Indian Classical Dance

Hi everyone! Today I'm going to write on indian classical dance. We have all seen the beautiful dance and colourful costumes indians wear during functions and performances, especially if you are one of those Bollywood junkies (you know what I'm talking about)! Dance is a part of Indian culture. Considering the vast land and huge population, India has many types of dance to offer. Today I will expose you to six most important classical dance.

The first type of dance is the Odissi. Odissi originated from eastern India. It is one of the oldest dance in India and is usually performed by women. The dance involves complex and expressive movements with over 50 hand gestures. Can you believe it!

The second type of dance is called the Kuchipudi from sountheastern India. This dance is a form of ritual that is used together with holy water and burning incense to invoke the goddesses. What's interesting about this dance is that not only should you have a talent in dancing, you should also have a talent in singing.

The third dance is Manipuri. This dance usually depicts scenes from the life of god krishna and is accompanied by narrative and choral singing. Female dancers moves gracefully with their arms and hands while male dancers have more forceful movements. 

The fourth dance is called the Kathak, which is a dance from north India. It is ofern performed by both men and women. The footworks are complicated and are accompanied by the sound of bells worn around the ankles. It was created by Kathakas, professional storytellers who used a mixture of dance, song and drama. 

The fifth dance is called Kathakali and it comes form southwestern India. It is a religious dance that often narrates the life Ramayana and Shaiva. It is performed by boys and men even for the female roles. Dancers wear thick makeup and huge headdresses. 

The last dance is called Bharatanatyam. It was founded in Tamil Nadu and is used to tell religious stories and devotions. Legs are bent, feet move at rhythmic paces and hand gestures are used in this dance.

That's it for now! Next time you see an indian dance you can name the dances and share the knowledge with your family and friends.