The earliest civilizations discovered in the Indian subcontinent are those of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa in the Indus Valley, and are dated at about 6000 BC.
It would appear that by that time dance had achieved a considerable measure of discipline and it is likely but not certain that was connected to religion.
The Vedas are the oldest source of knowledge of the early period of Vedic culture and the arts were defined in these scriptures.
Though Vedic references are fragmentary, they shed light on the role of the dance in the daily life of the ancient Aryans.
The steps and gestures of all Hindu dances performed today are derived from a book, Natya Sastra (the science of dancing). It is the oldest available test on Hindu dramaturgy.
The book has been variously dated from the 2nd century BC to the 3rd century AD. ‘Bharata’ originally meant a dancer-actor so that the title could mean simply ‘A Sastra on Drama for the Dancer-Actor’.
History of Hindu dancing
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