anne-Marie Geston, are of a quasi-religious type.<ref name="Leslie1992p149"/> Major cities in India now have numerous schools that offer lessons in ''Bharatanatyam'', and these cities host hundreds of shows every year.<ref>{{cite book|author=Anne-Marie Gaston|editor=Julia Leslie|title=Roles and Rituals for Hindu Women|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sKDm8EH2L3kC |year=1992|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-1036-5 |pages=150–152 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Ester Gallo|title=Migration and Religion in Europe: Comparative Perspectives on South Asian Experiences|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TswFDAAAQBAJ |year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-09637-5 |pages=32–33}}</ref>

Outside India, Bharatanatyam is a sought-after and studied dance, states Meduri, in academic institutes in the [[United States]], [[Europe]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf|the Gulf States]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Malaysia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Bangladesh]] and [[Singapore]].<ref>{{cite journal | last=Meduri | first=Avanthi | title=Bharatanatyam as a Global Dance: Some Issues in Research, Teaching, and Practice | journal=Dance Research Journal  | volume=36 | issue=2 | pages=11–29 | year=2004 | doi=10.2307/20444589 | jstor=20444589 | s2cid=144784756 | url=https://pure.roehampton.ac.uk/ws/files/455228/Meduri_2004_Bharatanatyam_as_a_Global_Dance_Dance_Research_Journal_36_2_Winter_2004_pp11_29.pdf }}</ref> For expat Indian and Tamil communities in many countries, it is a source and means for social life and community bonding.<ref>{{cite journal | last=O'Shea | first=Janet | title=At Home in the World? The Bharatanatyam Dancer As Transnational Interpreter | journal=TDR | publisher=MIT Press | volume=47 | issue=1 | year=2003 | pages=176–186 | doi=10.1162/105420403321250071 | s2cid=17824898 | url=http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/1658/1/fulltext.pdf }}</ref> Contemporary Bharatanatyam choreographies include both male and female dancers.<ref name="JonesRyan2006p107"/> In China, the dance has maintained its niche presence since the 1950s, with one of its earliest students, Zhang Jun, introducing [[Indian classical dance]] to China.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Feature: Dance your dance -- Chinese, Indian Bharatanatyam lovers bridge cultures |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/12/c_138464837.htm |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=[[Xinhua News Agency]]}}</ref> In 2024, the popularity of the dance reached a landmark moment in the country when a 13-year old Chinese student, Lei Muzi, performed Bharatanatyam [[Arangetram (dance)|Arangetram]]—the first such performance by a student fully trained by a Chinese teacher and performed in China.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-08-14 |title=13-year-old Chinese girl performs Bharatanatyam in China, scripts history with her dance |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/13yearold-chinese-girl-performs-bharatanatyam-in-china-scripts-history-with-her-dance-101723611701158.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240920144859/https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/13yearold-chinese-girl-performs-bharatanatyam-in-china-scripts-history-with-her-dance-101723611701158.html |archive-date=2024-09-20 |access-date=2025-03-25 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en-us}}</ref>

In 2020, an estimated 10,000 dancers got together in [[Chennai]], India, to break the world record for the largest Bharatanatyam performance.<ref>{{cite web|title=Thousands of dancers mesmerize in world record attempt for largest Bharatanatyam performance|date=12 February 2020|format=Video|website=MSN|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/viral/thousands-of-dancers-mesmerize-in-world-record-attempt-for-largest-bharatanatyam-performance/vi-BBZUNRu?ocid=spartandhp}}</ref> The previous record of 7,190 dancers was set in [[Chidambaram]] in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|title=Over 7,000 Bharatanatyam dancers set a world record|date=4 March 2019|website=Daily News (Source: The Hindu)|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2019/03/04/world/179213/over-7000-bharatanatyam-dancers-set-world-record}}</ref>