Bharatnatyam is one of the best classical dance of india from which the acting or expression talent can be developed very easily.

Everybody knows the famous Tamil word 'ARANGETRAL' but the difference between 'ARANGETRAL' and 'ARANGETRAM is not known. Hardly one out of hundred knows the correct meaning of these two words. In this word ARANGAM means 'Stage' and ETRAL means The Guru's Acknowledgment of the Student's ability To perform Satisfactorily. Many times it is used as ARANGETRAM where the 'Etram' word means to come on stage and perform with or without ability. So it can be said 'Arangetral' is much better word to give the logical understanding than the word 'Arangetram'

NATTUVANGAM is a Tamil word i.e. Natta + Angam. Natta means dancer or Dance Performance and Angam means body or main operating or controlling centre. The combination of this two is called Nattuvangam. In other words a Dancer for presenting dance with aesthetic effect always tries to keep link with Nattuvangam. This effort by a dancer brings harmony for total attraction which ultimately leaves lasting effect in the mind audience. A good Nattuvangam is recognised by qualities like, melodious singing giving aesthetic effect to valuable meaning of words coming in song, keeping link with calculative and time bound rhythm, having soft and hard touch understanding in 'sollukattu\\\' and creating harmony with expression by dancer through eyes and body languages and also powerful footwork with attractive choreography. Thus all such qualities are to be developed by a good Nattuvanar, who plays the Nattuvangam (Tattakali-Stick and wooden block) with melodious singing, controlling the tempo (laya) of the dance and conducting the dance orchestra. This is a very difficult task. He should have the knowledge of Music, Percussion and Literature. A good Nattuvangam does not need separate singing, but Nattuvanar himself is capable to sing perfectly creating harmony with dance performance and he is also very clear about Bha - Ra - Ta, means Bhava, Raga and Tala. Now a days such Nattuvanars are rare. Engaging a separate singer for dance performance in addition to Nattuvangam is nothing but creating the dirtiest adulteration in best qualitative performance of dance. A good singer without knowledge of dance is always trying to show his singing ability only which is always found in distorted condition for best performance of dance as he is not having any understanding of dance. The role of Nattuvanar is found similar to role played by a director in Films. The Director is not much exposed before spectators but his role is considered to be most valuable and effective. In the same way a good dance performance is possible only by an effective role of Nattuvanar. His work is involved right from the primary stage to final stage i.e. upto performance so far as Training and Shaping of a dancer is concerned. So this is the real logic of Nattuvangam, we have to understand. Guru Ramesh K. Tanjorkar is having this rare quality of Nattuvangam and Singing simultaneously like his father Guru Kubernath A.Tanjorkar. He has got, as a gift of nature, a very good voice culture which is special feature for his Carnatic as well Hindusthani style singing. Many students have completed their Arangetral course totally under his training and guidance. Some of the well known Nattuvanars whom we should always remember with great respect were Guru Meenakshisundaram Pillai, Guru Muthukumaraswamy Pillai, Guru Kittappa Pillai, Guru Ramaiah Pillai, Guru Kuppiah Pillai, Guru Kubernath Tanjorkar, Guru Dandayudhapani Pillai and others.

According to Natya Sastra Sangraha, the science of Dramatic presentation was first taught by Brahma to sage Bharatamuni. Sage Bharatamuni then produced before Lord Siva the Three-fold Art of Pure Acting, acting accompanied by dance and pure dance, with the help of his troupe of Gandharvas (Heavenly Musicians) and Apsaras (Heavenly Damsels). Lord Siva was then reminded of his own Dance with energetic movements and had it taught to Bharatmuni by Tandu, the leader of his followers. He also had Lasya (the gentler and more graceful variety of Dance suitable for ladies) taught to Bharatamuni by Parvati who exhibited the Art in his presence. 

The Rishis (Bharatamuni and others) having learnt the Art of Tandava (male dance) from Tandu, taught it in their turn to Men; and Sri Parvati Devi taught the Lasya to Usha, the daughter of Bana, who in her turn taught it to the Gopis of Dwaraka; and from the Gopis, the art spread to the ladies of Saurashtra (Kathiawar), Gujarat, and from them to the other parts of the country. In this way the Art of Dance and Drama has been established by tradition. Tandav and Lasya are major parts of Bharatnatyam.

To day what we are seeing, as beauty and grace, in Garba Lok Nrutya is reflection of Lasya only, we can say, other than Tamilnadu no other state symbolizes Bharatnatyam as Gujarat

In old days under "GURUKUL SYSTEM", Bharatnatyam students used to stay at ancestral home of Nattuvanar, where a separate hall was kept as practicing place and this hall was known as SHRAMA KOODAM or SILAMBU KOODAM. The students were required to do rigorous practice in "ASOORA SADHANAI " which means they were demanded to practice like a Demon (Rakshasa) to achieve perfectness. The floors of some halls were uneven due to the constant stamping of feet by generations of Bharatnatyam dancers in practice. Mostly the practices were done in the early morning.

Nattuvan Chavdi in Thanjavur was gifted by King Tulaja II (b.1763) to Subbrayan Nattuvanar (1758-1814) son of Gangaimuthu Nattuvanar (b. 1737) and father of famous Tanjai Nalwar (Pillai brothers Chinnaya, Ponnaiah, Shivanand and Vadivelu). During the ruling of Maharaja Serfoji in Thanjavur of Tamilnadu, every year a big festival of dance was held and in this festival all Nattuvanars were invited for their unique performances. Nattuvan Chavadi where all Nattuvanars used to gather for discussion of various Arts. During these meetings of Nattuvanars exchange of thought and new ideas/interpretation was mainly discussed.