DANCE is an outward expression of deep inner feelings.

The tradition of the performing arts in India has its roots in the Vedas in which ritual manifested itself through music and dance. Dance is perhaps one of the earliest fine arts evolved by mankind and considered as part of the religion as the first dance performed is believed to be the cosmic dance of Shiva at the creation of the universe. The belief is that dancing came into being at the beginning of all things. The Indian mind having traversed all regions of knowledge surrender to the bliss of Dance of Shiva who plays, longs and creates. Blinded by the beauty, he rushes frolics, dances and whirls. Lord Shiva is Natraja, Lord of Dances, the cosmos is his theater-he himself is actor and audience. The figure of Natraja is adorned as the prime source of Indian dance.

The Natyashastra, an ancient treatise on dramaturgy, explains that when the written texts became the monopoly of the educated few the sods appealed to Lord Bramha, the creator, and urged him to promulgate a fifth Veda, in the form of audiovisual art that would be accessible to all irrespective of caste or formal education. Thus the natya Veda was conceived drawing contents and teachings from the four Vedas and presenting the quintessence of all five arts including music, painting and dance.

In India religion, philosophy and mythology cannot be divorced from their art forms. Dance and music arc tied inextricably to ceremony of any kind-wedding, birth, coronation, religious procession-all are occasions for singing and dancing.

The three main divisions in the classical form of dancing are :

• Nritta or Pure dance which is performed with attractive movements of the body.
• Nritya - Conveys the meaning of the song by means of Abhinaya or Face movements, Hast mudra or hand gestures.
• Natya means drama where hand and facial gestures are added in the enactment of drama-combination of both-acting and dancing.