Indian folk dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Indian folk dance - Essay Example Folk dances are the essential elements of almost every important event of Indian social life and celebration. Despite their extreme simplicity, all folk dances tend to convey certain messages to the community they belong to with regard to their history or survival. As mentioned in the introduction, one of the important features of all Indian folk dances is their simplicity. Dancers normally wear colorful costumes having creative designs and symbols. They also wear extensive jewels which obviously enhance the performance and overall appeal. Though not classical in nature, Indian folk dances are evidently creative works that comprise certain artistic steps and postures. These steps are usually accompanied by rhythmic composition of some primitive musical instruments. Unlike classical dances, folk dances are cherished by common people to express their joy on different occasions. To be more specific, folk dances maintain a social perspective rather than the mere manifestation of individual emotions. Bhangra: Bhangra is a lively folk dance originated from Punjab and is highly associated with harvest celebrations of the state. Therefore, normally it is performed on April 13, the day of Baishaki. The dance is accompanied by Punjabi Boliyaan lyrics and drum beats. The drummer plays a vital role in enhancing the tempo of dancers’ movements. The costume of Bhangra dancers reflects the typical Punjabi outfit. In addition to the traditional turban on head, they wear colorful waistcoat and ‘ghunghroos’ on ankles; and Bhangra, fondly called ‘Shaan of Punjab’ was introduced to Vancouver during the 1st international Sports and Cultural Festival (Dances of India). Although Bhangra songs have been a major influence on the Indian film industry Bollywood for decades, obviously Bhangra has got mixed with western classical music. As Huq (121) points out, a bhangra/hip hop crossover has been visible in the UK produced rap for the recent years. According to the writer, the bhangra beats and Punjabi lyrics have been a major influence on western world of music since 1980s. In other words, Bhangra has been highly influenced by the various dance periods mainly because of its vulnerability to amalgamate with other cultures and art forms. For instance, as Roy (22) argues, contemporary bhangra fails to reflect its primitive folk origin or other classificatory boundaries. Obviously bhangra has become a popular art despite its Indian origin as a primitive folk dance. Padayani: this is one of the important traditional folk dances said to have promoted by some temples of Southern Kerala in India. The most fascinating feature of this art is the ‘Kolam†™, the huge mask which is the imitation of some divine and semi divine characters including Bhairavi, Kali, Kalan, Yakshi etc. The masks or chest-covers the performers wear are extremely huge so that no one can identify the persons. Although researchers are deeply at odds, the origin of Padayani traces back to several centuries. As reported in The Hindu, some are of the opinion that Padayani originated