International Science Community Association Research Journal of Physical Education Sciences 2320 - 9011 3 1 2015 January 23 Physical Fitness Consideration of Bharathanatyam Dance 1 4 EN S. Sabaananth 1 Sports Science Unit, University of Jaffna, SRI LANKA T. Thevanthy 2 Departments of Dance, Ramanathan Academy of Fine Arts, University of Jaffna, SRI LANKA > Review Paper 2014 12 11 2015 January 23 Bharathanatyam dance placed physical demands on dancers and choreographed dance practice may be inadequate to develop dancers’ physiological and key fitness parameters. However, for the extreme theatre performance and lifelong professional dance career, dancers need to concentrate on physical fitness components such as aerobic power, muscular strength, flexibility, balance, movement speed and coordination. Unfounded truth of fitness components mainly reflects the bharathanatyam performance as well as professional dance carrier. The main objective of the study was to analyze the physical fitness consideration of Bharathanatyam Dancers. Myth of the dancers would be, ‘Physical exercises indirectly diminish aesthetic appearance of the dancers’ and Most of the bharathanatyam dancers are practice dance as a cultural form and does not need additional fitness. This may hush the dancers prolonged theatre performance and leads to bungling, fatigue and injuries. So enhance and maintain the extreme theatre performance bharathanatyam dancers need additional fitness. The intensities of the patha varnam (core item of Bharathanatyam dance brief periods more than 15 min) attain 70–80% of maximum VO2, which are similar responses during long distance running. However, sub maximal exercise minimum 20 minutes are needed to peak aerobic power. Modern research evidence revealed that additional fitness training may improve bharathanatyam dancer’s fitness and decrease rate of dance injuries, without affect the artistic and aesthetic gracefulness. Adequate and appropriate fitness training have help succeeded in theatre performance settings. An awareness of these issues will supports to dancers and choreographers to improve training methods, to employ effective injury prevention strategies and to establish healthier physical state. Bharathanatyam dance has high metabolic and cardiovascular demands and is characterized by combining both the anaerobic lactic and aerobic systems. Furthermore, additional fitness training program increases lactate threshold and contributes to higher blood lactate after theatre performance. Further, training for strength and flexibility have positively influence on muscles and joints act against the external resistance and minimize the injury ratio. However, any variation in the traditional training methods must be handled cautiously to ensure that the aesthetic beauty of the dance should not affected by additional fitness training. In future scientific investigations are needed to nurture of Bharathanatyam. Copyright@ International Science Community Association