Saptakam (Female) presented by Sangeet Natak Akademi

The video is a recording of Saptakam, a classical dance programme of Sangeet Natak Akademi. The video shows the final performance. The choreography for the piece unites seven Indian dance forms. It is thus named Saptakam meaning a group of seven in Sanskrit. These include: Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Odissi, Manipuri dance, Sattriya and Kuchipudi. The philosophy of the performance is derived from the hymn in the Atharva Veda which deals with the importance of mutual understanding amongst all living beings. This understanding is reflected in the choreography which brings together such dance forms as the Kathakali, Kuchipudi and the temple dance of Bharatnatyam from South India, the Kathak of North India, Manipuri dance and the Sattriya from the North East and Odissi from East India.