Category 5 · Art & Culture

Dance Forms

7 micro topics in Art & Culture for UPSC Prelims, in book order: Concept of Dance in India (Natya Shastra, Margi/Desi); Concept of Ashta Nayika; and 5 more.

1. 5.1

   Concept of Dance in India (Natya Shastra, Margi/Desi)

   Dance in India, called nritya or natya, is an art of movement, music, expression and storytelling that is described in the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni (about 200 BCE to 200 CE), the oldest surviving treatise…

2. 5.2

   Concept of Ashta Nayika

   Ashta Nayika means the eight heroines, a classification of women characters in love, described in Chapter 22 of the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni and developed in later texts such as the Rasamanjari of Bhanudatta. The…

3. 5.3

   Rasa and Bhava Theory

   Rasa and bhava theory is the Indian theory of aesthetics, set out in the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni, which explains how an artist shows emotion (bhava) so that the audience tastes an aesthetic flavour (rasa).…

4. 5.4

   Eight Classical Dance Forms (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Sattriya)

   India has eight classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (Uttar Pradesh), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (Odisha), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala) and Sattriya (Assam), the last added in…

5. 5.5

   Mudras and Hand Gestures

   Mudras are hand gestures used in Indian classical dance, yoga, ritual and sacred art to express meaning and feeling. In dance they are described in the Natya Shastra and the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeshvara, and are…

6. 5.6

   Folk Dances (Bihu, Garba, Ghoomar, Chhau, Dandiya)

   Folk dances of India are community dances performed at harvests, festivals, weddings and rites, learned by observation and not by formal training. Famous examples are Bihu (Assam, spring festival Bohag Bihu), Garba and Dandiya Raas (Gujarat,…

7. 5.7

   Modern Dances

   Modern dance in India means the new styles of the 20th and 21st centuries that mix classical, folk and foreign movement and break from strict tradition. The pioneer was Uday Shankar (1900 to 1977), who set…

← All Art & Culture categories

Frequently asked questions

Which topics are in Dance Forms?

Dance Forms has 7 micro topics in Art & Culture: Concept of Dance in India (Natya Shastra, Margi/Desi); Concept of Ashta Nayika; Rasa and Bhava Theory; Eight Classical Dance Forms (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Sattriya); Mudras and Hand Gestures; Folk Dances (Bihu, Garba, Ghoomar, Chhau, Dandiya); Modern Dances.

Is Dance Forms important for UPSC Prelims?

Dance Forms is a part of the UPSC Prelims Art & Culture syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 7 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.