Guide
Can you really learn classical dance online?
Yes, if the class is live and the teacher can see you. A pre-recorded video cannot correct your posture. A live class can. Here is an honest look at what works on a screen and what takes more care.
What works well online
Live correction. The teacher watches you dance and fixes posture, hands and feet in the moment, by name. In a small batch, that happens every class.
Practice between classes. A recording of what was taught that day means you can practise against it all week, which many in-person students never get.
Access to a trained teacher. A family in Toronto or Dubai can learn from a teacher trained in Kerala, in Malayalam if they want.
What takes more care
Camera angle. The teacher needs to see your feet as well as your hands. A phone propped low and far enough back solves most of this.
Space. You need about two metres of clear floor. A bedroom with the bed pushed aside is often enough.
Movement across the stage. Patterns that travel across a big stage are practised in a smaller space and opened up later.
Live classes, not videos
Every class at Narthaki is live. Arunima Raj teaches each one herself, one hour, four times a month, with small batches. Forty-five of her students have completed their arangetram.
Questions
Is online Bharatanatyam as good as in-person?+
With a live class, a small batch and a good camera angle, a student learns the same grammar and gets corrected the same way. Students who also practise against the class recording often progress well.
Can you do an arangetram after learning online?+
Ask us. The training is the same; how and where the stage performance happens is planned with each family.
Enquire about classes
Send your name and number and we’ll reply on WhatsApp, usually within a few hours, to talk through timings and which form suits you.