An uncomplicated query comes to my mind that why do people dance?
There is some explanation for this question. Such as:- to have fun, to celebrate victory, achievements, harvesting, to entertain, to show faith in God, recreate history and many more.
India is a country rich in culture and traditions. Diversity in all aspects makes our country exclusive. In India, we have a mishmash of dances. Every religion and every art have their way to express or celebrate the festivals and occasions.
Dance is full of spirit and liveliness. Like all other community tribal masses also have their folk dances. Tribal dance is one of the dominant characteristics of their culture Which is exactly different from the pan Indian population. For every dance form, it requires specific costumes, jewelry, and props. Let’s take a look at the commonly performed dances of tribes in India.
- Santhali dance from west Bengal.
- Dhimsa dance by oriyatribes.
- Cheraw dance from Mizoram.
- Garia dance of Tripura.
- Bihu dance of Assam.
Tribal dance shows a variety of variations in the movements. They differ from one another based on States, forms, rhythm, and music. Tribal dances mainly fall in three main categories:-
- Group dance- The dancers in this group are linked to each other in a particular form by waist, hands, or shoulders. This type of dance mainly found in Himalayan and central India. People dance in circular or column shape. Between these two column dances and their movements are more complex than in circular formation.
- Couple dance-This have no specific form of dance. Girls and boys have different moves in their dance. This can be seen by yatra and chhau in Bengal and Bihar.
- Single dance- Although, this form is not very common in tribal areas. Then also we can see their glance often. This dance is divided into three parts. War and hunt dances, sacred dances, and social dances.
- These dance forms are getting better with time. To preserve tribal dances “The tribal research and training institutes” and “Tribal development department” are making efforts by organizing competitions, films, and photographs. Some of the NGOs are also working on it.
- Every year in December “The ministry of tribal affairs” and “Government of India” organized the “National Tribal Dance Festival” in the capital city. To celebrate the label of tribe community and their culture.