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Kathak and Flamenco – A story of separated sisters

As a classical dancer I am always keen to read about different types of dances. Recently, I read about Flamenco and found many interesting facts about this dance form which I thought to share with you all. Flamenco is a highly expressive Spanish dance form.   It is associated with Andalusian Roma [gypsies]. These nomads are supposed to have travelled from Rajasthan (a State in India) through Romania, Hungary and Central Europe and finally landed in Andalusia. In Spain they encountered the rich cultures of the Sephardic Jews and the Moors. Their centuries long cultural intermingling produced the unique art form known as Flamenco. Flamenco dance is made up of four elements. They are: ‘Cante’-voice, ‘Baile’-dance, ‘Toque’-guitar and ‘Jaleo’-which roughly translated means ‘hell-raising’ and involves the handclapping, foot stomping and shouts of encouragement. Flamenco dancers, known as “Bailaores” [male] and “Bailaoras” [female], are passionate and serious. Typically i...
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Dandiya- A Version of Garba?

Dandiya dance during Navratri In my last blog I wrote about Garba dance. In this blog I’ll tell you more about Dandiya, a dance form hailing from the Gujarat state of India. Many people think that both Garba and Dandiya are the same, but actually they are very different dance forms. If we look at the history of these two dances, we see that both originated in Gujarat and are performed during the Hindu festival of Navratri. Dandiya’s alleged origins can be traced back to the times of Lord Krishna. One legend states that the dance form originated from Lord Krishna and Radha’s ‘raasleela’ and hence it is known as ‘dandiya raas’. Today Dandiya remains one of the most significant aspects of any Gujarati celebration.    Lord Krishna dancing with Radha Originally performed in the honour of the Hindu Goddess Durga, Dandiya dance represents a battle between demon Mahishasur and Goddess Durga in which Goddess Durga emerged victoriously. The colourful sticks used during Dandiya represe...
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Ghoomar- The Spinning Dance of Rajasthan

Rajasthan, a state in the northern part of India, is known as the cultural capital of the country. Rajasthan has a rich heritage of folk dance, music, art, and architecture. Many of these art forms have survived through ages and are even part of the present Rajasthani culture.  The word Rajasthan means ‘the abode of kings.’ Rajasthan gets its name from the many Rajput kings who ruled the state before the British rule. For centuries, Rajasthan had been ruled by various Rajput, Maratha and Muslim rulers which eventually contributed to the state’s diverse culture. As a state, Rajasthan is home to numerous tribes like Bhils, Banjaras, Minas, Gadia, Lohar and their indigenous cultures. Rajasthani culture is famous for having a variety of folk dances that are vibrant, attractive, and a great form of entertainment.          The Mehrangarh Fort-Jodhpur,Rajasthan One of the most popular folk dances of Rajasthan is Ghoomar dance. The word Ghoomar come...
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