Dances (Classical and Folk) of India

What is Dance?

India is famous for its rich cultural legacy which includes various things and performing arts like classical dances are undoubtedly an integral part of this culture. Various excavations, inscriptions, chronicles, genealogies of kings and artists, literary sources, sculpture, and painting of different periods provide extensive evidence on dances in India. Traditional dances of India are originated in ancient times and it is also the origination of the development of classical dances in India. In this article, we present to you about various classical and regional dance forms practiced from different parts of India and are also very important in the exam point of view.

Dance is a physical expression of emotive content of music where various gestures coupled with rhythmical body movements to express emotions or stories. In ancient culture, dance was purely for religious practices like worshiping and as a gesture of thanksgiving to the deity. But in modern society, it also used for entertainment purposes through watching that music or story through the visual expression.

Sage Bharata Muni’s book “Natya Shastra” gives information about dance and in this book, the things are taken from ancient books like words are taken from Rigveda, melody from Samaveda, mime from Yajurveda, and emotion from Atharvaveda.

Types of Dances in India

Book dated b/w 200BCE to 200AD. There are two categories of dances – (i) Classical Dances and (ii) Folk Dances

Classical Dances of India

Out of many dance forms, classical dance forms are a type of dance that tells a story almost exclusively through gestures. There are many classical dances in India but most of them originated in temples. Unlike folk dances, classical dances are all about technicalities and follow strict rules. The main aim or purpose of these dance forms is worshipping.

Although all dance forms in India are evolved from different regions, their roots can be traced from the Sanskrit text called ‘Natya Shastra’ which was first compiled between 200BCE and 200CE along with Acharya Nandikeshawara’s ‘Abhinaya Darpan’ and Sharangdev’s ‘Sangeeth Ratnakar’ (Nartanadhyaya). This forms the foundation of technicalities of all the classical dance forms (which includes their body movements, rasa, bhava, etc).

As time passed, talented artists improvised many classical dances that resulted in today’s forms and this gradually makes Indian classical dances very popular dance all over the world. Indian classical dances are majorly slow performance, proper dance code, training are required for these dance forms.

Techniques or Components of Classical Dance

According to Sangita Ratnakara, Abhinaya Darpana (“The Mirror of Gesture”), and other medieval treatises, dance is divided into three techniques or components – Natya, Nritya and Nritta.

• Natya – It is related to drama and that means dramatic representation or drama with speech, music, and dancing and may also has some traditional story for its theme.
• Nritya – It corresponds to the Abhinaya part of the dance where the mime is performed to the song and also includes hand gestures. Here the performers themselves use speech, is replaced by the music and song which accompanies dance, and this dance also relates to Sentiment (rasa) and Psychological States (Bhaava) makes it an interpretative dance form.
• Nritta – It corresponds to pure dance steps performed rhythmically and movement of the body does not express any mood, any meaning, or does not relate to any Psychological State (Bhaava). The purpose of this dance form is just to create beauty by making various patterns, lines in space, and time.

1) Bharatanatyam

• Bharatanatyam is a dance of Tamil Nadu and also most popular in South India. It is the most ancient of all the classical Indian dance forms and also traces its origins back to the Natyashastra, which is an ancient treatise on theatre written by the mythic priest Bharata.
• Though it originally was a dance form for women in temples to express Hindu religious stories and devotions today it is the most popular and widely performed among all the classical Indian dance forms in India.
• Traditionally, this dance is originated as a solo dance form that can be performed by male or female dancers but in later times this dance also performed by groups too.
• In Bharatanatyam ‘Bha‘ stands for Bhava which is mood. ‘Ra‘ for Raga means music, ‘Ta‘ for Tala indicates rhythm and Natyam stands for Nritya.
• In this dance form various gestures specially hand gestures are very important and these include bent legs, while feet keep a rhythm. To express a story hand gestures may be used in a series of mudras, or by some symbolic hand gestures. Also, these gestures are characterized by different features—lasya for feminine movements and tandava for the masculine aspect.
• Bharatanatyam is considered to be created by Bharat Muni and also known as Indian Belly
• Noted Artists: Rukmini Devi, Mrinalini Sarabhai, Leela Samson, etc.

2) Mohiniyattam

• Mohiniyattam is performed only by women and is a classical dance form of Kerala.
• This dance form was exclusively being performed in temples and palaces and has elements of both Bharatanatyam and Kathakali.
• The name is derived from Mohini of Puranas which literally to the ‘Dance of Mohini’ and expressions are like it tries to attract others (previously to distract the Asuras).

3) Kathakali

• Kathakali is derived from Dance and Drama and originated in the temples of Kerala.
• This dance form is generally performed in the open air and in the night.
• Story or Themes are based on epics. Katha will recite in music by a singer accompanied by drums and musical instruments and the language of the sound is a mixture of Sanskrit and Malayalam.
• An actor never opens his lips and expression showed through the movement of the body, facial expressions, and hand gestures. In this dance form, elaborate facial makeup is used to portray the character in the story.
• Noted Artists: Ragini Devi, Rita Ganguly, etc.

4) Kathak

• Kathak is a dance form of North Indian states mainly in Uttar Pradesh and its name derives from ‘Kathaka’ which means storyteller. There are three major schools of Kathak which are Benaras Gharana, Lucknow Gharana, Jaipur Gharana.
• This dance is form performed by male or female dancers or even as a couple of dance. Performer recites epics with gestures and music. This dance form starts with soft and varied movements and as time advances it concludes with fast foot movements with various jumps and turns.
• The male dancer usually wears sherwani and velvet cap and dancers tie bells around his ankles and thus the proper footage movement is very important in this dance form.
• Noted Artists: Birju Maharaj, Subhu Maharaj, Sitara Devi, etc.

5) Kuchipudi

• Kuchipudi is a dance that originated in Kuchipudi which is the name of a small village in Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh that borders of Bay of Bengal.
• Mainly the theme of this dance style is on Bhagavat Purana especially the life of Krishna. This dance form can be performed both as solo and in a group. It is originated from dance drama enacted by Brahmanas in temples.
• This dance form closely resembles Bharatanatyam and a specialty of this dance form is dancing upon a brass plate and keeping a pot on his head.
• Noted Artists: Lakhmi Shastri, Yamini Krishnamurthy, etc.

6) Odissi

• Odissi is the dance form of Odisha and is considered the oldest form of Classical Dances.
• This dance form is based on Jayadev’s ‘Gita Govinda’ (as it dominates the poetical and music content of this dance style) and used to depict love and devotion to Lord Krishna. However, it was originally performed in temples but later in royal courts.
• This dance form also has similarities with the Bharatanatyam dance form regarding various mudras and expressions.
• Noted Artists: Sonal Mansingh, Madhavi Mudgal, Raut, etc.

7) Manipuri

• Manipuri is a dance form of Manipur and it is also known as Jagoi. This dance form describes the plays of Krishna and Gopikas and includes slow body movement and movements of fingers and arms movement are also important.
• Noted Artists: Guru Bipin Sharma, Jhaveri Sisters, etc.

8) Sattriya

• Sattriya is originated at the ‘Sattras’ which means monasteries and is established by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev in the 15th century and is the classical dance form of Assam. This dance form was originally performed by the male disciples in the Sattras as a part of religious rituals and their aim was to spread the philosophy of Vaishnavism.

Folk Dances of India

• Andhra Pradesh: Kolattam
• Arunachal Pradesh:
• Assam: Bihu, Khel Gopal
• Bihar: Chhau
• Chhattisgarh: Raut Nacha
• Goa: Koli
• Gujarat: Dandiya Raas, Bhavai, Garba, Tippani
• Haryana: Ghoomar
• Himachal Pradesh: Jhora, Thali, Munzra
• Jharkhand:
• Karnataka: Yakshagana
• Kerala: Puli Kali, Velakali
• Madhya Pradesh:
• Maharashtra: Tamasha, Lavani, Lezim, Dasavtar, Bohada
• Manipur:
• Meghalaya:
• Mizoram:
• Nagaland:
• Odisha:
• Punjab: Bhangra (For Men), Giddha (For Women)
• Rajasthan: Ghumar, Gair
• Sikkim:
• Tamil Nadu: Karakattam
• Telangana:
• Tripura:
• Uttar Pradesh: Rasa Lila, Nautanki
• Uttarakhand:
• West Bengal: Jatra
• Andaman and Nicobar Island (UT):
• Chandigarh (UT):
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (UT):
• Delhi (NCT):
• Jammu and Kashmir (UT): Rouf, Dumhal
• Lakshadweep (UT):
• Puducherry (UT):
• Ladakh (UT):

Difference Between Classical Dance and Folk Dance

• No. of Participants: In the case of classical dances, it is generally performed as a solo, but folk dances are performed in groups.
• Audience Participation: In classical dances, the audience can only enjoy but can’t participate but in the case of folk dances audience also can participate.
• Dress Code & Makeup: In classical dance prominent, predefined and elaborate dressing structure, color, and ornamentation, proper training is very important but for folk dances, local dress is used, and no special training is required.
• Language: In classical dance literary languages are used but in folk dances, local languages are used.
• Theme: Generally classical dances are based on mythology but folk dances are generally based on local things or no special preferences.
• Dance environment: In the case of classical dances artificially made special and suitable atmosphere is needed but most of the cases of folk dances are with no special or minimum arrangement needed and dance can be performed in a natural and open-air environment or simple stage.