Three Types of Classical Indian Dance You Should Know
Print Friendly, PDF & Email Indian classical dance is a fairly new umbrella term that covers the mixture of styles of centuries-old Hindu musical theatre. Manveen Maan peers deeper into this ancient art that is still very much alive today. India’s contemporary classical dances trace their origin far back in Indian history. Dance, like any other aspect of Indian culture and tradition, has developed over thousands of years, and is a very influential art form. Classical Indian dances today trace their roots to a book called the Natyasastra which forms the basis of all performing arts today. Essentially, the history of dance in India can be divided into two periods: the first one from the 18th century BCE to the 10th century BCE, and the second from the 9th century BCE to the 2nd century BCE. During the first period, Sanskrit was the premier language for arts and hence had an influence on dance, which resulted in performances being similar throughout the country. The second period is characterised by regional diversifications and experimentations with newer ideas. Regional languages played an important role in diversifying the different dance traditions, as did the inclination to deviate from the principles of the Natyasastra. Indian dance almost died out during the British rule, but a tradition of over 5,000 years could not be wiped out that easily. By the early part of the 20th century, a revival of dances took place, and today there are many excellent artistes for each dance. BharatanatyamBharatanatyam is one of the most popular dance forms within the classical dance genre, and is practiced the world over by both male and female dancers. Originating in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, it is a reworked dance-form of the traditional “sadir” or temple dances from the 3rd and 4th centuries. Known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpture-like poses, Bharatanatyam is based on adavu (steps) and hasthamudra (hand gestures). There are a daunting 64 basic st
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