FOLK DANCES
Folk-dances of the Punjab virtually hold a mirror to the
characteristic
Punjabi manliness, fortitude, forthrightness and gaiety. The dances are
down-to-earth and devoid of all superficiality or sophistication.
Folk-dances are not bound by any rigid rule. They are an expression of
emotions through physical movements. The dancer is free to synchronise any
emotion with a gesture that he finds appropriate. The folk dancer does not need
any special dress or make-up. The dancers are basically so simple that virtually
no preparation is required for them.
The folk-dances are secular in character. Members of different sects and
creeds, irrespective of their faiths, get together and dance. The main object of
the dances are fun and entertainment. The musical instrument dhol (drum) is an
essential in the folk-dances.
The men and women do not dance together. They form separate groups. Folk
dances are generally not the same for men and women but some dances are common
to both. Bhangra is the men's dance and Giddha is the women's dance. Bhangra and Giddha are the most popular
folk-dances
of the Punjab.
BHANGRA
Bhangra is the favourite dance of the Punjabi villager. It is a dance of
stamina in sheer force and tempo. This ancient dance is associated with the
ripening of the harvest. The origin of this is associated with fertility rites.
This dance is performed on Baisakhi when harvesting is over and fairs are
held all over the Punjab. It can also be performed without any let or hindrance
at any other social occasion of importance. 
No particular form of dress is
indicated for Bhangra. For maintaining unifromity, the dancers wear shirts with loose
sleeves, stiff-starched long-cloth tahmats (loose loin cloth reaching up to the
ankles) and bright black, red, green or yellow waist-coasts. A bright strip over
the turban is often regarded as a must. Tiny bells are sometimes tied over the
ankles.
Bhangra is danced to the accompaniment of dhol and rhythmic clapping. The
drummer stands at the centre and the dancers stand in a circle around him. At
the beat of the drum, they proceed first with a slow movement of the feet then a
rhythmic wriggling of the body and after the shaking of the shoulders they start
strutting in rhythm. The tempo increases as the beat of the drum becomes more
and more exciting. The physical movements in twist and turn take the drumming and
dance to a fine climax. The drummer and the dancers all reaching a stage of swinging
ecstasy where sound and movements merge
into each other. The flow of the rhythm is interspersed with chants of
"Hoy, Hoy" and "Balle, Balle" by the dancers. There are
short pauses in between. At each pause when the drumming ceases one of the dancers comes forward, puts one hand on his ear lifts the other and sings a
Boli.
As soon as he comes to the end of it, dancing is resumed. The dancers must keep
the rhythm and increase or decrease the tempo in accordance with the beat of the
drum. Sometimes young men divide themselves competitively into pairs, each pair
performing in its turn while the rest remain in a  circle. The gestures are full
of vigour that they are difficult to sustain over long periods. So when a pair
exhausts itself, it goes back to the ring and another pair comes forward to take
its places. This may go on for hours.
With the passage of time
Bhangra, is losing
its gruffness and its movements are tending to become more and more
sophisticated. The Bhangra which is danced on Republic Day and in the films is
quite different from the one danced in villages by the unsophisticated people.
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