India has a great heritage of classical dance and music. Using the body as a medium of communication, the expression of dance is perhaps the most intricate and developed, yet easily understood art form. Dance in India covers a wide range of dance and dance theatre forms, from the ancient classical or temple dance to folk and modern styles. Three best-known deities, Shiva, Kali and Krishna, are typically represented dancing. There are hundreds of Indian folk dances such as Bhangra, Garba and special dances observed in regional festivals.India offers a number of classical Indian dance forms, each of which can be traced to different parts of the country. The presentation of Indian dance styles in film, Bollywood, has exposed the range of dance in India to a global audience.
Indian Dances
BHARATANATYAM – KATHAK – KATHAKALI – Kuchipudi - MANIPURI – MOHINIYATTAM – ODISSI – CHHAU
Indian Music
Bauls - Bhangra - Bhavageete - Lavani - QAWWALI - Rabindra Sangeet - FOLK MUSIC - GHAZAL - CLASSICAL MUSIC
BHARATANATYAM is a classic dance form originating in Tamil Nadu, a state in Southern India and is also the National Dance of India. This dance form denotes various 19th and 20th century reconstructions of Cathir, the art of temple dancers. Cathir in turn, is derived from ancient dance forms. Bharatanatyam is usually accompanied by the classical Carnatic music.
KATHAK is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from northern India. This dance form traces its origins to the the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or story tellers. It was quintessential theatre, using instrumental and vocal music along with stylized gestures, to enliven the stories. Its form today contains traces of temple and ritual dances, and the influence of the bhakti movement.
KATHAKALI is a highly stylised classical Indian dance-drama noted for its attractive make-up of characters, their elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion.
Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form from Andhra Pradesh, a state of South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a small village in the Divi Taluq of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practising this traditional dance form, it acquired the present name.
Manipuri dance is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. It originates from Manipur, a state in north-eastern India on the border with Myanmar (also known as Burma). In Manipur, surrounded by mountains and geographically isolated at the meeting point of the orient and mainland India, the form developed its own specific aesthetics, values, conventions and ethics.
MOHINIYATTAM is a traditional South Indian dance from Kerala, one of the eight Indian classical dance forms. It is a very graceful dance meant to be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniyattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements.
ODISSI is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as Odra-Magadhi. First century BCE bas-reliefs in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneshwar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British raj but has been reconstructed since India gained independence.
CHHAU is a genre of tribal martial dance, which is popular in the Indian states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa. Its origin is attributed to Mayurbhanj, an erstwhile princly state of Orissa.There are three subgenres of the dance, based on its places of origin and development.
