CLASSIAL INDIAN DANCE, INDIAN FOLK DANCE, AND WESTERN DANCES

Classical Indian Dance, Indian Folk Dance and Western Dances - So Near Yet So Far

The classical Indian dances are dances that use hand gestures and expressions for telling a story; whereas Indian folk dances uses body, gestures, limbs, and postures to worship the gods; and the Western dances are an expression of action through various bodily movements, mainly for the purpose of providing entertainment.

Classical Indian dances are continued much in the same way as they were conceived ages ago by the creators; Indian folk dances are also continued in the same way as perceived by the groups that discovered the story telling; and the western dances are designed and shaped by individual people, thereby having an impressionable personality of the creator. The western dances have evolved with the changing times, due to constant up-gradation by the new age masters.

The Classical Indian dances show love in relation to a god or a deity as perceived by the particular era when the dance form was created; Indian folk dances uses concepts of group to praise various feats achieved by the almighty in the respective timeline; and the western dance form mainly focuses on the love between a man and a women, and the beautiful coexistence through earthly love and feeling of mutual admiration.

The Classical Indian dance have a set pattern and movement that has to be followed by the dancer; folk dances are generally non binding free style to depict a story or celebrate an occasion; Western dances also follow a pattern of movement, but they can adapt changes according to the particular dance master that they are following.

The classical dances in India are recognized by the Sangeet Natak Academy which classifies 8 dances as classical indian dance form; the folk dances are not accredited by any academy and are more free style and spirited; the western dances are accredited by the particular dance masters that are teaching a form of dance .

Classical dances are taught by accredited teachers of the particular dance form; folk dances are passed on from generation to the next generation; western dances are continuously upgraded and changes as per changing times to incorporate new moves and forms.