An Introduction to Bharata Natyam
Experience the joyful art of dance for bliss, balance, and wellbeing!
Starting Tuesday, 7 July 2026, 20:00
Ending Sunday, 12 July 2026, 21:00
with Rebecca Busch
This course is open to everyone and is designed for beginners.
Course Fee: 500 €
(There is a reduced price for lower-income countries, please see the application form.)
Affiliates of the International Maharishi AyurVeda Foundation (IMAVF) receive a reduction of 10% on the course fee.
Full board: 168 €
Accomodation: not included, please see options below
remaining
About the Course
What You Will Experience
Adavu practice
Learn the fundamental units of abstract dance that build coordination and strength. These rhythmic, geometric patterns of movement are excellent exercise for both body and mind.
Expressive storytelling
Learn a short choreographed dance based on a verse from the Vedic literature, introducing the art of expression, abhinaya.
Hasta mudras, hand gestures
Explore the language of gesture—an essential artistic element of the dance—known to have balancing influence on the physiology.
Music and arts lectures
Enjoy specially selected lectures of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on music and the arts.
Group meditation
Participate in a restful and balanced routine that supports deeper inner experience and integration.
Knowledge and insight
Gain an understanding of how Vedic Dance supports health, happiness, and the development of consciousness.
Course Format
Each day includes approximately 5 hours of guided sessions, combining practice, knowledge and discussion in a structured yet enjoyable schedule.
About Vedic Dance
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi said that Vedic Dance is a means to attain Brahma Vidya, the totality of knowledge. Vedic Dance is a blissful technology to support our development and help us realize our full potential. It is a therapeutic modality of Maharishi Ayurveda and has a profoundly integrating and harmonizing influence. The benefits of dance are felt on the level of body, mind, emotions and consciousness, and extend to an audience. Even by viewing the dance, the physiology is transformed.
Enjoy this sample video of a dance movement you will learn
Course Schedule
Saturdays for 4 weeks: 2, 9, 16, 23 March
Meeting start time for US Eastern time zone:
Saturdays, 2 and 9 of March: 10:00am US EST
Saturdays 16 and 23 of March: 10:00am US EDT
Meeting start time for Central European time zone:
Saturdays, 2 and 9 of March: 4:00pm CET
Saturdays 16 and 23 of March: 3:00pm* CET
*Please note the course timings with daylight savings time in the US beginning halfway through the course
Each dance session is 2 hours. This will be followed by a ½ hour video of specially selected lectures of Maharishi on music and the arts from the Arts for Enlightenment, Master Series Courses. If you prefer, you may view the video lecture at any other time on the MCPHI platform. The total time of each session is approximately 2.5 hours.
Accommodation:
We recommend booking one of the brand-new Maharishi Vastu rooms at MERU. You can choose one of these options in the application form.
Single room, 6 nights: 600€
Per person in double occupancy, 6 nights: 360€*
Suite in single occupancy, 6 nights: 840€
Per person in a suite in double occupancy, 6 nights: 480€*
*We will support you to find a roommate. If none can be found, the price for single occupancy will apply.
It is also possible to stay in a hotel outside the MERU campus. You will require a car to reach MERU unless you choose accommodation within walking distance. Please book your room directly with the provider.
In any case, please read our travel information page carefully. On it, you will also find a list of hotels nearby.
Testimonials from previous course participants on the benefits of this course:
Physically speaking, my body feels so much better. Using Mudras, I have gained mobility in my neck and back. My shoulders and legs feel stronger. My mind feels so coherent compared to before. I feel more graceful. When dancing, I feel a world of difference in my sense of connection, groundedness, and strength.
-Shreya Sood, India
The Vedic Dance Bharata Natyam Course was fantastic for me. I deeply enjoyed the orderly, symmetrical movements, which brought back strength to the muscles, bones, and physiology in general. My posture has become better, and there is more ease and uprightness in walking.
– Susanne Thalwitzer, Germany
Excellent: well structured and balanced between practice and theory. Entertaining and instructive. Succeeds in making profound changes in students. I have taken many courses in my life, this is the best realized.
Gloria, Chile
Embarking on the journey of Bharata Natyam has been an enriching experience. Unlike other forms, the dance’s depth gives meaning to each movement, bringing deeper fulfillment to the dancer not only physically but mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well. Rebecca, as a teacher, possesses a wealth of knowledge and an exceptional skill in guiding through the complexities of this intricate and ancient dance.
– Anxhela Coba, USA
About the Faculty
Rebecca Busch
Rebecca Busch is a certified teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique and the founder of Vedic Dance Academy. She studied with master teachers in the T. Balasaraswati tradition of Bharata Natyam. She is a graduate of the Paramparai Arts DASI ATTAM course in South Indian dance, music, and poetry, certified by the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO. Rebecca is an Advisor for the Performing Arts for the Academy of Arts for Enlightenment. She received a BA from Maharishi University of Enlightenment and a Master of the Science of Creative Intelligence degree (M.S.C.I.) from Maharishi European Research University (MERU).
