| Dance form | State(s) of origin |
| Bharatanatyam | Tamil Nadu |
| Kathak | Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh |
| Kathakali | Kerala |
| Kuchipudi | Andhra Pradesh |
| Manipuri | Manipur |
| Mohiniyattam | Kerala |
| Odissi | Odisha |
| Sattriya | Assam |
India is a very rich tradition and cultural country among all across world. Our country also famous for its different of classical dance and music. Each dance form has its own style, specialty and grace, along with specific costumes. Among all Classical dance, the world famous and popular classical dance styles are: Bharata Natyam is considered to be a 'fire dance', Odissi (water), Mohiniattam (air), Kuchipudi (earth) and Kathakali (sky).
Bharata Natyam is the most significant classical dance by Carnitic music of South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which is known as "National Dance of India". This dance inspirations come from the sculptures of ancient Chidambaram temple. The name 'Bharatanatyam' is derived from three basic concepts of Bhava, Raga and Taala. The theory is based on the 'Natyasaasthram' and 'Abhinaya Darpanam' books. In Hindu mythology the whole universe is the dance of the Supreme Dancer, Nataraja, which is the name of Lord Shiva prsented by Ananda Tandava.
Dance form - Cathir is the ancient dance form of Bharatanatyam.The dance perform is based on 'Adavu' (steps), 'bhavabhinaya' (facial expression) and 'Hasthamudra' (hand gestures). There are 64 basic 'Adavu' and divided it into 9 parts, on which 'Thattadavu', 'Naatadavu', 'Kuthithumettadavu', 'Mandiadavu', 'Sarikkal' and 'Thattumettu' are very important. The performance begins with the prayers to God Ganapathi and worship of Nataraja Murti. The sequence of the dance performance is 'Alarippu', 'Jathiswaram', 'Sabdam', 'Varnam', 'Padam' and 'Thillana'. After 'Thillana', the dance program ends with a 'Mangala Sloka' . Bharata Natyam has three distinct elements to it: Nritta (rhythmic dance movements), Natya (mime, or dance with a dramatic aspect) and Nritya (combination of Nritta and Natya).This Bharata Natyam dancer's right hand is in the Katakamukha Hasta, the three joined fingers symbolizing the sacred syllable "OM". The left hand's fingers are in Alapadma Hasta, the rotating lotus of spiritual light. The eyes are directed towards the Supreme Lord. The left leg is lifted, symbolizing the swift ascent of the consciousness in one step from the Earth to the Heaven.
Costume- The costume of this dance is paijama and jacket of Kanchipuram silk or Banaras silk with lots of ornaments of shining stones on neck, ears, hands, and head, jasmin garland in the hair and foot trinklet with small bells .
Music - Dance and music are inseparable forms; only with Sangeetam (words or syllables set to raga or melody) can dance be conceptualized. The music of Bharatanatyam is based on Carnatic classical music. Veena, Flute, Mridangam and Violin are the music instruments, which are used in dance performance.
Narthaki - The Natya Shastra states the qualities required a female dancer narthaki, because they have beautiful limbs, free from indolence, capable and conversant with the sixty-four arts and crafts (kala), clever, courteous in behavior, brave, hard working, good skilled in dancing and songs, beauty, brilliant and many more other qualities for that it is known as a female dancers.
Maharis were Odiya devadasis or temple girls, their name deriving from Maha (great) and Nari or Mahri (chosen) particularly those at the temple of Jagganath at Puri. Early Maharis performed mainly Nritta (pure dance) and Abhinaya (interpretation of poetry) based on Mantras and Slokas. Later, Maharis especially performed dance sequences based on the lyrics of Jayadev's Gita Govinda. Bhitari Gauni Maharis were allowed in the inner temple while Bahari Gauni Maharis, though in the temples, were excluded from the sanctum.
There were a number of people or Guru who were responsible for the reconstruction and popularisation of Odissi dance. Most notable are Guru Deba Prasad Das, Guru Mayadhar Raut, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Mahadev Rout, Guru Raghu Dutta, and Guru Kelu Charan Mahapatra. Today Odissi dance is once again deemed a viable and "classical" dance. Padma Vibushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Deba Prasad Das and Guru Raghunath Dutta were the four major gurus who revived Odissi in the late forties and early fifties. Sanjukta Panigrahi, the great exponent of Odissi, was a leading disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's and popularized Odissi by performing extensively, both in India and abroad.
features - The most characteristic features of Odissi dance are the Tribhangi, mudras . The concept Tribhang divides the body into three parts, head, bust, and torso. Any posture which deals with these three elements is called tribhangi. This concept has created the very characteristic poses which are more contorted than found in other classical Indian dances. The term mudra means "stamp" and is a hand position which signifies things. The use of mudras help tell a story in a manner similar to the hula of Hawaii. This dance is characterized by various Bhangas (Stance), which involves stamping of the foot and striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures. The common Bhangas are Bhanga, Abanga, Atibhanga and Tribhanga.
At the beginning of dance performance , they salute Mother Earth which is known as Bhumi Pranam. Then the Trikhandi Pranam or the Three-fold salutation - above the head to the Gods, in front of the face to the Gurus and in front of the chest to the Audience.
Music - Chhanda (metrical section) contains the essence of Odissi music. The Chhandas were composed by combining Bhava (theme), Kala (time), and Swara (tune). The Chaurisha represents the originality of Odissi style. All the thirty four (34) letters of the Oriya alphabet from 'Ka' to 'Ksha' are used chronologically at the beginning of each line. The primary Odissi ragas are Kalyana, Nata, Shree Gowda, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanashri, Karnata, Bhairavee and Shokabaradi.
Costume -The jewelry is made from intricate filigree silver jewelry pieces means thin wire also called as Tsrakashi.For Odissi dancer’s costume the jewelry pieces are an important part,Tikka (forehead ornament), allaka (head piece on which the tikka hangs), unique ear covers in intricate shapes, usually depicting a peacock’s feathers, with jimkis (bell shaped earrings) hanging from them, two necklaces- a smaller necklace worn close to the neck and a longer necklace with a hanging pendant, and two sets of bangles worn on the upper arm and wrist. The process art is skilled before 500 years of creating each piece takes the collaboration of many artisans each specialized in one step of the many that turns a lump of raw silver into a handcrafted work of art. The crown or Mukoot or Mookut, worn by the Odissi dancer is made only in the devotional city of Puri in Eastern Orissa. It is formed from the dried reeds called Sola in a tradition called Sola Kama. The reed is carved by a series of cuts into the rod-like stem and forms various types of flowers when a string is tied in the middle of the rod and pulled tight. As the string is tightened, the flowers shape into Jasmines, Champa (one of the five flowers of Lord Krishna’s arrows), and Kadamba (the flowers of the tree under which Radha would wait for her beloved Lord Krishna). The Mukoot consists of two parts i.e. Ghoba and Tahiya.The flower decorated back piece, called the Ghoba, sits around the dancer’s hair pulled into a bun at the back of the head.The longer piece that emerges from the center of the back piece is called the Tahiya, and this represents the temple spire of Lord Jagannath or the flute of Lord Krishna.The Saree worn by Odissi dancers are generally Sambalpuri saree which is traditional prints by triangle shape border, coloured with bright shades of orange, purple, red or green shiny embellishment. The makeup of an Odissi dancer includes Bindi (red dot), applied on the forehead with a pattern made from sandalwood around it, Kajal (black eyeliner), applied around the eyes with a broad outline to give them an elongated look, among others.
Bharatanatyam Dance
Bharata Natyam is the most significant classical dance by Carnitic music of South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which is known as "National Dance of India". This dance inspirations come from the sculptures of ancient Chidambaram temple. The name 'Bharatanatyam' is derived from three basic concepts of Bhava, Raga and Taala. The theory is based on the 'Natyasaasthram' and 'Abhinaya Darpanam' books. In Hindu mythology the whole universe is the dance of the Supreme Dancer, Nataraja, which is the name of Lord Shiva prsented by Ananda Tandava. Dance form - Cathir is the ancient dance form of Bharatanatyam.The dance perform is based on 'Adavu' (steps), 'bhavabhinaya' (facial expression) and 'Hasthamudra' (hand gestures). There are 64 basic 'Adavu' and divided it into 9 parts, on which 'Thattadavu', 'Naatadavu', 'Kuthithumettadavu', 'Mandiadavu', 'Sarikkal' and 'Thattumettu' are very important. The performance begins with the prayers to God Ganapathi and worship of Nataraja Murti. The sequence of the dance performance is 'Alarippu', 'Jathiswaram', 'Sabdam', 'Varnam', 'Padam' and 'Thillana'. After 'Thillana', the dance program ends with a 'Mangala Sloka' . Bharata Natyam has three distinct elements to it: Nritta (rhythmic dance movements), Natya (mime, or dance with a dramatic aspect) and Nritya (combination of Nritta and Natya).This Bharata Natyam dancer's right hand is in the Katakamukha Hasta, the three joined fingers symbolizing the sacred syllable "OM". The left hand's fingers are in Alapadma Hasta, the rotating lotus of spiritual light. The eyes are directed towards the Supreme Lord. The left leg is lifted, symbolizing the swift ascent of the consciousness in one step from the Earth to the Heaven.
Costume- The costume of this dance is paijama and jacket of Kanchipuram silk or Banaras silk with lots of ornaments of shining stones on neck, ears, hands, and head, jasmin garland in the hair and foot trinklet with small bells .
Music - Dance and music are inseparable forms; only with Sangeetam (words or syllables set to raga or melody) can dance be conceptualized. The music of Bharatanatyam is based on Carnatic classical music. Veena, Flute, Mridangam and Violin are the music instruments, which are used in dance performance.
Narthaki - The Natya Shastra states the qualities required a female dancer narthaki, because they have beautiful limbs, free from indolence, capable and conversant with the sixty-four arts and crafts (kala), clever, courteous in behavior, brave, hard working, good skilled in dancing and songs, beauty, brilliant and many more other qualities for that it is known as a female dancers.
Odissi Dance
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| Odssi Dance |
The Odissi is the classical dance of Eastern India, Odisha. The three Odissi dance schools Mahari, Nartaki, and Gotipua developed over the centuries. The Mahari tradition is the devadasi tradition, in which women are attached to deities in the temple. The Nartaki tradition is the school of Odissi dance which developed in the royal courts. Gotipua (a single boy), it means their costume looks like one, which is a style characteristed by the use of boys dressed up in female clothing to perform female roles. Before Independence, the position of Odissi dance was very bad. The tradition of dancing girls at the temple at Puri was abolished. The only viable Odissi tradition was the Gotipua.
Maharis were Odiya devadasis or temple girls, their name deriving from Maha (great) and Nari or Mahri (chosen) particularly those at the temple of Jagganath at Puri. Early Maharis performed mainly Nritta (pure dance) and Abhinaya (interpretation of poetry) based on Mantras and Slokas. Later, Maharis especially performed dance sequences based on the lyrics of Jayadev's Gita Govinda. Bhitari Gauni Maharis were allowed in the inner temple while Bahari Gauni Maharis, though in the temples, were excluded from the sanctum.
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| Gotipua Dance |
By the 6th century, the Gotipua tradition was emerging. One of the reasons given for the emergence of Gotipuas is that Vaishnavas did not approve of dancing by women. Gotipuas were boys dressed up as girls and taught the dance by the Maharis. During this period, Vaishnava poets composed innumerable lyrics in Oriya dedicated to Radha and Krishna. Gotipuas danced to these compositions and gradually stepped out of the precincts of the temples.
Nartaki dance took place in the royal courts, where it was much cultivated before the British period. At that time the misuse of devadasis came under strong attack, so that Odissi dance withered in the temples and became unfashionable at court. Only the remnants of the Gotipua school remained, and the reconstruction of the style required an archaeological and anthropological effort that has tended to foster a conservative purism
There were a number of people or Guru who were responsible for the reconstruction and popularisation of Odissi dance. Most notable are Guru Deba Prasad Das, Guru Mayadhar Raut, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Mahadev Rout, Guru Raghu Dutta, and Guru Kelu Charan Mahapatra. Today Odissi dance is once again deemed a viable and "classical" dance. Padma Vibushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Deba Prasad Das and Guru Raghunath Dutta were the four major gurus who revived Odissi in the late forties and early fifties. Sanjukta Panigrahi, the great exponent of Odissi, was a leading disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's and popularized Odissi by performing extensively, both in India and abroad. features - The most characteristic features of Odissi dance are the Tribhangi, mudras . The concept Tribhang divides the body into three parts, head, bust, and torso. Any posture which deals with these three elements is called tribhangi. This concept has created the very characteristic poses which are more contorted than found in other classical Indian dances. The term mudra means "stamp" and is a hand position which signifies things. The use of mudras help tell a story in a manner similar to the hula of Hawaii. This dance is characterized by various Bhangas (Stance), which involves stamping of the foot and striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures. The common Bhangas are Bhanga, Abanga, Atibhanga and Tribhanga.
At the beginning of dance performance , they salute Mother Earth which is known as Bhumi Pranam. Then the Trikhandi Pranam or the Three-fold salutation - above the head to the Gods, in front of the face to the Gurus and in front of the chest to the Audience.
Music - Chhanda (metrical section) contains the essence of Odissi music. The Chhandas were composed by combining Bhava (theme), Kala (time), and Swara (tune). The Chaurisha represents the originality of Odissi style. All the thirty four (34) letters of the Oriya alphabet from 'Ka' to 'Ksha' are used chronologically at the beginning of each line. The primary Odissi ragas are Kalyana, Nata, Shree Gowda, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanashri, Karnata, Bhairavee and Shokabaradi.
Costume -The jewelry is made from intricate filigree silver jewelry pieces means thin wire also called as Tsrakashi.For Odissi dancer’s costume the jewelry pieces are an important part,Tikka (forehead ornament), allaka (head piece on which the tikka hangs), unique ear covers in intricate shapes, usually depicting a peacock’s feathers, with jimkis (bell shaped earrings) hanging from them, two necklaces- a smaller necklace worn close to the neck and a longer necklace with a hanging pendant, and two sets of bangles worn on the upper arm and wrist. The process art is skilled before 500 years of creating each piece takes the collaboration of many artisans each specialized in one step of the many that turns a lump of raw silver into a handcrafted work of art. The crown or Mukoot or Mookut, worn by the Odissi dancer is made only in the devotional city of Puri in Eastern Orissa. It is formed from the dried reeds called Sola in a tradition called Sola Kama. The reed is carved by a series of cuts into the rod-like stem and forms various types of flowers when a string is tied in the middle of the rod and pulled tight. As the string is tightened, the flowers shape into Jasmines, Champa (one of the five flowers of Lord Krishna’s arrows), and Kadamba (the flowers of the tree under which Radha would wait for her beloved Lord Krishna). The Mukoot consists of two parts i.e. Ghoba and Tahiya.The flower decorated back piece, called the Ghoba, sits around the dancer’s hair pulled into a bun at the back of the head.The longer piece that emerges from the center of the back piece is called the Tahiya, and this represents the temple spire of Lord Jagannath or the flute of Lord Krishna.The Saree worn by Odissi dancers are generally Sambalpuri saree which is traditional prints by triangle shape border, coloured with bright shades of orange, purple, red or green shiny embellishment. The makeup of an Odissi dancer includes Bindi (red dot), applied on the forehead with a pattern made from sandalwood around it, Kajal (black eyeliner), applied around the eyes with a broad outline to give them an elongated look, among others.
Kathak Dance
Kathak dance is originated from northern India. It is the major classical dances of India and one of the most dynamic theater arts in the world. The word kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word Katha ,which means "to tell a story". Kathak was primarily associated with an institution known as the
tawaif. It was misunderstood institution of female entertainers, but this dance form traces its origins to the the nomadic bards which has highest demand, standards of training, intelligence, and most important, civility . These bards, performing in village squares and temple courtyards, mostly specialized in recounting mythological and moral tales from the scriptures, and embellished their recitals with hand gestures and facial expressions. It was quintessential theatre, using instrumental and vocal music along with stylized gestures, to enliven the stories from slow to fast, ending with a dramatic climax.
There are three main gharanas, or schools of kathak, named by according
to the geographical area in which they developed. These are the Jaipur,
Lucknow, and the Benares gharanas. Each has a slight difference in
interpretation and repertoire
Costume - Costume sometimes consists of a saree,chudidaar kamij , lehenga-choli with an optional odhni or veil highly ornately decorated specifically which are greater freedom of movement during dance.
Music - Bansuri, Dilruba, Esraj, Ghungharu, Harmonium, Pakhawaj, Santur, Sarangi, Sarod, Sitar, Surmandal, Tabla, Tanpura are the musical instruments etc, which are used in dance form. The dancer begins with an invocation Vandana to dedicated the gods. The first introduction of spoken rhythmic pattern or bol in to the performance is Aamad means entry. Then Salaami which is a salutation to the audience in the Muslim style. The bols can be borrowed from tabla (e.g. dha, ge, na, 'ti' 'na' 'ka'
'dhi na') or can be a dance variety (ta, thei, tat, ta ta, tigda,
digdig, tram theyi and so on). A footwork composition consisting of variations on a theme, and ending in a tiha. Tihai, usually a footwork composition consisting of a long set of bols
repeated thrice so that the very last bol ends dramatically on 'sam'.
After the 16th century the environment of the North Indian Mughal courts caused a shift in
focus for Kathak, from a purely religious art form to court
entertainment. This dance form possesses a facial expression or facial abhinaya , body-postures, for example the tribhangi position, which is common to most Indian dance forms, and hand movements while seated through bhajan, ghazal or thumri, Kathak to show feeling or Bhaav or katha or story. This abhinaya arose in the Mughal court known as mehfil or darbar .
Kathak was used to narrate the live figures of Radha-Krishna rasa lella,Krishna-Leela (Krishna’s childhood) in the holy land of Vrindavan as a folk elements.
Famous Kathak Dancers - Malabika Mitra, Prerana Shrimali, Geetanjali Lal, Urmila Nagar, Shovana Narayan, Roshan Kumari, Kumudini Lakhia
Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan, recipient of the Padma Shri award.
Kuchipudi Dance
Kuchipudi is the Classical Indian dance of South India state of Andhra Pradesh, this word Kuchipudi is derived from a small village name Kuchelapuram about 65 kms from Vijaywada. It is known for its graceful movements and its strong narrative dramatic character, composition of both song and dancecalled as daru which is typically Carnatic music and abhinaya, which is world famous as a classical dance. With resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form and in their programs were offerings to the deities and they never allowed women in their groups. In the 15th century saint Siddhendra Yogi championed the cause of redefining this dance form aiming at eliminating exploitation of women. . It has unique indiviudal traditionally dancing form, movements of its dance are quicksilver and scintillating, rounded and fleet-footed and must dance upon a brass plate, placing the feet upon the raised edges with balance. Abhinaya Darpana and Bharatarnava of Nandikeshwara, which is sub-divided into Nattuva Mala and Natya Mala. Nattuva Mala is of two types — the Puja dance performed on the Balipitha in the temple and the Kalika dance performed in a Kalyana Mandapam.Natya Mala is of three kinds — ritual dance for gods, Kalika dance for intellectuals and Bhagavatam for common place.The Kuchipudi dance begins with worship rituals, then the dancer moves about sprinkling holy water, and then incense is burned. Women sing and dance with worship lamps, followed by the worship of Ganesha, the elephant god, who is traditionally petitioned for success before all enterprises. The songs are goddesses Saraswati (Learning), Lakshmi (Wealth), and Parashakti (Parent Energy), in between chanting drum syllables. The charm of Kuchipudi lies in its fast and intricate footwork, sinuous grace, and the use of the eyes to express moods and feelings followed by 'Natya Shastra .The Kuchipudi dancers are experts in Sattwika Abhinaya, Bhava Abhinaya.
Nilimma Devi,Anila Kumari,Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam,Guru P. V. Bharani Shenkar,Chinta Ravi Bala Krishna,Guru Bhagavathula Yagna Narayana Sarma,
Guru Jayarama Rao, Vanashree Rao,Srinivasa Rao Ravi,Vedantam Lakshminarayana,Dr. Uma Rama Rao,Tadepalli Perayya,Chinta Krishna Murthy,Vedantam Sathya Narayana Sarma,Dr. Korada Narasimha Rao,Guru Bala Kondala Rao are the well known person in this tradition dance.
Mridangam, Manjira ,Saraswati Vina (South Indian Vina), Violin,Kanjira, Tanpura,Venu, Surpeti are the Musical Instruments used in this dance form .
Manipuri Dance
Manipuri is the classical dance of the north East Indian state of Manipur which is surrounded by mountains and geographically isolated at the meeting point of the orient and mainland India. It has unique form of very high artistic and technical standardsdance form among the classical Indian dance, development of music and dance has through religious festivals , occassion and daily activities of the Manipuri people throughout the area. It is one of the purest, modest, softest and mildest and meaningful dance. According to legends the original creator of Manipuri dance was Radha and Krishna.The most striking part of Manipur dance is its colorful decoration, lightness of dancing foot, delicacy of abhinaya (drama), lilting music and poetic charm. The Manipuri dance form is mostly ritualistic and draws heavily from the rich culture of the state of Manipur. Costumes used in the Manipur dance are colorful and the music carries a quaint charm. This Rasa Leela dance is said to be repeated by Shiva and his consort, Goddess Uma in Lasya style (in Manipur). It is interesting to note that the same dance (Rasa-dance) was performed for the third time by two mortal human beings, princess Toibi and Khamba of Manipur.
The traditional Manipuri dance style embodies delicate, lyrical and graceful movements. It is this which gives Manipuri dance its undulating and soft appearance. The foot movements are viewed as part of a composite movement of the whole body. The dancer puts his or her feet down, even during vigorous steps, with the front part touching the ground first. The ankle and knee joints are effectively used as shock absorbers. The dancer’s feet are neither put down nor lifted up at the precise rhythmic points of the music but rather slightly earlier or later to express the same rhythmic points most effectively.
A copper plate inscription credits King Khuoyi Tompok (c. 2nd century CE) with introducing drums and cymbals into Manipuri dance. Ras Lila, the Pung Cholom, Nupa Cholom, Thoibi are the most important dance forms. There are five Ras Lilas that deal with the divine love of Radha and Krishna. These are: Maharas, Vasantras, Kunjaras, Nityaras and Divaras. The theme revolves around the love of Krishna and the milkmaids (gopis), which is generally performed in a special enclosure in front of the temple called Nat Mandap.
Dance is based upon the cymbals (kartal or manjira) and the cylindrical drum known as Manipuri mridang or pung. The other classical, dances where the instrument is merely used as an accompaniment, the pung and the kartal (manjira) are actually used in the dance. Other common instruments are the harmonium, pena, bansuri, shankh (conch), and esraj.North Indian (Hindustani) music is a very characteristic style of music in this dance form.Usually the songs are used in such as Sanskrit, Maithili, Brijbhasha Manipuri or others from the great poets like Jaydev, Vidyapati, Chandidas, Govindadas or Gyandas.
Pung,Kartal (Manjira) and Manzilla,Pena,Harmonium,Bansuri,Esraj,Shankh are the Musical Instruments Used Manipuri in the dance form.
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