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Orissa

Music And Dance

Odissi is the major classical dance form of the state of Orissa and is believed to be one of the oldest classical dance forms of India. This dance extensively uses poetry of Jayadeva, who wrote on the life of Lord Krishna.

Orissa has a varied heritage as far as folk dances and folk theatre go. An interesting example is Chhau, a form that combines effectively the elements of tribal, folk and classical dances.

In many ways, the Chhau is more a non-verbal theatre. Orissa also has a very rich and fascinating theatre tradition, notably the Prahaladnatak, Jatra and Danda-natak, all of which incorporate elements of dance, music and mime in their larger than life characters, theatrical movements, dialogues, colorful costumes and sumptuous sets.

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