Difference between Classical and Folk Dance: In India, there are different cultures and religions. Different societies follow these cultures. In an Indian citizen life, culture plays an important role. There are different activities that Indians perform, which are related to their culture. Some of these activities are dance, song, plays, etc. Traditional dancing is very popular in India and had gained a lot of respect for India all around the globe.
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What is the Difference Between Classical Dance and Folk Dance?
Traditional dancing gets divided into two types: classical dancing and folk dancing. These two are considered as the major dance forms of India. The key difference between these two is their place of origin. Classical dancing is deeply related to Natya Shastra, whereas folk dancing got introduced from the local tradition of the respective state or geographical regions.
Classical Dancing
A group of dance gets classified under classical dancing which has there origins from Natya Shastra. Natya Shastra is considered as the ancient text for theatre and drama. Classical dance forms are considered to be well-developed on the basis of their technique, grammar and execution. These dance forms are taught through a guru-shishya relationship that has been there for years. This dance form is considered to be stylized and performance-oriented.
Folk Dancing
Folk dancing is a type of dance form that gets developed with the help of people who are reflecting their own lives, often to the local music. Folk dance is a type of group dance, and the objective of these dance performances are aimed for celebratory purposes such as harvest, weddings, etc. To perform this dance one need not have to go through training, but he/she have to mirror the steps that are being taught. The whole objective of performing these dance is enjoyment and nothing else.
Difference Between Classical Dance and Folk Dance
| Classical Dance Form | Folk Dance Form |
| The classical dance form has its origin from Natya Shastra. The two basic aspects of classical dance are considered to be Lasya and Tandava. | Folk dance is a kind of dance form that gets originated when people start reflecting their lives often to a piece of local music. |
| It is believed that the classical dance form is related to spirituality. | This dance form is associated with celebrating agricultural harvest or social gatherings such as weddings, birthday, etc. |
| Classical Dance is considered to be more demanding, and it is always strict with the technical aspects that are present. | Folk dancing is considered to be free and funny. This dance form is based on various local stories that are about relationships between two people or two seasons. |
| Grace and composure are what you can expect from a classical dance form. | Enthusiasm and power are what you can expect from folk dancing. |
| Classical dance is performed by experts who have years of experience or have been trained for years on how to perform this dance form. | Folk dance is not performed by experts or professionals because this type of dance forms are generally performed by common people. |
| In India, there are a total of 8 classical dances. | In India, there are more than 30 forms of folk dance in different states. |