Dance classes in India

(Pic Courtesy: http://milleroutdoortheatre.com)

Moving your body to a tune you love is dance. It need not be refined or defined. That is how dance originated few thousands of years back among the early men and the tribals. The refinement and ‘rules' for dance came a few centuries back.

Various types of Dance forms in the world

• Ballet: The acrobatic and graceful movement of the dance feels as if the dancers have turn off gravity
• Jazz: Also called as fun dance as they incorporate their own expression to the dance and involve dramatic bodily movements
• Tap: In this dance, dancers wear shoes with metal soles to make that tapping sound to create rhythmic music and leg moves.
• Hip-hop: It includes various moves such as breaking, popping, locking and krumping etc.
• Belly dance: It involves the movements of hips and abdomen. It is a very sensual dance.

Various types of Dance forms in India

India is a melting pot of cultures, whose dances range from folk to the classical. All the Indian dances, both folk and classical vary according to their region of origin and have a distinct style from the steps to the kind of costumes worn. The dance also makes the use of 'Natya' or acting to portray a story. Many of the dances are based on religious mythologies. India is a host for more than 50 types of folk dances and 8 distinct classical dances.

Folk Dance

Folk dance is often associated with villagers and their day-today lives. Folk dance and music depicts happiness, joy and sorrow in the simplest way possible. The dance is easy to learn, the lyrics easy to comprehend. Very rarely, can one find people performing or even learning folk dances in cities or even smaller towns.

Classical Dance

Each region in India has its own classical dance culture. One has to undergo rigorous training to properly learn the classical dance form, unlike the folk dances. One can find students as young as 4 years of age learning classical dances. Though it is solely for flexibility reasons, one can always learn the dances at a later stage, provided the person has a flexible body. This is an essential requirement to render the dance graceful.

Indian schools, colleges and institutes offering courses in different types of dance forms

• Banaras Hindu University - Varanasi - Diploma in Bharathanatyam and kathak
• Rabindra Bharati University - Calcutta - B.A Hons in Dance and M.A in dance
• University of Calicut - Kozhikode - B.A Fine Arts (Bharathanatyam and kathakali)
• University of Mumbai - Mumbai - BFA (Dance) and MFA (Dance) in bharathanatyam, Mohiniyattam, kathakali
• Visva Bharati - Sangita Bhavana - B.Mus in Manipuri and kathakali
  Certificate and Diploma in Manipuri/Kathakali
• Tilak Maharastra Vidyapeeth - Pune - Diploma in Indian classical dance and BA in Indian classical dance

Finding dance classes in your neighbourhood

For those who wish to learn dance as a hobby rather than a career, the best option would be to find a local dance tutor. ThinkVidya's abundant information on local tutors can help prospective students find the right dance teacher.