Famous Personalities of Folk Dances in India: Celebrating the Art and Creativity of Indian Folk Dancers and Musicians

India is a country rich in cultural heritage and diversity, and dance is an integral part of its cultural expression. There are various types of dances in India, each with its unique style, technique, and cultural significance. In this article, we will explore some of the most popular types of dances in India and their features.

Bharatanatyam - Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form that originated in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a dance form that is characterized by precise footwork, intricate hand gestures, and facial expressions. Bharatanatyam is a storytelling dance form that uses movements and gestures to convey mythological stories and religious themes. It is often performed by women and requires years of training to master.
Kathakali - Kathakali is another classical dance form that originated in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is a dance form that is known for its elaborate costumes, makeup, and facial expressions. Kathakali is a dance-drama that often tells stories from Hindu mythology and uses exaggerated movements and facial expressions to convey emotions and characters.
Bhangra - Bhangra is a folk dance form that originated in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab. It is a lively and energetic dance form that is often performed during harvest festivals and weddings. Bhangra is characterized by its upbeat music, drumming, and acrobatic movements.
Garba - Garba is a folk dance form that originated in the western Indian state of Gujarat. It is a dance form that is performed during the Navratri festival and is characterized by its circular movements, vibrant costumes, and traditional music. Garba is a community dance form that is often performed in large groups.
Manipuri - Manipuri is a classical dance form that originated in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur. It is a dance form that is known for its graceful movements, gentle footwork, and delicate hand gestures. Manipuri is a storytelling dance form that often depicts stories from Hindu mythology and uses intricate movements to convey emotions and characters.
Kathak - Kathak is a classical dance form that originated in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a dance form that is characterized by its complex footwork, spins, and movements. Kathak is a storytelling dance form that often depicts stories from Hindu mythology and uses intricate hand gestures and facial expressions to convey emotions and characters.
Mohiniyattam - Mohiniyattam is a classical dance form that originated in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is a dance form that is characterized by its graceful movements, soft footwork, and flowing costumes. Mohiniyattam is a storytelling dance form that often depicts stories from Hindu mythology and uses intricate hand gestures and facial expressions to convey emotions and characters.

List of Classical Dances in India

Bharatanatyam - Tamil Nadu
Kathakali - Kerala
Kathak - Uttar Pradesh
Manipuri - Manipur
Odissi - Odisha
Kuchipudi - Andhra Pradesh
Sattriya - Assam
Mohiniyattam - Kerala

List of Folk Dances in India

Bhangra - Punjab
Garba - Gujarat
Lavani - Maharashtra
Bihu - Assam
Chhau - Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha
Dandiya Raas - Gujarat, Rajasthan
Giddha - Punjab
Ghoomar - Rajasthan
Jhumar - Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh
Koli - Maharashtra, Gujarat
Kud - Jammu and Kashmir
Rauf - Jammu and Kashmir
Sambalpuri - Odisha
Kalbelia - Rajasthan
Dhol - Himachal Pradesh

List of Folk Music In India

Bhangra - Punjab
Rajasthani folk music - Rajasthan
Baul - West Bengal
Garba - Gujarat
Lavani - Maharashtra
Bihu - Assam
Ghazal - Uttar Pradesh
Qawwali - Punjab
Kirtan - Maharashtra
Sufi - Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh
Haryanvi music - Haryana
Kumaoni music - Uttarakhand
Himachali music - Himachal Pradesh
Kashmiri music - Jammu and Kashmir
Naga music - Nagaland

List of Musical Instruments & Players In India

Sitar - Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Anoushka Shankar
Tabla - Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Kishan Maharaj, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee
Sarod - Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash
Flute - Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Naveen Kumar, Ronu Majumdar
Shehnai - Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan
Violin - Dr. L. Subramaniam, Kala Ramnath, Ganesh-Kumaresh
Harmonium - Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, Sajan Mishra, Rajan-Sajan Mishra
Santoor - Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt. Bhajan Sopori, Abhay Rustum Sopori
Veena - Emani Sankara Sastry, Rajhesh Vaidhya
Mridangam - Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, Palghat Mani Iyer, T. V. Gopalakrishnan

List of Hindustani Music Gharanas in India

Gwalior Gharana - Founded by Nanthu Khan in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
Kirana Gharana - Founded by Abdul Karim Khan in Kirana, Uttar Pradesh
Patiala Gharana - Founded by Ali Baksh and Fateh Ali Khan in Patiala, Punjab
Agra Gharana - Founded by Ghagge Khuda Baksh and Haddu Khan in Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana - Founded by Inayat Hussain Khan in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh
Jaipur Gharana - Founded by Ustad Alladiya Khan in Jaipur, Rajasthan
Mewati Gharana - Founded by Ghagge Nazir Khan in Mewat, Haryana
Banaras Gharana - Founded by Acharya Brahaspati in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Bhendi Bazar Gharana - Founded by Sajjad Hussain in Mumbai, Maharashtra
Farukhabad Gharana - Founded by Haji Vilayat Ali Khan in Farukhabad, Uttar Pradesh

List of Famous Vocal and respective Vocalists

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi - Hindustani classical vocalist
M. S. Subbulakshmi - Carnatic classical vocalist
Pandit Jasraj - Hindustani classical vocalist
Lata Mangeshkar - Playback singer
Kishori Amonkar - Hindustani classical vocalist
M. Balamuralikrishna - Carnatic classical vocalist
Pandit Kumar Gandharva - Hindustani classical vocalist
Ustad Rashid Khan - Hindustani classical vocalist
Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna - Carnatic classical vocalist
S. Janaki - Playback singer
Shreya Ghoshal - Playback singer
Hariharan - Playback singer
Bombay Jayashri - Carnatic classical vocalist
Kaushiki Chakraborty - Hindustani classical vocalist
Sudha Raghunathan - Carnatic classical vocalist

Famous Personalities of Classical Dances and Music in India

Pandit Birju Maharaj - Kathak dancer and choreographer
Sonal Mansingh - Odissi dancer and choreographer
Ustad Bismillah Khan - Shehnai player and composer
Pandit Ravi Shankar - Sitar player and composer
Mallika Sarabhai - Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia - Flute player and composer
Ustad Zakir Hussain - Tabla player and composer
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma - Santoor player and composer
Dr. L. Subramaniam - Violinist and composer
Shovana Narayan - Kathak dancer and choreographer
Alarmel Valli - Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer
Uma Sharma - Kathak dancer and choreographer
Pandit Jasraj - Hindustani classical vocalist
M. S. Subbulakshmi - Carnatic classical vocalist
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan - Sarod player and composer

Famous personalities of folk dances in india

Gopi Krishna - Bhangra dancer
Mayurbhanj Chhau dancers - Laxmidhar Rout, Kailash Chandra Sahoo, and Pankaj Charan Das
Shambhu Maharaj - Kathak dancer and choreographer
Raja and Radha Reddy - Kuchipudi dancers and choreographers
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra - Odissi dancer and choreographer
Jodha Bai - Kalbelia dancer and singer
Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh - Ghoomar dancer and choreographer
Prahlad Tipanya - Bhajan and folk singer
Sonam Kalra - Sufi and folk singer
Kailash Kher - Folk and Sufi singer
Sabri Brothers - Qawwali singers
Teejan Bai - Pandavani artist and performer
Thota Vaikuntam - Telangana folk artist and painter
Paban Das Baul - Baul singer and musician
Birju Maharaj - Bhangra and other folk dances

Exercise -1

Which of the following is not a classical dance form in India?
a) Kathak
b) Bhangra
c) Bharatanatyam
d) Kuchipudi
Answer: b) Bhangra
Who is known as the "Sitar maestro" in India?
a) Pandit Birju Maharaj
b) Pandit Ravi Shankar
c) Ustad Bismillah Khan
d) Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
Answer: b) Pandit Ravi Shankar
Which of the following is a percussion instrument used in Indian classical music?
a) Tabla
b) Sitar
c) Santoor
d) Violin
Answer: a) Tabla
Which of the following is a Hindustani classical vocalist?
a) Mallika Sarabhai
b) Alarmel Valli
c) Pandit Jasraj
d) Sonal Mansingh
Answer: c) Pandit Jasraj
Which of the following is a Carnatic classical vocalist?
a) M. S. Subbulakshmi
b) Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia
c) Ustad Zakir Hussain
d) Dr. L. Subramaniam
Answer: a) M. S. Subbulakshmi
Which of the following is a classical dance form from Manipur?
a) Kuchipudi
b) Kathak
c) Manipuri
d) Mohiniyattam
Answer: c) Manipuri
Who is known as the "Shehnai maestro" in India?
a) Ustad Zakir Hussain
b) Pandit Ravi Shankar
c) Ustad Bismillah Khan
d) Pandit Jasraj
Answer: c) Ustad Bismillah Khan
Which of the following is a classical dance form from Andhra Pradesh?
a) Kuchipudi
b) Kathakali
c) Odissi
d) Sattriya
Answer: a) Kuchipudi
Who is known as the "Tabla maestro" in India?
a) Ustad Zakir Hussain
b) Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia
c) Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma
d) Dr. L. Subramaniam
Answer: a) Ustad Zakir Hussain
Which of the following is a percussion instrument used in Carnatic classical music?
a) Tabla
b) Mridangam
c) Sarod
d) Santoor
Answer: b) Mridangam

Exercise -2

Who is known as the "Nightingale of India"?
a) M. S. Subbulakshmi
b) Lata Mangeshkar
c) Asha Bhosle
d) Kishori Amonkar
Answer: b) Lata Mangeshkar
Which of the following is a classical dance form from Kerala?
a) Kathakali
b) Kuchipudi
c) Bharatanatyam
d) Manipuri
Answer: a) Kathakali
Who is known as the "Bharatanatyam maestro" in India?
a) Pandit Birju Maharaj
b) Pandit Ravi Shankar
c) Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
d) Padma Subrahmanyam
Answer: d) Padma Subrahmanyam
Which of the following is a Hindustani classical instrumentalist?
a) Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
b) Dr. N. Rajam
c) Pandit Birju Maharaj
d) Mallika Sarabhai
Answer: a) Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
Which of the following is a classical dance form from Assam?
a) Sattriya
b) Kathakali
c) Kuchipudi
d) Bharatanatyam
Answer: a) Sattriya
Who is known as the "Queen of Thumri" in India?
a) Shubha Mudgal
b) Girija Devi
c) Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande
d) Kishori Amonkar
Answer: b) Girija Devi
Which of the following is a percussion instrument used in Sattriya classical music?
a) Mridangam
b) Tabla
c) Khol
d) Pakhawaj
Answer: c) Khol
Who is known as the "Kathak maestro" in India?
a) Birju Maharaj
b) Sonal Mansingh
c) Malavika Sarukkai
d) Raja Reddy
Answer: a) Birju Maharaj
Which of the following is a Carnatic classical instrumentalist?
a) Ustad Zakir Hussain
b) Dr. N. Rajam
c) Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
d) Dr. L. Subramaniam
Answer: d) Dr. L. Subramaniam
Which of the following is a classical dance form from Tamil Nadu?
a) Kuchipudi
b) Odissi
c) Mohiniyattam
d) Bharatanatyam
Answer: d) Bharatanatyam