Classical dances of India

Classical dances of India
Name	Classical dances of India
Caption	Bharatanatyam performance from Chennai at the Madras Music Academy
Country	India
Region	South India, North India, East India, West Bengal, Assam
Types	Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Sattriya
Primary texts	Natya Shastra, Abhinaya Darpana

Classical dances of India Classical dances of India represent codified performing traditions rooted in the Natya Shastra and related treatises, practiced across regions such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Manipur. These forms interconnect with major cultural institutions like the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Mysore Palace, and have shaped festivals including the Khajuraho Dance Festival, Konark Dance Festival and Chidambaram Natyanjali.

Overview and definition

Classical dances are defined through authoritative texts such as the Natya Shastra and commentaries by Abhinavagupta and Bhatta Lollata, institutional recognition by bodies like the Sangeet Natak Akademi and criteria cited in scholarship from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University and the University of Madras. Definitions emphasize elements established in the Natya Shastra—rasa, bhava, abhinaya—while performance contexts link to courts of the Chola dynasty, Vijayanagara Empire, Mughal Empire and princely states such as the Travancore and Kingdom of Mysore.

Historical origins and evolution

Origins trace to sanctuary cults in Khajuraho, Mahabalipuram and Konark and literary traditions like the Natyashastra and the Abhinaya Darpana; archaeological evidence includes temple reliefs at Ellora Caves, Ajanta Caves and inscriptions from the Pallava and Chola periods. Medieval court patronage from rulers such as Krishnadevaraya and Raja Ravi Varma influenced aesthetics; colonial encounters involving the British Raj and reform movements led by figures associated with Alathur Brothers and Annie Besant altered public performance. 20th-century revivalists—Rukmini Devi Arundale, Balasaraswati, Uday Shankar, Vempati Chinna Satyam, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra—reconfigured repertoire for concert stages, engaging institutions such as the Kalakshetra Foundation, Sangeet Research Academy and National School of Drama.

Major classical dance forms

Major recognized forms include Bharatanatyam from Tamil Nadu, Kathak from North India with historic links to the Mughal Empire and Bengal; Odissi from Odisha associated with the Jagannath Temple tradition; Kathakali of Kerala tied to the Performer-cultures of the Chera and Travancore courts; Mohiniyattam of Kerala patronized by Zamorins of Calicut; Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh linked to the Vijayanagara Empire; Manipuri from Manipur rooted in Vaishnavite forms promoted by King Pamheiba; and Sattriya from Assam preserved in the Vaishnavite satra institutions of Srimanta Sankardev. Each form is associated with practitioners such as T. Balasaraswati, Kumudini Lakhia, Birju Maharaj, Sitara Devi, Adayar Lakshman, Shovana Narayan, Mallika Sarabhai, Gopi Krishna, and choreographers who engaged cultural organizations like the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Theory: Natya, music, costume and technique

Performance theory draws on the Natya Shastra and the Abhinaya Darpana; theoretical frameworks were extended by scholars like Abhinavagupta, Bharata Muni and modern commentators at Banaras Hindu University and the University of Calcutta. Musical systems involve Carnatic music in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam and Kathakali and Hindustani classical music in Kathak and some Odissi repertoires; composing sources include works by Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Jayadeva and Bharathiyar. Costuming conventions incorporate elements from regional textiles such as Kanchipuram silk, Patola, Ikat and ornaments from Temple jewelry traditions patronized by courts like Mysore and Travancore. Technique categories—nritta, nritya, natya—are taught with codified adavus, tatkaar and hasta patterns formalized in gharanas and institutions like Kalakshetra and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Regional variations and schools (gharanas)

Regional schools and gharanas include the Lucknow and Jaipur gharanas in Kathak with masters like Birju Maharaj and Acchan Maharaj; the Tanjore tradition and Melattur style in Bharatanatyam associated with the Tanjore Maratha court and artists of the Thanjavur region; the Mayurbhanj and Puri schools in Odissi developed under patrons such as the Gajapati dynasty; Kuchipudi village traditions centered in Vijayawada and Venkatachalam; Manipuri schools preserved in royal families of Imphal and in institutions like the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy; Kathakali lineages from Kottarakkara and Kerala Kalamandalam; Sattriya traditions tied to the satras of Majuli and patrons such as Madhavdev.

Revival, institutionalization and pedagogy

Revival movements involved figures like Rukmini Devi Arundale at Kalakshetra Foundation, E. Krishna Iyer in Madras, Guru Oma and Balasaraswati collaborating with universities including University of Madras and Banaras Hindu University. Institutionalization accelerated through the Sangeet Natak Akademi, National School of Drama, state academies in Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi and conservatories such as Kerala Kalamandalam. Pedagogical methods combine traditional guru-shishya parampara manifested in families of performers like Balasaraswati and modern curricula at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kala Academy and university departments of performing arts, incorporating notation systems, research by scholars at S.N. Bose institutions and archival initiatives by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.

Contemporary practice and global influence

Contemporary practice includes experimental choreographies by artists such as Akram Khan (cross-disciplinary), Mallika Sarabhai, Rina Dhaka-affiliated projects, and collaborations with institutions like the British Council, UNESCO and festivals including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Serpentine Galleries presentations. Diaspora communities in London, New York City, Singapore and Toronto sustain academies, while scholars at SOAS University of London and Columbia University research transmission. Issues of cultural policy debated in forums like the Ministry of Culture (India) and intellectual currents from critics at The Hindu and Frontline continue to shape pedagogy, repertoire and cross-cultural fusion.

Category:Indian classical dances