Dance in India, is rooted to age-old tradition. This vast sub-continent has given birth to varied forms of dancing, each shaped by the influences of a particular period and environment. The nation offers a number of classical dance forms, each of which can be traced to different parts of the country. Each form represents the culture and ethos of a particular region or a group of people. 

Some of India's famous Classical Dance forms are:

(i) Bharatanatyam (ii) Kathakali

(iii) Kathak  (iv) Odissi

(v) Manipuri  (v) Mohiniattam

(vii) Kuchipudi (viii) Kutiyattam 

Folk Dances:

The age-old culture of India has given birth to various forms of folk dances, coming from the unique diversity that the nation has. The diversity in culture and tradition is well reflected in the folk dances. All these dance forms from different states portray some expression of life and almost every dance posture has a specific meaning. 

Some of India's popular Folk Dances are:

(ii) Bhangra    (ii) Bhortal Nritya

(iii) Bhavai   (iv) Bihu

(v) Garba   (vi) Kummi

(vii)Poikkal Kudirai Attam (viii) Devarattam

(ix) Thabal Chongba   (x) Chhau

(xi) Jatra    (xii) Yakshagana

(xiii) Cheraw 

Classical Music:

The roots of the Indian music can be traced back to the Vedic period, when the celestial creator of the universe, Brahma was said to have handed down music to the world through his son, sage Narada, to usher in an era of peace and solace among humanity. Music is one of the oldest forms of art, which has been reflecting the richness of Indian culture and tradition throughout ages. Right from the evolution of music, there have been many developmental phases in its path, which have redefined the creative enormity and infiniteness of the art. 

Hindustani Music:

The history of Hindustani classical music is said to have originated during the period of the Indus Valley Civilization, although the only evidencial support to the claim are the recovery of the famous bronze dancing girl from that period and the customary worshipping of Rudra or Shiva, the God of dance, drama, and music. After the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization came the stage of the Vedic music, in which sacrifices and prayers were made to the Gods through hymns and chants in musical style. In the modern era the music form is maintained by musical stalwarts like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Prabha Atre, Sultan Khan, Zakeer Hussain, and so on. 

Carnatic Music:

The south Indian form of Indian classical music is known as Carnatic music, and is a musical style performed with the company of several musical instruments, such as violin, veena, mridangam, etc. Carnatic music is prevalent in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, kerala, Andhra pradesh and Karnataka. Carnatic music follows a pattern of mainly devotional themes, most of which are sung in the praise of Hindu deities. The prime components of Carnatic music follows the same pattern as any other Indian classical music, which are the Raga, implying the melody part, and the Tala, denoting the rhythmic part. Musical instruments are an intrinsic part of Carnatic music, and have strengthened the foundation of this art form at the hands of immaculate musicians like T.R. Mahalingam, M. Chandrasekaran, and so on. Some of these doyens of carnatic music include the names of M.S. Subbulakshmi, Madurai Mani Iyer, M.S. Balasubramanya Sarma, and so on.