Unraveling the Importance of Indian Classical Dances on Mental Well-Being of Performers

Dance has held significant importance in Indian culture and history. It has been used as a form of artistic expression, as a means of indulging in recreation and leisure, as a medium of conveying emotions like joy during special occasions of wedding and festivities. The mental health field has also recognised the importance of dance in recent years with dance movement therapy becoming popular worldwide. Ayurveda has emphasized the power that dance holds in healing and creating inner awareness. Various Indian philosophies support the idea of dance and music being beneficial for human physical and mental health. During the Aryan period, Nritya (dance) was linked to yoga, giving it a spiritual meaning. Dance forms were utilised by the Aryans to purify and strength the mental capabilities. The seven major Indian classical dance forms are Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Mohiniattam. These dance forms possess three common aspects of Natya (drama), Nritta and Nritya (dance). There exists very limited research about the importance of these traditional dance forms in terms of improving mental well-being. Even though traditionally the traditional dances were deeply rooted in spirituality and philosophy. The present paper aims to examine how classical Indian dance forms can serve as a means of improving mental well-being by thoroughly reviewing literature.