Natya or Dance is a major branch of Fine Arts. It is considered as one of the most popular and highly sacred form of worshipping the lord. It can be considered as an embodiment of mythological, historical, cultural and sociological heritage and traditionally passed on to posterity. According to many scholars dance is considered to have the magical power that provides the source of happiness to people and nations around the universe.

Bharata Natyam is considered to be the most faithful style in relation to the rules enunciated in the "Natyashastra", a treatise about drama, dance and music which was written around 2,000 years ago by the sage Bharata Muni, hence it is called Bharata Natyam.

Bharata Natyam holds a prominent place in our culture today. Over the centuries, innovations and creativity has moulded it, without changing the original purpose and essence, into a spiritual, divine, and a meaningful addition to our society. So far as there is room for improvisations and imaginative interpretations, Bharata Natyam or classical dance as such, is a science in itself. Sage Bharata in his Natyashastra says that dance or Natya implies in it, the three forms of fine arts namely, Nataka, Natya and Sangeetha (Iyal, Isai and Natakam). The Natyashastra of Bharata is well-known as an encyclopedic work on different aspects of the theatrical arts, dance, drama and music. Bharata Natyam is the embodiment of music in its visual form.

Bharata Natyam comprises three aspects, Nritta, Nritya and Natya.

Nritta is rhythmical and has repetitive elements, i.e. it is dance proper
Natya is the dramatic art, and is a language of gestures, poses and mime
Nritya is a combination of Nritta and Natya

The term Bharata Natyam is codified by taking the initial syllables of Bhava (Expressions), Raga (Music) and Tala (Rhythm).