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Classical Dances
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of India

Classical dances are an integral part of India’s culture and heritage.

Let’s learn about the classical dance styles and the states they are from.

Bharatnatyam is popularly called “poetry in
motion”. It is the national dance of India. It is the
dance form of the state of Tamil Nadu. Rukmini

Devi Arundale and Padma Subramanyam are
famous dancers.

Sattriya is a dance form that is more than 500 years

old and comes from the Vaishnavite monasteries
of Assam, northeast India. Ranjumoni and
Rinjumoni Saikia are famous dancers.

Kuchipudi is the dance form of Andhra Pradesh.
The village in Andhra Pradesh where Kuchipudi

originated in the 17th century is Kuchipudi.
Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam and Guru Jayarama

Rao are famous dancers.

Odissi is the classical dance form of Odisha. On
the basis of archaeological evidence, it is the oldest

surviving dance form in the country. Famous
dancers include Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra,

Sonal Mansingh, and Sanjukta Panigrahi.

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