INDIAN DANCES

1. SANGEET NATAK AKADEMY AWARD

 It was setup by Indian education ministry on 31 st may 1952.

 first chairman Dr. P. V. Rajamannar.
 It was inaugurated by India’s first president DR.Rajendra Prasad on 28 January 1953.
 It is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music,
Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists.

 Awards by Sangeet Natak Akademy

 Sangeet natak akademy award
 Sangeet natak akademy fellowship (akademy ratna)
 Ustad bismillah khan yuva puraskar

2. INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCES (brief history)

 NATYA SHASTRA
 The title of the text is composed of two words, "Nāṭya" and "Śhāstra". The root of
the Sanskrit word Natya is Nat (नाट) which means "act, represent" The word Shastra (शास्त्र)
means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise"
 The Natyashastra is the oldest surviving ancient Indian work on performance arts. The most
studied version of the text, consisting of about 6000 poetic verses, is structured into 36
chapters.

 Bharat muni wrote natya shastra.

 Natya includes : 1.Pathya (WORDS) = Rig-Veda

2. Abhinaya (communicative elements of the body movements)
= Yajur veda
3. Geet (music and chant) = Sama veda
4. Rasa (vital sentiment, an emotional element) = Atharva Veda

to form the fifth veda - the Natya Veda .

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 ASPECTS OF DANCE :
 TANDAVA -The masculine form of dance Tandava, performed by Lord Shiva, is a
combination of difficult poses and Angaharas.It is a divine dance performed by
the Hindu god Shiva. Shiva's Tandava is described as a vigorous dance that is the source of
the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. While the Rudra Tandava depicts his
violent nature, first as the creator and later as the destroyer of the universe, even of death
itself, the Ananda Tandava depicts him as joyful.

 LASYA - Lasya anga is the feminine form.Lasya is said to be the response to the male
energy of the cosmic dance of Tandava. Lasya literally translates to beauty, grace and
happiness. The term Lāsya , in the context of Hindu mythology, describes the dance
performed by Goddess Parvati as it expresses happiness and is filled with grace and beauty.

 ABHINAYA DARPAN :
 The Abhinaya Darpana, is a comprehensive text describing various gestures,
postures and movements in Dance.
 Nandikeshvara (नन्दीकेश्वर) (5th century-4th century BC) was the great theorist on stage-
craft of ancient India. He was the author of the Abhinaya Darpana ("The Mirror of Gesture").
 1. NRITTA: Nritta means pure dance, a presentation of rhythm through graceful
movement of the body.Abhinaya Darpana defines nritta as bodily movements without
evoking Rasa Bhava. (Dance without expressions)

 2. NATYA: Natya – Natya corresponds to drama. Natya means dramatic

representation or drama with speech, music and dancing. According to Abhinaya
Darpanam, Natya or Nataka has some traditional story for its theme is an
adorable (art).(Dramatic representations and story explorations)

 3. NRITYA: Nritya corresponds to the mime performed to the song. That is in other
words, it is the Interpretative dance. The vaachikaabhinaya of natya where the
actors themselves use speech is replaced by the music and song which
accompanies dance. According to Abhinaya Darpanam that dance which relates
to Sentiment (rasa) and Psychological States (bhaava) is called nritya.(Dance
with expressions)
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 RASA (9 rasa) :

 A rasa (Sanskrit: रस) literally means "juice, essence or taste”. It connotes a concept in Indian

arts about the aesthetic flavour of any visual, literary or musical work that evokes an emotion
or feeling in the reader or audience but cannot be described It refers to the emotional
flavors/essence crafted into the work by the writer and relished by a 'sensitive spectator'
or sahṛdaya, literally one who "has heart", and can connect to the work with emotion, without
dryness.
 Rasas are created by bhavas  the state of mind.

1. Rasa: Shringara

Meaning: Love & Beauty

Property: It is the crown emotion that has the capability to heal anything. It helps us get rid of
ego. Love is everywhere and inherent in everything. It connects and allows us to experience
divine love. It denotes love and attraction.

2. Rasa: Hasya

Meaning: Joy & Laughter

Property: It connects us to joy, laughter and our sense of humour. Happiness makes you forget
everything and relieves you of stress. Happiness is a state of mind that also keeps you content.

3. Rasa: Karuna

Meaning: Sorrow, Compassion (sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes
of others.)

Property: It means pity or compassion that is invoked by anguish or pain or sorrow. It is also
associated with sadness. Compassion is a bridge that connects us all through which we can
relate to each other’s sadness deeply and honestly. It also helps us understand and empathize
with each other.

4. Rasa: Raudra

Meaning: Anger

Property: It means roaring and has a sense of rage. Anger can lead to irritation, hatred and
violence. It is a property of fire, and just a moment of anger can destroy a lifetime of goodwill.
So, let go of the anger from you than getting stuck.
 INDIAN DANCES

5. Rasa: Veera

Meaning: Heroism, Courage

Property: It reflects a heroic or manly attitude. Everyone has a warrior inside him/her, it’s just
that you need to awaken it from dormancy. It is strong, vibrant and is associated with bravery,
confidence, determination, self-assurance and valour.

6. Rasa: Bhayanaka

Meaning: Fear

Property: It is associated to fear, worry, insecurity, self-doubts; these factors engulf us

completely and shuts us down. One can overcome this emotion by love, inner strength and
truth.

7. Rasa: Bibhatsya

Meaning: Disgust

Property: It means to detest or aversion. It characterizes judgemental mind, self-pity, loathing

and also self-hatredness.

8. Rasa: Adbhuta

Meaning: Wonder, Surprise

Property: This means wonder, amazement & surprise. It also depicts our innocence and
playfulness. The moment wherein we are surprised or curious or in awe of something, we
appreciate and enjoy those little things around us. We get fascinated and become an adventurer
of life.

9. Rasa: Shanta

Meaning: Peace

Property: It reflects deep calmness and relaxation. When we sit quietly or meditate, we are at
peace. It means to be peaceful, tranquil or contented.
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CLASSICAL DANCES OF INDIA : (recognized by sangeet natak akademy)

 1.Katthak = U.P

2.Katthakali = Kerala

3.Mohiniyattam = Kerala

4.Bharatnatyam = Tamil Nadu

5.Kuchipudi = Andhra Pradesh

6.Oddissi = Orissa

7.Sattriya = Assam

8.Manipuri = Manipur
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1.KATHAK

 State : Uttar Pradesh & other parts of northern india

 The term Kathak is derived from the Vedic Sanskrit word Katha which
means "story", and Kathakar which means "the one who tells a story", or "to do with
stories"
 Origin : Orignated from India, traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient
northern India, known as Kathakars or storytellers. Its form today contains traces of
temple and ritual dances, and the influence of the bhakti movement.
 Theme: Centered primarily around divine Krishna, his lover Radha and milkmaids
(gopis) – around legends and texts such as the Bhagavata Purana found in the
Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism.( Raasleela of Brajbhoom)
 It has mughal and Persian influences also.
 The word Kathak has been derived from the word Katha which means a story.
 It was primarily a temple or village performance wherein the dancers narrated stories
from ancient scriptures.
 Kathak began evolving into a distinct mode of dance in the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries with the spread of the bhakti movement.

o The legends of Radha-Krishna were enacted in folk plays called rasa lila, which
combined folk dance with the basic gestures of the kathak story-tellers.
 Under the Mughal emperors and their nobles, Kathak was performed in the court, where
it acquired its present features and developed into a form of dance with a distinctive
style.
 Under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, it grew into a major art
form.
 Usually a solo performance, the dancer often pauses to recite verses followed by their
execution through movement.
 The focus is more on footwork; the movements are skillfully controlled and performed
straight legged by dancers wearing ankle-bells.
 Kathak is the only form of classical dance wedded to Hindustani or the North Indian
music.
 Lady Leela Sokhey (madame Menaka) revived the classical style.
 INDIAN DANCES

GHARANAS: There are basically 4 gharanas:-

1.Lucknow gharana

2.Banaras gharana

3.Raigarh gharana

4.Jaipur Gharana

 MUSIC : Hindustani classical , Dhrupad, Thumri or Gazals

 Famous proponents:
 1. Pandit Birju Maharaj, kathak king The world famous Kathak dancer
(lucknow gharana)

2.Lacchu Maharaj (lucknow gharana)

3.Sitara Devi, queen of kathak (snaa, padm shri)

 INDIAN DANCES

2.Kathakali:

 State: Kerala
 The term Kathakalī is derived from Katha (Sanskrit: "कथा") which
means "story or a conversation, or a traditional tale",
and Kalī (from Kalā, "कला") which means "performance and art"
 Origin: the origins of Kathakali dance date back to the late 16th
and early 17th century in India. At that time, it was given its
present name and took on its modern-day characteristics.
However, its roots go back much further into ancient folk arts and
classical dances in Kerala.
 Theme: Themes of the Kathakalī are folk mythologies, religious
legends and spiritual ideas from the Hindu epics and the Puranas
(rama and Krishna stories)
 Music: South Indian Music or the Carnatic music & Sopan Music of kerala
 Famous Proponents:

1. Guru Gopinath (experimented and proved that girls can perform Kathakali.)

2. Guru Kunchu Kurup

3.Mohiniyattam or Mohiniattam :

 State: Kerala
 INDIAN DANCES

  Mohiniyattam dance gets its name from the word Mohini – a mythical enchantress
avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, who helps the good prevail over evil by developing her
feminine powers (lasya type)
 Origin: It is believed that this dance form originated in the 16th century, and took off
eventually in the 19th century under the reign of Swathi Thirunal, who was the king of
the state of Travancore, which is the Southern part of Kerala.
 The people who revived this dance form are

(1)Vallathol Narayan or V.N Menon the great Malayalam poet ,

(2)Kalyani kutti Amma , also known as mother of mohiniyattam

 Theme: Feminine dance of Vishnu (Samudra manthan)

 Music: South Indian Music or the Carnatic music
 Famous Proponents:

1.Kalyani amma

2.V.N Menon

3.Sunanda Nair (Dr Sunanda Nair is the first student in India to have a master's degree
in Mohiniattam from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya affiliated to the University of
Mumbai )

4.Bharatnatyam :

 State: Tamil Nadu

 Bharatanatyam is the oldest classical dance tradition of India and it
expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas,
particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism. According to the
Hindu tradition the name of the dance form was derived by joining two
words, ‘Bharata’ and ‘Natyam’ ,where Natyam in Sanskrit means
dance and ‘Bharata’ is a mnemonic comprising ‘bha’, ‘ra’ and ‘ta’
which respectively means ‘bhava’ that is emotion and feelings; ‘raga’
 INDIAN DANCES

that is melody; and ‘tala’ that is rhythm. Thus, the word refers to a dance form
where bhava, raga and tala are expressed.
 Origin: The birth of this art form as well as the donning of these traditional
costumes traces its origin way back to the 17th century, wherein Devadasis, who
were temple dancers, practiced Bharatnatyam to worship gods and goddesses
 Theme: South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of
Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism.
 Music:Carnatic music
 Famous Proponents:

1. Yamini Krishnamurthy : her autobiography, "A Passion For Dance"

awards, including the Padma Shree (1968)[4] Padma Bhushan (2001), and Padma

Vibhushan (2016)

2. Padma Subrahmanyam : She is well known as the developer and founder of the
dance form Bharata Nrithyam . ps and pb
3. Mrinalini Sarabhai (mother) & Mallika Sarabhai(daughter)
4. Rukmini Devi Arundale: She was the first woman in Indian history to be
nominated a member of the Rajya Sabha. .pb

5.Kuchipudi:

 State: Andhra Pradesh

 Origin: It originated in a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian
state of Andhra Pradesh
 Patronage :Vijaynagar and Golconda dynasty
 Theme: The main themes of the Kuchipudi dance include
stories, tales, and scenes from mythology and epics.
(bhagwatpuran)

 Music: Carnatic music

 Famous Proponents

1.Radha & Raja Reddy :  the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards

2.Indrani Rahman : In 1952, she won the Miss India pageant, received
the Padma Shri in 1969 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in the
performing arts and also the Taraknath Das Award.
 INDIAN DANCES

3.Swapna Sundari

6.Odissi:

 State:Orissa
 Origin:  originated in the Hindu temples of Odisha
 Theme: theme of Infinite love of Lord Krishna and Radha.
 Charles Fabry (a Hungarian Indologist and art critic) &
Indrani Rahman make this art form gain international
acclaim.
 evidence of dance and music as an ancient performance art
are found in archaeological sites such as caves and in
temple carvings of Bhubaneswar, Konarak and Puri , The
Manchapuri cave in Udayagiri shows carvings of dance and
musicians, khandagiri caves
 Music: Odissi music. & Hindustani classica
 Famous Proponents:

1. Guru Pankaj Charan Das ( 'Father of Odissi dance')

2. Kelucharan Mohapatra (He is the first person to receive
the Padma Vibhushan from Odisha)
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7.Manipuri:

 State : Manipur
 Origin: Manipuri dance, also known as Jagoi,[1] is one of the major Indian
classical dance forms,[2] named after the region of its origin – Manipur, a
state in northeastern India bordering
with Myanmar (Burma), Assam, Nagaland and Mizoram.
 Theme: It is particularly known for its Hindu Vaishnavism themes, and
exquisite performances of love-inspired dance drama of Radha-Krishna
called Raslila.
 Rabindranath Tagore revived this dance form . He invited Guru
Budhimantra Singh who had trained in Manipuri dance, as faculty to the
Indian culture and studies center named Shantiniketan.
 Music: Local Manpuri Music
 Famous Proponents:

1.Jhaveri Sisters

2.Guru Bipin Singh

 INDIAN DANCES

8.Sattriya:

 State : Assam
 Origin: It is a dance-drama performance art with origins in
the Krishna-centered Vaishnavism monasteries of Assam, and
attributed to the 15th century Bhakti movement scholar and
vaishnav saint Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev.
 It is named after vaishan monasteries sattara
 Theme:Mythological stories of Vishnu
 Music:  Borgeets (composed by Sankardeva and Shree Shree
madhavdev)
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FOLK DANCES OF INDIA :

State Dance Form

Andhra  Kottam
Pradesh
 Ojapali
 Bihu
Assam
 Ankia Nat

 Lion and Peacock dance

 Chalo
Arunachal  Popir
Pradesh  Bardo Chham
 Aji Lamu

 Jata Jatin
 Faguna or Fag
Bihar
 Purbi,Bidesia

 Panthi
Chhatisgarh  Raut Nacha

 Dandya Ras
 Garba Lasya Nritya
 Bhavai
Gujarat  Garba
 Rasila
 Trippan

 Fugdi
 Dekhnni
Goa  Tarangamel
 Dhalo

Haryana  Swang
 Khoria
 Gugga dance
 INDIAN DANCES

 Loor
 Sang
 Dhama

 Luddi Dance
 Munzra
Himachal  Kanayala
Pradesh  Giddha Parhaun
 Hikat

 Rouf
Jammu and
Kashmir  Chakri

Jharkhand Karma
 Yakshagana
 Bayalata
 Simha Nutrya
Karnataka
 Dollu Kunitha
 Veeragase

 Chakiarkoothu
 Kathakali
 Mohiniattam
 Ottam Thullal
 Chavittu Natakam
 Kaikotti Kalai
Kerala  Koodiyattam
 Krishnavattam
 Mudiyettu
 Tappatri Kai
 Tappatri Kai
 Theyyam

Lakshadweep Lava
Madhya  Macha
Pradesh  Lota
 Pandvan
 Tertali
 Charkula
 Jawara
 INDIAN DANCES

 Matki dance
 Phulpatti dance
 Grida dance
 Maanch
 Gaur maria dance

 Chiraw (Bamboo Dance)

Mizoram
 Thang ta
 Dhol cholom
Manipur
 Manipuri

 Tamasha
 Dahi Kala
Maharashtra  Lavani
 Lezim

 Odissi
 Savari
 Ghumara
 Paik
Odisha
 Chhau
 Gotipua
 Sambalpur

 Garadi
Puducherry
 Bhangra
 Giddha
 Daff
 Dhaman
 Malwai
 Jhumar
Punjab  Karthi
 Kikli
 Sammi
 Dandass
 Ludi
 Jindua
 INDIAN DANCES

 Ghumar
 Chakri
 Gangaur
 Jhulan
 Leela
Rajasthan
 Jhuma
 Suisini
 Ghapal
 Kalbelia

 Singhi chham
 Yak Chaam
Sikkim  Maruni
 Rechungma

 Bharatnatyam
 Kumi
 Kolattam
 Kavadi
 Karagattam
Tamil Nadu
 Theru koothu
 Bommal attam
 Puliyaattam
 Oyilattam

 Perini Thandavam
 Dappu
Telangana
 Lambadi

 Hojagiri
 Goria
Tripura
 Lebang Boomani

 Chholiya
 Jagars
 Thali-Jadda
Uttarakhand
 Jhainta
 Barada Nat

Uttar Pradesh  Nautanki

 INDIAN DANCES

 Raslila
 Kajri
 Jhora
 Chhapeli
 Jaita

 Jatra
 Chau
West Bengal
 Kathi

Kalripayattu=kerela

Pandvani folk theatre = chhatisgarh

Bhand pather folk theatre=kasmir

Brahan natynanjali = tamil nadu