The Indian dances are broadly divided into Classical dances and folk dances. The Classical dances of India are usually spiritual in content. 

The Sangeet Natak Akademi currently confers classical status on eight Indian classical dance styles: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North, West and Central India), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra), Odissi (Odisha), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), and Sattriya (Assam).

Kathak- Its origin is attributed to the traveling bards in ancient India known as Kathakar ("storyteller"), who communicated stories through dance, songs and music. Its name derives from the word katha which means "story", and kathakar which means "the one who tells a story", or "to do with stories". 'Katha kahe so kathak kahave'- Kathak is the dance of story tellers. Stories narrated through the medium of the body, face, hands, feet in sync with the tabla and lehra.

Mohiniyattam is an Indian classical dance form originating from the state of Kerala.^[1][2] The dance gets its name from Mohini – the female enchantress avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu, who helps the devas prevail over the asuras using her feminine charm.^[1][3]

Bharatanatyam-Bharatanatyam is a dance of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It traces its origins back to the Natyashastra, an ancient treatise on theatre written by the mythic priest Bharata. Originally a temple dance for women, bharatanatyam often is used to express Hindu religious stories and devotions.