Classical and Folk dance
India, a land of immense cultural diversity, is renowned for its rich and vibrant traditions in music, art, and dance. Indian classical dance forms are a testament to the country’s rich cultural heritage and artistic traditions. These dance styles, deeply rooted in spirituality and mythology, embody grace, precision, and expressive storytelling.
Classical and folk dance of India are deeply rooted in ancient texts and religious traditions and are often associated with displaying the various stories of the Hindu epics, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. These dance forms are highly stylized, with elaborate costumes, intricate movements, and a focus on expression and storytelling.
Classical Dance in India
Currently, there are 9 classical dance forms with the recent addition of Chhau to the list of Classical dance forms.
Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest and most widely practiced classical dance forms which originated in Tamil Nadu,. It is characterized by its fixed upper torso, bent legs, and intricate footwork. The dance incorporates complex mudras (hand gestures) and facial expressions to convey stories from Hindu mythology.
This classical dance form has its roots in northern India and is influenced by both Hindu and Muslim cultures. Kathak is known for its fast footwork, spins, and expressive storytelling. It often depicts tales from Indian folklore and epics.
Kathakali
Kathakali is a dramatic and theatrical dance form which originated in Kerala and is known for its elaborate makeup, masks, and costumes. The performances are grand and often depict stories from Hindu epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Kuchipudi
This dance form from Andhra Pradesh combines elements of both dance and drama. Kuchipudi often includes dialogues and mimed sequences to tell stories from Indian mythology.
Odissi is known for its fluid movements and sculpturesque poses. It is mainly practiced in Odisha and is considered one of the most graceful classical dance forms. It lays a strong emphasis on storytelling through dance.
Manipuri
Manipuri dance form is characterized by its gentle and graceful movements. Manipuri is often associated with the themes of love and devotion, frequently depicting stories of Radha and Krishna. It is mainly practiced in Manipur.
Mohiniyattam
Mohiniyattam is known for its soft, flowing movements and feminine grace. It often explores themes related to spirituality and devotion. It is another classical dance form from Kerala along with Kathakali.
Sattriya
Srimanta Sankardev, a leading figure in religious movement in Assam, founded the sattras as centers for religious teaching, art, music, and dance. Sattriya was created as a medium to spread the teachings of Vaishnavism. The narratives typically come from texts like the Bhagavata Purana, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata.
Chhau
Chhau is a traditional dance form from eastern India, particularly in West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand. It combines martial arts, dance, and drama, often depicting stories from Hindu epics.
Bharatnatyam
Bharatnatyam is the oldest of the classical and folk dance of India. The details about the dance is found in Tamil Literature, Silappadikaaram. It is mentioned as Sadirattam which was later renamed as Bharatnatyam in 1932 by the efforts of the revivalist, E Krishna Iyer and Rukhmini devi Arundale.
Features:
- characterized by fixed upper torso, bent legs, intricate footwork, and expressive hand gestures and facial expressions
- Bharatnatyam is performed by a single artist called Ekaharya
- Dancers perform to classical Carnatic music. Some common musical instruments used include Mridangam, Veena, Flautist and Cymbal player.
- the orchestrator is called nattuvanar
- includes
- nrita (pure dance)
- nritya (Conveys a meaning to the audience through hand gestures)
- natya (Consists of the elements of drama)
Kathak
It is one of the prominent and among the oldest Classical dance form of India. The origin of the dance form is attributed to the travelling people who were called the Kathakar. These kathakars used to share the stories from the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata through music, dance and songs.
Features:
- it involves rhythmic foot movements, spins, and expressive gestures
- it generally involves strong beats
- the dance form was strongly supported by mughlas thus leading to its popularity
- the most commonly used instruments include tabla, harmonium, hand cymbal,
Odissi
It is one of the ancient dance form that is still practiced. It originated in the form of temple dance and mainly women were allowed to perform. Gradually, males were also allowed to perform.
Features:
- Odissi is distinguished by its fluidity, grace, and sculpturesque poses
- The dance often depicts stories of Lord Krishna and promotes Vaishnavites
- the dance form uses intricately designed dresses, body movement, mudra (hand gesture) and abhinaya(expression)
- the dance involves invocation, nrita(pure dance), nritya(expression), natya(drama), and moksha
- involves 3 basic dance positions:
- chouka – square squatting position
- abhanga
- Tribhanga – S-shaped position
- the most commonly used instruments include pakhawaj, hand cymbal, flutist and sitar.
Folk Dance in India
Classical and Folk dance of India represents the diversity in culture spread across different parts of India. Apart from the classical dance forms, there are numerous folk dances that are performed in various states. The list is mentioned below:
