Indian Classical Dance: Forms, Grammar, and Regional Signatures
Classical dance in India blends technique (nritta), expression (nritya), and drama (natya) as codified in the Natyashastra and abhinaya traditions. Eight forms are officially recognised by Sangeet Natak Akademi; each carries a regional idiom of music, costume, and movement while sharing common grammar—mudras, rasas, and tala. This note profiles the eight forms and key features to recognise them.
Core Grammar
- Abhinaya: Angika (body), Vachika (speech/song), Aharya (costume), Sattvika (inner emotion).
- Nritta vs Nritya vs Natya: Pure dance (rhythm/footwork), expressive storytelling, and full dramatic enactment.
- Music: Carnatic base for southern forms; Hindustani for Kathak; regional instruments anchor each style.
The Eight Classical Forms
Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu)
- Posture: Aramandi (half-sitting), geometric lines; firm adavus.
- Costume: Pleated fan sari; temple jewellery; ghungroos.
- Music: Carnatic; compositions of the Tanjore Quartet common.
- Notes: Origin in temple/devadasi tradition; codified in 20th c. revival (Rukmini Devi, Kalakshetra).
Kathak (North India)
- Elements: Intricate footwork (tatkar), pirouettes (chakkars), bol recitation, expressive thumri.
- Costume: Angarkha/lehenga or anarkali-style with dupatta; ghungroos heavy (100+ bells).
- Music: Hindustani; tabla/pakhawaj, sarangi; influences from Mughal courts and temple storytelling.
Kathakali (Kerala)
- Form: Dance-drama with codified facial expressions (navarasas), eye training, and vigorous footwork.
- Makeup: Color codes—pacha (green, heroes/gods), kathi (knife-nose, villains), kari (black, forest/evil), minukku (soft, females/sages).
- Music: Sopana tradition; chenda/maddalam drums, cymbals; sung text in Manipravalam.
- Costume: Bulky skirts, elaborate headgear; male-dominated tradition.
Mohiniyattam (Kerala)
- Style: Graceful, lasya-dominant; swaying torso and gentle footwork.
- Costume: Off-white kasavu with gold border; minimal jewellery; hair in side bun with jasmine.
- Music: Sopana/Carnatic mix; uses Malayalam/Sanskrit lyrics.
Odissi (Odisha)
- Posture: Tribhanga (three bends), chauka square stance.
- Costume: Silver jewellery; belted sari; hair ornament (mathami) with temple flower style.
- Music: Odissi music tradition; mardala drum.
- Notes: Sculptural quality echoing Konark carvings; Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda central.
Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh/Telangana)
- Features: Dance-drama roots; dialogues sometimes spoken/sung by dancers.
- Signature: Tarangam—dancing on brass plate balancing a pot; graceful torso with brisk footwork.
- Costume: Similar to Bharatanatyam but lighter; traditionally male bhagavatulu troupes; now widely performed by women.
Manipuri (Manipur)
- Theme: Vaishnav Raas Leela; devotional, soft lasya; minimal facial exaggeration.
- Costume: Cylindrical stiff skirt (potloi) for Raas; men wear dhoti.
- Music: Cymbals, pung drum; lyrics in Meitei/Sanskrit; no loud ankle bells.
Sattriya (Assam)
- Origin: Neo-Vaishnavite monasteries (sattras) of Srimanta Sankardeva.
- Style: Nritya (expressive) and nritta pieces tied to bhaona theatre; mythological themes.
- Costume: Pat silk, mekhela chador; drums like khol, cymbals.
Other Pointers
- Training and institutions: Kalakshetra (Bharatanatyam), Kathak Kendra, Kerala Kalamandalam (Kathakali/Mohiniyattam), Odisha’s GKCM Odissi Research Centre, Sattras in Assam.
- UNESCO intangible heritage: Some traditions related (e.g., Kutiyattam theatre, Kalbelia, Chhau) are recognised but are distinct from the eight classical forms.
- Common vocabulary: Mudras from Abhinaya Darpana/Natyashastra; rasas (nine classical emotions); tala systems vary (Hindustani vs Carnatic).
- Performance structure: Repertoires like Bharatanatyam’s margam (alarippu → varnam → padams) or Kathak’s thaat, amad, paran, gat, bhav; knowing sequence helps identify form.
- Instruments: Pakhawaj/tabla (Kathak), mridangam (Bharatanatyam/Kuchipudi), mardala (Odissi), pung (Manipuri), chenda/maddalam (Kathakali), khol (Sattriya), idakka/veena (Mohiniyattam accompaniment).
How to Differentiate Quickly
- Heavy makeup, color-coded faces, headgear? Kathakali.
- Tribhanga, silver jewellery, temple-sculpture feel? Odissi.
- Spins + ankle bells thunder + Hindustani music? Kathak.
- Plate-balancing/ spoken lines? Kuchipudi.
- Aramandi geometry + strong adavus? Bharatanatyam.
- White-gold sari, lasya sway? Mohiniyattam.
- Potloi stiff skirt/soft steps? Manipuri.
- Assamese pat silk, monastery roots? Sattriya.
Takeaway: Classical dance forms share a common grammar from the Natyashastra but speak in regional accents of music, costume, and movement. Knowing posture cues, costume, percussion choice, and historical roots helps identify each form and appreciate how devotion and storytelling animate them.