Chhau Dance

The Chhau dance is indigenous to the eastern part of India. It originated as a martial art and contains vigourous movements and leaps. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, many of the princely rulers of the Orissa region took a keen interest in the development of this art. They maintained troupes that performed on special occasions and festivals. Read More...

Brita Dance

Brita Dance is one of the folk dances  of West Bengal. Brita dance is also called Vrita Dance. It is mainly an invocation dance performed by women of Bengal , who are unable to give birth to children. Only women perform this dance, as a sign of bowing down before god, after they give birth to children. Thus, they offer their thankfulness of god after their wishes are fulfill. Quite often, this dance is also performed after a recovery from contagious diseases like small pox or chicken pox. Read More...

Dalkhai Dance

Dalkhai is the most popular folk dance of Orissa, is higly popular in the western parts of the state. It is performed on numerous occasions like Bhaijiuntia, Phagun Punei, Nuakhai etc.Dalkhai is mostly performed by young women of Binjhal, Kuda, Mirdha and Sama tribes of Sambalpur, Bolangir, Sundargarh and Dhenkanal districts of Orissa in which men join them as drummers and musicians. The dance is accompanied by a rich orchestra of folk music played by a number of instruments known as Dhol, Nisan (a typically giant sized drum made of iron case), Tamki (a tiny one sided drum 6 inch in diameter played by two sticks), Tasa (a one sided drum) and Mahuri. Read More...

Gotipua Dance

The gotipua dance tradition came into being in the 16th century. Young boys dressed in female garb danced for audiences. The classical Orissi dance today developed from this gotipua tradition. The goti puas are boy dancers who dress up as girls. They are the students of the akhadas, or gymnasia, established by Ramachandradeva in Puri, in the periphery of the temple. As they were offshoots of the akhada system, goti puas also came to be known as akhada pilas – boys attached to akhadas. Read More...

Gaur Dance

Gaur dance is the Indian folk and tribal dances are simple and are performed to express joy. The most popular among the Madhya Pradesh dances. It  is the Gaur dance of the Sing Marias or Tallaguda Marias (bison-horn Marias) of South Bastar. This spectacular dance symbolizes the hunting spirit of the tribe. The word ‘Gaur’ means a ferocious bison. The invitation for a dance is given by sounding a bamboo trumpet or a horn. Read More...

Muria Dance

The Murias are the people who belong to the Muria Tribe and reside in the Northern part of Bastar district. The Murias are trained and taught several community dances in the Ghotul. As per the culture and tradition of this clan, the Murias first worship their drum before performing the dance. They basically dance and sing during some occasion and festivals. Read More...

Saila Dance

Young boys of the plains of Chhattisgarh bring lifeto the post-harvest time by the Saila dance. Saila is a stick-dance and is popular among the people of Sarguja, Chhindwara and Baitul districts. But in these places, Saila is known by Danda Nach or Dandar Pate. The Saila often comes out with many variations and much buffoonery.  Sometimes the dancers form a circle, each standing on one leg and supporting himself by holding on to the man in front. Read More...

Karma Dance

The Karma dance of Orissa is basically a tribal dance form of the Binjahal,Kharia,Oraon,Kisan and Kol tribal that is undertaken annually on the karma festival although the same is performed in different social occasions as well. Karma the famous autumnal festival, which starts from the 11th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Bhadrab, and continues for some days till the month of Aswin is a major occasion to celebrate of the tribal. Read More...

Kaksar Dance

Kaksar Dance, Madhya Pradesh is a famous folk dance of Madhya Pradesh and is categorized among the performing arts of Madhya Pradesh. Kaksar Dance in Madhya Pradesh inIndia is the dance of the Marias Hill. In this dance form the people performing the dance carrydummy horses on their shoulders and move slowly in rhythm and pattern to make a wide circle.
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