India is a land of multiple languages, culture and traditions. Here we find the prevalence of many distinct type of dance forms which have evolved through the years and which define a particular region or a tribe. The classical dance forms have definite rules that have been followed traditionally over the years. Like many other forms of art, dance is a physical as well as virtual form of art. The dancer communicates with the medium of his/her body. It has a huge instant impact on the onlooker and has an aesthetic appeal. Natya Shashtra, which is regarded as the fifth Veda, is considered to be the source of all classical dance forms. It is believed to have been written between 2nd century BC and 2nd century A.D.

The Indian classical dance forms gyrate around the `nine rasas` or emotions " Hasya (happiness), krodha (anger), bhibasta (disgust), bhaya (fear), shoka (sorrow), viram (courage), karuna (compassion), adbhuta (wonder) and shanta (serenity). All dance forms follow the same hand gestures or hasta mudras for each of these rasas". There are various names by which the dances were known by, due to the manner they are performed in.

Eight Indian dance forms have been considered as classical dance forms by the Sangeet Natak Academy of India, they are: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam, Odissi, Sattriya.

Bharatanatyam:Bharatanatyam is an artistic yoga[natya yoga], for exposing the spiritual and the divine through corporeal. It is one of the most practiced Indian classical dance forms of south India in India and worldwide. There are religious mythologies associated with the origin of this `divine` dance form. It is believed that `Bharatanatyam` got its name from sage Bharata who was entrusted with the work of writing Natyashastra following the instructions of Hindu god Brahma. Female artists mostly performed Bharatanatyam in the olden ages, they were called `Devadasis`. They were adept in singing, dancing and musical instruments, Sanskrit and other languages. Then in the royal couts it was prformed by rajanartakis, equivalent to devadasis.

The Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam consists of the three elements of Nritta, Nrittya and Natya. Nritta is the rhythmic element, Nritya is the blend of rhythm and expression, and Natya is the dramatic element in the performance. The entire body is classified into Anga - consisting of head, hands, chest, waist, bottom, legs; Pratyanga- consisting of shoulders, arms, stomach, thighs, knee and Upaanga- consisting of sight, eyebrow, eye lids, eye balls, cheeks, nose, gums, lower lip, teeth, tongue, chin and face. When all Angas are coordinated (along with pratyanga and upaanga), the Bharatanatyam dancer is said to possess Angashudhi. Anga meaning body parts, and shudhi means perfection or purity. The Natyashastra has `shlokas` describing how to perform all movements.

Hindu god Lord Shiva is believed to have performed a dance form called Tandava. It is called Ananda Tandava when performed in delight, and the same is called as Rudra Tandava due to its violent and destructive aspect. Bharatanatyam has seven types of Tandava, namely - Ananda Tandava, Tripura Tandava, Sandhya Tandava, Samara Tandava, Kaali Tandava, Uma Tandava and Gauri Tandava.

Kathak: Kathak is another Indian classical dance form, which has originally evolved in North India. The name Kathak is basically derived from the Sanskrit word katha which means story and Kathaka in Sanskrit means the one who tells a story. Story telling included dance and music which took the form of Kathkalakshepam and Harikatha in Southern India and as Kathak in the Northern India. Kathak is highly influenced by Persian form of dance.

One characteristic feature of this classical dance form is its fast footwork(tatkar), spins(chakkar) and use of Bhav in `abhinaya`. Chiefly kathak is danced to a 16-beat measure, the footwork emphasizes rhythmic cycles, which culminate in the "sam" (pronounced "sum"). The same is the last beat of one rhythmic cycle and the first beat of the next cycle. Dances are often recited before they are performed when the music is live. Indian and Persian music and culture have blended together in this superb and expressive dance-art, which is said to be the origin of Flamenco and the first dances of the Spanish Gypsies who migrated from India. Celtic traditions, modern and jazz styles have also been inspired by Kathak.

There are three major schools of Kathak from which artists draw their descent, namely the Jaipur gharana, the Lucknow gharana and the Benaras gharana and there is also another less spectacular gharana Raigarh gharana which is an accumulation of different techniques from all the three above-mentioned gharanas.

Kathakali:Kathakali which literally means story play is a dance-drama originated in the 17th century in Kerala. The name Kathakali is derived from the Malayalam words "katha" (meaning story) and "kali" (meaning play). Kathakali is believed to be a combination of five elements of fine art:

Kathakali which is one of the oldest Indian classical dance forms involve an interesting painting on the face of the actors with different colours. These colours have distinct significance and are used to depict evil or good with colour distinctions. Green is used for noble characters, red for evil, black also for uncivilized ones, women and saints are portrayed with lustrous yellowish faces.In Kathakali, the story is completely enacted by the hand movements(called mudras or hand gestures) and by facial expressions (rasas) and bodily movements. The expressions are derived from Natyasatra similar to other classical forms.

Manipuri: Manipuri dance is one of the major classical dance forms of India. This was a temple dance form and still continues to have a close association with the religious and social framework of Manipur. Manipuri dance form is religious in nature often depicting Hindu deities Radha and Krishna, like the Raas Lila.

This dance form is highly elegant and laced with graceful movements which are rounded and devoid of any jerks and stiff straight lines. That is the reason why it appears to be so smooth and soft in its presentation. Musical instrument that are accompanied in the Manipuri dance is the purcussion called Pung, a singer, pena which is a stringed instrument, `flute` and small cymbals. The Manipuri dance has a very distinct origin and evolution in contrast with other clasiical dance forms. Situated in the hills geographicaly at an isolated area it is somewhat secluded but does not lack in aesthetics and conventions.

The costumes in Manipuri dance are very colorful, attractive and very richly decked. The female dancers wear a dress called "patloi", the lehenga is called "Kumin" with mirrors and zari work intricately woven into beautiful designs, layered with a transparent silk or "Pasuan".

KuchipudiKuchipudi is the form of dance-drama which is a superb assimilation of Natya, Nritta and Nritya and one of the eminent Indian classical dance forms. It has its origin in Andhra Pradesh and it presents scenes from mythological tales and Hindu epics. Kuchipudi combines different aspects of music, dance and acting in the enactment of the scenes. Kuchipudi dance dramas consist of single or a series of episodes. This dance form usually has Telugu lyrics though we also find Sanskrit verses. Pure dance, mime and histrionics are the features in Kuchipudi dance dramas.

This particular clasical dance form began with music, which primarily consisted of Mridanga, Madala and a pair of cymbals, followed by an invocation to Ganesha, the elephant headed god to bless the performance. This was pretty common in many art forms of south India. the theme of the play was announced by the Sutradhara, then he introduced the characters and appealed the audience for attentive adherence. This signaled the beginning of the play. The play progressed at a leisurely pace and slow tempo followed the dances which were abstract as well as personal. The kuchipudi in this early phase had some complicated footwork such as the tracing out of a lion or an elephant on the floor or dancing with the feet on the edges of a circular brass tray or with a water pot delicately and precariously balanced on the head.

Odissi:The origin of the Odissi dance form is Orissa in the eastern part of India. It was basically temple dance in Orissa and is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. Major theme in the Odissi dance is love of Radha and Krishna, the Hindu Deities. The devadasis were responsible for the popularity of this dance form, they were attatced with various temples like the Jagannath Temple and temples at Bhubaneshwar. The devadasi used to dance to the recitation of hymns and bols of talas in temples before the introduction of the Gitagovinda. After its introduction, Gitagovinda became part and parcel of the rituals. Odissi performances are full with lores of the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, Lord Krishna.

The different substance of the Odissi dance style are Managlacharna, Batu nrityaya , Pallavi, Abhinaya and Moksha. The dancer dedicates herself to the Lord and begs forgiveness of the Mother Earth for stamping her feet upon her; she apologises to her audience for any shortcomings and offers salutations to the Guru in Mangalacharna, Batu Nritya begins with a series of sculpturesque poses symbolising the playing of the veena, drum, flute or cymbals. Pallavi is extravagantly graceful and lyrical. Abhinaya portrays `rasa` and `bhava` through facial expressions; this brings out the meaning and mood of songs. Moksha is the last item, and is performed in a fast tempo and here the dancer employs various dance units creating captivating visuals.

Sattriya:Sattriya is a classical dance form that belongs to the far eastern state of Assam and its origin lies in the five hundred years old wide-ranging theatre tradition nourished in the Vaishnav Monasteries of Assam. This dance form has been practiced and was popular among the holy monks. Sattriya is one of the classical dance forms of India and has been extracted from a massive organization of theatrical activities which constitutes the Ankiya Bhaona form.

Since this dance has evolved from monastries, it got its name from there. Sattras are monastries of the followers of Vishnu, the hindu God. The arrival of the Vaishnavite faith is attributed to Shrimanta Sankaradeva. Sattriya dance form has become an integral part of the culture of Assam. Sankaradeva brought an amalgamation of the arts, both plastic and performance which resulted in a succesful communication with the people through song, dance, masks, puppets, dialogue, theatre and stagecraft. Sattriya dance has a rhythmic beat and a sensitive style. And one of the fact is that it is gender specific. The upper part of the body is given in to melody, and the lower part is generally surrendered to interpreting rhythms. `Abhinaya` or expression is also an integral part of the whole process that uses the body the face and hand gestures in order to interpret the song, poem or the emotion. Abhinaya in Sattriya dance is a blend of stylized and realistic elements. Fighting, eating, killing etc are presented in sattriya dance which is a kind of defiance against conventions.

In the year 2000, this dance form was declared a `major dance tradition of India` at par with all major dance traditions of India, which are the Classical dances of India.

Mohiniattam:Mohiniattam is a classical dance form evolved in Kerala, South India. Females basically perform it and the dance moves are very graceful. Mohini means an enchantress and hence its an enchanting dance performed by the females with enticing attire which is a white saree with gold borders and jewellery charming the audience. There is a revival of this traditional dance form.

The dance has the mnemonic syllables, which are sung instead of being uttered by the musician. Lately Kerala`s Sopana music is being engaged for Mohini Attam and the selection has also been enlarged. The padams in nritya are mimed with facial expressions and hand gestures with mythological themes. The nayika or heroine eager for union with her beloved which is followed with a confidante who conveys the message to the lover and then the description of her pangs of separation. Though the dance units in Mohini Attam are limited, its distinct features are the exemplary grace and the measured movements.