Pushpanjali is the first dance in a bharathanatyam performance. Pushpanjali is an item where the artist offers her salutations to God, Guru, and the audience. This is a warm up item where the artist prepares the body for the next few hours of vigorous performance. It is the salutation to the lord of dance Nataraja, the Guru, the musicians and the audience. It is made up of 2 words. Pushpa means flower, anjali means salutation. The dancer holds flowers to offer prayers to the Trinity of God's, goddesses, ashta dikpalakas, and scholars in dance.

Raga: Naadhaswaravali   Tala: Adi

Alarippu is the simplest piece in a Bharatanatyam recital. Alar means ‘to bloom’ and Alarippu means ‘flowering’. It comprises a set of movements, without any meaning or expression. The movements are performed for syllables set for a Tala (rhythm). This unique Alaripu has all the five jaathis or rhythm cycles – Tishra (3), Chatushra(4), Khanda(5), Mishra(7) and Sankeerna(9).

Tala: Talamalika

Varnam is the item where the dancer is tested on her capacity to perform Abhinaya (expression) and Nritta (dance). This can be treated as a benchmark to judge the artist's talent. The item will contain many complex steps, and will have room for expressions. To perform this item, the dancer needs to have a lot of stamina and concentration. The lyrics can be in praise of a god, a king or a lover.  This varnam is in praise of Lord Shiva 

Raga: Natakuranji    Tala: Adi

Abhanga is a form of devotional poetry sung to praise the Hindu god Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. The song Brindavani Venu is a devotional song in praise of Lord Krishna. The lyrics praise the sound of Krishna's flute, which every one who hears it. The first two lines of the song describe the enchanting sound of Krishna's flute, which echoes throughout the forests of Vrindavan. The lyrics also mention the sounds of cowbells and the peacock's feathers rustling. The third stanza describes the effect the sound of the flute has on nature. The grass stops swaying, the cows and tigers stand still, and the birds sit quietly on the trees, forgetting all their animosity towards each other. This imagery symbolizes how the sound of Krishna's flute has the power to create a peaceful and harmonious environment. The song's final stanza praises the beauty of the scene surrounding Lord Krishna. The river Yamuna flows serenely, and the sun and moon stand still. The turtle, boar, and snake gaze upon Krishna, and even the calves forget to suckle milk from their mothers when they see Him. Overall, the song encourages the listener to see Lord Krishna as an embodiment of peace and harmony and immerse themselves in His presence's beauty.

Raga: Bhimpalas  Tala: Adi

The Bharatanatyam recital concludes with the Mangalam- meaning an auspicious ending. Here, the dancers do Namaskaram (salutation) to the Gods, the Guru and the audience to conclude the recital. 

 The "Mangalam" chant is about the blessedness of the whole world:

Bhumi mangalam / Udaka mangalam / Agni mangalam / Vayu mangalam / Gagana mangalam / Surya mangalam / Chandra mangalam / Jagat Mangalam / Jiva mangalam / Deha mangalam / Mano mangalam / Atma mangalam / Sarva mangalam bhavatu bhavatu bhavatu.

Blessed (mangalam) is the earth (bhumi), water (udaka), fire (agni), wind (vayu), sky (gagana), sun (surya), the moon (chandra), our planet (jagat), life (jiva), the body (deha), the mind (mano), the spirit (atma)  - everything (sarva) is blessed, let it be (bhavatu).