Page 59 - 31JAN2020E3

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Dancing on diverse tunes

Indian dance forms, which are broadly divided into classical and folk segments,
highlight diversity of the country’s culture, writes tehelka bureau

• Chhau, West Bengal
Unity in diversity makes India unique. Same is
true about the country’s dances, which can be traced back
to ancient times. While the cave paintings of Bhimbetka
rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh depict dancing figures, the
sculptures that date back to the Indus Valley Civilization also
portray dances. The text related to the origin of dance in In-
dia can be found in Natya Shastra, which was written by the
sage Bharata.
At present, there are six forms of the classical dances rec-
ognised by the country on a national level. They are Bharat-
natyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Manipuri, Kuchipudi and Odissi.
Performed on the celestial tunes of the Carnatic music,
Bharatnatyam comes from the state of Tamil Nadu in South.
The origins of Bharatnatyam can be traced back to 1000 BC,
and it originates from the ancient temples of Tamil Nadu per-
formed by the women of the ancient period.

• Bhangra, Punjab

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