DANCE FORMS OF HARYANA
Main Forms : Ghoomar, Dhamal, Phag
The
zest for life present in the natives of Haryana is channelled into various
dance and music forms. The people celebrate all occasions with a lot of
pomp and show, be it a child birth, a marriage or any religious or social
function. The 'Khoria' is popular when a boy is getting married, while the
'Ghoomar' and the 'Gangaur Puja' dances are religious. The 'Raas' is also
an ancient dance and is associated with Krishna, the flirtatious god.
The Dance Forms
Dhamal
Dhamal is a dance form, whose origin goes back to the days of the
Mahabharat. The Dhamal dance is especially popular in the areas around
Gurgaon, inhabited by Ahirs. In the beginning of the dance, the player
gives the first long note, then Dhol, Tasha, Nagara, pick up the beat and
the dance begins. Some of the dancers carry large Daphs in their hands.
These are edged with frills of brightly coloured fabric, others carry
sticks ('Shuntis') of medium length, wrapped in tinsel and tasseled at
both ends.
Daph Dance
It is another from of seasonal dance of farmers depicting the joyful
emotions on a good harvest and advent of Spring. It is a sort of community
dance. The "Daph" the one sided drum and the sound of the
ornaments worn by the women offer the music.
Phag
The dance done basically in the lunar month of Phalgun seeks to celebrate
the colourful festival of Holi. The dancers come together to the sound of
'Tasha', 'Nagara' and 'Dhol'. The men come running & singing the
traditional songs of 'Phalgun', followed by women carrying 'Koraras', the
knotted lengths of cloths. They run about the men hitting with the
'Koraras' while men defend themselves as best as they can with 'Shuntis'.
Ghoomar 
Marked
by circular movements of the dancers, Ghoomar is generally performed by
the girls of the areas bordering Rajasthan. The dancers form a circle, and
move about clapping and singing, while tempo of the dance is accelerated.
The accompanying songs are full of satire and humour and refer to
contemporary events, while the dancers twirl around in pairs.
Jhumar Dance
The dance named after an ornament called as "Jhumar" commonly
worn on forehead by young married women is exclusively danced by women. It
is otherwise known as 'Hariyanvi Gidda'. Dressed in colourful costumes,
the ladies dance in gay abandon singing and clapping with the beats of
'dholak' and 'thali' while gracefully moving in a circle.
Loor
The Loor is performed by girls during the month of 'Phalguna' (pring),
and is so named because the word 'Loor' means girl in the Bangar area of
Haryana. Performed during the Holi festival, this dance marks the spring
season and the sowing of the Rabi crops. The song is generally in the form
of questions and answers.
Gugga dance
For the Gugga dance, devotees of Gugga (a saint) dance around his grave
in his honour and sing songs in his praise. The Gugga is exclusively a
male dance ritualistic in nature dance performed in procession taken out
in memory of saint Gugga. Though the dance is very simple but it evokes
spiritual fervour among the devotees of Gugga.
Other
Dances
Other dances of Haryana include Khoria, which is quite similar to Ghoomar
and is performed only by women on weddings and festivals. The 'chaupaia'
is a devotional dance and is performed by men and women carrying
'manjiras'. In the 'deepak' dance, men and women carrying earthen lamps,
express their devotion through dance, which often lasts whole night.
During the rains, the 'Ratvai' dance is the favourite of the Mewatis. The
'Been-bansuri' dance goes on with the accompaniment of 'been' (a wind
instrument) and 'bansuri' (flute).
Musical Accompaniments
An earthen pitcher is used as a miniature drum, with its mouth covered
with strips of rubber and played with both hands. In many dance forms, the
main dancers carry their own musical instruments i.e. 'dholak', 'manjira',
'chimta', 'deru' and cymbals and dance to the beat thereby creating a
solemn atmosphere. 'Been' ` and 'bansuri' are also very common instruments
used in creating the background music.
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