India is known for its rich culture and traditions, of which the various forms of classical and non-classical dance forms are a part. Dance is a medium of interaction which brings out the deepest feelings. It depicts the cultural aspects of a civilization. In India, it is believed as a form of worship or yoga through which one can contact the Almighty. Indian classical dances are the vibrations of the mind and the soul and all the forms of Indian Classical dance still follows the strict set of rules by Bharatha Muni in his Natyashastra, which is the oldest surviving text on the stagecraft in the world. Indian classical dance form has evolved since time unknown. Each of the forms of Classical dance originated in the temples, where dancing was used to demonstrate and portray various Hindu mythologies. These dances were performed by 'Devadasis, ladies who dedicated their life to the service of god. It is believed that the gods and goddesses not only gets pleased with dance but are great dancers as well. Eventually, dances were used not only to express devotion to god, but also to portray one's emotion and state of mind. The supreme manifestation of Indian Dance is Lord Shiva often referred to as Lord Nataraja. 'Nataraja' when translated literally means 'king of dancers'. In many texts of dance, it is also believed that Lord Shiva was the one who taught man to dance. There are 7 forms of Indian Classical Dance, each of which originated in different parts of the country. These dance forms are enumerated below. Bharatnatyam, Tamil Nadu Bharatanatyam originated in southern India in the state of Tamil Nadu. It started as a temple dance tradition called Dasiyattam (the dance of the maid-servants) 2000 years ago and is perhaps the most advanced and developed dance form as compared to the classical Indian dance forms. The name Bharatanatyam is derived from the four most significant aspects of dance, namely Bha from Bhava meaning emotion, Ra from Raag meaning music or melody, Ta from Taal meaning rhythm and Natyam meaning dance. Thus Bharatanatyam is the dance that encloses music, rhythm and expressional dance or Abhinaya and strictly adheres to the Natyashastra. This dace style is characterized by a linear form of the body without any distinct movement of the upper body and linear spatial patterns, which make this dance form exceptionally dynamic and powerful. Kathak, Uttar Pradesh One of the most popular dance forms of Indian Classical Dance form is Kathak. This dance form originated in the northern part of the country. Kathak is said to be derived from the word katha, meaning "the art of storytelling." This dance form originated as a story telling tradition, which was practiced by nomadic monks who sang and enacted mythological stories in praise of a chosen deity. The performances took place during social celebrations like birth, marriage, etc and on days of religious significance. As the tradition gained recognition, the dance style developed theoretically and thematically. A perfect synthesis of the Hindu story-telling tradition and the Persian dance style took place in the royal courts of the Mughal Sultans, allowing Kathak to develop into a unique dance form with remarkable characteristics like pirouettes and rhythmic tapping of the feet. The technique and presentation of Kathak is improved with the conscious and intense royal Persian custom blended with the spiritually meek innocence and beauty from the Hindu religious performance tradition. Kathak uses very easy hand gestures and less stylized and closer to real life expression called abhinaya. Owing to the swayed of two distinct cultures, Kathak is presented in a Hindu costume or in an adaptation of a Persian costume. This is one of the most elegant and graceful dance forms of India. Odissi, Orissa Odissi derives its name from the place of its origin, Orissa. Orissa’s attention-grabbing geographical position at the centre of the eastern part of India has influenced the culture and tradition of the state a remarkable extent, making its dance and music very distinctive. Though dance originated in Orissa in the 2nd century BC, it was not until approximately 60 years ago that Odissi, in the form it is seen today, was reinvented, invigorated and redefined. Therefore, Odissi is a synthesis of the ancient and exotic and modern and intellectual. Today’s Odissi is sourced from Devadasi or Mahari tradition, Gotipua Nacha, and the endless sculptures in various ornamentations engraved on the temple walls of Orissa. Odissi is the only dance form to have another basic body position besides the centered ‘Plie’ stance. The second stance Tribhangi, which literally means three bends and was inspired by temple sculptures, is the feminine curvilinear sculptural position with the body weight on one foot. Therefore, Odissi builds an chimera of sculpture coming to life. Kuchipudi , Andhra Pradesh Kuchipudi is the other Indian classical dance that originated from a dance drama tradition. Native to the state of Andhra Pradesh, the style derives its name from the village of its origin, Kuchipudi. Originally, only male dancers performed various episodes from the Bhagavatas (with the central character of Lord Krishna). During its revival, Kuchipudi was adapted to create a solo form for stage presentation and its practice was opened to female dancers also. Kathakali, Kerala Kathakali is a religious dance-drama tradition which originated in Kerala. Kathakali exactly means performance of stories. Traditionally it is a male dominated performing art practiced by the warrior caste and the style evolved in the 17th century from techniques derived from Sanskrit classical text, regional ritualistic folk theatre and traditional art forms that included dance movements, facial expressions, elaborate hand gestures, music, theatre and martial art. Manipuri, Manipur Manipuri dance form falls under the category of Indian Classical dance. It is a dance form from the North-Eastern state of Manipur. The tradition of dance belongs largely to the community of people called Meiteis who trace their origin to the Vedic times and were well-versed in innumerable ritualistic dances. During the 18th century Vaishnavism as a spiritual philosophy was born in India and came to Manipur. The evolution of present day Manipuri dance and repertoire is a synthesis of the traditional ritualistic dances dedicated to Lord Shiva and the Vaishnava belief of devotion. The repertoire therefore, is divided into Meitei dances like Lai-haroba and Khamba Thoibi and Vaishnav inspired dances like Raas (pure and expressional dance based on the eternal love story of Radha and Krishna) and Bhangi Pareng. The modern day repertoire also includes martial dance Thang-Ta (the dance of sword and spear) and Pung Cholam (where dancers play and dance with the percussion instrument with vigorous acrobatic leaps and spiral turns). Sattriya, Assam Sattriya dance, more popularly known as Sattriya Nritya is one of among the different Indian Classical dance forms. Sattriya has remained a living tradition since its creation by the founder of Vaishnavism in Assam, the great saint Srimanta Sankardeva, in 15th century Assam. Sankardeva created Sattriya Nritya as an accompaniment to the Ankia Naat (a form of Assamese one-act plays devised by him), which were usually performed in the sattras of Assam. As the tradition developed and grew within the sattras, the dance form came to be known as Sattriya Nritya. However, the Sattriya Nritya has gained recognition as a classical dance form and has emerged from within the precincts of the sattras to a much wider horizon. Despite this, the sattras continue to use the dance form for ritualistic and other purposes for which it was originally created c 500 years ago.
