Dances - Bhangra Dance

Punjab is a land of plenty, of large hearted people and of life. Green fields, hard working men and women and good food are things that come to mind when thinking of Punjab but something that is even more characteristic are the beats of the Bhangra."

This is the famous folk dance from the Punjab in North India. The dance, mainly performed at joyous occasions such as weddings and festivals, is closely associated with farming, the main occupation of the Punjab and reflects the happiness of the Punjabi farmer. The dancers are accompanied by a drum, which is known as a dhol. The person who plays it is known as a dholi. The dancers follow the beats of the drum, and the dhol plays a beat called torha, which gives the dancers a cue to change the step. This implies that all performances are different and can cater to the different needs of the audience. The dance is performed bare foot.

In addition to the dholi, at big performances a singer, who sings the boliyaan, supports the dancers. These are essentially folk songs, which give actual meaning to the dance steps performed. Bhangra as a dance cuts across all divisions of class and education. The costumes are those that can be seen worn by people in their day to day work in the villages, although they are obviously not as colorful as the dancer's costumes.

Bhangra, because of its liveliness, has gained popularity all over the country. Its catchy beats and up tempo music can be heard everywhere today. It's popularity can be attributed to many who helped bring it out of Punjab and spread it all over the country. Daler Mehndi is one such person. His lively songs and the accompanying Bhangra has won the world over.

Originally Bhangra was danced on Baisakhi, which is the harvest celebration festival, but today no reason is needed to enjoy this exciting dance. A night at the disco is incomplete without a bhangra. Many movies base their rappy numbers on the Bhangra.