Bharatnatyam vs. Kathak The Indian culture consists of a number of classical dance forms, each of which have originated from different parts of the country. Dances performed in a temple were called Agama Nartanam while dances performed in a royal court were called Carnatakam (Hindu Online). The term “classical,” shastriya in Sanskrit, was introduced by Sangeet Natak Akademi to denote the Natyashastra-based performing art styles (Hindu Online). The myth of the origin of classical dances states that Natya, the art of dance and theatre, was the creation of God Brahman, the creator of the Universe, who was asked to give mankind a fifth Veda, which unlike the four earlier four Vedas, could be understood by everyone (Dr. Miettinen). God Brahma then taught the art of Natya to the mythic sage Bharata who is said to have recorded the teachings in the Natyashashtra (Dr. Miettinen). The Natyashashtra is said to be the "world's largest and most comprehensive dance manual and still forms the foundation of classical forms of theatre and dance in India" (Dr. Miettinen). The Natyashashtra is also credited for introducing the theories of bhava and rasa which are an important part of Indian classical dances. Rasa, meaning 'essence' "refers to the sentiment that the bhava, manifested by the actor, should evoke in the audience" (Dr. Miettinen). There were originally eight rasas but a ninth one has also been added. These rasas include srngara: the erotic, hasya: the comic, karuna: the pathetic, raudra: the furious, vira: the heroic, the bhayanaka: the terrible, bibhatsa: the odious, abhuta: the marvelous and santa: the tranquil (Dr. Miettinen). An integral part of Indian classical dances is the use of mudras or hand gestures that are performed by the artists as a way to narrate a story or demonstrate certain abstract concepts such as emotion. According to Dr. Miettinen, since