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DANCES
It was in the jungles of Punjab where
the first rays of civilization had appeared.
In this respect Punjab is considered
the motherland of dances. From tribals
to the kings and eventually republics
took shape. These changes left their
seals on the sands of time and caused
changes in culture also.
The exuberance and vitality of the
people of Punjab are vigorously displayed
in their folk dances. With the drum
beat or to the tune of some other instrument
of folk music, the energetic feet of
the people of Punjab are spontaneously
set in motion to give birth to a folk
dance - an expression of the soul triumphant,
an outburst of emotions.
Punjab's folk dances are replete with
foreign influences. It is only in Punjab
where there is no common dance for men
and women
MALE FOLK DANCES
1. Bhangra 2. Jhummer 3. Luddi 4. Julli
5. Dankara 6. Dhumal
FEMALE FOLK DANCES
1. Sammi 2. Giddha 3. Jaago 4. Kikli
BHANGRA
The Bhangra is perhaps the most virile
form of Indian Folk Dances. Springing
from the land of five rivers, it abundantly
reflects the vigor, the vitality, the
leaven of exuberance, and the hilarity
permeated among the rural folk by the
promise of a bumper crop. The Bhangra
season starts with the wheat sowing
and then every full moon attracts teams
of young men in every village who dance
for hours in open fields. The dancers
begin to move in a circle around the
drummer, who now and then lifts the
two sticks, with which he beats the
drum, to beckon the dancers to a higher
tempo of movement. They start with a
slow movement of their feet. As the
tempo increases, the hands, the feet
and in fact the whole body comes into
action. They whirl round and round bending
and straightening their bodies alternatively,
hopping on one leg, raising their hands,
clapping with their handkerchiefs and
exclaiming Bale Bale! Oh Bale Bale to
inspire themselves and others to the
abandon of the dance.
At intervals the dancers stop moving,
but continue to beat the rhythm with
their feet. One of the dancers come
forward near the drummer and covering
his left ear with his palm sings a boali
or dholla, derived from the traditional
folk songs of Punjab. Picking up the
last lines, the dancers again start
dancing with greater vigor.
In addition to a drum, chimta-musical
tongs and burchu and sound of the beats
from earthen vessels are used as accompanying
instruments. The costume of a Bhangra
dancer consists of a bright, colored
Patka on the head, a lacha or lungi
of the same color, a long tunic and
a black or blue waistcoat and ghunghroos
on the ankles. Some dancers also wear
small rings (nuntian) in their ears.
When the wheat crop is nearing ripening,
the breeze softly touches the surface
of the golden crop creating a ripple
and reckoning the sickle, when the hard
labor of the farmer is about to bear
fruit, it is time of rejoicing and merry
making and through Bhangra their emotions
find uninhibited and spontaneous expression
of genuine happiness. The Bhangra season
concludes with the Baisakhi fair when
the wheat is harvested.
Bhangra is considered the king of dances.
There are several styles of dancing
Bhangra.
Sialkoti, Sheikhupuri, Tribal, Malwa,
Majha. One of the Bhangra's moves is
also akin to the moves of Shiv-Tandav
dance, which is danced on one leg. Damru,
hand-drum is also used in Bhangra which
shows that folk dances and war dances
have similar parentage.
JHUMMAR
The Jhummar is a dance of ecstasy. It
is a living testimony of the happiness
of men. Any time is Jhummar time especially
during Melas, weddings and other major
functions and celebrations. Performed
exclusively by men, it is a common feature
to see three generations - father, son
and grandson - dancing all together.
There are three main types of jhummar,
each of which has a different mood,
and is therefore suited to different
occasionally, reason of its predominating
mood.
This is also performed in a circle.
The dancers dance around a single drummer
standing in the center. It's costumes
are the same as that of Bhangra. It
is danced to the tune of emotional songs.
The dance is without acrobatics. The
movement of the arms only is considered
its main forte. Toes are musically placed
in front and backwards and turnings
are taken to the right, sometimes the
dancers place their one hand below the
ribs on the left and gesticulate with
the right hand. This dance does not
tire out its performers and it is normally
danced on moonlit nights in the villages
away from the habitation. It is mostly
danced by tribal Sikh professional acrobats
and has yet not been owned by all Punjabis.
The dancers of this dance let-off a
sound, "dee dee" in tune with
the beat of the dance which adds to
its grace. This dance has also been
integrated into Bhangra.
LUDDI
This is also a male dance of Punjab.
It is danced to celebrate a victory
in any field. Its costumes are simple.
Only a loose shirt (kurta) and a loincloth
are used. Some tie a turban, other the
Patka which is somewhat like a scarf
tied across the forehead, while still
others join in bareheaded. This is also
a dance of gay abandon. The performers
place one hand at the back and the other
before the face copying the movement
of a snake's head. This is also danced
with the drummer in the center but sometimes
the dancers dance before a throng of
people and keep moving forward also.
This dance is more popular across the
Sutlej and in Pakistan it is almost
as popular as the Bhangra. This dance
has an historical background and pertains
to that moment in history when Punjabi
Sardars had begun to rescue Indian women
that used to be forcibly taken in the
direction of Basra in Middle East.
This dance is also the dance of slow
movements and some teachers by integrating
it into Bhangra have finished its individual
identity.
JALLI
It is a religious dance associated with
Pirs and recluses and is generally danced
in their hermitages (khangahs). This
dance is performed mostly in a sitting
posture; sometimes it is also danced
round the grave of a preceptor. A single
dancer can also perform this dance.
Toes are tensed in this dance. The dancer
holds a thick staff in his hands and
he dances by revolving it. Normally
black clothes are worn by the dancer,
so is his head covered with black scarf.
Sometimes, the murids (followers) also
the tie ghungroos (Jingling bells) around
their waists like the Bhangra dancers
of yore. This dance is fast disappearing.
DHANKARA
At least two persons are required to
perform this dance, though there is
no upper limit. Like other male dances
it is danced in circles. The dancers
hold staffs of various colors in their
hands. They dance as they ply their
staffs in rhythm crossing them, with
each other's. This dance is either performed
at the common yards or in the vanguard
of marriage processions to exhibit joy.
Sometimes it is also called gatka dance
(dance of the dum swords). Women also
dance this dance but they do so separately
and not in company with men. No special
costumes are worn with it; only, sometimes
the dancers tie a band around their
waist. It is based on only a few movements
but these movements are rather impressive.
Its high point is achieved when dancers
sit down and cross batons. Old people,
young children and flexible young men
all perform this dance.
DHUMALL
This folk dance also has not been able
to achieve the popularity of Bhangra.
Of course it is a male dance and, likewise,
is danced in a circle. Drum is used
as the accompanying instrument; its
costumes are akin to Bhangra and Jhumar
GIDDHA
The vitality of Bhangra can also be
seen in the Giddha dance of the women
of Punjab. This dance translates into
gestures, bolian-verses of different
length satirizing politics, the excesses
committed by husbands, their sisters
and mothers, loneliness of a young bride
separated from her husband, evils of
society or expressing guileless deep
love.
The dance is derived from the ancient
ring dance. One of the girls plays on
the drum or 'dholki' while others form
a circle. Some times even the dholki
is dispensed with. While moving in a
circle, the girls raise their hands
to the level of their shoulders and
clap their hands in unison. Then they
strike their palms against those of
their neighbors. Rhythm is generally
provided by clapping of hands.
Giddha is a very vigorous folk dance
and like other such dances it is very
much an affair of the legs. So quick
is the movement of the feet in its faster
parts that it is difficult for the spectator
even to wink till the tempo falls again.
The embroidered 'duppattas' and heavy
jewelry of the participants whose number
is unrestricted further exaggerate the
movements.
During the dance 'giddha' songs called
'bolis' are also sung. One participant
generally sings the 'bolis' and when
the last but one line is reached, the
tempo of the song rises and all start
dancing. In this manner 'bolis' alternate
with the dance sequence which continue
for a considerable period of time.
Mimicry is aso very popular in 'Giddha'.
One girl may play the aged bridegroom
and another his young bride; or one
may play a quarellsome sister in law
and another a humble bride. In this
way Giddha provides for all the best
forum for giving vent to one's emotions.
The traditional dress during giddha
dance is short female style shirt (choli)
with ghagra or lehnga (loose shirt upto
ankle-length) or ordinary Punjabi Salwar-Kamiz,
rich in colour, cloth and design. The
ornaments that they wear are suggi-phul
(worn on head) to pazaibs (anklets),
haar-hamela, (gem-studded golden necklace)
baazu-band (worn around upper-arm) and
raani-haar (a long necklace made of
solid gold).
TEEYAN
Giddha can be seen at its best when
'Teeyan' or the women's dance festival
is celebrated. This festival in Punjab
is celebrated in the month of Sawan.
The dance usually takes place on the
bank of some river or pond under big
shady trees. Swings are thrown over
the branches and singing, swinging and
dancing starts. On this day when the
married daughters come to their parent's
house their brothers fix the swings
for them. As they swing they share their
anxieties with each other through songs.
Dressed in their best and decked by
ornaments, girls gather during these
festivals like the fairies. These dancers
look a medley of color and beauty. The
festival continues till the 3rd Lunar
day in the month to full moon and there
is a gala function on the concluding
day.
JAAGO
On the night before the wedding, the
female relations of the bridegroom prepare
a 'Jaago'. Jaago is constructed on the
style of ancient balconies on several
surfaces of which lamps, fashioned out
of dough of wheat flour are constructed
in the style of stars, These are filled
with ghee or oil, cotton wicks are placed
in them and lighted. This effigy is
put on the head of groom's mothers'
brothers' wife, led by her the mother's
relations, singing, dancing frolicking
knocking at the doors of residents of
the groom's village, enter in, dance
gidha accept presents of food, grain
and ghee for the lamps and continue
these rounds through the night, when
youth glows and the dark of the night
resounds with mirth and laughter.
KIKLI
Kilkli, is more of a sport than a dance,
is generally popular with the young
girls. The dance performed in pairs,
is a favourite of the young girls. It
can be done by any even number of performers
starting with two. Before beginning
the dance, the two participants stand
face to face with their feet close to
each other’s and their bodies inclined
back. Standing in this pose the arms
of the dancers are stretched to the
maximum limitand their hands are interlocked
firmly.
The dance is performed when the pairs,
maintaining this pose, wheel round and
round in a fast movement at the same
spot with the feet serving as the pivotal
points. The girls sing as they swirl
around with colorful ‘orhnis’
or ‘daupttas’ flowing from
their heads and anklets producing tinkling
melodies.
There is a rich repertoire of traditional
songs available that are used to accompany
the ‘kikli’ dance. Most of
these songs consist merely of loosely
rhyming lines without underlying theme.
One of the examples is :
Kikli kleer di,
Pag mere vir di,
Daupatta mere bhai da,
Phitte mun jawai da.
SAMMI
The fairy dancers of the court of lord
Indira are reputed to have taught the
technique of Giddha and Sammi to the
girls of this earth. The fairy which
taught Giddha was known as Giddho while
the one who taught Sammi was named as
such. This kind of dance form is popular
in Sandal Bar which now is in Pakistan.
Sammi has not been able to gain popular
acceptance and is breathing its last
in the huts of the tribals. Women of
Baazigars, Rai Sikhs, Lobanas and Sansi
lot tribes dance in this medium. This
is also danced in the privacy of women.
This women’s dance is also performed
like ‘Giddha’. The dancers
stand in a circle and swing their hands,
bringing them up from the sides, right
in front up to the chest level and clap:
they take their hands down in accordance
with a rythem and clap again. Repeating
this gesture, they bend forward and
clap again, and go round and round in
a circle. As the rythem is maintained
with the beat of the feet, various kinds
of swinging movements are performed
with the arms. Most of the gestures
are confined to the movement of the
arms, clicking and clapping. No instrument
is required as an accompaniment to this
dance. Rythem is kept up with the beating
of the feet and clapping.
Special make-up is done by its performers.
They knit their hair into thin plaits
all over their head into intricate patterns
and tie the remaining length of the
hair in one full plait. In the middle
of their head they fix a domed ornament
shaped like an inverted lotus called
phul-chowk or Suggiphul (flower of the
crossings of the plaits). The performers
wear a unisex kurta (male shirt) and
the tehmet (lower cloth) and cover their
head with a thick cloth of loose rectangular
dimension, called 'Bhochhan'. Chutki
is a frictional sound of single note
created by pressing and then sIiding
the thumb and the index or the middle
finger and is used to keep the beat
in this lance. The background song of
this dance is also called sammi. This
is also a dance of controlled movements.
It is said that even the Devtas (angels)
get inebriated while seeing this dance.
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