Classical Dances of India — The 8 Recognised Forms

Why This Chapter Matters

Classical dance is one of the most reliable scoring areas in the Art & Culture portion of SSC and RRB general awareness sections. Almost every SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS and RRB NTPC paper carries at least one question from this chapter, usually a straight match of dance form to state or dance form to exponent. Questions also test the mudra/hasta system, the Sangeet Natak Akademi's list of recognised classical forms, and "which of the following is a classical dance" type elimination questions where folk dances are mixed in as distractors.

The sub-topics that repeat most are: state of origin (Odissi-Odisha, Kathakali-Kerala, Manipuri-Manipur type pairs), the guru or exponent associated with reviving or popularising a form, the specific costume or headgear name, and the count of classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (currently eight, with Sattriya the most recent addition). Keep this chapter separate in your mind from folk dances, which are covered in the next chapter — SSC often sets one question asking you to pick the "odd one out" between a classical and a folk form.

1. What Makes a Dance "Classical"

The Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's national academy for music, dance and drama, recognises a dance form as classical when it meets certain conditions: a base in ancient Sanskrit text on dramaturgy, mainly the Natyashastra attributed to sage Bharata Muni; an unbroken guru-shishya (teacher-disciple) tradition; a defined vocabulary of movement, mudras (hand gestures) and facial expression (abhinaya); and use in temple or court settings historically rather than purely social or festive settings.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi currently recognises eight classical dance forms of India:

1. Bharatanatyam — Tamil Nadu
2. Kathak — Uttar Pradesh (North India)
3. Kathakali — Kerala
4. Kuchipudi — Andhra Pradesh
5. Odissi — Odisha
6. Manipuri — Manipur
7. Mohiniyattam — Kerala
8. Sattriya — Assam

Sattriya was the most recent form to get classical status, added by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2000. Some coaching material also mentions Chhau as a semi-classical form; SSC treats Chhau as a folk/tribal form for elimination questions, so remember it is NOT in the official list of eight.

The Natyashastra itself describes four abhinaya (expression) types used across all these forms: Angika (body movement), Vachika (speech/song), Aharya (costume and make-up) and Sattvika (emotional/facial expression). This four-part classification is a favourite one-line MCQ.

2. Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu)

Bharatanatyam is the oldest of the classical dance forms in continuous practice and is closely linked to the temple dance tradition of Tamil Nadu, historically performed by devadasis in temples such as the Thanjavur Brihadeeswara Temple. The name is popularly explained through the syllables Bha-Ra-Ta, standing for Bhava (expression), Raga (melody) and Tala (rhythm), though this is a folk etymology rather than the literal source of the word.

The modern stage form was systematised in the 19th century by the Tanjore Quartet — four brothers, Chinnayya, Ponnayya, Vadivelu and Sivanandam — who codified the margam, the standard sequence of a Bharatanatyam recital. In the 20th century, Rukmini Devi Arundale revived and popularised the form on the modern stage and founded Kalakshetra in Chennai in 1936 for training in Bharatanatyam.

Key facts for the exam:

• Deity most associated with Bharatanatyam: Nataraja (dancing form of Shiva), enshrined at the Chidambaram temple.
• Standard recital sequence (margam): Alarippu, Jatiswaram, Shabdam, Varnam, Padam, Tillana.
• Costume: a stitched Kanjeevaram-style sari with a fan-pleat at the front; jewellery includes temple jewellery and ghungroos (ankle bells).
• Famous exponents: Rukmini Devi Arundale, Balasaraswati, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Padma Subrahmanyam, Alarmel Valli.

3. Kathak (Uttar Pradesh / North India)

Kathak takes its name from "Katha" (story) and "Kathakar" (storyteller), referring to itinerant temple storytellers of North India who narrated tales from the epics through song, gesture and dance. The form developed further under Mughal court patronage, which added intricate footwork and fast pirouettes (chakkars) and reduced the earlier emphasis on devotional narrative in favour of court entertainment.

Kathak is unique among the classical forms for developing three major gharanas (schools), each named after its home city:

• Lucknow Gharana — emphasis on grace, expression (abhinaya) and gat-bhav; associated with the Nawabs of Awadh.
• Jaipur Gharana — emphasis on rigorous footwork (tatkar) and technical rhythm (laya).
• Banaras Gharana — a third, smaller gharana with its own distinct compositions.

Kathak is performed to both Hindustani classical music, and its footwork is synchronised with the tabla. Famous exponents include Birju Maharaj (Lucknow gharana), Sitara Devi, and Lachhu Maharaj. Kathak is the only one of the eight classical forms with clear North Indian, Hindu-Muslim syncretic court origins, which makes "identify the gharana" a common MCQ pattern.

4. Kathakali (Kerala)

Kathakali literally means "story-play" and is a highly stylised dance-drama from Kerala, distinctive for its elaborate face make-up and large costumes rather than facial subtlety alone. Performers use a codified system of make-up types (vesham) to denote character types: Pacha (green, for noble/heroic characters), Kathi (knife-pattern, for villains with some nobility), Thadi (bearded types — red, white or black beard for different characters) and Kari (black, for demonic characters).

Kathakali developed in the 17th century and draws its stories mainly from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. It uses a large number of hand gestures (mudras) drawn from the Hastalakshana Deepika, a Malayalam text on hand gestures. Percussion instruments used include the chenda and maddalam, and vocalists sing the narrative while the performers enact it through gesture and expression, since Kathakali performers traditionally do not speak.

Kathakali Sangeetham (the vocal accompaniment) uses ragas from the Carnatic system adapted to Kathakali's own musical style called Sopana Sangeetham.

5. Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)

Kuchipudi takes its name from the village Kuchipudi in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, where the form developed as a Vaishnavite dance-drama tradition. It was systematised in the 17th century by Siddhendra Yogi, a Vaishnava saint-poet credited with composing Bhama Kalapam, a dance-drama on Satyabhama (Krishna's consort) still central to the Kuchipudi repertoire.

Kuchipudi was originally an all-male tradition performed by Brahmin men (including men playing female roles), unlike the largely female devadasi tradition of Bharatanatyam. A distinctive Kuchipudi item is the Tarangam, where the dancer performs while standing on the rim of a brass plate, sometimes balancing a pot of water on the head. Famous exponents include Vempati Chinna Satyam, who is credited with reviving and modernising Kuchipudi in the 20th century, and Yamini Reddy, Raja Radha Reddy.

6. Odissi (Odisha)

Odissi is one of the oldest dance forms, with sculptural evidence of its poses found at the Rani Gumpha caves (Udayagiri) and its temple-dance form linked historically to devadasis called Maharis at the Jagannath Temple, Puri. Odissi nearly died out in the early 20th century and was revived after independence by a group of gurus, most notably Kelucharan Mohapatra.

Odissi's signature stance is the Tribhangi ("three-bend" posture of the body — head, torso and lower body each tilted in opposite directions), and its most recognisable static pose is the Chowk, a square-like stance associated with Lord Jagannath. Odissi music uses Odissi ragas set to compositions like the Gita Govinda of Jayadeva (12th century), a devotional Sanskrit poem on Krishna and Radha, whose verses are commonly used for Odissi's abhinaya sequences.

Famous exponents: Kelucharan Mohapatra, Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh (also trained in Bharatanatyam), Madhavi Mudgal.

7. Manipuri (Manipur)

Manipuri dance developed in Manipur around the Vaishnavite tradition, especially the Ras Lila, dance-dramas depicting the life of Krishna and Radha, believed to have been given definite form under Manipuri king Bhagyachandra in the 18th century. Unlike most other classical forms, Manipuri emphasises gentle, flowing, rounded movements and largely avoids the sharp foot-stamping seen in Kathak or Bharatanatyam; ghungroos are traditionally not used the same way.

Costume is a striking identifier for MCQs: female dancers wear the Kumil (also called Potloi), a stiff, cylindrical, barrel-shaped skirt heavily embroidered with mirror-work, along with a veil. Manipuri also has a martial-art-linked tradition of male dance called Pung Cholom (drum dance), performed with the pung (Manipuri drum), and Kartal Cholom (cymbal dance). Famous exponents include Guru Bipin Singh, credited with popularising Manipuri Ras Lila outside Manipur.

8. Mohiniyattam (Kerala)

Mohiniyattam means "dance of the enchantress," referring to Mohini, the female form taken by Vishnu in Puranic stories (notably during the Samudra Manthan episode). It is a solo, lyrical, predominantly female dance form from Kerala, contrasting with the more masculine, dramatic Kathakali of the same state.

Mohiniyattam movements are gentle and swaying, with the body moving in a soft zig-zag rather than sharp angles; the repertoire is close to Bharatanatyam's structure (cholkettu, jatisvaram, varnam, padam, tillana equivalents) but performed in Kerala's distinctive style. The costume is a plain off-white or cream-and-gold Kasavu sari with gold border, unlike the colourful costumes of Kathakali. Vallathol Narayana Menon, the Malayalam poet who founded Kerala Kalamandalam in 1930, is credited with reviving Mohiniyattam in the 20th century after it had nearly vanished. Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma is another name commonly linked with its revival.

9. Sattriya (Assam)

Sattriya is the youngest of the eight forms to receive classical status, recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2000. It originated in the Vaishnavite monasteries (Sattras) of Assam, founded by the saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th-16th century as part of the Bhakti movement in Assam (the Ekasarana Dharma tradition).

Sattriya was traditionally performed only by monks (bhokots) inside the sattras as a part of religious rituals, and its repertoire includes dance-dramas called Ankiya Naat, also created by Sankardeva, performed with music called Borgeet (devotional songs, again attributed to Sankardeva). Sattriya has since moved to the public stage and is performed by both men and women. Instruments used include the khol (a barrel drum) and cymbals (taal).

10. Comparing the Eight Forms

Comparative, "which pair is correctly matched" questions are common. Use this table to fix each form's home state, presiding deity/theme, and one signature identifier.

Dance Form	State	Deity/Theme	Signature Identifier
Bharatanatyam	Tamil Nadu	Nataraja (Shiva)	Margam sequence; temple jewellery
Kathak	Uttar Pradesh	Krishna-Radha, Mughal court themes	Three gharanas: Lucknow, Jaipur, Banaras
Kathakali	Kerala	Ramayana, Mahabharata	Pacha/Kathi/Thadi/Kari face make-up
Kuchipudi	Andhra Pradesh	Krishna-Satyabhama (Bhama Kalapam)	Tarangam on brass plate rim
Odissi	Odisha	Jagannath, Krishna-Radha (Gita Govinda)	Tribhangi posture, Chowk pose
Manipuri	Manipur	Ras Lila (Krishna-Radha)	Kumil/Potloi skirt costume
Mohiniyattam	Kerala	Vishnu as Mohini	Off-white Kasavu sari, swaying moves
Sattriya	Assam	Vaishnavite Bhakti (Sankardeva)	Ankiya Naat, performed in sattras

11. Mudras and the Grammar of Gesture

All eight forms use codified hand gestures called mudras (also hasta) to communicate meaning, drawn ultimately from the Natyashastra tradition, though later texts refined the system for individual forms. Mudras are broadly divided into two categories:

• Asamyukta Hasta — single-hand gestures (one hand used alone).
• Samyukta Hasta — combined or double-hand gestures (both hands used together).

The Natyashastra lists a set of hand gestures used across Indian classical dance; Kathakali uses its own extended system based on the Hastalakshana Deepika, which lists a larger number of hastas than the Natyashastra's original count. Exam questions sometimes ask which text lists hand gestures for Kathakali specifically — the answer is the Hastalakshana Deepika, not the Natyashastra directly.

12. State Academies and Training Institutions

A few training institutions are commonly tested because they link a place to a founder and a year.

Institution	Location	Founder	Year	Associated Form
Kalakshetra	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	Rukmini Devi Arundale	1936	Bharatanatyam
Kerala Kalamandalam	Cheruthuruthy, Kerala	Vallathol Narayana Menon	1930	Kathakali, Mohiniyattam
Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy	Imphal, Manipur	Government of Manipur	1954	Manipuri
Sangeet Natak Akademi	New Delhi	Government of India	1952	All classical forms (apex body)

The Sangeet Natak Akademi, headquartered in New Delhi, is India's national academy for music, dance and drama and is the body that formally confers "classical" status and gives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (also called the Akademi Puraskar) to performers each year.

Quick Revision — One-Line Facts

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises eight classical dance forms of India.
• Sattriya (Assam) was the last to be added to the classical list, in 2000.
• The Natyashastra, attributed to Bharata Muni, is the foundational Sanskrit text behind Indian classical dance and drama.
• The four types of abhinaya are Angika, Vachika, Aharya and Sattvika.
• Bharatanatyam originated in Tamil Nadu, historically performed by devadasis in Tamil temples.
• The Tanjore Quartet (Chinnayya, Ponnayya, Vadivelu, Sivanandam) codified the Bharatanatyam margam.
• Rukmini Devi Arundale founded Kalakshetra in Chennai in 1936.
• Kathak developed from temple storytelling and later flourished under Mughal court patronage.
• Kathak has three gharanas: Lucknow, Jaipur and Banaras.
• Kathakali is from Kerala and uses elaborate face make-up types: Pacha, Kathi, Thadi, Kari.
• Kathakali hand gestures are drawn from the Hastalakshana Deepika.
• Kuchipudi is from Andhra Pradesh and was systematised by Siddhendra Yogi, author of Bhama Kalapam.
• The Tarangam in Kuchipudi is performed standing on the rim of a brass plate.
• Vempati Chinna Satyam is credited with the 20th-century revival of Kuchipudi.
• Odissi is from Odisha; its signature body posture is the Tribhangi.
• Odissi devadasis attached to the Jagannath Temple, Puri, were called Maharis.
• Kelucharan Mohapatra is the best-known guru of the modern Odissi revival.
• Odissi abhinaya often uses verses from the Gita Govinda by Jayadeva (12th century).
• Manipuri dance is centred on the Ras Lila theme of Krishna and Radha.
• The stiff barrel-shaped skirt worn by Manipuri female dancers is called the Kumil or Potloi.
• Guru Bipin Singh popularised Manipuri Ras Lila beyond Manipur.
• Mohiniyattam, from Kerala, is named for Mohini, the enchantress form of Vishnu.
• Vallathol Narayana Menon founded Kerala Kalamandalam in 1930 and revived Mohiniyattam.
• Sattriya originated in the Vaishnavite monasteries (sattras) of Assam, founded by Srimanta Sankardeva.
• Sankardeva also created Ankiya Naat (Sattriya dance-dramas) and Borgeet (devotional songs).
• Mudras are classified as Asamyukta Hasta (single hand) and Samyukta Hasta (combined hands).
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi, founded in 1952, is headquartered in New Delhi and gives the Akademi Puraskar.
• Chhau is a semi-classical/folk form, NOT among the eight Sangeet Natak Akademi classical dances.
• Kathakali percussion instruments include the chenda and maddalam; Sattriya uses the khol.

Memory Tables

Table A — Dance Form to Founding/Reviving Person and Era

Dance Form	Key Person	Contribution	Approx. Era
Bharatanatyam	Tanjore Quartet	Codified the margam	19th century
Bharatanatyam	Rukmini Devi Arundale	Modern stage revival, founded Kalakshetra	1936
Kuchipudi	Siddhendra Yogi	Systematised the form, wrote Bhama Kalapam	17th century
Kuchipudi	Vempati Chinna Satyam	20th-century revival	20th century
Odissi	Kelucharan Mohapatra	Post-independence revival	20th century
Manipuri	King Bhagyachandra	Gave Ras Lila its classical form	18th century
Manipuri	Guru Bipin Singh	Popularised the form nationally	20th century
Mohiniyattam	Vallathol Narayana Menon	Revived the form, founded Kerala Kalamandalam	1930
Sattriya	Srimanta Sankardeva	Created the sattra tradition, Ankiya Naat, Borgeet	15th-16th century

Table B — Costume and Identifying Prop by Dance Form

Dance Form	Costume/Prop	Distinguishing Detail
Bharatanatyam	Fan-pleated sari, temple jewellery	Ghungroos, Nataraja imagery
Kathak	Flowing skirt/anarkali or Mughal-court style	Fast spins (chakkars), tatkar footwork
Kathakali	Large hooped skirt, ornate crown	Green/red/black face make-up types
Kuchipudi	Sari draped in Andhra style	Balancing on a brass plate rim (Tarangam)
Odissi	Sambalpuri-style sari, silver jewellery	Tribhangi stance
Manipuri	Kumil/Potloi barrel skirt, veil	Gentle, rounded movement, no loud foot-stamping
Mohiniyattam	Off-white Kasavu sari with gold border	Swaying, zig-zag body movement
Sattriya	Traditional Assamese silk costume	Performed originally by monks inside sattras

Practice MCQs

Q1. How many classical dance forms are currently recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi? (a) Six (b) Seven (c) Eight (d) Nine

Q2. Which classical dance form was the most recent to be given classical status, in the year 2000? (a) Odissi (b) Sattriya (c) Mohiniyattam (d) Manipuri

Q3. The Natyashastra, the foundational text of Indian classical dance, is attributed to which sage? (a) Bharata Muni (b) Patanjali (c) Valmiki (d) Panini

Q4. Match the dance form with its state of origin.

1. Kathakali A. Manipur
2. Sattriya B. Kerala
3. Kuchipudi C. Assam
4. Manipuri D. Andhra Pradesh (a) 1-B, 2-C, 3-D, 4-A (b) 1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-D (c) 1-B, 2-A, 3-C, 4-D (d) 1-D, 2-C, 3-A, 4-B

Q5. Rukmini Devi Arundale is closely associated with the revival of which dance form and founded which institution? (a) Kathak; Kalamandalam (b) Bharatanatyam; Kalakshetra (c) Odissi; Kalakshetra (d) Mohiniyattam; Kalamandalam

Q6. The Tanjore Quartet is credited with codifying the standard performance sequence, or margam, of which dance form? (a) Kuchipudi (b) Odissi (c) Bharatanatyam (d) Kathakali

Q7. Which of the following is NOT one of the eight classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi? (a) Sattriya (b) Chhau (c) Mohiniyattam (d) Manipuri

Q8. Which face make-up type in Kathakali represents noble or heroic characters? (a) Kathi (b) Kari (c) Thadi (d) Pacha

Q9. The Kuchipudi dance-drama "Bhama Kalapam," on the character of Satyabhama, is attributed to which figure? (a) Vempati Chinna Satyam (b) Siddhendra Yogi (c) Sankardeva (d) Jayadeva

Q10. The signature "three-bend" body posture of Odissi, in which the head, torso and lower body tilt in alternating directions, is called: (a) Chowk (b) Tribhangi (c) Aramandi (d) Natyarambha

Q11. Which classical dance form developed inside the Vaishnavite monasteries called sattras, founded by Srimanta Sankardeva? (a) Manipuri (b) Odissi (c) Sattriya (d) Mohiniyattam

Q12. The distinctive stiff, barrel-shaped skirt worn by female Manipuri dancers is known as: (a) Kasavu (b) Potloi/Kumil (c) Ghagra (d) Angavastram

Q13. Arrange the following in the correct chronological order of when the institution/event happened, earliest first: 1. Founding of Kerala Kalamandalam 2. Founding of Kalakshetra 3. Sattriya given classical status by Sangeet Natak Akademi (a) 1, 2, 3 (b) 2, 1, 3 (c) 3, 1, 2 (d) 1, 3, 2

Q14. Kathak developed three major gharanas. Which of the following is NOT one of them? (a) Lucknow (b) Jaipur (c) Banaras (d) Tanjore

Q15. Which of the following statements about Mohiniyattam is correct? (a) It is a martial, masculine dance-drama form from Kerala. (b) Its name refers to Mohini, the female form of Vishnu, and it is a lyrical solo dance from Kerala. (c) It was systematised by Siddhendra Yogi in the 17th century. (d) It uses the Tarangam, danced on the rim of a brass plate.

Answer Key

Q	Answer	One-line reason
1	(c)	Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises eight classical dance forms.
2	(b)	Sattriya was added to the classical list in 2000.
3	(a)	The Natyashastra is attributed to sage Bharata Muni.
4	(a)	Kathakali-Kerala, Sattriya-Assam, Kuchipudi-Andhra Pradesh, Manipuri-Manipur.
5	(b)	Rukmini Devi Arundale revived Bharatanatyam and founded Kalakshetra in 1936.
6	(c)	The Tanjore Quartet codified the Bharatanatyam margam in the 19th century.
7	(b)	Chhau is a folk/semi-classical form, not in the official list of eight.
8	(d)	Pacha (green) make-up denotes noble or heroic characters in Kathakali.
9	(b)	Siddhendra Yogi composed Bhama Kalapam and systematised Kuchipudi.
10	(b)	Tribhangi is Odissi's characteristic three-bend body posture.
11	(c)	Sattriya originated in Assam's Vaishnavite sattras founded by Sankardeva.
12	(b)	The Potloi, also called Kumil, is the Manipuri barrel-shaped skirt.
13	(a)	Kalamandalam (1930), then Kalakshetra (1936), then Sattriya's classical status (2000).
14	(d)	Tanjore is linked to Bharatanatyam's Tanjore Quartet, not a Kathak gharana.
15	(b)	Mohiniyattam is a lyrical solo Kerala dance named after Vishnu's Mohini form.