India is a diverse country, and its folk dances exhibit the county’s rich legancy. Each folk dances have it’s unique story and style. Indian people perform not as an art form but as an emotional and cultural respository for specific communities.

Regional Diversity- India’s vast geographical and cultural landscape has given a rise to multitude of folk dance forms, each unique to its region.

Such as:

1. Garba(Gujarat)inGarba is a main part of Gujarati cultural life, mainly during Navratri Festival. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term Garbah. Traditionally, The dance is performed around a clay lantern with a light inside, called Garbah Deep. The lantern represents life. Garba is performed in a circle. It involves circular movements with vibrant coloured costumes.

2.Bhangra(Punjab): Bhangra is a type of trdional folk dance of punjab, especially associated with the Vaisakhi festival, a festival making the new harvest of the season. It involves energetic movements with vibrant costumes. It captures the vigorous spirit and industrious nature of the punjabi people.

3.Ghoomar(Rajasthan) : It is the graceful folk dance, mainly performed by Rajastani women on festivals or special occasions. The dance is chiefly perfomed by veiled women who wear flowing dresses called Ghaghrara. The word ghoomna describes the twirling movement of the dancers and is the basis of the word ghoomar.

According to traditional rituals newly married bride is expected to dance ghoomar on being welcomed to her new marital home. As a tradional dance, ghoomar also includes traditional songs.

4.Lavani(Maharastra):Lavani is a combination of traditional folk dance and song, which is perticularly performed to the beat of dholki. In Maharashtra it’s performed by female performed by female performers wearing nine-yard long sarees also called Lugade saree. It is the part of cultural rituas during weddings in Maharastra.

5. Bihu(Assam):the Bihu dance is an indigenous folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to Bihu festival which is an imortant culture of Assam. The bihu dancers are usually young men and women. The tradional costume of dancers is centered around the red colour theme, signifying joy and vigour. The Bihu dance takes its name from the Bohang Bihu festival, the national festival of Assam, otherwise known as Assamese New Year.The Bihu dance is a cultural emblem in modern-day Assamese society, becoming a symbol of the Assemese cultural identity.

6.Kathakali(kerala): Kathakali is a traditional form of classical Indian dance, and one of the most complex form of Indian theatere. It is a “story play” genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful makeup and costumes of the tradionla male actor -dancers. The tradionla themes of Kathakali are folk stories, religious legends, spiritual epics and Puranas.

Folk dance forms serve as cultural repositories for specific communities in several ways:-

Preservationvof traditions through folk dance: when it comes to cultural preservation, dance plays a crucial role in preserving and promoting folk traditions worldwide. Through dance, communities are able to pass down their cultural heritage from one generation to the next, ensuring that these traditions are not lost over time.

Expression of values : Through dance people can communicate and demonstrated their emotions. Folk dance is a means of expression that conveys so much mere movements. It provides an evolutional view into society, showcasing cultural identity and a glimpse into a people’s way of life, past and present.