The term Bha?g?? (Punjabi: ????? (Gurmukhi), ??????? (Shahmukhi); pronounced [p?????a:]Listen) refers to the traditional dance from the Indian subcontinent originating in the Majha area of the Punjab region.
Video Bhangra (dance)
Varieties
Traditional Bhangra/Folk dance of Majha
The origins of traditional Bhangra are speculative. According to Dhillon (1998), Bhangra is related to the Punjabi dance 'bagaa' which is a martial dance of Punjab. However, the folk dance of Majha originated in Sialkot and took root in Gujranwalla, Sheikhupur, Gujrat (districts in Punjab, Pakistan) and Gurdaspur (district in Punjab, India). The traditional form of Bhangra danced in the villages of Sialkot district is regarded as the standard. Although the main districts where traditional Bhangra is performed are in Punjab, Pakistan, the community form of traditional Bhangra has been maintained in Gurdaspur district, Punjab, India and has been maintained by people who have settled in Hoshiarpur, Punjab India after leaving what is now Punjab, Pakistan. Traditional Bhangra is performed in a circle and is performed using traditional dance steps. Traditional Bhangra is now also performed on occasions other than during the harvest season and is popular in Pakistan.
According to Ganhar (1975), Bhangra has been imported into Jammu which is danced on Baisakhi. Other Punjabi folk dances such as Giddha and Luddi have also been imported into Jammu. Punjabi language influences can be observed when people dance such dances. Jammu falls within the Punjab region and shares an affinity with Punjab.
Free form traditional bhangra
The 1950s saw the development of the free form traditional Bhangra in Punjab, India which was patronised by the Maharaja of Patiala who requested a staged performance of Bhangra in 1953. The first significant developers of this style were a dance troupe led by brothers from the Deepak family of Sunam (Manohar, Avtar and Gurbachan) and the dhol player Bhana Ram Sunami. Free form traditional Bhangra developed during stage performances which incorporate traditional Bhangra moves and also include sequences from other Punjabi dances, namely, Luddi, Jhummar, Dhamaal, and Gham Luddi. The singing of Punjabi folk songs, bolian, are incorporated from Malwai Giddha.
Bhangra competitions have been held in Punjab, India for many decades, with Mohindra College in Patiala being involved in the 1950s.
Maps Bhangra (dance)
Gallery
See also
- Dhol
- Music of Punjab
- Punjabi folk dances
- Giddha
References
Further reading
- Dhillon, Iqbal Singh. 1998. Folk Dances of Panjab. Delhi: National Book Shop.
- Pandher, Gurdeep. 2016. "History of Bhangra". History of Bhangra, Gurdeep Pandher.
- 2010. Signs of Separation: Dhol in Punjabi Culture. University of California, Santa Barbara.
- 2013. "Situating bhangra dance: a critical introduction". 'South Asian History and Culture' 4(3): 384-412.
External links
- Bhangra (dance) at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments