Folk Dances of Bengal: In the folk dances of Bengal, ‘Raibeshi’ is foremost. This dance belongs to Domo lower caste residing in the districts of Birbhumi and Murshidabad. It is mainly performed by men folk. The dancers perform in circles and wear anklets (Ghungroos) in the right leg. No one sings in this dance and the beats of the Dhol change along with the change in gestures of the dancers.
Similarly. ‘Kami’ dance is also a dance of backward castes. In this, the dancer holds small stick in each of his hands holding aloft the head and strikes one stick with the other while moving in a circular manner. In this dance, the musical instrument used is called’MadaP.
Apart from the above two dances, ‘Dhali’ and ‘Baul’ dances are also popular in Bengal. The Dhali dance shows courage and the dancer performs while holding a shield (Dhal) in his hand. Baul dance is performed with songs rendered with the music being played on Ektara (an instrument with a single string).
The old folk dance of Bengal is ‘Kirtan’. Here the playful acts of Lord Krishna are described. The dancers perform in a circle and along with the Mridung player also dances while playing Mridung. This dance is full of devotion to God.
Jatra is another famous folk dance based on playful acts of Lords Krishna. In this dance, many sensual events of Krishna’s life are described.
