Dances of Uttar Pradesh

 Uttar Pradesh was the land of the great sages and hermits and the singing of ancient hymns and mantras laid the basic tradition of music, which has blossomed into a musical tradition. The medieval age saw the emergence of two distinct strands of music.Blessed with cultural richness, Uttar Pradesh has grabbed the attention of the tourists with its popular folk dance and music. The Charkula Dance of the Braj region in Uttar Pradesh is one of the spectacular folk dance where one can enjoy the fascinating sight where a veiled woman dancer performs with more than hundred oil lamps on her head.

Coming to Raslila which has been introduced through the mythological stories in Bhagavad Gita is a dance form which depicts Lord Krishna's love towards the milkmaids as well as his consort Radha in Vrindavan region. Reflecting the traditional essence and practiced in the entire Uttar Pradesh, Ramlila is one of the oldest folk dances and play of the state which depicts the life of Lord Rama and is mainly performed during the Dussehra festival making Ramlila an innate part of the religious culture and practice.

1.Charkula Dance-The Charkula Dance is a dance performed in Uttar Pradesh. This is a dance where women place a large pyramid of oil lamps on their head. This dance honors the birth of Radha, who is Krishna’s beloved. The local legend says that when Radha was born, her grandmother placed a lamp atop her head to announce the birth. It’s really quite amazing when you see the women twirl and move about without a hint of hestitation.

3.Raslila-The dance form of Raslila owes its origin to the amorous encounters of Lord Krishna and his milkmaids. According to legend, once the milkmaids demanded Krishna to be their partner in dance. To please everyone, Krishna cast a spell. This spell made each of those milkmaids think that Krishna was dancing with them. Thus, the custom of Raslila was born.At Uttar Pradesh Raslila, you would find the presence of a folk tradition that has incorporated various fundamentals of Indian classical music,dance and drama.

4.Ramlila-Ramlila is another dance form which is primarily practiced in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Bihar. It could also be one of the oldest folk dances of Uttar Pradesh.It depicts the life of Lord Rama in play and dance form. Just like Raslila, Ramlila takes us to the life journey of god Rama who is believed to be another incarnation of God Vishnu.Since, this folk form is mainly performed during the Dussehra festival, it makes the folk dance an innate part of religious culture and practice.

6.Kathak-The word Kathak means the “narrator”. Kathak dance is the art of narration through slick yet sharp body movements. It is accompanied by the traditional instrument Tabla or pakhavaj.The dance owes its origin to the state of Uttar Pradesh. It started its journey from the courts of Emperors and Nawabs of the then Awadh and has traversed a path that was full of turmoil to reach where it is i.e. in the hearts of the masses.

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Folk dances of Maharashtra - Lavani ( Part 2 )

                   Source - dancewithmadhuri.com 

Folk dances of Maharashtra - Lavani ( Part 2 ) 

The two main types of Lavani are 

1. Nirguni Lavani that is more devotional and philosophical in nature. It is more popular all over the Malvan region of Maharashtra.

2. Shringari Lavani ,with a more sensual and erotic nature 

The two types of performances include 

1. Padachi Lavani,  which is more of a public performance,being held in a huge theatrical atmosphere in front of large audiences ( Males only ). These dances were mostly held away from the villages and hence had no female presence in the audience.

2. Baithakichi Lavani, as the name suggests , is performed by a single dancer with sitting movements only. It was performed in private functions in front of a select male audience belonging to the rich and effluent class. 

3. Tamasha style, a travelling theatre troupe belonging to the Kolhati group ( a nomadic tribe ) 

Themes include - sexual union between a husband and wife, adultery , menstruations, childbirth, love, separation, yearning , heroism , passionate endeavors of soldiers etc.

Lokshahirs  down the centuries -

1. Anant Fandi, 1744 - 1819

2. Parasharam, 1754 - 1844

3. Honaji Bala, 1754 - 1844

4. Ram Joshi , 1762 - 1812

5. Prabhakar, 1769 - 1843

6. Annabhau Sathe and Saganbhau ,1920 - 1969

7. Bashir Momin Kavathekar, present day 

Famous Dancers / Presenters

1. Satyabhamabai Bai Pandharpurkar

2. Yamunabai Waikar

3. Sandhya Mane

4. Vithabai Narayangaonkar

5. Surekha Punekar

6. Roshan Satarkar

7. Mangala Bansode

8. Kantabai Satarkar

Generally , the performance lasts all night long and ends with the burning of a replica of Manmathas mount.

With the changing times , technology and changes in the form of entertainment, Lavani has become a dying art with artists being socially and economically discriminated against. 

To revive this centuries old traditional and cultural folk art form , the State Government, in a series of measures to revive it has provided financial aid for infrastructure, soft loans for opening theatres, old age homes for aging artists , residential colonies for those interested in learning and carrying it forward to the next generation.

The positive cinematic portrayal in movies like Pinjara, Nataraja has helped too. 

Recommended Read - Part One 

Goan Dance forms

 

Goan Folk Dances

Our Goa, which is very famous for tourism spots, also has its cultural activities. One among all of the cultural activities is folk dance. There are different kind of folk dances performed in Goa by men and women.As you take interest in Goan tourism spot also keep the same interest in knowing about the Goan folk dance.

Deep rooted in traditions, customs and culture the traditional Folk dance of Goa showcases Goa’s long history, stratum of society and glimpses of Goan Life. The cultural roots of the folk dances in Goa will take you back to ancient times as you will see various influences from kings and various cultures and religions. Some of the most popular traditional Folk dances of Goa are - Ghode Modni, Dhangar Dance, Goff Talgadi, Shigmo and Mussel khel etc.

Goa's most-loved folk dances

• Dekhni. It means bewitching beauty in Konkani. ...
• Dashavatara. The dance form derives its name from the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. ...
• Fugdi (Foogdi) This folk dance brightens up the months of August and September.
• Dhalo.
• Dhangar dance.
• Goff.
• Musalam Khel.
• Kunbi.

Photo by google
Dhalo dance form:

Dhalo is one of Goa’s most popular rural dances, which is performed by women on a moonlit December night. A dozen women assemble after dinner in the courtyard of a house and dance to folk songs woven with religious and social themes.Women perform Dhalo dance to ask God to protect their family and household. The dance performance is a kind of ritual which women do to offer their prayers to the deity.

Dhangar Dance:

Dhangar dance form: Dhangar Dance is a well known Goan dance form performed by a shepherd community known as Dhangars. ... The Dhangar dance also known as the Dhangari Gaja Dance is performed in traditional Marathi dresses which include a Kathiawari-styled white dress and turban with colorful handkerchiefs.

Dekhni

Dekhni Dance form:Dekhni dance is one of the oldest dance forms of Goa. In Konkani it means beauty. This dance is a mixture of Indian and western music. Dekhni dance can be associated with those people who converted into Christianity from Hinduism during Portuguese rule. This dance form can be witnessed anywhere in Goa.

Goff folk dance

Goff folk dance form:Goff folk dance is performed in a group. The dance can be performed by a group of males or females. Each dancer holds a colourful cord which hangs at the centre point of the 'mand', which is the place of dance performance. The dancers start dancing intricately forming a beautiful, colourful, intricate braid at the end of the first movement. The music begins once again and the dancers reverse the pattern of dancing in such a skilful manner that at the end of the second movement, the braid gets unrevealed and all the cords are loose and single once again.There are four different braids of Goff dance. The songs that are sung during the dance performance are mostly devoted to Lord Krishna.

Fugadi

Fugadi form of folk dance:Fugdi dance is a Goan folk dance performed by women in the Konkan region. This is an art form that can be traced back to the primeval cultural traditions of Goa. Fugdi is usually performed in the month of Bhadrapada which is an occasion for the women to take a break from their daily schedule and engage in dancing and merrymaking. The women sing and dance while enacting varied formations. Fugdi dance is also performed in many Hindu religious festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and other relegious occassion.

Kunbi

Kunbi Dance form: Kunbi dance is a tribal folk dance of Kunbi people. It is also known as Kanbi dance. ... This tribe can be found in the Salcete taluka region of Goa. The dance is simple yet also unique. It is performed on various festive and social occasions.

So These are some of Goan Dance forms.

Note: All image courtesy by Google.