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Dance and Music of Orissa
Famous
Folk Dances of Orissa are :
Chhow Dance - Famous Folk Dances of Orissa Chhow
Dance--An ancient dance form, mostly prevalent in areas
of Mayurbhanj district, and which originated in the mock
fights of the Oriya warriors, is known for its masculine
vitality. Chhow of Sareikela (Jharkhand) and Purulia
(West Bengal) are slightly different dance forms from
that of the Mayurbhanj of Orissa, performed during the
Chaita Paraba in open air on a raised platform.
This dance includes both tandava and lasya elements
represented by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati
respectively. The percussion instruments, like
traditional drums and other musical instruments, are
generally played. Intricate feet movements, whirls and
jumps depict the emotions rather than the facial
expressions. Hence the feet, the legs and the waist are
used to depict bhavas. It is a thematic dance presenting
popular episodes from the epics and Puranas.
The Chhow dance begins with ranga vadya--an ensemble of
indigenous musical instruments which inspires the
dancers, followed by the orchestra taking up the initial
tune of the dance in slow steps. In the next stage, 'nata',
the thematic contents of the performance and the drama,
is built up. The concluding stage is 'nataki' when the
vigorous movements of the dancers develop a high tempo.
An equally popular, a form of battle or martial dance,
Paika exhibits tactics of warfare.
Other folk dances include the
Chaitighoda,
or the dummy horse dance, a traditional fishermen's
dance. The dancer inside the horse frame displays the
galloping movements of a horse with two other characters
the Rauta and the Rautani singing and dancing along to
entertain the audience nightlong.
The girls in Sambalpur area dance and sing Dalkhai to
the beats of drums, timkis and nisans, a performance in
which at times the lover raises some questions in the
form of a song and her beloved reciprocates accordingly.
The most ancient of folk dances of Orissa, the
Danda Nata is a culture where Lord Shiva and
his consort Gori are propitiated. The bhaktas (devotees)
do severe penance by walking on a bed of red hot live
charcoal, stand on edged swords or pierce their tongues
or skin with iron nails.
In a rural dance, the Medha Nacha, the
performer puts a mask and dances to the rhythms of the
enchanting music in a religious procession. Made of
paper machie, mask can be human, divine or animal.
Orissa Tribal Dances--The colorful
costumes of the tribes with headgear made of animal
horns and shells and their dances to the accompaniment
of drums, flutes and string instruments leave the
audience spell bound. These lively and spontaneous
dances still continued to be performed on the occasions
of birth, death, naming ceremony, marriages, changing
seasons and numerous fairs and festivals. The dancers
are mostly performed by groups of men and women and
accompanied by a song.
The Changu Dance and the Karma
dance are also some of the tribal dances of
Orissa. The styles of dance and music by Saura, Gond,
Koya, Kondh and Gadba tribe are mostly varied.
Odissi Dance
Orissa Folk Dance |
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