Let us go to the very source of the art of dancing in India, and see how these disciplines and traditions were established. The Natya Shastra of Bharata explains the origin of the art — "When the world had become steeped in greed and desire," it says, "in jealousy and anger, in pleasure and pain, the Supreme One (Brahma) was asked by the people to create an amusement which could be seen and heard by all, for the scriptures were not enjoyed by the masses, being too learned and ambiguous."

That great Sage went into deep meditation, and out of the ocean of Knowledge of Life (Vedas), cognized an additional branch of Knowledge — Natyaveda — the Science of Drama capable of presenting visually the eternal moral and spiritual truths.

The words and speech have their roots in Rigveda, the musical aspects have sprung from Samaveda, modes of gesture and expression originated from the Yajurveda, and aesthetic values and feeling were born from the Atharvaveda.

From Brahma the instruction came back to the people — "This art is not merely for your pleasure, but exhibits cosmic expression (bhava) for all the worlds. This art has been created following the movements of the world in work and play, profit, peace, laughter, battle and slaughter, yielding the fruit of righteousness to those who follow the moral law, a restraint for the unruly, and a discipline for the followers of the rule; to create wisdom in the ignorant, learning in scholars, afford sport to kings, and endurance to the sorrow-stricken; it is replete with the diverse moods, informed with varying passions of the soul, and linked to the deeds of mankind — the best, the middling and the low — affording excellent counsel pastime and all else."

Having been composed by Bharata, the artful steps of dance were added by Shiva, who taught this to his student Tandu and to Parvati. In this, the harmony of the masculine and feminine in the dances was blended symbolically, a tradition which has continued down through the ages as far back as historians can remember. Perhaps even today there exists no book on dance, drama and music more complete than Bharata's Natya Shastra. Interestingly so, the book says, "If songs, music and dance continue too long, they tire out the artists as well as the audience." To emphasize this, he adds, "Fire fanned by a strong wind does not burn as quickly as does a wrongly wrought production."

Modern dancers also study a treatise called "Mirror Gestures" (Abhinaya Darpana) by Nandikeshvara. Abhinaya literally means "carrying the play towards the ascertainment of its meaning, which is what the actor or dancer — by means of expression, gesture, and movement — has to do. This is why each dancer must study and master each movement of the head, eyes, mouth, neck, hands, and the whole body.

Through an elaborated technique, the dancer thus communicates to the people the lasting truths of life. In order to be successful in awakening people to the situations that surround them in society and in the Cosmic Order, the dancer must be nurtured and brought up believing in the oldest of legends and the most profound of truths.

While the elegant and expressive performance of the dancer is further elevated and graced by the orchestra, which corresponds to the dancer's "outer life", his or her inner life — hidden within the depths of consciousness — is even more important. All Indian art has a deep foundation in study, intuition and devotion. Only with this foundation can the artist feel a sense of achievement; only then can the dancer sing of God and man; only then can the dance tell the story of king or peasant; only then can the dance enlighten the audience through conflict and awareness.

Throughout the ages, the high ideals of India have retained a remarkable continuity, clearly recognizing in every sphere of activity the kinship of God and man. Rather than thinking he can patent and copyright God and religion, the Indian mind rejoices in the Omnipresence, Omnipotence, and Omniscience of God according to the Divine Plan. Thus, while the Sages have asserted from the earliest times that there is only One Existence and that God is One, the people also find Supreme Joy in the Almighty's universal presence and ever-present personalities.

Dance was considered a form of religious ceremony very pleasing to God, and dancers often find lofty heights of spiritual and religious experience as they vividly express their devotion and worship through the dynamic dance in which they are dedicating all activity to the Divine. Indeed, the Gods themselves were said to be the supreme dancers, and Shiva is said to be the King of dancers (Nataraja).

Tracing through the centuries the rich heritage of India's art, one goes far back into a world where the real and the mythological are impossible to separate. The spoken word was the manner in which learning was perpetuated for "the teacher is the prior form, the pupil is the latter form, and knowledge is their junction." As in the past, where the relationship between teacher and student was unique, the student serving his or her teacher with 'steady devotion' and by 'acts tending towards spiritual merit', the teacher in turn led the student from 'the darkness of ignorance' to 'the Light of Knowledge.' In the Art of Dance, Drama and Music, Bharata was the first teacher. He has given the gift of many brilliant students, and an invaluable manuscript called the Natya Shastra, an encyclopedia on drama, music, and many other subjects.