Indian Dances List- Types, Instruments Used & Famous Artists

Dance in India has an unbroken tradition of over 2000 years. Two main divisions of its forms are classical and folk.
The criteria for being considered as classical is the style’s adherence to the guidelines laid down in Natyashastra, which explains the Indian art of acting. The Sangeet Natak Akademi currently confers classical status on Eight Indian Classical dance Styles:

1. Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu)
2. Kathak (North India)
3. Kathakali (Kerala)
4. Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)
5. Manipuri (Manipur)
6. Mohiniyattam (Kerala)
7. Odissi (Odisha)
8. Sattriya (Assam)

Differences between Classical and Folk Dance

Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam originated in Tamil Nadu and was earlier known as Daasiyattam, It is one of the oldest classical dance traditions in India. The term is a combination of ‘Bha’ (Bhava or expression), ‘Ra’ (Ragam or melody), ‘Ta’ (Thalam or rhythm) and ‘Natyam’ (drama). It combines 64 principles of hand, feet, face and body movements. Carnatic music is used during the performance of this dance. This dance form has been handed down through the centuries by dance teachers (or gurus) called nattuwanars and the temple dancers, called devadasis. In the sacred environment of the temple these familes developed and propagated their heritage. The training traditionally took around seven years under the direction of the nattuwanars who were scholars and person of great learning.

The quartet of Ponniah Pillai, CHinnayya Pillai, Vadivelu Pillai and Sivanada Pillai of Tanjore Court contributed immensely to the development of Bharatanatyam

The lived in the court of Maratha king Saraboji II (1798-1832). E. Krishna lyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale established the institution Kalakshetra for Bharatnatyam in 1936 on the outskirts of the city of Madras (Chennai) to teach and promote Bharatanatyam.

Some key facts about Bharatanatyam dance:

• It is one of the oldest classical dance traditions in India, with references to forms of dance going as far back as the 1st and 2nd century CE.
• Bharatanatyam includes rhythmic footwork, elaborate hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements to convey meaning and expressions. Movements are crisp and precise.
• Traditionally, Bharatanatyam was performed exclusively by female dancers, known as Bharatanatyam dancers or natyacharyas. The themes were often religious in nature, with performances depicting Hindu deities and conveying spiritual ideas.
• The repertoire of Bharatanatyam includes the margam, which has several sequenced dance performances. These include the alarippu (invocation), jatiswaram, shabdam, varnam, padam, tillana, and more.
• The costumes and makeup have traditional significance - the pleated fan-shaped sari, the jeweled headpiece, the bells around the ankles, the face makeup with a red dot on the forehead.

Kathak

Kathak means ‘to tell a story’. This north Indian dance form is inextricably bound with classical Hindustani music, and the rhythmic agility of the feet is accompanied by the table or pakhvaj. Traditionally the stories were of Radha and Krishna, in the Natwari style (as it was then called) but the Mughal invasion of North India had a serious impact on the dance. The dance was taken to Muslim courts and thus it became more entertaining and less religious in content. More emphasis was laid on nritha, the pure dance aspect and less on abhinaya (expression and emotion).

Kathak faced sharp decline under the British Rule. It began to be seen as a lowly activity due to its linking with prostitution. Kalka Prasad Maharaj revived it in the early 20th century. His sons Shambhu Maharaj, Acchan Maharaj and Lacchhuu Maharaj carried forward his tradition as dancers and dance gurus.

Some key facts about Kathak dance:

• Originated in northern India, with roots tracing back to ancient storytellers (kathaks) who spread Hindu mythology and sacred stories through dance and music
• Blends dance and rhythmic footwork with hand gestures and facial expressions to convey a story or message
• Performed solo, in a pair or in a group. Both men and women can perform Kathak
• Costumes typically feature flowing ankle-length skirts and embroidered dense jackets for women, men wear colored dhotis (wraps) and jackets
• The structure of a performance has three sections - the slow pure dance movements called nritta, then nritya which conveys emotions, and natya which is the dramatic aspect
• Common repertoire includes depictions of Lord Krishna's raslila dance and expressions of essential human emotions like joy, love, peace, courage and spirituality
• Showcases complex rhythmic footwork, beautiful spins called chakars and innovative use of bhav in abhinaya dancing

Kathakali

Kathakali (Katha, “story”; Kali, “performance”) is a highly stylished classical dance-drama form which originated from Kerala in the 17th century. This classical dance form is particularly noticed for dancer’s elaborate costumes, towering head gear, billowing skirts, and long silver nails. Recent developments in Kathakali include improved looks, refined gestures added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming. Kathakali is performed regularly at festivals in temples, at cultural shows for connoisseurs and also at international events, occasionally in fusion dance experiments.

Some key facts about Kathakali dance:

• Kathakali falls under the umbrella term "Sadranga" meaning "complete art" which integrates elaborate costumes, make-up, face masks, dancing, acting, gestures, and music.
• Traditionally performs stories from Hindu epics and mythology, mainly The Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavata Purana. Tells entire stories through dance movement and mime.
• Known for its colorful and vibrant make-up, elaborate costumes, towering headgears and detailed face masks - which classifies characters into archetypes like gods, demons, kings, evil characters etc.
• Actors undergo intensive training to master complex mudras (hand gestures), facial expressions, and body postures which convey elaborate meaning and emotion.
• Before the performance, actors bless themselves before the traditional nilavilakku (lamp) in front of an image of the deity.
• Traditionally an all-male performance, though now women have started performing in Kathakali troupes.

Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi derives its name from village Kuchipudy (Kuchelapuram) in Andhra Pradesh from where it originated. The dance drama that still exists today and can most closely be associated with the Sanskrit theatrical tradition is Kuchipudi which is also known as Bhagavata mela Natakam. It was originally a male dance form but at present females also perform it.

Rhythmic patterns, melodic gestures subtle facial expressions, vigorous leaps and bold eye movements are special features of this dance form. Arguably this is why this technique has greater freedom and fluidity than other dance styles.

Some key facts about Kuchipudi dance:

• It is counted among the eight major Indian classical dance forms, along with Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, and Sattriya.
• Like other classical Indian dances, Kuchipudi dancers use symbolic gestures, intricate footwork, and expressive abhinaya (facial expressions) to convey stories. However, Kuchipudi stands out for its quick, graceful movements and playful, rhythmic footwork.
• Traditional Kuchipudi performances open with dancers dancing upon a brass plate while moving their legs rapidly to the musical beats. This vibrating plate dance helps warm up the dancer's body muscles.
• Another unique feature is the Tarangam dance, where the performer dances while balancing a brass pot full of water on their head. This requires immaculate balance and control.
• Kuchipudi dancers undergo vigorous practice to master both the dance form as well as to train their bodies as an athletic instrument capable of achieving the form's demanding techniques.

Manipuri

Manipuri is indigenous to the state of Manipur. It is the most devotional of all the eight classical dance forms of India. The love story of Radha and Krishna is commonly acted out in the dance drama performance.

The Manipuri Dance is a team performance, with its own unique costumes, aesthetics, conventions and repertoire, aesthetics, conventions and repertoire. Dancers do not use ankle bells (Ghungroo) because they never strike their feet forcefully on ground. It is, for most part, marked by a performance that is graceful, fluid, sinuous with greater emphasis on hand and upper body gestures. It is accompanied with devotional music created with many instruments, with the best set by cymbals (Kartal or manjira) and double-headed drum (pung or Manipuri mrdanga) of sankirtan.

Some key facts about Manipuri dance:

• Depicts themes of divine love tying together virtuous traits like compassion, joy and dejection through expressive hand formations and gentler karanas (postures).
• Gentle elegance is conveyed through the softness of its torso-movements, slides and spins as compared to other sharper classical Indian dance forms.
• Traditionally dancers wear the Kumil, a barrel-shaped long skirt embroidered with beautiful patterns which helps accentuate the fluidity of the dance. Upper body drapes with shawls in styles unique to Manipur.
• Extensive use of the white Pung cholom drum along with the pena (a stringed instrument), vocals and cymbals as the main musical accompaniments to performances.
• Traditionally part of the Maharastrian culture of this border state. Compositions are in the regional Manipuri dialect as well as those with Sanskrit origins.
• The repertoire is traditionally centered on the Raslila episodes between Radha and Krishna in Manipuri styles called the Nata-Sankirtana.

Mohiniyattam

The origin of this dance is linked to Mohini incarnation of Vishnu. It belongs to the state of Kerala. The theme of Mohiniyattam dance is love and devotion to god. Vishnu of Krishna is most often the hero. The spectators can feel his invisible presence when the heroine of her maid details dreams and ambitions through circular movements, delicate footsteps and subtle expressions. Through slow and medium tempos, the dancer is able to find adequate space for improvisation and suggestive bhavas or emotions.

The basic dance steps are the Adavus which are of four kinds: Taganam, Jaganam, Dhaganam and Sammisram. These names are derived from the nomenclature called vaittari.

The Mohiniyattam dancer maintains realistic make-up and adorns a simple costume, in comparison to costumes of other dances, such as Kathakali. The dancer is attired in beautiful white with gold border Kasavu saree of Kerala, with the distinctive white Jasmin flowers around French bun at the side of her head.

Some key facts about Mohiniyattam dance:

• An Indian classical dance style developed in the 16th century CE, closely connected to Bharatanatyam with origins in temple dancing.
• Performed by women as a solo dance form - portraying the enchantress avatar of Hindu God Vishnu called "Mohini".
• Seeks to embody and convey feminine grace and elegance through fluid body movements, gentle slides and timed steps along with subtle facial expressions.
• The costume includes a plain or gold-bordered off-white saree, red jasmine flowers adorning the gently tied bun, jingling bangles and rounded ornaments.
• Accompaning music uses commonly the flute, veena (string instrument), percussion like mridangam, and regional verses in Malayalam language and Tamil songs.
• The performance repertoire begins with invocation, then jatisvarams, varnams, padams, tillana and ends with thirmanam.
• Exclusively female classical dance drama. The themes are based chiefly on Hindu legends, myth and spiritual poetry - mainly centered around Lord Vishnu's tales and kshetrayya padams.

Odissi

Odissi, the dance form from Odisha, is supposed to be the oldest surviving classical dance form from India. Udayagiri caves located in Odisha have many images which portray its gestures and postures. It is referred as Odra-Magadhi in Natyashastra. Odissi is based on the popular devotion to Lord Krishna and the verses of the Sanskrit play Geet Govinda are used to depict the love and devotion to God. The Odissi dancers use their head, bust and torso in soft flowing movements to express specific moods and emotions.

The form is curvaceous, concentrating on the tribhang or the division of the body into three parts, head, bust and torso; the mudras and the expressions are similar to those of Bhratnatyam. Odissi performances are replete with lores of the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, Lord Krishna. It is soft, lyrical classical dance which depicts the ambience of Odisha and the philosophy of its most popular deity, Lord Jagannath, whose temples is in Puri. On the temple walls of Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Konark the dance sculptures of Odissi are clearly visible.

Some key facts about Odissi dance:

• One of the oldest surviving dance forms in India, with Natya Shastra referring to it as Odra-Magadhi. Depictions found in caves and temples since the 1st century BCE.
• A combination of limb movements, postures, and gestures symbolizing verses narrating Hindu spiritual themes, particularly of Lord Shiva and Surya along with the romantic tale of Radha-Krishna.
• Graceful, fluid, and lyrical movements guided by the tribhangi body stance incorporating swaying hips, bent knees and tilted torso.
• Costumes are beautiful handloom saris with silver jewellery adorning the elaborate hair bun. The dancing bells at feet aid musical rhythm.
• Intricate footwork, body sculpture postures and subtle Abhinaya facial expressions characterize the dance vocabulary.
• Traditionally patronized in temples of Odisha including the iconic Jagannath temple, drawing cultural themes from its rituals and sculptures depicted in Konark Sun temple.
• The repertoire sequence flows through invocation, batu nrutya, pallavi, abhinaya, moksha commemorating its roots in temple rituals and spiritual relief.

Sattriya

Sattriya Nritya was originated by Bhakti saint Guru Shankardev of Asom as a part of activities of Vaishnava monasteries known as sattras in the latter half of the 19th century. Until the first half of the 19th century this dance style was performed in a highly ritualistic manner by male dancers alone as the sattras had maintained certain rigid disciplines and austerities within their walls. On 15 November 2000, the Sangeet Natak Akademi recognized Sattriya Nritya as one of the classical dance forms of India. The classical rigidity, the strict adherence to certain principles, and the non-engagement of academic research on the dance form all contributed to the recognition and acceptance of Sattriya Nritya as one of the eight classical dance forms of India

The core of Sattriya Nritya has usually been mythological stories. This was an artistic way of presenting mythological teachings to the people in an accessible, immediate and enjoyable manner. Traditionally, Sattriya was performed only by bhokots (male monks) in monasteries as a part of their daily rituals or to mark special festivals. Today, in addition to this practice, Sattriya is also performed on stage by men and women who are not members of the sattras, on themes not merely mythological.

Some key facts about Sattriya dance:

• Traditionally, a dance performed solely by male monks in the sattras to convey mythological stories in a spiritual context. Now also performed widely by women.
• The dance form combines delicate hand movements with rhythmic footwork to convey specific meanings or express emotions within the performance.
• Costumes feature the traditional Assamese dress for men and women - dhoti and gamocha wrapped around the waist, with red silk embroidered ghuri (blouse) for women.
• Prominent themes are centered around Lord Krishna especially depictions of childhood mischief, along with other Vishnu avatars in a unique Sattriya style using regional language compositions.
• Accompanying music has the classical Assamese devotional songs and instruments like khols (drums), taal, cymbals and flute provide rhythm.