Classical Dances of India for Kids
Meet the eight classical dances of India! Eight short episodes about the dancers, the costumes, the music and the stories, told in simple English, with a colouring page for every episode.
Episodes
Meet the eight classical dances, one step at a time
EP 1Bharatanatyam: Hands, Eyes and FeetTamil Nadu · 1 min read
EP 2Kathak: The Dance of the StorytellersNorth India · 1 min read
EP 3Kathakali: Painted Faces and Giant SkirtsKerala · 1 min read
EP 4Kuchipudi: Dancing on a Brass PlateAndhra Pradesh · 1 min read
EP 5Odissi: Temple Carvings Come AliveOdisha · 1 min read
EP 6Manipuri: Soft Steps and Flying DrummersManipur · 1 min read
EP 7Mohiniyattam: Swaying Like the Palm TreesKerala · 1 min read
EP 8Sattriya: The Dance of the MonasteriesAssam · 1 min read
More series to read and colour
About this series
India has eight classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national academy for music, dance and drama. This series explains them in short, simple stories for children aged 3 to 8: where each dance comes from, what the dancers wear, which drums and songs go with it, and the stories it tells. Each episode has six short pages, one idea to take away, a question to talk about, and a colouring page to print or paint online.
Written for children from well-known public sources, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi and UNESCO. Dates are approximate, and every dance has several schools and styles; this series tells the main ideas.
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