Classical Indian Dance Forms
1. is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in the state of Tamil Nadu hundreds of years ago. It is one of eight forms of dance recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (the others being Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Manipuri and Sattriya) and it expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism
Bharatanatyam
The origin of Manipuri dance can be traced back to ancient times that go beyond recorded history. The dance in Manipur is associated with rituals and traditional festivals, there are legendary references to the dances of Shiva and Parvati and other gods and goddesses who created the universe
7. Odissi- Odissi dance also known as Orissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. Its origin is traced to the state of Orissa in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. 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 Bhubaneswar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British Raj, but has been revitalised since India gained independence. It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the Tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis and upon the basic square stance known as Chauka or Chouka that symbolises Lord Jagannath. on 23 December 2011, an Odissi performance was held with by 555 dancers both boys and girls from five countries participated. This was held at Kalinga Stadium which lasted for 28 minutes. This has been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.
1. is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in the state of Tamil Nadu hundreds of years ago. It is one of eight forms of dance recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (the others being Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Manipuri and Sattriya) and it expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism
Bharatanatyam style is noted for its fixed upper torso, bent
legs and knees flexed (Aramandi) combined with spectacular footwork, and a
sophisticated vocabulary of sign language based
on gestures of hands, eyes and face muscles. The dance is accompanied by music
and a singer, and typically her guru is present as the Nattuvanar,
director and conductor of the performance and art. The dance has traditionally
been a form of an interpretive narration of mythical legends and spiritual
ideas from the Hindu texts. The
performance repertoire of Bharatanatyam, like other classical dances,
includes nrita (pure dance), nritya (solo
expressive dance) and natya (group
dramatic dance).
Bharatanatyam
remained exclusive to Hindu temples through the 19th century. It was banned by
the colonial British government in 1910, but the Indian community
protested against the ban and expanded it outside the temples in the 20th
century.
2. Kathak
-The word Kathak has been derived
from the word Katha which means a story. Kathakars or story-tellers, are people who narrate
stories largely based on episodes from the epics, myths and legends. It
probably started as an oral tradition. Mime and gestures were perhaps added
later on to make the recitation more effective. Thus evolved a simple form of
expressional dance, providing the origins of what later developed into Kathak
as we see it today.
The
Vaishnavite cult which swept North India in the 15th century. and the resultant
bhakti movement contributed to a whole new range of lyrics and musical forms.
The Radha-Krishna theme proved immensely popular alongwith the works of
Mirabai, Surdas, Nandadas and Krishnadas.
3. Kuchipudi, a
pre-eminent Indian classical dance form counted among ten leading classical
dance forms of India, is a dance-drama performance art that originated in a
village of Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Similar to all leading
Indian classical dance forms, Kuchipudi too evolved as a religious art rooting
back to the age-old Hindu Sanskrit text ‘Natya Shastra’ and connects
traditionally with temples, spiritual faiths and travelling bards. This ancient
dance form finds place in the 10th century copper inscriptions and in 15th
century texts like ‘Machupalli Kaifat’. Traditionally it is regarded that the
sanyassin of Advaita Vedanta sect, Tirtha Narayana Yati, and his disciple
Siddhendra Yogi initiated, methodized and arranged the present day version of the
dance form in 17th century. Usually performance repertoire of Kuchipudi that is
broadly oriented on Lord Krishna and the tradition of Vaishnavism include an
invocation, dharavu – short dance, nritta – pure dance and nritya – expressive
dance respectively
4. Mohiniattam or Mohiniyattam is an Indian classical dance
form that evolved in the state of Kerala, India, and is counted among the two
popular dance arts of the state, the other being Kathakali. Although its roots
date back to the age-old Sanskrit Hindu text on performing arts called ‘Natya
Shastra’, similar to other Indian classical dance forms, Mohiniattam adheres to
the Lasya type that showcases a more graceful, gentle and feminine form of
dancing. Mohiniattam derives its name from the word ‘Mohini’, a female avatar
of Lord Vishnu. Conventionally a solo dance performed by female artists, it
emotes a play through dancing and singing where the song is customarily in
Manipravala which is a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam language and the
recitation may be either performed by the dancer herself or by a vocalist with
the music style being Carnatic.
5. Manipuri- one of the six classical dance styles of India, the others being bharata natyam, kathak, kathakali, kuchipudi, and odissi. It is indigenous to Manipur and is characterized by a variety of forms that are
linked to folk tradition and ritual. Themes are generally taken from episodes
in the life of Krishna, the pastoral god.
The origin of Manipuri dance can be traced back to ancient times that go beyond recorded history. The dance in Manipur is associated with rituals and traditional festivals, there are legendary references to the dances of Shiva and Parvati and other gods and goddesses who created the universe
7. Odissi- Odissi dance also known as Orissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. Its origin is traced to the state of Orissa in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. 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 Bhubaneswar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British Raj, but has been revitalised since India gained independence. It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the Tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis and upon the basic square stance known as Chauka or Chouka that symbolises Lord Jagannath. on 23 December 2011, an Odissi performance was held with by 555 dancers both boys and girls from five countries participated. This was held at Kalinga Stadium which lasted for 28 minutes. This has been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.
