By Ajay Anand
Sangeet Natak Akademi recognises 8 classical dance forms:
Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Odissi and Sattriya.
This dance is from Tamil Nadu
Originally performed by Devdasis in temples.
This dance is from Uttar Pradesh
Kathak comes from katha, which means story.
This dance is from Kerala
Facial expressions are more prominent in this dance.
This dance is from Andhra Pradesh
Main theme is worship of Krishna.
This dance is from Manipur
Dance drama, with Krishna Leela as main theme.
This dance is from Kerala
Gentle movements with facial expressions.
This dance is from Odisha
It is based on natya shashtra.
This dance is from Assam
Hand gestures, footwork and chorus are the main features.