India Unbound
Indian Dance Forms
Some dancers balance on the edge of a brass plate. Others spend hours on their make-up before they step on stage! Let's twirl into the wonderful world of Indian dance.
Did you know?
In a Kuchipudi dance item called Tarangam, the dancer dances on the rim of a brass plate, sometimes while balancing a pot of water on the head!
Kathakali make-up, called chutti, can take two to three hours to put on. A green face, called pacha, is used for noble characters such as kings and heroes.
The name Kathak comes from the Sanskrit word 'katha', which means story. Kathak dancers tell stories with their feet, and their ankle bells, called ghungroo, can have anywhere from one bell to hundreds!
Try this: Speak With Your Hands
Classical dancers use hand gestures called mudras to tell stories. Try two. Pataka ('flag'): hold your hand up with your fingers straight and close together. Alapadma ('lotus in full bloom'): spread your fingers apart like open petals. Now tell a tiny story without words: a flag waving in the wind, then a lotus opening at sunrise. Can your family guess it?
Go further: A Very Old Guide to the Stage
About 2,000 years ago, a Sanskrit text called the Natyashastra set out rules for drama, dance and music. It is believed to be the work of the sage Bharata Muni. It explains 'rasa', the feelings a performance stirs up in the audience. In 2025, UNESCO added its manuscripts to the Memory of the World Register, a list of the world's most precious documents. Dancers still learn from its ideas today!