Saturday, April 20, 2024
Tamilnadu

Arts

Dance

Kuravaik-Koothu

This is a type of dance in which seven girls form a circle clapping one other's hand.  This dance is referred to as Aichiyar Kuravai or the dance of the cowherd women in Chilappadikaram.

This dance has a peculiar musical significance. The seven notes of the musical scale are arranged in a circle and the seven girls are called by the names of the seven musical notes viz Kural, Tattam, Kalikkilae.  The Achoponga Folk dance is a remnant of this defunct dance. In this dance, a number of girls form a circle and do simple rhythmic movements, singing and clapping their hands according to the rhythm.