FOLK DANCES

BHAVAI

One of the state’s most spectacular performances, it consists of veiled women dancers balancing up to seven or nine brass pitchers as they dance nimbly, pirouetting, and then swaying with the soles of their feet perched on top of a glass, or on the edge of a sword. There is a sense of cutting-edge suspense to the performance, and even through some of the hotel performers use only peppier mache pots that are stuck together, the feat is still one of amazing dexterity. (Note: See the `Slide Show’ section in `Folk Dance’. The first two pictures show a lady dancing `Bhawai’)

CHARI

Dancers choreograph deft patterns with their hands while balancing brass pots on their heads. The performance is made more picturesque with the flames from cotton seeds set alight, so that the bobbing heads create streaks of illuminated patterns as they move effortlessly around the floor.

DRUM DANCE

Put a naked sword in the mouth of a man, and give him three swords to juggle with this hands while avoiding causing an injury to himself. All this to the accompaniment of his troupe that consists of musicians holding aloft drums around their necks and cymbals in their hands. A stirring performance from a martial race.

FIRE DANCE

If there is divine protection to be offered, the Jasnathis of Bikaner and Churu must be responsible for cornering most of it. These dancers perform of a large bed of flaming coals, their steps moving to the beat of drums that rises in crescendo till the dancers appear to be in a near hypnotic state. And no, they’re not likely to have any blisters to show or it. These devotional performances are usually to be seen late on a winter’s night. See videos for a clip of this dance.

GAIR

There are several variations to this picturesque dance form that is performed by both men and women. The men wear long, pleated tunics that open out into full-length skirts as they move first in clockwise then in anti-clockwise direction, beating their sticks to create the rhythm when they turn. Originally a Bhil dance, and performed at her time of Holi, its variations are the Dandia Gair in the Marwar region and Greened in the Shekhawati region. see video `Gair Dancers for a clip of this dance.

SAPERA DANCE

One of the most sensuous, dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by the Kalbelias snake-charmers’ community, the sapera dancers wear long, black skirts embroidered with silver ribbons. As they spin in a circle, their bodies sway acrobatically, so that it is almost impossible to believe that they are made of anything other than rubber. As the beat increases in tempo, the pace increases to such a pitch that it leaves the viewer as exhausted as the dancer.