--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-gb/dance' title: 'Dance: the classical dance forms of India' author: name: Anonymous updated: '2026-10-31T16:33:01+00:00' type: website summary: 'Indian classical dance is the umbrella name for regional classical forms, Bharatanatyam and Kathak among them, which trace their theory to the Natyashastra.' image: 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:secure_url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:type': image/svg+xml 'image:alt': KalaSudha --- Main Discipline # Dance नृत्य India's regional classical dance forms and their common root text, the Natyashastra Regional classical forms Natyashastra Roots Sub-disciplines 9 Courses 0 Indian classical dance is the umbrella name for India's regional classical forms, rooted in the Natyashastra. The list most cited, credited to the Sangeet Natak Akademi, has eight. [ Explore Courses ](/en-gb/courses?discipline=58) [Sign in to follow](/en-gb/user/login?flag_anon=follow_term-58&destination=/en-gb/markdownify/taxonomy/term/58) [ Share ](/en-gb/share/term/58) ## Rich Heritage The **Natyashastra** describes 108 **karanas**, movement units combining hand, foot and body positions. The Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur, from the early-eleventh-century reign of Rajaraja Chola, shows 81 of them as a dancing Siva. The **Mahari** dancers of the Jagannatha temple at Puri are one source of Odissi. Popular accounts link South Indian temple dance to the **devadasis**, women dedicated to temple deities, though Chola-period inscriptions record them mostly as donors and temple servants. In the early nineteenth century the Thanjavur Quartet, four brothers at the Maratha court, set the order of the recital later called Bharatanatyam. From 1892 the **anti-nautch campaign**, opened by the Madras Hindu Social Reform Association, stigmatised these dancers. The Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act followed in 1947. Kerala Kalamandalam opened in 1930 as a Kathakali school. In Madras, Rukmini Devi Arundale opened Kalakshetra in January 1936. Hereditary artists such as T. Balasaraswati argued for more room for sensuality and regional roots than the Kalakshetra approach allowed, and the two became distinct styles. Sattriya, from the Vaishnava monasteries of Assam, joined the classical list in 2000. ## Artistic Philosophy **Rasa** is the aesthetic experience a performance creates in its audience, and the Natyashastra sets out its theory. Its sixth chapter names eight rasas: shringara (love), hasya (mirth), karuna (pathos), raudra (fury), vira (heroism), bhayanaka (terror), bibhatsa (disgust) and adbhuta (wonder). Later writers added a ninth, shanta (peace). Each rasa has a matching **sthayibhava**, a lasting state the performer portrays, such as love for shringara or sorrow for karuna. The text says rasa arises when causes (vibhava), visible effects (anubhava) and passing states (vyabhicaribhava) combine, and it names thirty-three of those passing states. It also names four kinds of **abhinaya**, or representation: angika (the body), vachika (words and song), aharya (costume and make-up) and sattvika (inner temperament). In the Natyashastra's own account, the first performance pleased the gods. Many dancers today describe classical dance as both devotion and performance, and fieldwork with young Bharatanatyam dancers shows them weighing the two roles. ## Explore Categories Dive deeper into specific aspects of this discipline [ ### Bharatanatyam भरतनाट्यम Bharatanatyam is a classical dance of Tamil Nadu, danced to Carnatic music from the bent-knee araimandi stance. Devadasis once performed it as Sadir in temples and at court. 0 items 0 courses ](/en-gb/dance/bharatanatyam) [ ### Chhau छऊ Chhau is a martial dance-drama of eastern India in three styles: Seraikella, Purulia and Mayurbhanj. Two use masks. UNESCO inscribed Chhau as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. 0 items 0 courses ](/en-gb/dance/chhau) [ ### Kathak कथक Kathak is the classical dance of North India, named from the Sanskrit katha (story), with rhythmic footwork sounded by ankle bells, fast spins and storytelling. 0 items 0 courses ](/en-gb/dance/kathak) [ ### Kathakali कथाकली Kathakali is a classical dance-drama of Kerala in which silent actors in painted makeup enact stories from the epics through hand gestures while two singers sing the text. 0 items 0 courses ](/en-gb/dance/kathakali) [ ### Kuchipudi कुचिपुड़ी Kuchipudi is a classical dance-drama and solo dance from Kuchipudi village, Andhra Pradesh, set to Carnatic music and known for the tarangam, danced on a brass plate's rim. 0 items 0 courses ](/en-gb/dance/kuchipudi) [ ### Manipuri मणिपुरी Manipuri is a classical dance of Manipur, north-east India, centred on the Ras Lila of Radha and Krishna. Dancers wear no ankle bells, and the women's potloi has a stiff mirrored skirt. 0 items 0 courses ](/en-gb/dance/manipuri) [ ### Mohiniyattam मोहिनीआट्टम Mohiniyattam (Mohiniattam) is a classical dance of Kerala, named after Mohini, the enchantress form of Vishnu, and known for the continuous circular sway of its lasya style. 0 items 0 courses ](/en-gb/dance/mohiniyattam) [ ### Odissi ओड़िसी Odissi grew from the mahari temple dancers of Puri and the boy gotipua dancers and was rebuilt from the late 1950s; its tribhanga pose bends hip, torso and head in turn. 0 items 0 courses ](/en-gb/dance/odissi) [ ### Sattriya सत्त्रीया Sattriya is the classical dance of Assam, shaped in Vaishnava monasteries (sattras) from Sankaradeva's devotional plays and recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2000. 0 items 0 courses ](/en-gb/dance/sattriya) ## Featured Artists Discover renowned Dance performers and maestros [ ](/en-gb/artist/alokparna-guha) ### [Alokparna Guha ](/en-gb/artist/alokparna-guha) Kathak Kathak dancer and teacher based in Kolkata, trained under Dr Malabika Mitra across the Jaipur and Lucknow styles. Founder of PUSHPAK Academy of Dance, teaching in Kolkata and Toronto. Kolkata, India [View Profile](/en-gb/artist/alokparna-guha) ## Frequently Asked Questions Where can I learn Indian classical dance online with a live teacher? You can learn [Indian classical dance](/en-gb/dance) online with KalaSudha, live and one-to-one with a vetted teacher, in regional forms such as [Kathak](/en-gb/dance/kathak) and Odissi. These forms share a root in the Sanskrit Natyashastra, which sets out the theory of **rasa**, the feeling a performance creates in its audience. Beginners start at **Foundation**, and each KalaSudha award names your dance form. When enough learners in an area register interest, we bring workshops and summer camps there. KalaSudha's [online academy](/en-gb/academy) keeps adding dance courses and teachers. Have more questions? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to help! ## Past Events Explore our archive of Dance performances [ ](/en-gb/event/london-ragas-the-story-and-the-steps) ### [London Ragas: The Story and the Steps](/en-gb/event/london-ragas-the-story-and-the-steps) Alokparna Guha **Royal Wharf Community Dock** SUN, OCT 11 5:00 PM [View Details ](/en-gb/event/london-ragas-the-story-and-the-steps) [ ](/en-gb/event/kala-festival-2026-rhythms-of-ragas-of-feet) ### [Kala Festival 2026: Rhythms of Ragas & of Feet](/en-gb/event/kala-festival-2026-rhythms-of-ragas-of-feet) Debasis Chakroborty · Akram Khan · Alokparna Guha **The Bhavan** WED, SEP 23 7:00 PM [View Details ](/en-gb/event/kala-festival-2026-rhythms-of-ragas-of-feet) Stay close ## Keep KalaSudha close. Receive news of concerts, learning opportunities, recordings and the work taking shape at KalaSudha. - Concert news - ·Learning opportunities - ·Recordings and stories We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.