Indian Classical Dance Form Photo Image Collection

Odissi Dance

It is one of the oldest surviving forms of dance, with depictions of Odissi dancing dating back as far as the 1st century BC. Like other forms of Indian classical dance, the Odissi style traces its origins back to antiquity. Dancers are found depicted in bas-relief in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneswar) dating back to the 1st century BC. The Natya Shastra speaks of the dance from this region and refers to it as Odra-Magadhi.

Dance form           State(s) of origin
Bharatanatyam     Tamil Nadu
Kathak                    Uttar Pradesh
Kathakali                Kerala
Kuchipudi              Andhra Pradesh
Manipuri                 Manipur
Mohiniyattam         Kerala
Odissi                    Odisha
Sattriya                   Assam