Bharatanatyam, Orissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, and Kathakali are
some of India's traditional dance traditions, as are Bharatanatyam, Orissi,
Kuchipudi, Kathak, and Kathakali.
Classical dance, like most of traditional Indian culture,
has strong regional identification; Manipuri is found exclusively in the state
of Manipur in eastern India, situated between Burma and Assam.
Manipuri, which originated in the seventeenth century,
displays the prominence of Vaishnava devotionalism.
Acting out incidents from the life of the deity Krishna,
particularly the Ras lila and his dalliance with his sweetheart Radha, is one
of the most popular dance styles.
Dancers play a two-headed drum or cymbals in other genres,
jumping wildly throughout the performance.
This style has its origins in devout Vaishnavism, namely the
passionate singing and dance associated with Bengal's Gaudiya Vaishnava group.
Mohan Khokar's Traditions of Indian Classical Dance,
published in 1984, has further information.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
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