Dances of Bangladesh The dance styles of Bangladesh may be divided into three categories, classical, folk folk and moder modern. n. For For many many Bangl Banglade adeshi shi peopl people, e, dance dance is one of the crucia cruciall threads that bind past, present & future. Institutions like the Chhayanat, Bulhul Academy' of Fine Arts & the Shilpakala Academy have helped popularize dance in Bangladesh. Unlike other Indian provinces, Bengal had no particular dance styles of its own. Bengali artistes learned classical dancing from teachers coming from south India, Madhya Pradesh & Manipur. During British rule, classical dancing was patronized by rajas, maharajas, nawabs & zamindars as well as by British sahibs who held 'nautches' in their private chambers.
Classical Dance Classical Classical Dance refers refers to Kathak, Kathak, Bharatna Bharatnatyam, tyam, Kathakali, Kathakali, Odissi Odissi & Manipuri Manipuri dances. The only classical dance which is not performed in Bangladesh is the Kathak Kathakali ali.. By mergi merging ng vario various us forms, forms, Rabin Rabindra dranat nath h Tagor Tagore e develo developed ped a new genre genre of class classica icall dance dance called called Rabin Rabindra dranrt nrtya. ya. Uday Uday Shanka Shankarr succee succeeded ded in popul populari arizin zing g classi classical cal dance dance natio national nally ly & inter internat nation ionall ally. y. In Chand Chand Sultan Sultana, a, Anarkali, Bulbul Chowdhury created a strain of 'Muslim' dance & was able to gradually popularize dancing in East Pakistan. Bharatnatyam dance: Bharatnatyam or the dance of Bharata, probably evolved from the classical style of dance depicted in Bharata's Natyashastra. Natyashastra. Different expressions & postures convey different meanings. It links many art forms & gives symbolic form to the innermost feelings & sentiments. Kathak dance: It is presented through intricate footwork & stylized movements to the sounds of the Tabla & the bol. At the climax of the dance, the dancer whirls at an incredible speed. It is developed in the Hindu temples & patronaged by the Mughal Mughal emper emperor ors. s. Kathak Kathak artistes artistes experimen experimented ted with newer newer rhythms, rhythms, tempos & harmony to create new dance forms such as selami, selami , naz, ghungghat etc. etc. Dance costumes also changed. The male dancers, who had originally danced with dhotis & bare bodies, started wearing Persian-style garments. Kathak has three Graranas: Lucknow, Jaipur & Benares. The Lucknow gharana is the most popular. Kathakali dance: It is a South-Indian dance form, chiefly associated with Kerala. Its themes are drawn from epics like the Ramayana & the Mahabharata. Dancers wear masks or heavy make-up. Formerly, women did not dance the Kathakali, and female roles were performed by men, but this is changing. Manipuri dance: It is originated from Manipur, India. It is greatly influenced by Hinduism, the love of Radha-Krishna being its principal theme. Manipuri dance is usua us uall lly y acco accomp mpan anie ied d by Kirt Kirtan an.. Mani Manipu puri ri danc dances es are are of two two kind kinds: s: viri virile le,, performed by men, and lasya, performed by women. Here men perform robust physical movements resembling resembling kung fu & acrobatics.
Odissi dance: It belongs to Orissa in eastern India & perhaps dates back to the 2nd century BC. It reached its peak in the 12th and 16th centuries. In a way it is the 'latest' of the classical dances, having been recovered through research in temple art. It has, however, become very popular even in Bangladesh, where a number of young dancers have taken it up. Basic to the Odissi dance are the postures known as chauk & tribhangi: chauk is a quadrangular posture of the body created with the help of shoulders, hands, knees & legs; tribhangi is a triangular pose created by the dancer's hips, waist & head. Like other classical dances, Odissi has several parts.
Folk Dance Folk Dance is the dance of primitive or rural communities originating from their culture & closely reflecting their way of life. In Bangladesh, folk dances have flourished since ancient times. Folk dances differ from classical dances in many ways. The tempo, rhythm & gestures of classical dances are complicated and require long practice. But folk dances are simple & spontaneous. Since there are no complex or ritual gestures and movements, they can be learnt more easily. Here the artistes have a great deal of liberty in performance; the basic form remains the same. Folk dances are performed singly or in groups. Singing is an essential part of these dances. Folk dances in Bangladesh are of three kinds: religious, social & cultural. Religious dances outnumber other forms. Dhali & Lathi dances are related to the martial arts. Some dances are influenced by Islamic beliefs & stories (Jari), others are inspired by Hindu myths & legends (Kirtan). However, some dances are popular with all communities (Lathi, Dhali, Khemta, Chhokra, Leto, Ghatu). Baul dance: Baul songs are spiritual in theme, and while singing these songs, they start dancing in ecstasy. They hold an Ektara sometimes close to the ears, sometimes high up. Usually individuals perform baul dances. While dancing, bauls shake their heads and locks of hair, or twirl around and move their arms and feet, there are no ritualised gestures. Chhau dance: It is a kind of masked & martial dance with shields, swords and sticks, which is based on the chronicle Ramayana & Mahabharata. The main musical instruments are drum & Shehnai. The dance opens with a hymn to Lord Ganesh. Here the dancers jump around, kneel and suddenly rush towards their opponents. Deft movements of the head, neck, hands, upper torso & legs demonstrate different warlike stances. It is performed in a circular area round which the musicians sit. Chhokra dance: Here young boys playing the roles of women, accompanies Alkap songs. It is performed on a canopied stage in an open field. It is directed by a Sarkar who leads a team of singers, musicians & players. A clown also forms part of the troupe. It can be quite vulgar and this is why performances are held late at night, for adult audiences. Dhali dance: It enacts a duel with cane shields & bamboo sticks. Drums & brass cymbals provide the musical accompaniment. The main objective is to display the dancers' physical prowess & martial skills. The two warriors face each other,
in tune with the music, and attacks & counterattacks either standing or kneeling. This mock war goes on until a climax is reached Dak dance: A battle dance to call fellow warriors to the battle. The leader calls out that the enemy has launched an attack. At his call, other dancers come running onto the stage & the battle begins, during which martial skills are exhibited to the beating of a drum. Fakir dance: Longhaired devotees, wearing loose garments, gather at the Madan pir's mausoleum on his urs at the end of Chaitra. A bamboo, draped in red with a flywhisk on top, is dedicated to the pir as his symbol. One devotee carries the bamboo on his shoulder; others follow him. A fire is lit and meat is burnt on it as offering to the pir. The devotees dance around the fire. Lathi dance: It is a half dance & half sport performed during Muharram by groups of youths. Drums & brass cymbals are used to maintain the rhythm & tempo. The youths wear fitting garments & tie strings of bells round their ankles. In their hands they carry bamboo sticks. They dexterously whirl their sticks, moving them to the front or to the sides, then under their legs or over their hands. The clashes of the sticks create a battle scene.
Gambhira dance: It is performed out by a pair of performers, who acts as a maternal grand father & his grandson. Through their dancing & singing, they evaluate contemporary social, political, economic & moral problems. The musical accompaniments are the harmonium, flute, drum & judi. The Gambhira dance, with its mixture of dialogue, dance, songs & music, resembles a folk play. Ghatu dance: One or more teenaged boys dressed as girls form its main attraction. The songs are usually based on the story of Radha-Krishna. One person sings while the others dance. The drum, cymbals, flute & Sarinda are the main musical instruments. The dance goes on for long hours of the night. At times the dance becomes quite vulgar, so ghatu sessions are usually held outside localities. Jari dance: It accompanies jari singing & is usually performed by Shi'ah Muslims during Muharram. A group of dancers tie red handkerchiefs round their wrists & brows. The ustad stands in the centre & sings. The dohars move in a circle round him &express their grief by the movements of their heads, hands & feet. They are paid cash for their performances. Kali dance: Here the dancer wears a black mask portraying the goddess Kali & holds a falchion & a human skull in hands. The drum, musical instrument, conveys valour & cruelty. Khemta dance: It accompanies khemta songs based on Radha-Krishna story. It was popular at puja & wedding. It is a women's dance. It is characterized by complex foot movements & meaningful expressions of the eyes & the face. It may be called the rural version of the urban dance of baijis.
Leto dance: It is associated with leto songs. In this dance a handsome boy dressed as a girl sings & dances. It is often performed at intervals during poetic contests to entertain the audience. When Kazi Nazrul Islam was young, he used to compose leto songs & take part in these performances. Mask dance: The gods Shiva, Dharma Thakur & Nil are worshipped during the last days of Chaitra. On these pujas, dancers wear mask portraying different gods & goddesses, present songs & dances. Bola dance demonstrates a corpse being eaten by vultures. In the nrsingha dance, masked dancers depict Vishnu in his 4th incarnation as a lion. Mukhakhel dance characters range from kings to farmers. Puppet dance: The first reference of Puppet dance is found in Yusuf - Zulekha, a 15th century epic. There are 3 forms of puppets: rod, string & glove puppets. The puppeteer manipulates string puppets with strings. Rod & string puppets present narrative plays such as, Radha-Krishna & Rama-Sita. Glove puppets dance as a male-female pair. Puppet dances were arranged at Annaprashana or wedding. Raybenshe dance: A warlike dance similar to lathi dance. The dancers carry poles of strong bamboo known as raybansh. Both Hindus & Muslims take part in this dance. The main attraction lies in the dexterity with which artistes use their hands. Brata dance: A form of folk dance performed on the brata (Hindu ritual vow) in groups by both unmarried girls & married women. It is performed softly & slowly in an anti-clockwise movement. Holding a corner of their saris, they raise their kulas. The brata dances of married women are an expression of their maternal urges. In addition to these traditional forms, there are modern folk dances, which depict the Bangladeshi identity by portraying the lives of farmers, and fishermen as well the role of ordinary people and freedom fighters during the liberation war.
Tribal Dance Most tribes perform dances on religious festivals, births, deaths, marriage ceremonies & other festivities. They perform dances individually or collectively, in traditional dresses, along with their own songs. They make their own musical instruments. Their dances are named after their tribes, eg Santal dance, Garo dance etc. They perform dances desiring rainfall in time of drought. The Khasias say "The better the dance, the better the crop." Musical instruments such as the drum, madal & flute are generally used as accompaniment. Different tribes like Manipuris, Santals, Oraons, Murongs, Chakmas, Garos, Khasias, Kochas, Hajongs etc, live in the plain land & hilly regions of Bangladesh. Ganna: This ritual is performed by the Garos of Mymensingh with a view to pleasing the leader of the community by presenting him a ring through dance. The dance is intended to express joy Santhal dance: Its greatest attraction is the chorus dance (Jatur) of Santal girls. Both men & women dance on the occasion of harvesting & the spring festival, is
an integral part of the social life of the Santals. The participants make 2 circles, with the girls in the inner circle & the boys in the outer circle. Jariyali dance: The technique of picking fruits from the trees has been converted into Jariyali dance by the Garos. One dance shows how pigeons collect their food, feed & fondle each other. Chai dance: Chai dance is presented by the Lusai & Kuki based on the production of crops. The dance shows the three stages of cultivation. It involves monotonous & slow bodily movements. It is customary to sacrifice chickens before the dance starts. Mahamuni dance: The Mahamuni fair is a unique religious festival of the Chakmas. At the beginning of the festival the statue of Mahamuni Buddha is placed at the temple. Then the young men & women perform together in this dance which is inspired by deep devotion. Rain dance: The dance arranged for rainfall is participated not only by young people, but also by the older members who come forward with full pitchers to spray water on the young ones. Cheralam dance: It is very popular in the Chakma community. They create a rhythmic sound by striking pairs of bamboos. The dancers hop in the spaces between the two bamboos in rhythmic unison, taking care to jump before the bamboos clash. Karam dance: It is performed on the occasion of harvesting, is popular among the Oraon in Rajshahi region. This dance continues for several days & nights & imitates the farmers sowing & harvesting. Jhumur dance: This name is for the string of bells worn round the ankles, is performed sometimes as the worship of gods/goddesses, sometimes for lovemaking & sometimes for rainfall. Huduma dance: During droughts, the Rajbangshi women go out into the fields at night. There they perform a puja to Huduma Deo. Then they undress, dance & sing. Murong or Khusi tribesmen believe that mourning will hurt the soul of the deceased, they indulge in dances & songs and make merry. After liberation, Dhaka became the centre of cultural activities. With the establishment of direct contacts with other countries, the cultural scene also witnessed major changes. Dance artistes cultivated the art with the benefit of new perceptions and renewed vigour.
