Regional Dances of India
Indian Regional Dances include simple and joyous range not only to mark the celebrations of the seasons of the harvest but even of worship, thanks giving to the deity marked by the popular customs and belief of the state. The nine Rasas or emotions predominates which forms the structure Hasya (happiness), Shoka (sorrow), Krodha (anger), Karuna (compassion), Bhibatsa (disgust), Adhbhuta (wonder), Bhaya (fear), Viram (courage) and Shanta (serenity). The diversity of religious customs, tradition, periods, environment and linguistics has given rise to an assortment of regional dance forms. The dances have extensive dynamism and vitality and can be identified with the particular region it originates. The unparalleled richness of the dance traditions has given rise to distinctive style in each region. Each region offers tribal, folk, village and classical dances forms.
Folk Dances of North India
There are a number of folk dances throughout the country and thus dividing them into the northern, northeast, central and southern folk dances will give us a chance for a more detailed and varied understanding. When we look at north India, the states that come to mind include Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jammu Kashmir and Haryana. There are various folk dances that are seen around these states of north India, and some even transcend state boundaries to integrate with the culture of the neighboring states.
Folk Dances Of North East India
Northeast India comprises of eight states, which includes the state of Sikkim and the seven sister states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura. Folk dances in these states are often performed during festivals or to celebrate life. Dance is an important aspect in the lives of people living in this part of the country and hence many age-old dance forms are still practiced and kept alive. Let us now have a look at different folk dances of Northeast India.
Folk Dances of South India
Much like the folk dances of North India, South Indian folk dances too, have historical and cultural significances. In fact, many of the dances practiced in the Southern part of the country resemble folk dances that are practiced in the North. For instance, ‘Mayil Attam’ of Tamil Nadu is similar to ‘Mayur Nritya’ of Uttar Pradesh and ‘Puliyattam’ is the Southern equivalent of ‘Baagh Naach’ of Odisha. Having said that, there are manydistinctive dance forms and those can only be seen in South India.
Folk Dances Of East India
Folk dances of East India have great historical significances as almost all dance forms from this part of the country are several hundred years old. For instance, the Ghumura dance from the Kalahandi district of Odisha is said to have existed from as early as 8000 BC, and this piece of information comes with the backing of a few archaeological evidences. Apart from the cultural and economic factors, there are some mythological connections associated with many of these dances from East India. Let’s now have a look at all the interesting folk dances of East India.
