The Sacred Geometry of Bharatanatyam

You might have seen the viral videos: a Bharatanatyam dancer, with mathematical formulas superimposed on her. As she transitions from one pose to another, the dance looks less like choreography and more like geometry unfolding in real time. 

But how real is it? The Juggernaut spoke to Bharatanatyam dancers and the mathematician behind a key theory — and dug through historical records — to find out whether one ancient Indian dance from Tamil Nadu might be even more transcendent than you think.