When was bhangra created

As a result, Bhangra music is now quite mainstream throughout India, and throughout the world! The vardiyaan not only emphasize the visual effect of Bhangra moves, but they also are designed to enable the dancer's maximum range of motion. In other words, the vardiyaan are the perfect combination of aesthetics and mobility.

Today, men and women typically have a tendency to wear different vardiyaan while performing Bhangra. Men tend to wear a chadr, a kurta, a vest, and a pagh, while women wear a salwar, a kurta, a vest, and a chunni. The chadr is the bottom half of the outfit, and consists of a long, rectangular piece of unstitched cloth tied around the dancer's waist. It covers the majority of the dancer's legs and is strategically tied so as to prevent the cloth from restricting the dancer's movement.

The female complement to the chadr is the salwar. The salwar consists of loose fitting trouser pants with numerous pleats stitched into the fabric. In contrast to the chadr, the salwar covers the dancer's leg completely. The trousers are stitched so that when the dancer performs high-knee and leg-lifting steps, the pleats artfully hang to mimic the effect and coverage of the chadr.

The kurta is common to both types of vardiyaan. The kurta is a long-sleeved tunic that comes down to approximately the dancer's knees, or just above them. The sleeveless vest is worn over the kurta. Both the kurta and chadr are colorful, and display heavily embroidered intricate designs. The pagh and chunni are head coverings that reflect the Sikh religion that is predominant in the state of Punjab.

Culturally, head coverings are common as well. They are a symbol of pride, humility, fortitude, and respect. The Bhangra pagh is a long piece of cloth that is intricately wrapped around the dancer's head, culminating in a heavily, starched, pleated fan turla that crowns the whole turban. The chunni is a colorful scarf that is artfully draped around a woman's head and pinned to her kurta and vest. There are many other aspects to the vardiyaan as well. Not limited to just jewelry, these consist of various accent pieces that serve to enhance specific elements of a Bhangra routine.

For example, earrings and necklaces i. Rumaalan, or handkerchiefs, were traditionally tied around a dancer's wrist to highlight their complex hand movements. All parts of the vardiyaan complement the dance in that each element has origins steeped in meaning, symbolism, and purpose. Perhaps the most famous Bhangra instrument is the dhol. It is a double-sided barrel drum that creates the beat to which Bhangra is danced to. The 20th century was a period of separation from the traditional symbolic meaning of dance.

For dancers and choreographers, it was a time of enormous creative growth. As the definition of dance was beginning to broaden, it came as a shock and surprise.

However, over time the public grew more open-minded to what dance could mean. Many people have humorously referred to the hand motions in Bhangra as turning light bulbs. Yet, it is much, much more than that. Bhangra was originated in Punjab and is called the folk-dance of Punjab.

Before the British colonized India, Punjab was an independent Sikh country. In , Punjab became a part of India and it was the last territory to fall under British rule. The dance is a reflection of centuries of Sikh and Punjabi culture. Bhangra was originally the dance of Punjabi farmers. After harvesting their wheat crop during the Vaisakhi season, or the Khalsa day, people used to attend cultural festivals while dancing bhangra. Vaisakhi festivals were the main occasions to dance bhangra.

Although, this dance was also performed by farmers while they were doing agricultural chores. Many of the main bhangra moves have origins in specific farming activities. For example, when farmers needed to pick something from one spot and place somewhere else, they developed a bhangra move to do it in a fun way. That bhangra move is known as pick and place or pick and let it go. This used to make a tough job tolerable and even fun.

After harvesting their crops, after all their hard work, and after everything was done, farmers in Punjab used to dance to show their sense of accomplishment. Nowadays many people dance bhangra for high-energy workouts and rigorous physical exercise. However, as time passed, women began to participate as well, and it is now an art danced by all genders. It is heavily present in the Sikh and Punjabi culture, weddings, parties, and all kinds of celebrations.

Bhangra has evolved from farming life and villages, to now reaching big cities and modern life. Today bhangra music and dance is also seen in Bollywood movies and other genres of large-scale musical fusions. Many people go to bhangra sessions to stay healthy and fit, as the best alternative to the gym. Despite its evolution, bhangra has succeeded in maintaining its core elements. It remains the dance of joy, the dance of happiness, the dance of good health, and the dance of productivity.

Following the Partition in South-Asia in , different regions of the country began to interact and share their different forms of Bhangra. These can be anything from marriage and love to money and dancing, or even getting drunk. Current Bhangra artists take their inspiration from all kinds of sources, often dealing with hot topics of the time. Bhangra seeks to offer a message along with its music. Bhangra dances differ from region to region and still retain their own unique identities. The revival of folk art, song, dance, and drama, the rehabilitation of the ancient classics of poetry, and the rediscovery of the Sikh schools of painting have created a sense of pride and climate of involvement in the heritage of the Punjab.

The Bhangra Although Bhangra has possibly existed since as long ago as BC, over the past forty years it has experienced new highs in popularity and innovation.

The term "Bhangra" has gradually evolved and now refers to many different sub-classes of dance and music for many occasions. The Origin of Bhangra While Bhangra historians speculate the dance may have originated in the time of the wars with Alexander, no one is sure it existed until about five hundred years ago. Around the 14th or 15th Century, Punjabi wheat farmers danced and sang songs about village life to help pass the time while working in the fields.

With time, these became part of harvest celebrations at Bhaisakhi April 13 festivals, as the sight of their crops growing invigorated the farmers. From here the dance quickly moved through all divisions of class and education, eventually becoming a part of weddings, New Year parties, and other important occasions.

The Many Sub-Dances of Bhangra Bhangra has developed as a combination of dances from different parts of the Punjab region. Jhumar, originally from Sandalbar, Punjab, comprises an important part of Punjab folk heritage. It is a graceful dance, based on a specific Jhumar rhythm. Dancers circle around a drum player while singing a soft chorus.

A person performing the Luddi dance places one hand behind his head and the other in front of his face, while swaying his head and arms. He typically wears a plain loose shirt and sways in a snake-like manner. Like a Jhumar dancer, the Luddi dancer moves around a dhol player.

Women have a different but equally exuberant dance called Giddha. The dancers enact verses called bolis, representing a wide variety of subjects - everything from arguments with a sister-in-law to political affairs.

The rhythm of the dance depends not only the drums, but also on the handclaps of the dancers. Julli is a dance associated with Muslim holy men called pirs and is generally performed in their hermitages. Typically the dancers dress all in black, and perform Julli in a sitting posture, but it is sometimes also done around the grave of a preceptor.

Julli is unique in that one person, alone, can perform the dance if he so desires. Daankara is a dance of celebration, typically performed at weddings. Two men, each holding colorful staves, dance around each other in a circle while tapping their sticks together in rhythm with the drums. Dancers also form a circle while performing Dhamal. They also hold their arms high, shake their shoulders and heads, and yell and scream. Dhamal is a true folk-dance, representing the heart of Bhangra.

Women of the Sandalbar region traditionally are known for the Saami. The dancers dress in brightly colored kurtas and full flowing skirts called lehengas. Like Daankara, Kikli features pairs of dancers, this time women. Occasionally four girls join hands to perform this dance. Gatka is a Sikh martial art in which people use swords, sticks, or daggers. Historians believe that the sixth Sikh guru started the art of gatka after the martyrdom of fifth guru Guru Arjan Dev.

Wherever there is a large Khalsa Sikh population, there will be Gatka participants, often including small children and adults. These participants usually perform Gatka on special Punjabi holidays. In addition to these different dances, a Bhangra performance typically contains many energetic stunts. Two-person towers, pyramids, and various spinning stunts are also popular.

Bhangra Costumes Traditionally, men wear a lungi while doing Bhangra. A lungi is a colorful piece of cloth wrapped around the waist. Men also wear a kurta, which is a long Punjabi-style shirt. In addition, men wear Bhugaris - also known as turbins - to cover their heads.

Women wear the traditional Punjabi dress, salvar kameez. A salvar kameez is composed of a long colorful shirt and baggy, vibrant pants. Women also wear duppattas, colorful pieces of cloth wrapped around the neck.