Chidambaram Nritya Kala(Dance Arts) Academy

"Abhinaya is the main technique used in Natya. "Abhi" means "towards" and "ni or Naya" is the root meaning to "carry". Thus as the meaning implies the dancer through the vehicle of Abhinaya has to reach out to the spectators. It is an inseparable component of Natya."

"Natyshastra says that Abhinaya is the art of "exhibiting the meaning of what one depicts". The dancer has an enormous resource bank to communicate a story, an idea, an emotion. She uses her body, her limbs, hands, face, eyes to express her ideas. The dancer has to draw the audience into her world. The shores reached by both the viewer and the dancer are described as the experience of ‘Rasa’, which is compared to spiritual experience.The main purpose of dance is to evoke Rasa, which means sentiment or flavor among the audience."