Classical Dance Forms

The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises 8 classical dances from various parts of India: Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, and Odissi, Sattriya. Ministry of Culture has recognised nine traditional dance styles by including Eastern Indian Chhau dance. Originally practised in temples to entertain various Gods and Goddesses, all these dance forms share a common language of expression known as 'mudras', or hand signs. In addition to entertaining the audiences, they were also successful in passing down the various mythological tales from one generation to the next. It finally became a part of 'Natya Shashtra', the system that Sage Bharata advocated to create and compile a set of guidelines for performing arts.

Classical dances changed over time to incorporate themes and expressions from everyday social interactions. According to legend, Lord Shiva is the "Nataraja," or "King of All Dances," and he performs the Cosmic Dance, which is said to delicately balance life and death as well as all that occurs in the universe in harmonious cycles. Popular in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Bharatnatyam is believed to have been revealed to Bharata by Lord Brahma. Kathak is a type of classical dance from North India that tells stories. It later evolved into a courtly amusement.Kerala’s Kathakali is a dance form that uses vibrant masks and costumes. Andhra Pradesh's dance drama Kuchipudi blends Natya, Nritta, and Nritya. As the name implies, Manipuri originates from Manipur, a state in northeastern India, and is a synthesis of several regional dances. Kerala’s Mohiniattam is a solo dance form for women that is renowned for its fluid and rhythmic body motions. Orissa’s Odissi is a dance of great passion, love, and joy.

• The Natya Shastra of Bharat Muni: It is the oldest known treatise on dance. It is frequently referred to as the fifth Veda (Natya Veda) and was written between the second century BC and the second century AD. It combines Pathya (words) from the Rig Veda, Abhinaya (gestures) from the Yajur Veda, Geet (music) from the Sam Veda, and Rasa (emotions) from the Atharva Veda, among other Vedic elements.
• Abhinaya includes the four modes of expression: satvika (moods and emotions), aharya (costume and adornment), vachika (song and speech), and angika (body and limbs).
• Nandikeshwara's treatise on dance, Abhinaya Darpan, states that dance is thought to have three aspects:
• Natya draws attention to the dramatic aspect.
• Nritya is expressive; she explains the significance of a concept or theme.
• Nritta is just dance; it has no emotion or significance.
• Dancers must convey the Navarasas in order to present nritya and natya in an effective manner - Love (shringaara), mirth (haasya), compassion (karuna), bravery (veera), fear (bhayanak), disgust (bibhatsa), wonder (adbhuta), and peace (shaanta) are among the navarasas.

• With the support of Raja Serfoji, the Tanjore Quartette (Ponnayya, Chinnayya, Sivananda, Vadivelu) shaped the repertoire of modern Bharatnatyam early in the 19th century.
• Tanjore Natyam is another name for it.
• In this solo dance, the dancer uses mime and movement to convey the Sahitya.
• Additionally, it is performed in the Ekaharya style, in which a single dancer plays several parts in a single performance.

• An invocation to the gods begins the performance.
• Alarippu, which means "to adorn with flowers," is the first dance in the performance to combine vocal syllables with pure dance.
• The brief, all-dance Jatiswaram is performed to the raga of Carnatic music.
• It is composed entirely of adavus, which are unadulterated dance sequences (nritta), instead of sahitya, or words.
• The verbally expressed dramatic element is Shabdam, which comes after the Jatiswaram.
• The next dance, Varnam, has both nritta and nritya components.
• The dancer displays her mastery of rhythm by performing intricate rhythmic patterns at two different speeds.
• Next, ABHINAYA is employed to represent sahitya lines, exhibiting both the choreographer's inventiveness and the dancer's proficiency with abhinaya.
• Keertanam, which emphasises text, Kritis, which emphasises music, Padams, and Javalis are examples of common pieces.
• While Padams and Javalis centre on love themes, Keertanam and Kritis have a devotional context.
• Tillana brings the performance to an end. It's a colourful dance with a few Sahitya lines and a melodic syllable.
• With a mangalam, the performance ends by asking for God's blessings.

• In Bharatanatyam, most of the movements are like a dancing flame.
• It is known as a "fire dance" as a result.
• The Tandava and Lasya aspects are equally stressed, with a particular focus on "mudras."
• The "Kataka Mukha Hasta" mudra, which joins three fingers to represent "Om," is one of the main mudras.
• Throughout the performance, the feet are equally weighted, and the knees are mostly bent.
• A mridangam player, cymbalist, flautist, violinist, or veena player, and vocalist provide the accompaniment.
• The dance recitation is led and coordinated by the Nattuvanar.

• Another name for it is the "ballad of the East."
• The recitals symbolise the ongoing struggle between right and wrong.
• The language of Kathakali songs is called Manipravalam, a blend of Sanskrit and Malayalam.
• It developed from a variety of traditional Keralan social and religious theatre forms, such as Koodiyattam, Ramanattam, Krishnattam, and Chakiarkoothu.
• The four facets of abhinaya are combined in kathakali, a dance, music, acting, and storytelling synthesis that is mainly adapted from Indian epics.
• Following the sung verses (Padams), dancers use codified hasta mudras (hand gestures) and facial expressions to communicate.
• The Hastalakshana Deepika and the Balarama Bharatam contain textual guidance for Kathakali.
• The Attakkathas, or Kathakali stories, are derived from myths and epics.

• The elaborate makeup and costume follow the rules of Natya Shastra and are meant to give the impression of superhuman abilities.
• For each character, a unique headpiece and facial makeup are applied.
• The chutti, a unique white facial makeup, is made by combining rice paste and lime.
• Green is a colour of virtue, divinity, and nobility.
• The red patches next to the nose signify royalty.
• The colour black is symbolic of evil.
• Yellow is the colour of women and saints.
• A white beard is a sign of divinity and higher consciousness in beings.
• A face that is entirely red denotes evil.

• Characters in Kathakali plays can be broadly classified into three categories: rajasika, tamasika, and satvika.
• In addition to these, there are supporting characters like the women and sages known as minukku.
• A big oil-fed lamp is placed in front of a basic stage.
• A Tirasseela curtain is held in place on stage by two persons.
• The entire body is heavily used in kathakali, including the hands, wrists, fingers, eyes, and face muscles.
• The outside edges of the feet, which are slightly bent and curved, support the weight of the body.
• No other dance form makes use of the movements of the lower eyelids, eyebrows, and eyes as Kathakali does.
• In Kathakali, kalasams are pure dance sequences with leaps, fast turns, jumps, and rhythmic coordination that let the actor show off their skills.

• In essence, it's a troupe performance featuring only men.
• Usually, it is presented in outdoor theatres, signifying the sky.
• It is performed in the evening to the constant accompaniment of drums, chhenda, and maddala.
• Kelikottu, a call to attention for the audience, opens the show.
• Next is Todayam, a devotional song asking for God's blessing.
• Purappadu, a piece of pure nritta, comes next, and the drummers and musicians showcase their prowess with Melappada.
• Except for Minukku, every character makes their stage debut in Tiranokku.
• Ilakiattam is the next, in which characters showcase their mastery of abhinaya.
• The dancers act out Chodiattam, or following the padams sung by musicians, throughout the performance.

• Kathakali music is derived from Kerala's traditional Sopana sangeet, which is the Ashtapadis' ceremonial singing on the stairs that lead to the sanctum sanctorum.
• Additionally, Carnatic talas and ragas have been incorporated.
• Instruments such as the Chenda, Maddalam, Chengila, Ilathalam, Idakka, and Shankhu are part of the orchestra

• When it first started out, Kathakars told tales derived from epics, myths, and legends orally. Later, gestures and mime were added to improve the storytelling.
• A wider variety of lyrics and musical forms were added to it with the emergence of the Vaishnavite cult and the Bhakti movement.
• Mostly in the Braj region (Western UP), rasalila (combined elements of music, dance, and narrative) offers an extension of the fundamental mime and gestures of the Kathakars.

• It gradually moved from the temple courtyard to the royal court (durbar) during the Mughal era.
• It became very stylized and was considered a kind of amusement.
• It evolved into a dance style with a distinct style and gained its current features.
• The emphasis on nritya (expression) and bhava (mood) increased, giving the dance more grace, expressiveness, and sensuality.
• It was also influenced by Persian dances and costumes.
• Under Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's (Lucknow Gharana) patronage, Kathak saw its heyday in the 19th century.

• Equitable body weight distribution is achieved along the vertical and horizontal axes using this technique.
• In the basic stance, one hand is held above the head and the other is extended to shoulder level.
• The body does not use any abrupt bends or curves or deflections.
• It uses an advanced footwork system that emphasises pure dance (nritta).
• When the toe or the ball of the foot are the only points of contact, their utility is restricted.
• Full-foot contact is crucial.
• The body's upper and lower parts are devoid of any deviations and sharp bends or curves.
• "Thaat," which opens the performance, features gentle gliding movements of the wrists, eyebrows, and neck.
• A formal entry titled "Amad" (entry) and "Salami" (salutation) come next.
• The dancers pause before performing corresponding movements to recite rhythmic syllables.
• Kathak's nritta part is performed to the "nagma."
• The competitive play known as jugalbandi pits the drummer (who plays the pakhawaj) against the dancer.
• (Nritya or Abhinaya) Mime Parts: These are brief narrative pieces set to Dhrupad music that depict events from Krishna's life. Some pieces, like thumri, bhajan, and Dadra, have lyrical passages that are interpreted through gestures and set to music.

• It is the only classical dance style that has strong ties to Hindustani or
• North Indian music and is associated with the Muslim world.
• Hindustani and Kathak music have developed simultaneously, impacting one another.

• Its origins are linked to festivals, rituals, and myths about gods and goddesses, such as the Shiva and Parvati dances.
• King Bhagyachandra was the one who gave rise to the well-known Rasleela dances of Manipur.
• As Vaishanavism arrived in the 15th century, Manipuri dance rose to prominence.
• By bringing it to Santiniketan, Rabindranath Tagore brought the dance form back to life.

• Manipuri dance themes frequently centre on the tales of Gopis, Radha, and Krishna.
• The costume consists of a delicate white muslin skirt, a dark velvet blouse, an embroidered stiff skirt, and a traditional white veil.
• Krishna is dressed in a yellow dhoti, a jacket made of dark velvet, and a crown made of peacock feathers.
• Both feminine and masculine elements are incorporated.
• The Sankirtana tradition includes the Choloms, a manly form of dance.
• During Sankirtana, male dancers perform music on the Pung and Kartal instruments.
• The fact that the dancers don't use ankle bells to stamp out the rhythms means that the rhythmic intricacies are typically ignored.
• It includes the fundamental Naga Bandha mudra, in which the body is joined by eight-shaped curves.
• The main musical instruments are the Pung (or the Manipuri classical drum),Pena (a stringed instrument), cymbals, and flutes that accompany vocal singing.

• The Odhra Magadha style is mentioned in the Natya Shastra as an ancestor of modern Odissi.
• Odissi is renowned for fusing themes of love, passion, and divinity in a sensual and poetic manner.
• It represents the water element.
• Odissi was previously preserved by Maharis, who were originally temple dancers; however, as a result of their employment in royal courts, the dance style eventually declined.
• Young boys disguised as girls, known as gotipuas, received training in the dance.

• In the caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri (close to Bhubaneswar, Odisha), archaeological evidence has been discovered.
• The Natya mandap (Hall of Dance) at the Sun Temple in Konark features dance moves.

• It is comparable to Bharatnatyam in that emotions are expressed through postures and mudras.
• Because the dancers use their bodies to create intricate geometric shapes and patterns, it is known as "mobile sculpture."
• This dance style is intrinsic to the "Tribhanga posture," or the three-bent body form. [2013 UPSC]
• The Chowk (masculine) and Tribhanga (feminine) postures are the focal points of the movements.
• Chowk has a body weight that is balanced, much like a square.
• Tribhanga exhibits torso, knee, and neck deflection.
• The intricate and precise leg movements in the dance display spiral or circular patterns in the air or on the ground.
• In nritta, hand gestures serve as ornamental accents; in nritya, they serve as a mode of communication.

• Mangalacharan (Invocation): The dancer enters the stage with flowers and offers them to the ground to start the performance. A nritta sequence featuring salutations to God, the Guru, and the audience closes the piece.
• Batu, or "Basic Dance,": emphasises the duality of the masculine and feminine while adhering to the basic nritta technique. It is done as an ode to Shiva or Batukeshwar Bhairav.
• Pallavi, or ornamentation,: is the blossoming and decorating of movements and music. The dance progresses into complex patterns that emphasise the tala structure's rhythmic nuances.
• Abhinaya (Emotive Storytelling): Dancers also perform from the compositions of Jayadeva, Upendra Bhanja and Gopal Krishna.
• In Odissi, the Ashtapadis of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda are performed. It is the epitome of poetic richness and the hero-heroine sentiment known as nayaka-nayika bhava.
• Moksha, or Freedom: This is the last item, with several Pallavi sections and Abhinaya-based items.

• A pakhawaj player (typically the Guru), a violinist or sitarist, a singer, a flute player, and a Manjira player make up an Odissi orchestra. The classical Hindustani music plays in the background.
• Reiterating the art form's spiritual connection, Odissi dancers continue the tradition of devadasis or maharis, striving for liberation (moksha) via dance.

• The Andhra village of Kusselavapuram is where the dance form gets its name.
• Originally, it was performed by a troupe of actors known as Kusselavas who travelled from village to village.
• It represents the earth element.
• Up until the nineteenth century, when Balasaraswati and Ragini Devi brought this dance form back, it was only practiced in villages.
• Vaishnava poet Siddhendra Yogi created Bhaamaakalaapam and introduced the Kuchipudi style of Yakshagaana in the 17th century.
• In Kuchipudi village, he trained young Brahmin boys to perform his compositions.
• Brahmin families who practiced this art were given the village of Kuchipudi as an Agrahaarama by Abdul Hasan Tanishah (Nawab of Golconda) in 1675 AD.
• Manduka Shabdam, which tells the tale of a frog, Jala Chitra Nrityam, in which the dancer uses his or her toes to draw pictures on the floor, are examples of solo dance.

• Gods are invoked at the start of the dance, and then there is nritta, which consists of abstract, non-narrative dancing that frequently includes the jatiswaram.
• The next event is shabdam, a storytelling show featuring hits like "Dashaavataara."
• The narrative portion is followed by a Natya number, much like when Satyabhama appears in "Bhaamaakalaapam."
• After that, the recital switches to a pure nritya-abhinaya, incorporating shlokam, padam, and other literary and musical forms.
• Tarangam, which includes singings of passages from Krishna-leela-tarangini, typically marks the end of the performance.
• The dancer performs an acrobatic routine while standing on a brass plate, locking their feet in the shakata-vadanam paada and supporting a pitcher of water on their head.

• Classical Carnatic music accompaniments Kuchipudi dance.
• A cymbalist, a violinist, or veena player, and a percussionist playing a mridangam lead the orchestra and recite the "sollukattus" (rhythm syllables).

• It began in the fifteenth century AD as a result of Sankaradeva's efforts to spread the Vaishnava faith.
• The songs are Shankaradeva's (also known as "Borgeets") compositions.
• The Vaishnava maths, or Sattras, have fostered and preserved the neo-Vaishnava treasure of Assamese dance and drama.
• The religious nature of this dance style and its connection to the Sattras have earned it the fitting moniker of Sattriya.
• Before the neo-Vaishnava movement, Ojapali and Devadasi were the two main dance styles in Assam.
• It also borrowed hand gestures and rhythmic syllables from a variety of Assamese folk dances, including Bihu and Bodos.

• It incorporates dance, drama, and music, all of which are performed in groups as daily rituals or even on festivals by male monks known as "Bhokots."
• Speech and dialogue are not as important in Sattriya dance as dancing and singing are.
• The main musical instruments are the flute, khol (drum), and cymbals (Manjira).

• Male dancers wear "Dhoti" and "Paguri" (turbans).
• Ladies don traditional Assamese jewellery, such as "Ghuri" and "Chador" fashioned from Pat silk.
• It incorporates aspects of both Lasya and Tandava.
• The dance follows precise rules regarding footwork, music, aharyas (costumes), and hasta mudras.
• There are two different streams within the tradition:
• Bhaona: From the Gayan-Bhayanar Nach to the Kharmanar Nach, it is a related repertory.
• Chali: Independent dance numbers such as Chali, Rajagharia Chali, Jhumura, Nadu Bhangi, and so on. Whereas Jhumura radiates vitality and majestic beauty, Chali is all grace and elegance.

• Popularly, the dramatisations of Shankaradeva are referred to as Ankiya naat or Ankiya bhaona.
• The purpose of the Ankiya naat was to spread Bhakti.
• It is a kind of theatre that combines natya, ritya, and nritta

• 'Mohini,' the celestial enchantress in Hindu mythology, is the name of this classical solo dance form.
• It represents the element air.
• The origin of the dance is linked to a Puranic tale in which Lord Vishnu took on the form of Mohini in order to entice Asuras while the ocean was being churned and Bhasmasura was being killed.

• Ghoshayatra (poet Kunjan Nambiar) and Vyavaharamala (by Mazhamagalam Narayanan Namputiri).
• The dance's current classical form was established by Maharaja Kartika Tirunal and Maharaja Swati Tirunal of Travancore in the 18th and 19th centuries AD.
• Women from the Nambiar community, known as Nangiars, continue this tradition by holding their performances inside the premises of temples.

• It blends the energy of Kathakali with the grace and elegance of Bharatnatyam.
• It is distinguished by delicate, graceful body motions devoid of sudden jerks or leaps, as well as nuanced facial expressions.
• It is in line with the lasya style, which emphasises grace, femininity, and tenderness.
• The rendering of the footwork is non-thumping and gentle.
• The use of hand gestures and the subtle facial expressions known as Mukhabhinaya are emphasised.
• Texts such as Hastalakshana Deepika, Natya Shastra, Abhinaya Darpana, and Balarambharatam are the sources from which gestures are derived.
• Closeness to Natural and Realistic Expressions: Rather than being dramatic or strictly traditional (natyadharmi), gestures and facial expressions are more in line with natural (gramya) and realistic (lokadharmi) styles.

• An off-white, white saree adorned with gold-colored brocade patterns.
• The dancer's ankles are adorned with a leather strap adorned with bells, known as a Ghungroo, and she sports a simple makeup look.
• "Atavakul or Atavus" is a set of forty fundamental dance steps.
• Musical instruments include flutes, drums, veenas, and cymbals.