What do you think is the significance of folk dance in our country

Jun 20, 2016

Índice Show

What is Folk Dance?
Some Popular Folk Dances of India
The Bhangra from Punjab
The Lavni and Koli Dances of Maharashtra
The Gobbi Dance from Andhra Pradesh
The Garba Dance of Gujarat
Chhau Dance of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
Bihu Dance of Assam
Chari Dance of Rajasthan
The significance of Folk Dances today

It is said that India is one of the richest countries when it comes to cultural heritage. The riches India has in the forms of its many states with their different climates, languages, attires, lifestyles, food habits and tales are uncountable – and all these are reflected in their unique music and dance. Indian Folk Dance – a wonder, a pleasure and a timeless treasure.

Let us look at some of the popular Folk Dances of India, to know India closer.

What is Folk Dance?

To begin with, we need to know which kind of dance is classified as ‘Folk Dance’.

India has a huge number of Folk Dances that, in their own unique styles, reflect the ways the people they originate from live, think and express themselves.

Their vibrant movements, music, lyrics, costumes and colours depict the stories of the lands they come from. These Folk Dances are spontaneous expressions of emotions by the simple people of a land, and they are not usually steps and movements that develop from strict, formal training in and practise of dance-forms. Yes; the steps and styles of these Folk Dances, eventually, do develop to form ‘institutions’ of their own – where they become ‘lessons’ in themselves.

Some Popular Folk Dances of India

The Folk Dances of India, each different from the other, are a study when it comes to Indian Culture.

If we look at the matter broadly, we can say that the various States of India have their own bouquets of Folk Dances to offer to the world, for the world to admire. These Dances are so famous that they are often seen as ‘Representatives’ of the States they come from!

For example, when a man from Punjab had visited a foreign land, a lady there had asked him with great joy, “Oh! You come from the land of the Bhangra Dance! We love it!”

The Bhangra from Punjab

An extremely energetic, colourful and joy-spreading dance, the Bhangra is famed for its rhythm, style, rich, special clothes, vigor and happiness.

The Lavni and Koli Dances of Maharashtra

Both these dances are very vibrant and energetic and have some amazing footwork to display.

It is said that the term ‘Lavni’ originates from the word ‘Lavanya’ which is related to beauty. The typical way of women performing the ‘Lavni’ is wearing nine yard saarees and dancing to the beats of the ‘Dholak’. History has it that during the 18th and 19th century, the ‘Lavni’ soothed the minds and nerves of the Maharashtrian soldiers after a valiant battle.

Picture Courtesy: https://goo.gl/GSJTrx

The ‘Koli’ is said to be essentially a dance performed by fishermen and fisherwomen. It usually has the sea and beach as its backdrop and oars, as a necessary prop. The movements of the dancers often symbolize the waves in the seas.

The Gobbi Dance from Andhra Pradesh

The Gobbi Dance is typically performed by women in the evening during the Sankranti festival. Some researchers say that the word ‘Gobbi’ has been derived from the term ‘Gopi’. The term ‘Gopi’ was used for the ladies who adored Lord Krishna in His legends. For the Gobbi dance, an elaborate ‘Rangoli’ is made, around which beautiful, usually floral art created on the ground the ladies dance.

It is believed that the Gobbi is similar to the Garba Dance of Gujarat, which is performed during the festival of Navratri.

The Garba Dance of Gujarat

This folk dance is typically performed during the Navratri celebrations in Gujarat. Women clad in colourful ‘Chaniya

Choli’s and wearing heavy jewellery generally dance in a circle around an earthen pot with a lamp within it, symbolizing ‘Shakti’ or the ‘Power and Force of Life’.

Chhau Dance of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa

Chhau is a very interesting Folk Dance that is said to be typical of three Indian States – Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Dancers wear elaborate costumes and masks while performing this dance. This dance is characterized by a lot of vigor. The unique, brilliant costumes of Chhau are of special significance and interest, too.

Bihu Dance of Assam

This is a very famous Folk Dance that is usually performed during the festival of Bihu. The male and female dancers wear traditional Assamese attire. The dance is characterized by brisk, youthful movements and energy.

Chari Dance of Rajasthan

This is an amazing dance that has brightly clothed women balancing pots containing fire on their heads. They execute graceful and energetic movements to rhythm, without touching those pots even once. The dance displays perfect poise, balance and confidence, along with physical flexibility.

These are just a few of the numerous wonderful Folk Dances of India that never fail to impress and amaze.

The significance of Folk Dances today

Folk Dances are an integral part of India’s tradition and culture, and it goes without saying that their significance was, is and shall always be immense.

Folk Dances form a part of our country’s unique identity.
These forms and expressions of Indian Art gain India love, fame and respect in foreign lands.
Folk Dances are also considered a part of our history and their tales can often reveal a lot about the periods these dances have developed through.
These dances are also excellent forms of exercise and can be a very useful combination of dance and physical exercise, to gain one physical fitness as well as creative satisfaction.
Folk Dances can bring harmony. When dancers get together, often holding hands to dance, it brings a feeling of unity and harmony within their group. This can be very beneficial for the peace of the land.
When people perform Folk Dances together, they get to know and love their land deeper.
Some folk dances, if and when combined with classical or modern dance forms, can create some very interesting, new styles of dancing. This has been tried with the Bhangra and a few other dances, too.
Indian Folk Dances are appreciated and admired all over the world, and can bring their dancers name, fame and fortune.

No wonder then that children and youngsters today are so deeply desirous of learning Folk Dances to perfection. These activities can not only gain them physical fitness and mental relief, they can also bring them fame, money and a great career as either dancers or trainers. These are also a great way of expressing talent and creativity.

And yes, Folk Dances inspire a great feeling of Patriotism.

Please share your views and observations on Indian Folk Dances with us. We would love to have your inputs and advice.

Transcending time, containing pieces of every single known culture, showing the beauty that is movement, and telling a story. Dance does all of these things and more. It is a very important staple of our world. Because of dance, we can connect to our cultures, and know more about how people have lived in the past. Celebration will never be a thing of the past. People will always feel emotions. People will always want to express those emotions. Therefore, I believe that dancing is something that will never ever go away.
I believe that the most important aspect with folk dance is the history. Folk dances are used to reflect the traditional life of the people of a certain country or region. It is a kind of ethnic dance, but not all ethnic dances …show more content…
Also, all of these dance styles have a type of value whether it be aesthetic or symbolic. Most performance dance is based on ballet; this includes even swing or jazz dance. Classical ballet and modern dance can be loosely linked to tap based on the control needed to execute the style properly. For most, dance is at the heart of their culture. Shaman’s journey, Stomping ground, and Dance of Death seem to be on the ritualistic side of dance. Their purposes are more than just celebrating culture or religion. Their purposes are greater, such as for healing. Polynesian dance, Native American dancing, and Hawaiian dance, as well as being ritualistic, seem to be a religious experience similar to Early Christian Dance. They use dance to praise their deity and with some, nature as well. Aboriginal Dance, Balinese Dance, and Irish dance are all types of folk dance whose purpose is to celebrate the culture or lifestyle of a certain country or region. These dances are a way for a story to be passed down through generations, for a song to last multiple lifetimes. All dance tells a story. All dance is an expression of something. All dance has …show more content…
Other than that, they have different ways of expression through dance. Traditional Greek dance seems to be more about community and footwork because they physically touch one another as they hop and scoot in a circle-like formation. Native American dance uses circles as a symbol of the universe, and how everything is connected. A while back, their dances were seen as war dances and were outlawed due to fear and ignorance of the true meaning. Now, Native American dance is sacred, but still shared and enjoyed by all people. And though the number of Native Americans in the world is not what it once was, their culture is very much still here. In the interpretation of Roman dance video, the dancers are shown using props. It is said that our ancestors sang the world into existence. The Australian Aborigines use dance to connect with their dreams. These dances come to the dancers in a dream which they believe is a way that their ancestors are speaking to them. For Aborigines, movement carries their history, their dreaming, their moments of awake, and their