Indian Dances

FOLK DANCES

GARBA (GUJARAT)
Garba, the leading dance of women in Gujarat, is performed, in honor of the goddess Amba. This fertility dance involves perforated earthen pots in which an oil lamp is placed symbolizing embryonic life. This is balanced on women's heads as they move around a circle, snapping their fingers and clapping their hands to produce a fast beat. At times men too dance, by singing and clapping, and the dance is known as Garbi. Traditionally the Garba is intended to be danced only at night and as a votive offering. In an evolved version, the dance can be performed for its own sake and at any time.

GHODE MODNI (GOA)
Ghode Modni is a dummy horse presentation, where the dancers, attired gorgeously and armed with swords, recapitulate, through step and movement, the valor and deeds of the Goan warriors of old.

GHOOMAR (HARYANA & RAJASTHAN)
Beautiful women dressed in multi-hued skirts swirl gracefully during this lively dance. Ghoomar is performed by young women and girls during various festivities like Holi, Gangaur Puja, Teej, etc. In Haryana, the songs sung for Ghoomar are high-pitched and rich in humor and satire. In Rajasthan, Ghoomar is performed to the songs of valor and victory.

GOTI PUA (ORISSA)
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.
Another reason often given to justify the emergence of the goti pua system is that as a section of followers of the Vaishnava religion disapproved of dancing by women as a pretext for worship - they introduced the practice of dancing by boys dressed as girls.

The word goti means 'one', 'single' and pua, 'boy', but the goti puas always dance in pairs. Boys are recruited about the age of six and continue to perform till they are 14, then become teachers of the dance or join drama parties. Goti puas are now part of professional teams, known as dals, each headed by a guru.

The boys are trained for about two years, during which, after having imbibed the basic technique, they learn items of dance, ornamental and expressional. The goti puas, being youngsters in their formative years, can adapt their bodies to the dance in a far more flexible manner as opposed to the maharis.

A goti pua presentation is ably supported by a set of three musicians, who play the pakhawaj, the gini or cymbals and the harmonium. The boys do the singing themselves, though at times the group has an additional singer.

HOJAGIRI (TRIPURA)
Hojagiri is a reflection of the age-old culture and the unique style of dance of the Reang community of Tripura. Only lower half of the body is moved to create rhythmic movements. Dancers performing unusually amazing acrobatic feats is the main highlight of the dance. Reang girls twist and turn and dance in time to the compelling rhythm, sometimes dancing on an earthen pitcher or balancing a bottle on the head with a lighted lamp on top of it.

JAWARA (MADHYA PRADESH)
The Jawara is performed in the Bundelkhand area of Madhya Pradesh. It is essentially a harvest dance-reflecting the gaiety and pleasure of the peasants who have reaped a good harvest. The dance is performed by men and women together. The costumes and jewelry worn by the women are colorful. The women carry baskets full of jawara on their heads and although the dance is very vigorous they are able to balance these baskets very skillfully on their heads. The accompaniment includes a rich variety of percussion, stringed and wind instruments.

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