Folk dances and dance-dramas of India
Every state has signature folk dances tied to harvests, seasons and rituals; the exam question is almost always 'which state'.
What the paper can ask
- State pairs: Bhangra and Giddha (Punjab), Ghoomar (Rajasthan), Dollu Kunitha (Karnataka), Karakattam (Tamil Nadu), Theyyam (Kerala), Thang Ta (Manipur), Nati (Himachal), Dumhal (Jammu and Kashmir), Bardo Chham (Arunachal).
- Chhau: Seraikela and Purulia styles use masks, Mayurbhanj does not; performed at the spring Chaitra Parva; themes from the epics.
- Yakshagana: a night-long dance-drama with a bhagawatha singer, chande and maddale drums, and Tenku and Badaga styles; Shivaram Karanth modernised it.
- Bihu dance is performed to the dhol and the pepa, a buffalo-horn pipe, during Assam's spring festival.
Why exams ask
Match the dance to its state; the north-eastern bamboo dance and the spring festival that goes with it are favourites.
The full story
Folk dances are community dances passed down without the formal grammar of the classical forms. Punjab has Bhangra and Giddha; Rajasthan Ghoomar; Karnataka Dollu Kunitha; Tamil Nadu Karakattam; Kerala Theyyam; Manipur Thang Ta; Himachal Nati; Jammu and Kashmir Dumhal; Arunachal Bardo Chham; Assam the Bihu dance to the dhol and pepa. Yakshagana is an all-night dance-drama with a bhagawatha singer and drums.
Test yourself
1.The Cheraw, a bamboo dance, is a traditional folk dance of which state?
Correct. Cheraw is the Mizo bamboo dance, the main dance of Chapchar Kut festival in Mizoram.
Not quite. Cheraw is the Mizo bamboo dance, the main dance of Chapchar Kut festival in Mizoram. It goes into your error book.
2.Hojagiri is a folk dance of which state?
Correct. Hojagiri is a folk dance of Tripura.
Not quite. Hojagiri is a folk dance of Tripura. It goes into your error book.
3.Lavani is a popular folk dance and song form of which state?
Correct. Lavani is a folk dance and song form of Maharashtra.
Not quite. Lavani is a folk dance and song form of Maharashtra. It goes into your error book.