Dance in North India

Dancing is a large part of North India culture. When you dance in North India, you are going to experience many of the classical dances that exist. Much of the North India dance that you will partake in has been around for centuries as a form of self-expression created by the many cultures that exist there. There are both folk dances and classical dances that you may want to learn at some point so that you can identify the dance or participate in North India dance and have a great time.

Dance in North India consists of:

• The Dumhal: This is a folk dance that you will find in both Kashmir and Jammu. It consists of the wearing of floor length robes of vibrant colors, cone-shaped hats, and shells and beads. This is a dance that is performed on special occasions. The performers sing while playing drums. It is quite a ritualistic dance that begins with the men dancing around a banner. It is one of the famous dances of North India.

• The Hikat: This is a dance that can be found in Himichal Paradesh. You will see the dancers extending their arms in front of each other and grabbing wrists. The dancers then lean back and spin round and round in one spot.

• The Namagen: This is a dance that consists of men and women dancing together and each wear costumes that are mostly woolen. The ornaments are very studded and the women wear silver.

• The Hurka Baul: This is a dance that is widely performed at weddings. It is also found primarily in Uttar Pradesh. There are several groups of dancers, including men dancing with shields and swords. It is a popular dance of North India.

• The Bhangra: This dance is mainly found in Punjab and is one of the most popular dances you will find performed in India. A drummer stands in the middle of a circle made up of men. The dance that is performed by the women is called “Gidha.”

• The Kathak: This is a classical dance in North India that is very popular. It is similar to the Geisha tradition that exists in Japan, but has been misunderstood by female entertainers. Fortunately, modern times have brought about an understanding of this dance to bring it back the honor that it once possessed.

So these are the various North India dances that you may experience on your visit. Some of them you can actually learn and others are dances that you can merely observe. No matter which way you go about it, you will see that Dance in North India is very important to the culture. So perhaps you can learn a North India dance of your own and feel the liberation that comes with it.