CLASSICAL DANCE FORMS OF INDIA - Bharathanatyam and Mohiniyattam
Classical Dance Forms of India The dance forms of India has its own ethnicity and its own style. Having originated from different geographical locations, these dance forms have taken a stand for themselves. There are 8 major dance forms prevailing at present: Bharathanatyam, from Tamil Nadu, Mohiniyattam, from Kerala, Kathakali from Kerala , Kuchipudi, from Andhra Pradesh, Kathak, from Uttar Pradesh, Odissi, from Odisha, Manipuri, from Manipur, Sattriya, from Assam. BHARATHANATYAM Having originated from Tamilnadu, Bharathanatyam has an etymology of an ancient language, Sanskrit, derived by joining 2 words, "BHARATHA" and "NATYAM". Bharatha is a mnemonic containing "Bha" meaning Bhavas / Emotions, "Ra" meaning Raga / Melody and "Tha" meaning Thalam / Rhythm. In a nutshell, Bharathanatyam means a dance that expresses Bhava, Raga and Thala. Bharathanatyam consists of six portions: Alaarippu Jathiswaram Shabdham Varnam Padham Th...