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Kalbelia Dance

When you talk about the erotic and sensuous dance forms, Kalbelia is performed by the tribal people with the same name. This tribe is known for the cultural background and their dance as it comprises of the integral part of their culture. The men and women actively take part in this dance and mark the celebrations of joy and enthusiasm. The songs on which this dance is performed are derived from olden folklores and on Holi; a special dance altogether is performed by these Kalbelia dancers. This dance form is very famous and is known for prompt and spontaneous lyrics and on-stage improvisation that is just incredible to do. It is neither present in texts or has any manuals, one passes this tradition through verbal and oral modes to their generations.

History

This tribe is a nomadic tribe who was basically snake-charmers from Rajasthan and has been tabooed as the scheduled and the untouchable caste. They were banned and seen down by the society so for their living, they have found cures for snake bites, making people’s house free of snakes and making tourist aware of the snakes and of course the snake dances. This tribe has been living and following the same routine, traditions and their lifestyle since the medieval times and have learnt to earn their living through all these means of occupation and employment.

The men used to earn money through all these activities and the women of this tribe used to occasional dance on the streets on festivals with an aim to earn the extra money from the rich. There was a young girl names Gulabi Sapera who was spotted by the Rajasthan Ministry of tourism on the streets. Her clan was against her performing, but despite of all these bans and opposition, she managed to perform this art form on stage and slowly became a face of this dance form.

Performance of Kalbelia Dance

The women dancers are dressed in black skirts and they dance and swirl just like a serpent does. The cloth on the upper body is called as the Angrakhi and the odhni on the head while the skirt is known as the lehenga. The clothes are mostly in the combination of black and red hues and have some beautiful embroidery which sooths the eye of the audiences.

The males play instruments on which the women dancers dance. The instruments are Pungi which is played to tame and capture snake. The others are Khanjari, Dafli, Dholak and Morchang.

Kalbelia Dance Elements

Kalbelia signifies a rich Rajasthani culture and the instruments played by the men are beautifully woven into lyrics and dances.

Occasions for the Dance

During happy and joyful moments, this dance form is performed enthusiastically by the Kalbelia dancers. This dance form makes the identity of this tribe and the tribal people.

Kalbelia Tribe

These tribal peoples used to change their locations and hutments very frequently and were snake charmers by profession. Their dance movements, costumers are very similar to the resemblance of serpents. They can be found in largest number in Pali district. Shunned by the mainstream society, this tribe does all the work that was considered to be done by the lower castes. The men carry those snakes in jute baskets while the women dance and sing on the streets to earn a living.

After an am dement in the law, their main profession has been changed from snake catchers to dancers and performers. This tribe is very well versed with the different medicinal plants and herbs present in the environment. They move in deras and often repeat their locations with the passage of time. Now with the changing times, many also do farming and cattle grazing when they are not busy performing this dance form.

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