108 Portraits of Indian Dance Forms

Each of India’s 28 states and eight union territories has a dance form which is distinctive of that region. Besides innumerable folk and indigenous dances, eight traditional styles are recognized as Indian classical dance forms by the national academy of the performing arts. From temples to durbars, from harvest seasons, festivals and other celebrations to the proscenium stage, Indian dance is like quicksilver, adapting and transforming itself to suit the occasion of its performance.

There is also a robust tradition of the operatic in Indian dance. The rendition of the epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, to the Bhagavatam and the many stylized forms of Koodiyattam and Theyyam of Kerala to Kuruvanjji of Tamil Nadu, the canvas of Indian dance is immense.

This book attempts to capture a flavour of the robust traditions of these Indian performing arts and lead the reader into its colourful journey of dance, from being a ‘dev kala’ or divine art to one of the most popular forms of entertainment, where creativity reaches its zenith.

This book is a part of the 108 Portraits of Indian Culture and Heritage series of 14 titles which presents an encyclopaedic view of India’s immeasurable traditional knowledge, each tracing the development and history of a unique discipline. The books are on Indian Traditional Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, Music, Dance, Sculpture, Architecture, Objects, Food, Printmaking, Design, Vernacular and Indigenous Art, Textile, Crafts and Photography