FOLK DANCE OF SOUTH INDIAN

Much like the folk dances of North India, South Indian folk dances too, have historical and cultural significances. In fact, many of the dances practiced in the Southern part of the country resemble folk dances that are practiced in the North. For instance, ‘Mayil Attam’ of Tamil Nadu is similar to ‘Mayur Nritya’ of Uttar Pradesh and ‘Puliyattam’ is the Southern equivalent of ‘Baagh Naach’ of Odisha. Having said that, there are manydistinctive dance forms and those can only be seen in South India.

Parai’ is a percussion instrument which is played using two wooden sticks. Since it is easy to carry, men folks perform acrobatic dance moves while playing the instrument. Performed in festivals and rituals, Parai Attam is one of the oldest folk dances of India and hence is considered important by the people of Tamil Nadu.

Performed by women during certain festivals and rituals, Kummi is a unique dance form as it does not require the support of any musical instrument. Women form a circle and go about dancing in a circular motion. The songs are sung by themselves and their claps provide the much needed beats.