A guide to India’s very own ballet

Let’s dandiya!

Make sure you are ready for the Navratri fête with lively outfits, dance moves et al. Learn the differences between garba and dandiya dance styles and make the festival a delightful time with family and friends

Lord Durga is a glowing ten-armed Goddess. She is a caring mother of humans and the destroyer of malevolence. She spreads peace and joy and was created as a mixture of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar to kill the evil spirit Mahisasur.

Durga Mata has nine avatars and hence, the nine days are a celebration of welcoming the Goddess. This year, the festivities commence from October 13. One way of celebrating this festival of bliss and glee is through the festive dances, garbha and dandiya.

Dance is one of the most beautiful forms of expressing emotions and rituals during the nine nights of Navratri. Choreographer Yash Joshi of Yash Dance Institute says, “Garba and Dandiya are dance styles coming from the Indian culture.

The nine nights of Navratri are representative of the nine avatars of goddess Durga Mata. ‘Pankada’ is one of the famous songs played at any Navratri festival.” Traditionally worn outfits include colourful embroidery and patterns.

But more importantly, knowing your moves ahead of time helps you put your foot forward in confidence. Here is a know-how of the festive essentials coming straight from the famous choreographer.

Women…

The ladies wear embroidered ghagra cholis also known as chaniya cholis, where the cholis are embellished with beads, mirror work, embroidery, and shells and so on. Long, colorful skirts are worn with the cholis or dupatta. The ghagra and choli are usually in contrasting colours. Kadas, jhumkas, maang-tikas, kamarbandh and payals are the accessories that top the look like none other.

Men…

The gents wear kediya, a short kurta with a glimmer at the bottom embellished with mirrors and embroidery. Kafni pyjamas are worn with it and these attires are in bright colours.

The Garba...

Garba is performed to worship Goddess Durga. The dance is played using mostly the hands and its movements are referred to as “ek thali, do thali, theen thali” and so on in circular formations. Generally, the hand is kept on the waist while performing the steps, until it is time to clap.

The left leg goes forward, right leg back, and then right leg forward, left leg back and then claps, rotate and continue the same step while still in a circular formation. Once we understand the basic dance technique, alterations can be made to create own movements.

The Dandiya…

Dandiya is mostly played late in the night after all the rituals have been completed. It is performed in a group where men and women use colourful sticks. First, the group forms a circle. The man stands towards the right side and the woman stands opposite to him.

The tap sequence goes as follow; left tap, right tap and finally tap both the sticks. Next, partners and positions are changed as the next person in the circle becomes your partner. The third step is played in the same way with the partner standing behind you. In the fourth step, girls move inside the circle hitting the sticks and boys stay outside doing the same.

Dandiya can also be improvised by creating a new style. Dildar Dandiya, a competition for garba and dandiya is held at Shamshabad every year. Yash Joshi has been winning the competition for three years and this time he will be one of the judges at it. Nine Bollywood celebrities including Lauren Gottlieb from ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded’ are expected to be a part of this event.

By Chitra Saikumar