What is ardhi in bharatnatyam?

In Bharatanatyam, ardhi is a type of footwork that involves stamping one foot on the ground while raising the other knee. The term "ardhi" literally means "half" in Sanskrit, and this movement gets its name because the dancer only places half of their foot on the ground before returning their knee to the starting position. Ardi is considered a basic foundational footwork in Bharatanatyam, and it is often used in combination with other steps to create intricate and dynamic dance sequences.