Kathak Dance

The art of dance is ancient in India , and shares the same aesthetic and spiritual philosophies that apply to drama, music and poetry. The earliest text on dance, the Natyasastra , also contains the fundamentals of Indian music theory. Dating from around the fourth century A.D., this comprehensive manuscript on the performing arts presents the emotional and aesthetic elements of dance, the stances and movements in which the rasas (sentiments) are conveyed through bhava (expression). An elaborate vocabulary of gestures, known as mudras , classifies hundreds of particular movements and postures of the body, hands and face. A dancer enacting the parts of the deities of Indian mythology must be able to play both male and female roles.

Classical dancing is delineated into three classes: natya , the expressive or dramatic dance; nritta , pure and abstract dance which is often highly rhythmical; and nritya , the fusion of these two elements. Born from the Natyasastra , there are six main styles of Indian classical dance, each one of which can be traced to a different region of the country.