My Favorite (Color) Classical Indian Film Dances

As a follow-up to my post yesterday regarding my favorite black and white Classical Indian Film Dances of all time, today's post lists my favorite color classical dances in Indian films!

Like my post yesterday, I focused on songs that are based on classical dances and included only those that are my absolutely top favorites that I enjoy watching repeatedly.  There are some "classics" that I haven't included in my list simply because they are enjoyable but not my favorites (songs from films like Thillana Mohanambal, Pakeezah, Shankarabharanam, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje, etc.) and there are some dances that aren't classical enough to be included (like those from Amrapali).  I have a whole slew of posts coming up that will cover even more dances in all sorts of different categories!

As I noted in the black and white post, these dances are of course "not 'pure' classical dances but rather the filmy variety.  What I love about film dances is the energy the camera generates through angles and editing as well as the beauty visualized through costume and set design.  There’s just something magical about dances seen on screen." 

Let's roll the list of my favorites in order of affection!

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My Favorite (Black and White) Classical Indian Film Dances

I have spent the last month or so on a mission to find each and every single instance of Classical Indian Dance in Indian films.  Given my enjoyment in making long, meticulous lists, this has been a most satisfying adventure!  Guided by some fellow bloggers posts, friends, loved ones, and sheer Google-Fu, I’ve discovered some beautiful dances and even a few seemingly-rare gems along the way.

Commencing with this post today, my next series of posts will be about classical dances in Indian cinema: lists of my favorites, twin dances, informal practice scenes, humorous dances, dances featuring men, Tandav dances, lesser-seen dance forms, spectacular dances in general, and more! This is actually what I originally envisioned my blog to be but never had enough time to explore until now.

This post focuses on my most favorite classical film dances from black and white Indian films.  There are many dances that I enjoy (and that will be highlighted in future posts!), but this post focuses on my top 11 that I love to watch repeatedly and that either keep me spellbound or immensely entertained. Old black and white films are such a pleasure to watch because I feel as though I'm discovering “lost” treasures and songs nearly forgotten.

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