The ancient Hindus believed that dance was given to them by the gods and goddesses. In Hindu legend the god Shiva created the world by destroying his monster enemies. From then on, the gods and goddesses danced.

Classical dance in India is based on standards laid down by the sage Bharatha more than two thousand years ago. The dance is divided into elements:
Nritta- Rhythmic Elements
Nritya- Combination of Rhythm with Expression
Natya- Dramatic Elements

Nritya is usually expressed through the gestures of the hands, the positions of the neck and the motions of the eyes.
Nritta makes up the dance programs.
Natya is a dance drama based on Hindu legend and Mythology.

The Indian dance forms are based on the instructions in the Natyasastra. It explains the different kind of postures, the Mudras, hand formations and their meanings, the kind of emotions and their categorization. All dance forms are structured around the rasas or emotions, hasya (happiness), karodha (anger), bhibasta (disgust), bhaya (fear), shoka (sorrow), viram (courage), karuna (compassion), adbhuta (wonder) and shanta (serenity).

Classical dance is divided into four basic forms known as:
Bharata Natyam
Kathakali
Kathak
Manipuri