Art & Culture

Classical Dances
Tandava (movement and rhythm) and Lasya (expression) are the two fundamental characteristics of Indian classical dance (grace, bhava & rasa).
Natya is one of the three primary components (the dramatic element of the dance i.e. the imitation of characters)
Nritta's (the dance movements in their basic form)
Nritya's (expressional component i.e. mudras or gestures).
Love, Heroism, Pathos, Humour, Anger, Fear, Disgust, Wonder, and Peace are the nine rasas. The most important source is Bharat Muni's Natya Shastra.
Indian Classical Dances
Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu)

Nandikesvara's Abhinaya Darpana is a primary source of textual information for the study of Bharatnatyam Dance.
Bharatnatyam dancing is known as ekaharya, which means that one dancer takes on multiple parts in a single performance.
Transitional movements of the leg, hip, and arm are used in the dance. Emotions are communicated through expressive eye movements and hand gestures.
A vocalist, a mridangam player, a violinist or veena player, a flautist, and a cymbal player make up the accompanying ensemble. The Nattuvanar is the one who leads the dance recitation.
The dance is usually divided into seven sections: Alarippu, Jatiswaran, Shabda, Varna, Pada, Thillana, and Sloka.
The Chidambaram temple's gopurams feature Bharatnatyam positions (Tamil Nadu).

Kathak (North India)

Kathak is derived from the term Katha, which meaning "story."
It was mostly a temple or village entertainment in which the dancers told stories from ancient scriptures.
With the development of the bhakti movement in the fifteenth and sixteenth century, Kathak began to evolve into a separate kind of dance.
Radha-Krishna legends were portrayed in rasa lila folk plays, which merged folk dance with the basic gestures of kathak story-tellers.
Kathak was performed in the court of the Mughal emperors and their nobles, where it acquired its current characteristics and developed into a type of dance with a particular style.
Typically a solo performance, the dancer frequently pauses to read verses before executing them through movement.
The emphasis is on footwork, with dancers wearing ankle-bells doing straight-legged motions that are skilfully managed.
Kathak is the only form of classical dance that is associated with Hindustani or North Indian music.
Kathakali (Kerala)

Chakiarkoothu, Koodiyattam, Krishnattam, and Ramanattam are some of Kerala's ritual performing arts that have had a direct influence on Kathakali's style and technique.
Kathakali is a dramatization of stories based on Indian epics that combines dance, music, and acting.
There is a lot of make-up and gorgeous costumes (elaborate masks, long skirts, and big head-dresses).
With specific make-up and clothing, the dancers execute the roles (kings, gods, demons, etc.) of the stories, the vocalists recite the legend, and the percussionists play the musical instruments.
Distinct facial colors represent different mental stages and personalities, such as green for nobility, black for wickedness, and red patches for a mix of monarchy and evil.
Hand motions, facial expressions, and eye movements all play a role.
The body's weight is distributed over the outer margins of the feet, which are slightly bowed and curled.
Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)

Kuchipudi is the name of a village in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district that has a rich legacy of dance-drama. It was known as Yakshagaana in its generic form.
Siddhendra Yogi created the Kuchipudi style of Yakshagaana in the 17th century.
His master Teerthanaaraayana Yogi, who produced the Krishna-Leelatarangini, a kaavya in Sanskrit, submerged him in the literary Yakshagaana tradition.
It is performed as dance drama, which includes both group and solo pieces.
Costumes, accessories, and jewelry all play a significant role.
Manduka Shabdam (frog maiden narrative), Balgopala Taranga (dance on the edges of a brass plate with a pitcher full of water on head), and Tala Chitra Nritya are the solo items (drawing pictures with dancing toes).
Dancers Yamini Krishnamurthy and Raja Reddy are well-known.
Mohiniyattam (Kerala)

Mohiniyattam, or the dance of Mohini (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu), is Kerala's classical solo dance genre.
Mohiniyattam is mentioned in the books Vyavaharamala, written by Mazhamagalam Narayanan Namputiri in 1709, and Ghoshayatra, written later by poet Kunjan Nambiar.
The Travancore Kings, Maharaja Kartika Tirunal and his successor Maharaja Swati Tirunal (18th-19th century), organized it into the current classical pattern.
Girls generally act solo, with circular movements, delicate footsteps, and subtle expressions.
Movements were adapted from Nangiar Koothu and the female folk dances Kaikottikali and Tiruvatirakali.
It is sexual, lyrical, and delicate, with characteristics of Bharatanatyam (grace and elegance) and Kathakali (vigour).
Odissi's (Odisha)

The main subjects of the performance are Lord Vishnu's incarnations and lyrics from Jayadeva's Gita Govinda.
A gentle dance accompanied with calming melodies, similar to Bharatanatyam in terms of mudras and expressions.
It is referred to as'mobile sculpture' because it contains two major postures: Tribhanga (the body is deflected at the neck, torso, and knees) and Chowk (a position imitating a square).
The prominent performers are Sonal Mansingh and Kelucharan Mohapatra.
Sattriya (Assam)

Sankaradeva, a Vaishnava saint and reformer of Assam, established the Sattriya dance form in the 15th century A.D. as a means for spreading the Vaishnava faith.
Later on, the dance form evolved and expanded into a distinct type of dance.

Sattriya is the name given to this dance style because of its religious nature and link with Sattras (Vaishnava mathematics or monasteries).
Sattriya dance tradition is governed by clearly defined norms in terms of hastamudras, footwork, aharyas, music, and so on.
Manipuri (Manipur) (Manipur)

The origins of Manipuri dance can be traced back to ages before written history.
In Manipur, dance is associated with rituals and traditional festivals; legends refer to the dances of Shiva and Parvati, as well as other gods and goddesses who created the universe.
Lai Haraoba is the earliest style of dance in Manipur and serves as the foundation for other stylised dances.
It is done as a ceremonial offering of song and dance, literally meaning "the merrymaking of the gods."
The maibas and maibis (priests and priestesses) are the main performers, reenacting the theme of the creation of the universe.
Manipur's popular Rasleela dances date back to the reign of King Bhagyachandra in the 18th century.
Manipur dance has a diverse repertoire, but the most popular styles are the Ras, Sankirtana, and Thang-Ta.