Dhimsa Dancers of the Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh, India
Wearing purple and gold saris in a way I had never seen, some 12 women, anywhere from mid-teens to early thirties, stand together and look around as the small crowd of tourists gather round to watch the evenings performance. A trio of men begin tuning their instruments, consisting of a hand drum, tin flute and a symbol like percussion instrument. Puffing away at their last beedie (leaf wrapped cigarette), the women begin removing their footwear and a hush falls over the makeshift stage.
Not knowing what to expect, I sit eagerly awaiting a Bollywood type performance with limbs swinging and acrobatic dance moves to the tune of fast paced beats and high-pitched voices. What unfolded was a series of simple yet very detailed cyclical dance steps harmonized with the gentle melody of the accompanying music. The Dhimsa dance is traditionally performed in honor of a good harvest and it was a pleasure to be witness to such an ancient practice.
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India is one place that has gotten me astounded with regards to their culture. Thanks for this very interesting post. I’d be sure to pass this along.