Submitted To:

Ms. Suchita
GENERAL STUDIES
PROJECT

Indian
Classical
Dance

By: Aditi K
XII C
 INDEX
Dance
Indian Classical Dance
Origin
Types
Bharatnatyam
Kathak
Kathakali
Kuchipudi
Odissi
Manipuri
Mohiniyattam
Sattriya
Conclusion
Bibliography
 DANCE
Dance is the movement of the body in rhythm with music at a
place. It is for the purpose of expressing an
idea or emotion while releasing energy and
taking pleasure in the movement.  Dance
is a powerful impulse but the art of
dance is that impulse channelled by skillful performers into
something that becomes intensely expressive and that delight
spectator.  There are many different styles of  dance, each one
with its own set of skills, music and style.

Indian Classical Dance (Shastriya Devesh) is an umbrella

term for various performance
arts rooted in religious Hindu
musical theatre styles, whose
theory and practice can be traced to the Sanskrit text Natya
Shastra. Theatrical dance (performance or concert dance) , is
intended primarily as a spectacle, usually a performance upon a
stage by virtuoso dancers.
Participatory dance whether it be a folk dance, a social dance, a
group dance such as a line, circle, chain or square dance, or a
partner dance such as is common in western ballroom dancing, is
undertaken primarily for a common purpose, such as social
interaction or exercise, of participants rather than onlookers. In
the rave culture  of electronic dance music, vast crowds may
engage in the free dance, uncoordinated with those around them
whereas some cultures lay down strict rules as to the particular
dances in which, for example, men, women and children may or
must participate.
 INDIAN CASSICAL
DANCE
Indian classical dance is an ancient and celebrated cultural
tradition in India. Folk dances abound all across the country,
and huge crowds of people can be found dancing at festivals and
weddings. As with other aspects of Indian culture, different
forms of dances originated in different parts of India, developed
according to the local traditions and also imbibed elements from
other parts of the country.

Sangeet Natya Academy, the national academy for performing

arts in India, recognizes eight traditional dances as Indian
classical dances namely Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi,
Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and Mohiniyattam, while
other sources and scholars recognize more like Chhau,
Yakshagana and Bhagavata Mela.
 These have roots in the Sanskrit text Natya Shastra, and the
religious performance arts of Hinduism.  All these dance forms
use basically the similar 'mudras' or signs of hand as a common
language of expression and were originally performed in the
temples to entertain various Gods and Goddesses.  Lord Shiva is
said to be the 'Nataraja' meaning 'King of All Dances', who is
said to perform the Cosmic Dance that delicately balances life
and death and all that is happening in the Universe in
harmonious cycles.
 ORIGIN
Dance in India comprises numerous styles of dances,
generally classified as classical and folk.  Dance is a
performing art form consisted of purposefully selected
sequences of movements.  This movement has aesthetic and
symbolic value and is acknowledged as dance by performers
and observers within a particular culture.  Dance is
categorized and described by its choreography, by its range of
movements, or by its historic period/place of origin.
The origin of dance in India goes back into ancient times.
The heritage site at Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya
Pradesh is one of the places where several dance scenes,
sculptures and dance figures which are found at Indus Valley
Civilization archaeological sites are displayed.  

The evidence of dance-related texts is in  Natasutras, which

are estimated to have been composed around 600 BCE, whose
complete manuscript has not survived into the modern age and
in the Hindu text by sage Bharat “Natya Shastra”, in which he
credits his piece of art ultimately to Bramha who created
Natya- Veda by taking the “words” from the Rig-Veda,
“melody” from the Samaveda, “mime” from the Yajurveda and
“emotion” from the Atharvaveda.
 TYPES
Classical dance of India has developed a type of dance-drama
that is a form of a total theatre.  In this, the dancers act out a
story almost exclusively through gestures.  Most of the classical
dances of India enact stories from Hindu mythology but
nowadays performances related to global issues and revolutions
are also enacted.  Each form represents the culture and ethos of
a particular region of people.  The criteria for being considered
as classical is the style’s adherence to the guidelines laid down
in Natya Shastra, which explains the Indian art of acting. 
The tradition of dance has been codified in the Natyashastra
and performance is considered accomplished if it manages to
evoke a rasa  (emotion) among the audience by invoking a
particular bhava (gesture or facial expression).  
The Sangeet Natak Academy currently confers classical status
on eight Indian classical dance styles: 
Bharatnatyam (Tamil Nadu)
 Kathak (North, West & Central India)
Kathakali (Kerala)
Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)
Odissi (Odisha)
Manipuri (Manipur)
Mohiniyattam (Kerala)
Sattriya(Assam)
 BHARATNATYAM
Bharatnatyam is a classical dance form originated in
Thanjavoor of Tamil Nadu.  Also
known as “Daasiyattam” as it was
performed by Devadasis in the temples
of Tamil Nadu.  The name is derived
from three basic concepts of Bhava,
Raga and Taala.  Conventionally a solo dance performed only
by women. Theoretical base of this form traces back to ‘Natya
Shastra’.
It is noted for its fixed upper torso, bent legs and knees flexed
(Aramandi) combined with spectacular footwork and
sophisticated vocabulary of sign language based on gestures of
hands, eyes and faces muscles. Hands are used in a series of
mudras to tell a story. There are approximately 55 mudras
used to communicate ideas and events in which 32 require only
one hand (Asamyukta Hasta) along with 23 which require both
hands (Samyukta Hasta). It leans heavily on the abhinaya or
mime aspect of dance- the nritya, where the dancer expresses the
Sahitya through movements and mime. The natural element is
fire.
Few noted exponents include Sudha Chandran, Rukmini Devi
Arundale, Mallika Sarabhai, Lakshmanaswamy.
 KATHAK
Kathak is a classical dance form Of nothern India which later
became a courtly entertainment. The name is derived from
Vedic Sanskrit word 'katha'
meaning story and ' kathakar'
meaning story teller. It is
attributed to the travel bards
of ancient nothern India.
The full foot contact is of prime importance where only the toe
or the ball of the foot are used, their functions are limited. The
upper and lower parts of the body have no deflections and no
sharp bends and curves. The torso movement is the movement
of the shoulder and hand. The pirouettes are the most
characteristic feature of the dance style. In this also there are
55 mudras which are same as the ones in Bharatnatyam.
Some well- known dancers are Pandit Birju Maharaj,
Shambhu Maharaj, Sitara Devi, Lacchu Maharaj.
 KATHAKALI
Kathakali is a classical dance originated in Kerala. It is also
a religious dance like Bharatnatyam and
draws its inspiration from Ramayan and
stories from Shaiva tradition. It is
traditionally performed by boys and men,
which includes both male and female roles.
The costumes and makeup are elaborate with a face made to
look like painted masks and enormous head-dresses.
The basic position is chin pressed tightly against the throat
and the face looks straight ahead. The buttocks push back so
the spine forms a concave. The knees are widely spread apart
such that the front view shows a perfectly shaped diamond and
arms parallel to the ground. There are 24 mudras that are
moved in different ways to convey different animals, actions and
emotions. The natural element is sky or aether. Well-versed
dancers are Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Kalamandalam
Gopi, Madavoor Vasudevan Nair
 KUCHIPUDI
Kuchipudi is the dance drama of Andhra Pradesh that ombines
Natya, Nritta and Nritya. It begins with
an invocation to Lord Ganesha followed
by Nritta (Abstract dancing), Shabdam
(narrative dance) and Natya. The dance
is accompanied by song which is typically
Carnatic music supported by mridangam,
violin, flute and tambura. Unlike the other styles mentioned,
Kuchipudi requires talent in both singing and dancing.
It shares many postures and expressive gestures with
Bharatnatyam such as Aramandi (half seated position or a
partial squat, legs bent and knees flexed out. The hand
gestures or mudras are same as in Bharatanatyam as this form
is very similar to it. The major difference is that in this form
props like Brass Plates and pots (Matkas) filled with water
or sand are used. The natural element is earth. .

Sonal Mansingh, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Arunima Kumar,

Raja and Radha Reddy are few renowned dancers.
 ODISSI
Odissi is indigenous to Orissa in eastern India. It is
predominantly a dance for women, with
postures that replicate those found in temple
sculptures. It is a dance of love, joy and
passion. According to archaeological
findings, Odissi is believed to be the
oldest of the surviving Indian classical dance. It is a very
complex and expressive form of dance.

The central posture is Tribhanga (where the body bends in one

side at the knees the other side at the hips and then other again
at the shoulder and neck). A special feature of Odissi is the use
of sideways movement in the isolated torso. The hands are used
in a series of mudras with go in flow with the movement of the
body. The natural element is water. Few eminent dancers are
Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sonal Mansingh, Mayadhar Raut,
Gangadhar Pradhan
 MANIPURI
Manipuri, as the name suggests, is from Manipur, the
Northeastern state of India, and is a
combination of many dances prevalent
in the region. It has its roots in that
state’s folk traditions and rituals and
often depicts scenes from the life of
Lord Krishna. It has smooth and graceful dance movements.
The female roles are especially fluid in arms and hands while
male roles tend to have more forceful movements.
This form of classical dance features unique costumes where the
female character is dressed like a Manipuri bride (the potloi
costume) and the male characters dress in a dhoti. The
Krishna character wears a peacock feather containing crown,
with a feathery attachment at the back. It is a drama executed
with dance instead of dialogues. Guru Bipin Singha is the most
respected dancer and also the father of the
dance as he is very attached to the Manipuri
culture.
 MOHINIYATTAM
Mohiniyattam from Kerala is a solo female dance and is known
for its rhythmic and unbroken
flow of the body movements.
The term Mohiniyattam comes
from the words “Mohini” means
“women” and “attam” means “graceful
andsensuous body movements.
The word “Mohiniyattam” literal
meaning is “dance of the
enchantress”. The dance involves swaying of broad hips and
the gentle movements of erect posture from side to side. This is
reminiscent of the swinging of the palm leaves and the gently
flowing rivers which abound Kerala.
Basic posture is aramandalam where you bend your legs with
feet apart. Most of the Adavus (the basic dance units) begins
from this basic position. Even though aramandalam is the most
important one, based upon the level of the knees there are 5
stances in Mohiniyattam namely Samamandalam,
aramandalam, muzhumandalam, mukkalmandalam and
kaalmandalam. The mudras (hand gestures) are almost the
same as those employed in Kathakali.
Smitha Rajan, T Chinnammu Amma, Kalamandalam
Sugandhi are some respected dancers.
 SATTRIYA
Sattriya is a classical dance form emerged from the Eastern
state of Assam. It is a dance-drama performance art with
origins in the Krishna centred Vaishnavism monasteries of
Assam. Recognised in 2000 as a classical dance by Sangeet
Natak Academy of India, modern Sattriya explores many
themes and plays and its performances staged worldwide.
It is a group dance depicting mostly narrating stories of Lord
Krishna. The costume is primarily of two types: the male
costume comprising dhoti and the paguri and the female
costume comprising ghuri, chadar and kanchi (waist cloth).
Traditional Assamese jewellery is used in dance. Female
dancers wear white flowers in the hair.
 CONCLUSION
In the final analysis my views on this topic, Dance is an
austerity (a penance) which comes to you only with time and a
lot of rehearsal. It is a passion for some, a way to express their
feelings for others and a way to earn some money and
recognition to the rest. All the dances being different for one
other but are equally beautiful and its actual beauty is when the
dancer feels every movement. Everyone has a dancer in them but
only a few recognize it. All have even talent and intelligence in
them they have to just identify and explore themself. To sum up,
everyone just has to remember ABCD which is an abbreviation
for “Any Body Can Dance”. So turn on some beats and dance
your way.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Websites
Wikipedia
Britannica
Cultural India
Google
G K Today