Dating back to 1000 BCE, Bharatanatyam is a classical dance from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu,
practiced predominantly in modern times by women.
The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music.[21] Its inspirations come from the sculptures of the ancient temple of Chidambaram. It was codified and documented as a performing art in the 19th century by four brothers known as the Thanjavur Quartet whose musical compositions for dance form the bulk of the Bharatanatya repertoire even today.[22]