Ancient Indian Culture: Different Forms of Classical Indian Dance

The main forms of classical Indian dance are Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Orissi, Kathakali and Manipuri.

Bharatnatyam:

· Possibly one of the oldest forms of classical dance in India.

· It is composed of the use of the ekaharya lasyanga style in which one dancer-actor plays many different roles

· After the 10^th century ad, it mainly stayed in Southern India. Today, it is confined to the state of Tamil Nadu.

· It was usually a solo dance

Kathak:

· Its origins are not as clear as with other forms of classical Indian dance because it evolved over many centuries over a large area.

· It is hypothesized that it developed during the Mughal Empire, and thus became mainly a court dance.

Odissi:

· This form of dance is also debated to have been the oldest form of classical dance in India.

· Odissi dancers became vital to the temple and ceremonies, as well as other social situations.

Kathakali:

· Kathakali is distinguished by a powerful dramatic element, where the dancers play the role of supernatural characters

· They used masks instead of makeup

Manipuri:

· Its movements are less constrained and more free and fluid.

· It was developed in the modern day state of Manipur.

Here is a video showing several forms of classical indian dance:

Sources:

by Bethany

Ancient Indian Culture