Important Regional Indian Dances
Assam:-
Bihu: A post-harvest folk dance.
Ojapali: Presentation of Indian mythological stories through dancing and singing
Anika Nat: Dance and singing of classical ragas by men.
Andhra Pradesh:-
Vetti – Bhagavatam: An offshoot of Kuchipudi
Bihar:-
Jata Jatin: Performed by woman to invoke rain.
Faguna or Fag: Performed at the time of ripening of fruit
Purbi: A dance form in which a song is sung a wife narrating pangs of separation from her husband who has gone far away in search of job.
Gujarat:-
Dandya Ras: Performed by both men and women with lacquered stick
Garba Lasya Naritya: Performed by women clad in yellow and red during Navratri and Holi around a lamp in an earthen pot.
Haryana:-
Swang: An open air theatre-from dance presenting stories in songs and dances
Himachal Pradesh:-
Giddha Parhaun: Performed by women during marriage ceremonies
Luddi Dance: Popular in Mandi district and focuses on the movement of the body and fast steps like swinging tree branches.
Munzra : Performed indoor, solo or duet, especially comes to a standstill during cold winter
Jammu and Kashmir:-
Hikat: A folk dance
Rouf: Performed by woman during festivals and harvesting
Maharashtra:-
Tamasha: A folk dance and comment on the current social conditions performed by boys and girls.
Madhya Pradesh:-
Macha: A musical dance drama earlier enacted during harvesting period and Holi festival, which is performed in front of Bhairava temples.
Punjab:-
Bhangra: A North Indian dance popular particularly in Punjab. It is a folk dance of the harvest season coinciding with the festival of Baishakhi popular in villages. It specializes in jerky movements of the shoulders and hopsteps.
Rajasthan:-
Khayal: A form of dance drama which is about four centuries old. It has some regional variations, like in the Chittor region where there was Shiva and Shakti cult and chief medium of propagation was a poetic competition called Dangal gradually transformed into stage show called Turakalangi.
Tamil Nadu:-
Kolattam: Performed by young girls using a stick
Kammi: A dance performed by the women and girls clap their hands and move in a circle.
Uttar Pradesh:-
Nautanki: A folk dance with social themes. It has two main traditions — Hathras tradition and Kanpur tradition.
West Bengal:-
Jatra: A folk dance drama popular in villages. Originally it was performed by male playing female roles of the Krishna cult, it has now become secular and dropped the practice of male playing female roles and developed a melodramatic style.
