BharatNotes Static GK
Classical Dance Forms of India
All 8 dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi — state origins, distinguishing features, key exponents, and UNESCO intangible heritage status.
🎭 Sangeet Natak Akademi — Overview
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Established | 31 May 1952 (set up); inaugurated by President Rajendra Prasad on 28 January 1953 |
| Under | Ministry of Culture, Government of India (autonomous body) |
| Classical dances recognised | 8 — Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Manipuri, Sattriya |
| Foundational text | Natya Shastra — attributed to sage Bharata Muni; composed ~200 BCE–200 CE; ~6,000 verses; covers drama, dance, music, rasa theory |
| "Mother of classical dances" | Bharatanatyam |
| Newest classical dance | Sattriya — granted classical status November 2000 |
💃 The 8 Classical Dance Forms
| # | Dance | State | Style / Character | Origin Tradition | Key Exponents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bharatanatyam | Tamil Nadu | Tandava + Lasya; geometric postures, intricate footwork; "ekaharya" (solo performer, multiple characters) | Devadasi/Sadir tradition (temple dancers); also called Sadir, Dasi Attam | Rukmini Devi Arundale (founded Kalakshetra 1936), Balasaraswati, Yamini Krishnamurthy |
| 2 | Kathak | North India (UP, Rajasthan) | Spins (chakkar), intricate tatkar (footwork), abhinaya; three gharanas: Lucknow, Jaipur, Banaras | Kathakas (temple storytellers); later shaped by Mughal court patronage | Birju Maharaj (Lucknow), Lacchu Maharaj, Sitara Devi |
| 3 | Odissi | Odisha | Tribhangi (three body bends — head, torso, hips); fluid, lyrical | Mahari tradition (devadasis of Jagannath Temple, Puri); also Gotipua (male dancers) | Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh, Madhavi Mudgal |
| 4 | Kuchipudi | Andhra Pradesh | Dance-drama; combines dance, music, acting, dialogue; features tarangam (dancer on brass plate) | Male Brahmin community (Bhagavatula); originally all-male dance-drama; systematised by Siddhendra Yogi (17th c.) | Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Raja-Radha Reddy |
| 5 | Kathakali | Kerala | Most elaborate makeup/costume; colour-coded characters (Pacha = green = noble hero; Kathi = villain); traditionally all-male | Synthesis of Ramanattam + Krishnanattam + Kutiyattam (17th century); episodes from Ramayana, Mahabharata | Kalamandalam Gopi, Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair; Kerala Kalamandalam (est. 1930) |
| 6 | Mohiniyattam | Kerala | Lasya-dominant; feminine, graceful, swaying; white and gold Kerala kasavu saree | "Dance of the enchantress" — Mohini (female avatar of Vishnu) + Aattam (graceful movement) | Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma (revival), Bharati Shivaji, Shobana |
| 7 | Manipuri | Manipur | Circular, soft, fluid; no stamping of feet; cosmic character; Ras Lila is most prominent form | Vaishnavite Meitei tradition; Ras Lila (5 types: Maharas, Vasantaras, Kunja Ras, Nitya Ras, Diba Ras) | Guru Bipin Singh, Darshana Jhaveri, Jhaveri Sisters; Rabindranath Tagore promoted national revival |
| 8 | Sattriya | Assam | Ankiya Nat (one-act devotional plays); combines devotion, drama, music; Bhagavata Purana themes | Vaishnavite Sattras (monasteries); founded by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev (15th–16th c.); classical status: November 2000 | Indira PP Bora (Padma Shri 2020), Anita Sharma; originally male monks (Bhokots), now open to women |
🔍 Dance-Specific Highlights
| Dance | Unique Feature / High-Yield Fact |
|---|---|
| Bharatanatyam | Called "Mother of all classical dances"; revival credited to Rukmini Devi Arundale who adapted it for proscenium stage and cleaned it from devadasi stigma |
| Kathak | Only North Indian classical dance; three main gharanas: Lucknow (lyrical, Wajid Ali Shah court), Jaipur (vigorous, rhythmic), Banaras/Benares (devotional, temple-rooted); unique fusion of Hindu temple + Mughal court elements |
| Odissi | Tribhangi = defining posture (three simultaneous bends); Natya Shastra references "Odra-Magadhi" style considered early Odissi; revival by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra |
| Kuchipudi | Village name in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district (NOT Telangana); tarangam = dancing on brass plate while balancing a pot of water on head |
| Kathakali | Kerala Kalamandalam founded 1930 by poet Vallathol Narayana Menon; training takes 6–8 years; Pacha (green face) = noble hero; Kathi (green base with red knife/moustache markings + white) = anti-hero/villain like Ravana; Kari (black) = demonic; Thaadi (beard — red/white/black variants); Minukku (radiant) = women/sages |
| Mohiniyattam | Both Kathakali and Mohiniyattam belong to Kerala — common confusion; Kathakali = vigorous + dramatic + male; Mohiniyattam = lyrical + graceful + female |
| Manipuri | Rabindranath Tagore saw a performance in Sylhet (1919) and invited Guru Budhimantra Singh to Shantiniketan, launching national awareness of Manipuri dance |
| Sattriya | Origin: 15th–16th century (Sankardev); SNA classical status: November 2000. Performance was exclusively by male monks inside sattras for centuries before being opened to women. |
🥊 Chhau — Status Clarified
Chhau is NOT one of the SNA's 8 classical dances. It is classified as semi-classical / tribal martial dance. Some sources say "9 classical dances" by including Chhau — the SNA's official count is 8.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Classification | Tribal martial dance (semi-classical); NOT in SNA's 8 |
| UNESCO recognition | 2010 — UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Seraikella Chhau | Jharkhand — uses masks |
| Purulia Chhau | West Bengal — uses masks |
| Mayurbhanj Chhau | Odisha — no masks |
🌐 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — Indian Dances
The SNA's 8 classical dances are not individually inscribed on UNESCO's ICH list. India has 16 UNESCO ICH elements total (as of December 2025), including performing arts like Kutiyattam (2008), Ramlila (2008), Mudiyettu (2010), Sankirtana (2013), Vedic Chanting, and Deepavali (2025). Of these, the three specifically dance/folk-dance traditions are:
| Tradition | Year Inscribed | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chhau dance | 2010 | Three styles: Seraikella (JH), Purulia (WB), Mayurbhanj (OD) |
| Kalbelia folk songs & dances (Rajasthan) | 2010 | Snake-charmer community; Rajasthan; inscribed same year as Chhau |
| Garba of Gujarat | 2023 | 15th Indian ICH element — Navratri festival dance; high-yield exam question |
🪘 Major Folk Dances — Quick Reference
| State | Dance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Assam | Bihu | Celebrates Assamese New Year/spring; three types: Rongali (spring), Kongali (autumn), Bhogali (winter) |
| Gujarat | Garba / Dandiya Raas | Navratri festival; Garba UNESCO ICH 2023 |
| Punjab | Bhangra (men) / Giddha (women) | Harvest festival (Baisakhi) |
| Rajasthan | Ghoomar | State dance of Rajasthan; performed by women; swirling skirts |
| Rajasthan | Kalbelia | Snake-charmer community; UNESCO ICH 2010 |
| Maharashtra | Lavani | Energetic; combines song and dance; Tamasha tradition |
| Karnataka | Yakshagana | Dance-drama combining dance, music, dialogue; winter harvest tradition |
| Jharkhand / WB / Odisha | Chhau | Tribal martial dance; three regional styles; UNESCO ICH 2010 |
| Kerala | Theyyam | Ritual art form; performers embody deities; performed in North Kerala |
| Andhra Pradesh / Telangana | Perini Sivatandavam | Ancient warrior dance revived by Nataraja Ramakrishna; performed before battles |
⚠️ Exam Traps & High-Yield Points
| # | Wrong belief | Correct fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "There are 9 classical dances (including Chhau)" | SNA recognises 8; Chhau is NOT in SNA's list — it is semi-classical/tribal |
| 2 | "Sattriya was one of the original classical dances" | Sattriya was added in November 2000 — the most recent addition; SNA was founded in 1952 |
| 3 | "Kathakali is from Karnataka" | Kathakali is from Kerala |
| 4 | "Kuchipudi is from Telangana" | Kuchipudi village is in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district — despite Hyderabad now being in Telangana |
| 5 | "Mohiniyattam and Kathakali are the same style" | Both from Kerala but opposite: Kathakali = vigorous, dramatic, male, elaborate costume; Mohiniyattam = lyrical, graceful, female, simple white-gold costume |
| 6 | "Manipuri dance involves vigorous foot stamping" | Manipuri is distinctly non-stamping — soft, circular, fluid movements; foot stamps are characteristic of Bharatanatyam and Kathak |
| 7 | "Garba was inscribed in UNESCO ICH 2010" | Garba was inscribed in 2023 (15th Indian ICH element); 2010 inscriptions were Chhau and Kalbelia. The 16th element, Deepavali, was added in December 2025. |
| 8 | "Bharatanatyam was always a recognised art form" | It was associated with devadasis and was suppressed; revival by Rukmini Devi Arundale in the 1930s (Kalakshetra, Chennai, 1936) brought it mainstream acceptance |
| 9 | "Natyashastra was written by Bharata Muni in the modern era" | Natyashastra is an ancient text, composed ~200 BCE–200 CE — it is not a modern work |
| 10 | "Kathak has no Mughal influence" | Kathak uniquely blends Hindu temple tradition with Mughal court culture — this is what makes its Lucknow gharana distinctively lyrical and emotive |
