eKuhipath-Dances of India

Dances of India
Presenter : Tulika
Classical Dances of India
Indian classical dance, or Shastriya Nritya, is an umbrella term

for different regionally-specific Indian classical dance traditions,
rooted in predominantly Hindu musical theatre performance the
theory and practice of which can be traced to the Sanskrit text
Natya Shastra.
The main organisation for Indian arts preservation, the Sangeet
Natak Academy (as well as India’s Ministry of Culture),
recognizes eight as classical dances of India – Bharatanatyam,
Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Sattriya, Manipuri and
Mohiniyattam.
Other dances also recognised by the Ministry of Culture

Chhau, from Eastern India (Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal)
Bharatnatyam - Tamil Nadu
• Bharatanatyam is an Indian classical

dance form that originated in Tamil
Nadu.
• Bharatanatyam is traditionally a team

performance art that consists of a solo
dancer, accompanied by musicians and
one or more singers.
Some of the well-known Bharatanatyam dancers are listed below:
Rukmini Devi Padma Subrahmanyam Alarmel Valli
Yamini Krishnamurthy Mallika Sarabhai

Kathak-Uttar Pradesh
• Kathak is one of the eight major forms

of Indian classical dance. It is the
classical dance form from Uttar
Pradesh.
• It thought to have started from the

wandering bards of North India known
as Kathakars, meaning storytellers.
These Kathakars travelled and
conveyed stories by means of music,
dance and songs .
• Brijmohan Mishra popularly
known as ‘Pandit Birju
Maharaj’ is an Indian
dancer, musician, composer,
singer and one of the most
prominent exponents of
Lucknow ‘Kalka Bindadin’
Gharana of Kathak dance in
India.
Birju Maharaj
Kuchipudi - Andhra Pradesh
• It originates from a village named
Kuchipudi in the Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh.
• A Kuchipudi performance begins

much like a religious act, with water
sprinkling, lighting incense and
invoking god’s blessings.
• The dance style is characterized by

its expressive facial expressions, hand
gestures (mudras), and swift,
rhythmic footwork.
• The World renowned
and devoted dancing
duo Dr. Raja and Radha
Reddy have given a new
dimension to the age
old art of Kuchipudi
dance without
sacrificing the
traditional poetry or
dramatic sensibility.
Raja and Radha Reddy
Odissi – Odisha
• Odissi or Orissi is one of the pre-eminent

classical dance forms of India which
originated in the Hindu temples of the
eastern coastal state of Odisha in India.
• Odissi is traditionally a dance-drama

genre of performance art, where the
artist(s) and musicians play out a story, a
spiritual message or devotional poem
from the Hindu texts, using symbolic
costumes, body movement, abhinaya
(expressions) and mudras (gestures and
sign language) set out in ancient Sanskrit
literature.
Some of the well-known Odissi dancers are listed below:
Kelucharan Mohapatra
Madhavi Mudgal
Sonal Mansingh
Kathakala -Kerala
• Kathakali is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is one

of the most vibrant dance forms as the dancer wears
colourful and vibrant costumes, masks and so on while
performing this dance form.
• Kathakali is mainly the depiction of a story by the dancer

through his performance.
• It is performed by men portraying the characters from the

Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas.
• The dance symbolises the eternal fight between good and

evil.
Famous Kathakali dancer of India
• Kalamandalam Gopi
• Kalamandalam Krishna Prasad
• Kottakal Sivaraman
• Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair,
• Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody
• Kavungal Chathunni Panicker.

Sattriya – Assam
• Sattriya Nritya was created by Sankardeva to accompany

the Ankiya Naat (a sort of Assamese one-act drama
invented by him), which were mainly performed in the
sattras, hich are communities of live-in devotees belonging
to the Ekasarana dharma, the religion established by
Sankardev.
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi finally recognized Sattriya

Nritya as an official classical dance of India in 2000.
• Sattriya dance is usually based primarily on the stories of

Krishna-Radha relations, or sometimes on the stories of
Ram-Sita.
Famous Sattriya dancers of India
• Guru Jatin Goswami

• Sharodi Saikia
• Indira P. P. Bora
• Ranjumoni Saikia
Manipuri dance( Manipuri Rass Leela ) -
Manipur
• The Manipuri Dance, also referred to as the Manipuri Raas

Leela is one of the eight major Indian classical dance forms,
originating from the state of Manipur.
• The dance form is based on Hindu scriptures of

Vaishnavism and is exclusively attached to the worship of
Radha and Krishna. It is a portrayal of the dance of divine
love of Lord Krishna with goddess Radha and the cowherd
damsels of Vrindavan, famously known as the Raas Leela.
Famous Manipuri Dancers of India
• Yumlembam Gambhini Devi
• Guru Bipin Sinha
• Darshana Jhaveri
• Nirmala Mehta
Mohiniyattam -Kerala
• Mohiniyattam (Mohiniattam) is a classical

dance form of Kerala in South India.
• Mohiniyattam literally interpreted as the

dance of ‘Mohini’, the celestial enchantress of
the Hindu mythology, is the classical solo
dance form of Kerala.
• Dr. Sunanda Nair became the first in India to

acquire a Master’s degree in Mohiniyattam.
Some of the well-known Mohiniyattam dancers are listed below:
Dr Sunanda Nair Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma:

Chhau Dance
Chhau dance, also spelled Chhou dance, is a semi

classical Indian dance with martial and folk traditions.
It is found in three styles named after the location
where they are performed, i.e. the Purulia Chhau of
West Bengal, the Seraikella Chhau of Jharkhand and
the Mayurbhanj Chhau of Odisha.
The dance ranges from celebrating martial arts,

acrobatics and athletics performed in festive themes of
a folk dance, to a structured dance with religious
themes found in Shaivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism.
Thank you
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Dances of India

Indian classical dance, or Shastriya Nritya, is an umbrella term

Other dances also recognised by the Ministry of Culture

• Bharatanatyam is an Indian classical

• Bharatanatyam is traditionally a team

Rukmini Devi Padma Subrahmanyam Alarmel Valli

Yamini Krishnamurthy Mallika Sarabhai

• Kathak is one of the eight major forms

• It thought to have started from the

• A Kuchipudi performance begins

• The dance style is characterized by

• Odissi or Orissi is one of the pre-eminent

• Odissi is traditionally a dance-drama

• Kathakali is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is one

• Kathakali is mainly the depiction of a story by the dancer

• It is performed by men portraying the characters from the

• The dance symbolises the eternal fight between good and

• Kalamandalam Krishna Prasad

• Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair,

• Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody

• Kavungal Chathunni Panicker.

• Sattriya Nritya was created by Sankardeva to accompany

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi finally recognized Sattriya

• Sattriya dance is usually based primarily on the stories of

• Guru Jatin Goswami

• The Manipuri Dance, also referred to as the Manipuri Raas

• The dance form is based on Hindu scriptures of

• Yumlembam Gambhini Devi

• Guru Bipin Sinha

• Mohiniyattam (Mohiniattam) is a classical

• Mohiniyattam literally interpreted as the

• Dr. Sunanda Nair became the first in India to

Dr Sunanda Nair Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma:

Chhau dance, also spelled Chhou dance, is a semi

The dance ranges from celebrating martial arts,

Images source – Google

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