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Dance
& Music
Bihu
Dances : Bihu
is the most popular folk dance of Assam. The people of Assam are
very proud of it and rightly so. Except Bhangra no other folk dance
in India can compete with the rythmic exuberance of Bihu. Bihu dances
performed by young boys and girls characterised by brisk stepping,
flinging and flipping of hands and swaying of hips represents youthful
passion, reproductive urge and 'Joie-de-vivre'.
Satriya
Nritya : Satriya, The Beautiful Classic Dance of Assam.
During winter (November- February) the best place to see the Satriya
dance is Guwahati. A tourist to Assam during winter would do well
to find out if their visits coincide with the annual Satriya Dance
festival organised by one of the following institutions : Puspanjall
Cultural Academy, Sangeet Satra, Srimanta Sankardev Sangha and Satra
Mahasabha. The Satriya Dance festival organised by these institutions
would normally have all the facts of this dance including Dhemalis
by Goyan Bayans. Apart from this, many institutions show Satriya
Dance on the make shift open stages during Bihu festival (April
May) The lively and colourful folk dances of Assam
Barpeta's
Bhortal Nritya : Developed by a well known Satriya artist,
Narahari Burha Bbakat, Bhor Tal Nritya is an extension of Sankari
culture. Six to ten dancers equipped with cyrnbols perform this
dance to the first bit of '7hiya Nom" and pro- duces a good
number of attractive formations displaying the cymbols. The dance
can be seen during festive occasions in and around Barpeta and Guwahati.
Tea
Folk's Jumur Nach : In the passage of more than a hundred
years of their settlement in Assam the tea tribes have developed
a synthesised form of dance called "Chah Baganar Jumur Nach".
(Jumur dance of tea garden). This dance is performed by girls and
boys together, sometimes by the girls alone, with precision of foot
work while clasping tightly each others waist. This is a beautiful
dance to watch. A visitor to any tea gardens can easily see this
dance.
Bodo's
Bagurumba : Bodo community has many folk dances to boast.
Among them the best and the most attractive is the Bagurumba dance.
This is mainly a formation dance with slow steps and outstretched
hands. About a score of girls dressed in most colourful attire perform
this dance to the accompany- merit of Bodo traditional musical instruments.
A tourist in Assam can see this dance in the Bodo inhabited areas
of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Darrang and Sonitpur districts.
Mishing's
Ali Ai Ligang : Mishing community of Assam has a festival
caged All Ai Ligang in which they perform dances for making an offering
to their deities. Mishing's B;ihu can be seen in North Eastern part
of Assam i.e. Sonitpur and Lakhimpur districts.
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