Bhil or Bheel is an ethnic group in western India. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages. Bhils are members of a tribal group outside the fold of Hinduism and the caste system.
Ghoomar or ghumar is a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan. It was the Bhil tribe who performed it to worship Goddess Saraswati which was later embraced by other Rajasthani communities. The dance is chiefly performed by veiled women who wear flowing dresses called ghaghara. The dance typically involves performers pirouetting while moving in and out of a wide circle. The word ghoomna describes the twirling movement of the dancers and is the basis of the word ghoomar.
The dance forms of Andhra Pradesh take on a wide variety of colors, costumes, and types; and involve different settings and musical instruments.
Punjabi dances are an array of folk and religious dances of the Punjabi people indigenous to the Punjab region, straddling the border of India and Pakistan. The style of Punjabi dances ranges from very high energy to slow and reserved, and there are specific styles for men and women.
The weapon dance employs weapons—or stylized versions of weapons—traditionally used in combat in order to simulate, recall, or reenact combat or the moves of combat in the form of dance, usually for some ceremonial purpose. Such dancing is quite common to folk ritual on many parts of the world. Weapon dancing is certainly ancient; among the earliest historical references we have are those that refer to the pyrrhichios, a weapon dance in ancient Sparta, in which the dance was used as a kind of ritual training for battle.
Dance in Thailand is the main dramatic art form in Thailand. Thai dance can be divided into two major categories, high art and low art.
Basque dance is the folk dance by the Basque people of the Basque Country.
The Kalbelia are a snake charming tribe from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India. The dance is an integral part of their culture and performed by men and women.
Karnataka has a variety of traditional arts, including folk dance and puppetry.
The traditional dances of Himachal Pradesh are very complicated. These dances are a vital part of tribal life. It reflects the culture and the tradition of Himachal. Hardly any festivity there is celebrated without dancing. Dance forms such as Nati are performed all over the region.
Bhavai is a genre of folk dance popular in Rajasthan state in northern India. The male or female performers balance a number of earthen pots or brass/metal pitchers as they dance nimbly, pirouetting and then swaying with the soles of their feet perched on the top of a glass bottles, on the edge of the sword, on the rim of a brass/metal thali (plate) and on the broken glass during the performance.
Dance forms of Tamil Nadu elaborates the various dance forms originated and practiced in the Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of the India. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, who speak Tamil language, one of the oldest surviving languages with archaeological evidence pointing to the Tamilakam region being inhabited for more than 400 millennia and more than 5,500 years of continuous cultural history. Hence, culture have seen multiple influences over the years and have developed diversely. With its diverse culture, many forms of individual and group dances have their origins in the region and are practiced.
The culture of Gujarat is both ancient, new, and modern.
Sonana Khetlaji is a temple of God Khetlaji located in the village Sonana of Desuri tehsil of Pali district in Indian state of Rajasthan.
Dhinga Gavar is a festival celebrated in Jodhpur, in Western Rajasthan in India. "Dhinga" literally means "fun by deception"; Gavar, also known as Gangaur is the consort of Shiva. The festival of Gangaur is celebrated throughout India, but that of Dhinga Gavar is celebrated only in Jodhpur.
Devnarayan Ki Par or Devnarayan Ki Phad are cloth paintings which depict the legend of Devnarayan, a medieval hero venerated as a folk-deity. Traditionally, they are used to accompany a ritual in which the heroic deeds of Devnarayan are sung or recited by priests. Devnarayan is worshipped as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, mostly in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. According to the legend, he was incarnated in Vikram Samvat in 968 as the son of Gurjar warrior Sawai Bhoj Bagaravat and his wife Saadu Maata Gurjari.
Several folk dance forms evolved in different regions of Odisha, Odissi and Chhau being some popular forms. Sambalpuri dance is most popular dance of western Odisha and is enjoyed by many.
Tipri is a Punjabi stick dance popular in Patiala and Ambala (Haryana).
Rawal is an Indian community from Rajasthan and Gujarat. They are known as priests of devi temples and perform a form of dance known as Rammat during the worship. They were well respected and patronised by the Charans.
