Gati in folk dances of Andhra

[Full title: Deśī forms of Andhra (2): Gati in folk dances of Andhra]

Many folk dance forms have gaits based on animals as in some texts we see gait based on animal movements.^[1] Horse dance is popular in Guntur district, where life-size puppets of horse are prepared, which are hollow in the middle, where the dancers -men and women-stand resembling riders on the horse’s back. Puli vesham is a popular one-man dance where the dancer is seen sporting a long tail and dances vigorously in tiger like strides and wild jumps. Mayuranāt or peacock dance of the khonds is a popular one, where the dancers stand in two rows in the beginning and then they form a circle and bend forward from their knees to look like a dancing peacock. Putting their palms to their sides, they move their right and left legs rhythmically, the anklets produce jingling sounds. They step forward and backward sitting, circling, stepping, bending and waving kerchiefs in their right hands, they look like dozens of peacocks dancing joyously in a circle.

Vīranāṭya resembles tāṇḍavanṛtya in its force and vigour. These artistes present Urdhavatāṇḍava, a special type of dance. Holding a sword in one hand and a shield in another hand the devotee dances and plays steps according to the beat of Virama, a big percussion instrument, which produces sharp and piercing sounds. It is a vigorous and awful dance with long steps and upward movements of legs and hands.

Karuva dance is popular in East Godavari district. Eight men dressed as Gopikas and eight dressed as Kṛṣṇa stand in a circle alternately. In the middle of the circle stands two more dancers dressed as Rādha and Kṛṣṇa. They dance to different rhymes. The movements in this dance are the most important. The gatis generally employed are caturaśra, tisra and miśra. This is similar to rāsaka.^[2]

Dandari dance troupes consist of twenty to forty members. This dance is accompanied by beats, which reaches its climax with regulated steps and rhythm in a circular form. The Dandari dance starts with stepping slowly towards the left side and swinging the right foot on to the left foot at every step. Every dancer has two small sticks in his hands. First, everyone strikes the two sticks in his own hands, then strike at the sticks of the person on the right side then strike his own sticks and then the sticks of the person on the left side. In this way, with steps and striking together of sticks held in hands they play kolāṭṭa and come back to the original position. Then they bend down and touch the ground with their sticks and step on to the four sides. This is similar to dandarāsaka.^[3]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Abhinaya-darpaṇa 309-319.

[2]:

Infra 3.1.2.7.

[3]:

Infra 3.1.2.9.