Indian dance

References

Images

Kathakali dancers

Kathak school dancer

Manipuri-style dance

Indian dance

South Asian arts

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

Bharata natyam — Bharata natyam Bharata natyam, a traditional dance drama of India.

Indian dance is a rich and ancient tradition categorized into classical, folk, and modern forms. Classical dances, rooted in religious rituals and ancient texts like the Natyashastra, are preserved through temple traditions and guru-disciple lineages. These forms, such as Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, and Odissi, involve intricate footwork, symbolic hand gestures (mudras), and expressive facial movements to narrate stories, often from Hindu mythology. Folk dances, originating from rural communities, express daily life and rituals, while modern Indian dance blends classical and folk elements with contemporary themes. Dance is deeply integrated into Indian culture, appearing in festivals, religious ceremonies, and even popular cinema.12345

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

6 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

South Asian arts
Indian dance
Dance in India can be organized into three categories: classical, folk, and modern. Classical dance forms are among the best-preserved and oldest practiced in the 21st century. The royal courts, the temples, and the guru to pupil teaching tradition have kept this art…
Read More
Dance in India can be organized into three categories: classical, folk, and modern. Classical dance forms are among the best-preserved and oldest practiced in the 21st century. The royal courts, the temples, and the guru to pupil teaching tradition have kept this art…
Read More

dance
Indian classical dance
The six recognized schools of Indian classical dance developed as a part of religious ritual in which dancers worshipped the gods by telling stories about their lives and exploits. Three main components form the basis of these dances. They are natya, the…
Read More
The six recognized schools of Indian classical dance developed as a part of religious ritual in which dancers worshipped the gods by telling stories about their lives and exploits. Three main components form the basis of these dances. They are natya, the…
Read More

mime and pantomime
Oriental dance-dramas
In India the union of music, song, and dance with character portrayals took place several centuries bce. Out of such native drama, with added dialogue, grew the bharata natyam. One of the classical Hindu dance-dramas, it is meticulously described in the Natya-shastra, the great treatise of…
Read More
In India the union of music, song, and dance with character portrayals took place several centuries bce. Out of such native drama, with added dialogue, grew the bharata natyam. One of the classical Hindu dance-dramas, it is meticulously described in the Natya-shastra, the great treatise of…
Read More

India
Dance and music
Bharata natyam, the classical dance form originating in southern India, expresses Hindu religious themes that date at least to the 4th century ce (see Natya-shastra). Other regional styles include odissi (from Orissa), manipuri (Manipur), kathakali (Kerala), kuchipudi
Read More
Bharata natyam, the classical dance form originating in southern India, expresses Hindu religious themes that date at least to the 4th century ce (see Natya-shastra). Other regional styles include odissi (from Orissa), manipuri (Manipur), kathakali (Kerala), kuchipudi
Read More

South Asian arts
Dance and theatre
…South Asia stem principally from Indian tradition. The principles of aesthetics and gesture language in the Natya-shastra, a 2,000-year-old Sanskrit treatise on dramaturgy, have been the mainstay of all the traditional dancers and actors in India. Even folk performers follow some of its conventions; e.g., the Kandyan dancers of Sri…
Read More
…South Asia stem principally from Indian tradition. The principles of aesthetics and gesture language in the Natya-shastra, a 2,000-year-old Sanskrit treatise on dramaturgy, have been the mainstay of all the traditional dancers and actors in India. Even folk performers follow some of its conventions; e.g., the Kandyan dancers of Sri…
Read More

theatre
India
Indian theatre is often considered the oldest in Asia, having developed its dance and drama by the 8th century bce. According to Hindu holy books, the gods fought the demons before the world was created, and the god Brahmā asked the gods to reenact the…
Read More
Indian theatre is often considered the oldest in Asia, having developed its dance and drama by the 8th century bce. According to Hindu holy books, the gods fought the demons before the world was created, and the god Brahmā asked the gods to reenact the…
Read More