There is really no such genre as folk dancing.\u00a0 Rather, there is a large body of unrelated non-classical dance forms.\u00a0 The only thing common among these dance forms is their rural origins.<\/p>\n
Many folk dances are performed by ordinary people rather than professional dancers.\u00a0 It is very usual that on special occasions, the villagers will gather and sing and dance, accompanying themselves on a variety of folk instruments.\u00a0 Such special occasions include harvesting, planting, marriages and religious holidays.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the folk dances are performed by professionals.\u00a0 There is the institution of the folk theatre.\u00a0 Professional musicians, actors and dancers travel from village to village performing their dance dramas.\u00a0 This seems to be a rural extension of the ancient theatrical tradition found in the Natya Shastra<\/i>.\u00a0 However, it appears to have degenerated into a rural tradition.\u00a0 One example of the folk theatre is the Yaksha Gana<\/i> of Karnatika.<\/p>\n
It would be more correct to divide these folk dances into two categories: folk and tribal.\u00a0 The difference between the two is cultural.\u00a0 Folk dances are the rural extensions of the larger Indian population.\u00a0 Examples are the Bhangra<\/i> and the Garba<\/i>.\u00a0 However, the tribal dances are performed by India’s aboriginal populations.\u00a0 These people, known as adivasi<\/i>, have a culture which is very distinct from the larger Indian population.\u00a0 Attempting to relate Indian tribal dances with Indian folk dances is very much like trying to relate the dances of the Cherokee Indians to the “Cotton Eyed Joe”.<\/p>\n
It may be academically desirable to separate tribal from simple folk dances, however this is generally not done. Artists do not concern themselves with these academic matters.\u00a0 Therefore the following list does not make any distinctions.<\/p>\n
The following is a very short and incomplete list of folk and tribal dances.<\/p>\n
Bihu<\/i> is a folk dance from Assam.\u00a0 It is a very brisk and aggressive dance performed by both boys and girls.<\/p>\nBagurumba<\/h3>\n
This is a folk dance from Assam.\u00a0 It is performed by the Bodo<\/i>s and is known for its colourful attire.<\/p>\nBhangra<\/h3>\n
This is a folk dance from the Northwest Indian state of Punjab.\u00a0 It is a lively, powerful dance.<\/p>\n
This is a Dance from Assam.\u00a0 It is a dance of the tea gardens.<\/p>\n
The daankara<\/i> is a stick dance, similar in some ways to the dandiaya raas of gujarat.\u00a0 However, the daankar is performed in Punjab.<\/p>\nDandaria<\/h3>\n
A folk dance of Andhra Pradesh.<\/p>\n
This is a folk theatre of Odissa.\u00a0 It is performed by a pair of performers who entertain the audience with dance, songs, and stories.<\/p>\n
1) A folk dance of Punjab.\u00a0 2) A folk dance of Andhra Pradesh<\/p>\n
This is a dance of Rajasthan.\u00a0 It is performed by groups of dancers moving in and out with an almost military precision.<\/p>\n
This is a folk dance from Gujarat.\u00a0 It is traditionally danced at marriages and during the time of Navaratri<\/i>.<\/p>\nGatka<\/h3>\n
A folk dance utilising swords, daggers, or sticks performed in the Punjab<\/p>\n
This is a folk dance of Rajasthan.\u00a0 It derives its name from its characteristic pirouettes.<\/p>\n
This is a folk dance of Odissa.\u00a0 Its name is derived from the large brass gongs known as ghanta<\/i>.\u00a0 It is performed in the Hindu month of Chaitra<\/i>.\u00a0 This dance is most notable because it is performed on stilts.<\/p>\nJhoomar<\/h3>\n
This is a dance of the Mundas<\/i> and Mahantas<\/i> of Odissa.<\/p>\nJhumar<\/h3>\n
A slow version of bhangra<\/i> performed at weddings and other festive events.<\/p>\nJulli<\/h3>\n
A Folk dance performed in the Punjab that is done sitting down.<\/p>\n
This is a folk dance of Rajasthan that is performed with a dummy horse.<\/p>\n
This is a folk dance of Tamil Nadu.\u00a0 It is played with a wooden pole upon which are tied two pots. The stick is then balanced upon the shoulder.<\/p>\n
This is a folk dance of Tamil Nadu.\u00a0 It is played with a pot balanced on the head.<\/p>\n
A women’s folk dance of the Punjab<\/p>\n
This is a folk dance of NE India and Bangladesh.\u00a0 This was originally based upon a system of martial arts that uses large sticks (laathi<\/i>).\u00a0 However in some case it has evolved into a game (Lathi Khelna)<\/i> or a dance (Laathi Nauch)<\/i>.<\/p>\nRaas<\/h3>\n
This is a folk dance from Gujarat.\u00a0 It is traditionally danced at marriages and during the time of Navaratri<\/p>\n
This is a folk dance of Rajasthan.\u00a0 It is performed by women while they are seated.<\/p>\n
This is a folk theatre from the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.<\/p>\n
This is a folk theatre from the south Indian state of Karnatika.<\/p>\n