Q1.
Find out the traditional dances and songs of your region. Perform a traditional dance with the help of your classmates and teachers for the Annual Day of your school.
Answer
First find out, then practise, then perform. Here is how.
What to do
- Ask your grandparents and your teacher the name of the dance of your region.
- Ask when it is danced — at harvest, at a festival, or at a wedding.
- Find out the dress and the instruments used, such as the dhol or the nagada.
- Learn the song that goes with it. Write down two or three lines.
- Make a group of six to eight friends and practise the steps together.
- Perform it on Annual Day with your teacher’s help.
Sample answer — some traditional dances of India:
| Dance | State | When it is danced |
|---|---|---|
| Bihu | Assam | At the Bihu harvest festival |
| Garba | Gujarat | During Navratri |
| Bhangra | Punjab | At Baisakhi, after the harvest |
| Ghoomar | Rajasthan | At festivals and weddings |
| Lavani | Maharashtra | At fairs and festivals |
| Bhangra / Chhau / Karma | Jharkhand, Odisha | At sowing and harvest time |
Why so many dances come at harvest: a good harvest is a gift from nature. People dance and sing to say thank you for it. In the chapter, the villagers first offer prayers to God and to mother nature, and only then the dhol and nagada begin.
Tip: write your own state’s dance in the first row. The table above is only a sample.