The tale of three folk dances of Bundelkhand was retold in a marvelous performance by folk dancers of Bundelkhand.
The Indian Council of Cultural Relations, (ICCR) Regional Office, Bhopal organized a cultural event of Bundelkhandi dance forms on Thursday at Regional Science Centre auditorium.
The dance concert ‘Bundelkhand Ke Badhai, Naurta and Rai folk dances’ was organized under the Horizon series of ICCR. The performances were beautifully presented by Santosh Kumar Pandey and Group, Bundeli Directorate of Culture, Sagar. The group presented three dances i.e. Badhai, Raai and Naurata dance.
When lord Ram was born, there was happiness all over, but nobody congratulated each other. After the forest exile when he returned with laxman and Sita, people with joy congratulated each other and this is how Badhai dance was originated.
Badhai is a ceremonial dance. It is performed on child birth, marriages or any other get together to celebrate happiness and joy. The collective moments of dancers show the unique expressions of their faces. With rhythm and movements they greet for the occasion.
Next performance was Raai dance. Through the centuries Raai has been the folk dance which has touched its peak as a classical dance. later, Raai degenerated its aesthetical value and lost its classical expression. Today it remains simply as a folk dance. Raai means a mustard seed. When a mustard seed is thrown into a saucer, the seed starts to swings around. This way mustard seed moves in the saucer, the dancers also swings and when the singers sing the lyrics of the song the dancers follow the beats with footsteps. It is a duet and the competition is between the beats of the drum and footsteps of the dancer. The drummer and the dancer try to win each other and this competition leads towards the bliss. The last performance was Naurata dance. This dance has a special significance to the unmarried girls in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. Naurata dance is performed by the would be brides to invoke the God seeking a good match and conjugal bliss. The nine day festivities during the period of navratri are marked by creating Naurata intricate designs outside the house made from lime and various colours.
It was wonderful performance by the dancers leaving the audience mesmerized.
