History of Indian clasical Dance

Dancing is the natural expression of human feelings. It is a rhythmic movement of body in pace with the music accompanied. Many religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, etc use dance postures in the shrines, which itself depicts the importance of dance in worship.

The Ancient Greek thought Dance was an art for the immortals.Dancing to a specific pattern is called "Formation Dance". The Korean Fan dance and Square Dance are examples of these.

A dance has a story or message. The Haka dance in New Zealand is performed by the aborgines just before a battle is fought.

The Indian clasical Dance has a story of its own about its evolution. Lord Indra was worried about the people who were drifting away from teh right path. He consulted Lord Brahma to overcome his worries. Lord Brahma said that the four Vedas- Rigveda,Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda- were created for the sake of man's wisdom. Lord Indra was not at all satisfied and insisted upon having a fifth Veda,which was pleasing to the eye and ear as wee as constructive and entertaining. Lord Brahma made out a fifth veda- the Natyasatra- out of the four vedas in which he used speech from the Rigveda, music from the Samaveda, expression from the Yajurveda and Rasa potrayal from teh Atharvaveda. He taught Natyasastra to Sage Bharata.

The Natyasastra is the science of music, dance and drama. The presiding deity of Dance is Nataraja- Shiva. The main classical dance forms are Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri,Kathakali and Kathak. Through facial expressions nine emotional moods or Natya -Rasa can be depicted. They are Raudra( Anger), Bhayanaka(fearful), Shringara(erotic mood), Veera(valour), Hasya(humour), Karuna(pathos), Adbhuta(wonder), Beebhatsa(disgust) and Shanta(peace)

About Baratha natyam ( பரத நாட்டியம் )

"One of the most beautiful, subtle, sophisticated and graceful dance forms in the world, Bharatanatyam is performed according to the most delicate nuances of a musical piece, or a poem, through the vehicle of a body. Reflecting the principles laid down in the Natyashastra treatises, it has survived in India in all its variegated forms and moods which it has gathered unto itself throughout the centuries." (Dr. Sunil Kothari)
Bharatanatyam is the oldest and the most popular of the classical dance forms in India. Its origin dates back to the 4th century B.C. Like most art forms in India, Bharatanatyam has a deep spiritual base. Acknowledged as a form of yoga and of realizing Godhood, the dance originally blossomed within the temple walls, where the Devadasi’s (the servants of God or temple dancers) dedicated their lives to dance and to God. Passages of time saw this art form emerging from the temple confines and embrace the greater freedom of the stage. What distinguishes Bharatanatyam from all the other Indian Classical dance forms is it’s clear lines, almost geometric; its agility and lightness together with forceful footsteps, its strength, crispness and most importantly its majesty.

The general interpretation for the name is
BHAva(expression) + RAga (music) + TAla(rhythm) + NATYAM(dance) = Bharatanatyam

The 3 elements of Bharatanatyam are Nritta, Nritya and Natya.

Nritta : The emphasis is on pure dance movements, creating patterns in space and time, mostly along straight lines, triangles, circles and semicircles; without any specific intention of projecting any emotion.

Nritya : Combination of Rhythm with Expression. The dancer conveys the meanings of a lyrical passage set to music, through stylised hand gestures, facial expressions and bodily movements.

Natya : Dramatic Element. Performing for a theme like Ramayana, Mahabharata etc.

The expressions which are shown to express poetic meanings is Abinaya. Here the emphasis is more on facial expressions than rhythmic movements.

The Abinaya is divided as:

Angikabhinaya : Expression through the limbs and body like the Head, Hands, and Legs.
Vachikabhinaya : Expression through narrations and voice.
Aharyabhinaya : Expression through dress, ornaments and other aids.
Satvikabhinaya :Mental expression of feeling and emotion by facial expression and use of eyes.

About Odissi ( ஒடிசி )

The history of Odissi dance has been traced to an early sculpture found in the Ranigumpha caves at Udaygiri(Orissa). dating to the 2nd century BC. Thus Odissi appears to be the oldest classical dance rooted in rituals and tradition. Infact the NãtyaShãstra refers to Odra Magadhi as one of the vrittis and Odra refers to Orissa. But since the exact tradition of the dance could not be found, the Maharis and the Achariyas adapted the existing format of BharatNãtyam along with the sculpures on the walls of the temples to the present form of new Odissi.

Just at the mention of Odissi, lyrical and flowing movements and statueque poses come to one's mind.
Odissi, the Indian classical dance form is from Orissa and like any other Indian classical dance ,was initially performed in the temples as a religious offering by the 'Maharis' who dedicated their lives in the services of God. It has the most closer resemblance with sculptures of the Indian Temples.

It is rightly said that 'whether the dance is inspired by the chiselled beauty of the temple sculptures or the sculptures depict the dance is a conundrum'.

Although initially , Odissi was not considered as one of the main classical dances of India, its antiquity has been traced to an early sculpture found in the Ranigumpha caves at Udaygiri(Orissa). dating to the 2nd century BC. Thus Odissi appears to be the oldest classical dance rooted in rituals and tradition. Infact the NãtyaShãstra refers to Odra Magadhi as one of the vrittis and Odra refers to Orissa. But since the exact tradition of the dance could not be found, the Maharis and the Achariyas adapted the existing format of BharatNãtyam along with the sculpures on the walls of the temples to the present form of new Odissi.

Odissi gives the impression of a soft lyrical style, highly sensuous in form but infact it is rigorous and challenging to execute with control and precision. The balance of stasis and dynamics is at the core of this style as others.

Most of the abhinaya compositions are based on the Radha-Krishna theme. The Astapadis of the kãvya 'Gita Govinda' written by the Saint Jayadev are an integral part of its repertoire .The beginning pieces are dedicated to God of Orissa, Lord Jagannatha - an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

About Kathakali ( கதகளி )

Kathakali originated from a precursor dance-drama form called Ramanattam and owes it share of techniques also to Krishnanattam. The word "attam" means enactment. In short, these two forerunning forms to Kathakali dealt with presentation of the stories of Hindu gods Rama and Krishna.

Ignoring the first phase when it was Ramanattam, Kathakali had its cradle in Vettathunadu. Here Vettathu Thampuran, Kottayathu Thampuran (This Kottayam is in Malabar [see Kottayam (Malabar)] and many dedicated artists like Chathu Panicker laid foundations for what is known as Kathakali now. Their efforts were concentrated on the rituals, classical details and scriptural perfection. The Kottaythu Thampuran composed four great works, viz. Kirmeeravadham, Bakavadham, Nivathakavacha Kalakeyavadham and Kalyanasaugandhikam. After this the most important changes in Kathakali were brought about through the effors of a single person namely, Kaplingad Narayanan Nambudiri (1739-1789). He was from the Northern Kerala, but after basic instructions in various faculties of the art in Vettathu Kalari he shifted to Travancore. In the capital and many other centres he found many willing to co-operate with him in bringing about the reformations.

Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called Manipravalam), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience.

About Kuchipudi ( குச்சிப்புடி )

Kuchipudi, another popular classical dance form of India, has originated from the village of‘Kuchelapuram’ on the banks of the River Krishna, in Andhra Pradesh. The technique of Kuchipudi makes use of fast rhythmic footwork and sculpturesque body movements. The Abhinaya or stylised mime, using hand gestures and subtle facial expression is combined with more realistic acting, occasionally including dialogues spoken by the dancers.


Siddendra Yogi, hailing from Kuchipudi village is said to be the father of this dance form. He gave a definite form to it and taught it to a group of brahmin boys who handed down the tradition from generation to generation. The dance has undergone many changes since then. Initially the dance was performed only in the temples by groups of boys of the Brahmin community called Bhagavatulus. Today, the Kuchipudi dance form is performed in open-air theatres and in auditoriums. Another striking change has been the inclusion of women. Further changes include the emergence of solo dance, which has widened the horizons of the art giving the artist the freedom to perform to his or her best.


In Kuchipudi, the performer enters and introduces herself to the audience through a ‘Pravesa Daruvu’. The actual performance then continues.
Kuchipudi can thus be said to be a perfect balance of the three aspects of –
• Nritta – the rhythmic sequence that concludes a song or a verse.
• Nritya – the rhythmic passages followed by interpretations alternatively.
• Natya – the complete dance drama with a story.


The themes for the dance are mostly derived from the scriptures and mythology. Kuchipudi has been enriched by renowned gurus like Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam and Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma.

About Mohiniattam ( மோகினிஆட்டம் )

Mohini Attam dance form has developed in Kerala. Performed by women it has graceful, gentle movements. Mohini means an enchantress and a dancer with enchanting movements, dressed in a typical white saree with gold border, hair gathered in a bun on one side and with golden jewellery epitomises the image of a beautiful maiden. Apparently it resembles the Bharatanatyam dance form but is quite distinct in its execution of movements, usage of hand gestures and its stark, simple costume.

Mohini Attam has enjoyed a revival in recent times and is becoming a popular dance form. It has a format which follows the Bharatanatyam form and the repertoire has common names. In nritta a number called Cholukattu consists of pure dance movements at the end of which is tagged a poem that is in praise of a deity and also narrates the story of the Ramayana in a nutshell. The mnemonic syllables are sung instead of being uttered by the musician. Another item of pure dance is Tillana which follows the musical mode of Bharatanatyam with classical Carnatic music.

In nritya, the padams are mimed with facial expressions and hand gestures and the themes are drawn from mythology. The nayika or heroine longs for union with her beloved. A confidante goes and conveys the message to the lover and the nayika describes the pangs of separation. A varnam follows the structure of a Bharatanatyam varnam dwelling upon the narration, impersonation and alternating with pure dance. Though the dance units in Mohini Attam are limited, the quintessential grace and the measured movements are its distinct features.