Classical Dances and Music Traditions of India

Foundation text

Natyashastra by Bharata Muni is the earliest treatise on drama, dance and music. It describes rasa (aesthetic emotion) and bhava (expression). Dance has two aspects: Tandava (vigorous) and Lasya (graceful).

The eight classical dances (Sangeet Natak Akademi)

Dance	State
Bharatanatyam	Tamil Nadu
Kathakali	Kerala
Mohiniyattam	Kerala
Kuchipudi	Andhra Pradesh
Odissi	Odisha
Kathak	North India (Uttar Pradesh)
Manipuri	Manipur
Sattriya	Assam

• Sattriya was introduced by the Vaishnava saint Srimanta Sankardev and recognised as classical in 2000.
• Kathakali uses elaborate make-up; green (pacha) denotes noble characters.
• Mohiniyattam is performed solo by women in the lasya style.

Music traditions

• Hindustani (north): influenced by Persian traditions; forms include Dhrupad (oldest), Khayal, Thumri, Tappa.
• Carnatic (south): more kriti-based; the "Trinity" of Carnatic music — Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri.
• Purandara Dasa is called the "father of Carnatic music".
• Raga = melodic framework; Tala = rhythmic cycle.

UNESCO intangible heritage (selected)

Vedic chanting, Ramlila, Kutiyattam, Chhau dance, Kalbelia, Kumbh Mela, Yoga, Durga Puja in Kolkata, Garba of Gujarat.

Prelims tips

1. Match dance ↔ state and dance ↔ distinctive feature.
2. Don't confuse folk dances (e.g. Garba, Bihu) with the eight classical dances.

Analogy

A raga is like a recipe, and each performance is a dish cooked from it. The recipe fixes the ingredients (notes) and how they may be combined, but every musician cooks it a little differently. The tala is the kitchen clock — a fixed cycle of beats that keeps everyone in time.