Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India, has a rich and diverse culture that is reflected in its various forms of folk dances. Some of the most popular folk dances of Tamil Nadu include Karagattam, Kummi, Kolattam, Mayilattam, and Oyilattam. Karagattam is a dance form in which performers balance a pot on their head and move gracefully to the rhythm of the music. Kummi is a group dance performed by women, while Kolattam is a dance form in which performers use sticks as props. Mayilattam is a peacock dance, and Oyilattam is a dance form in which performers move in a circular pattern while holding small wooden rods. These dances are typically performed during festivals and special occasions and are an integral part of Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage.
Puppet Show or Bommalattam Dance
This type of dance is very much popular within the Indian village, while the fairs and Festivals held in the village this kind of dance show are undoubtedly gets organized by the village people. In Tamil Nadu state also it is very renowned; the artists use various types of puppets for every puppet show. They make the puppet of leather, cloth and wood etc materials. Artists can move the puppets by wires and strings. The artists who move the puppet stand on the back side of screen and they keep the puppets on the front side. To entertain the people they mostly use the ancient epics, Puranas and folklore, through the puppet they try to depict the various historical stories.
Bagavatha Nadanam Dance
Tamil Nadu state’s this type of dance is practiced within the temple. The uniqueness of this dance is the dancers perform Bagavatha Nadanam dance around fire lamp. The aim of this dance form is to praise the Lord Krishna and celebrating Lord Krishna’s various games and enjoyment with Gopikas. People practice this dance while the Hindu festivals such as Gokulashtami and Navami.
Oyilattam Dance
The meaning of Oyilattam is beauty, that’s why Oyilattam is known as Dance of Beauty. This dance is practiced by dancers close to the temple area or at the public places during the evening and morning time. This form of folk dance is common within the Tamil Nadu state’s southern districts and also especially in Kongu Nadu. As per the tradition, Oyilattam dance only males can practice, in fact before the 10 years females were also participating in the performance of dance. Oyilattam dance’s style is different from one place to another place. It contains complex steps, similar to martial arts like Silambattam.
Oyilattam dance is practiced with musical instruments and unique dancing steps. The performance always begins by the people who are standing in first row. Slowly the size of the row increases, because new dancers and guest also take participation in the dance performance. The performers adorned themselves by using ankle bells. Generally Oyilattam dance is practiced with the rhythmic songs and musical instruments.
Mayilattam Dance
In Mayilattam dance of Tamil Nadu state, the female dancers wear the dresses made of peacock feathers and shining headdress. The performances of Mayilattam holds within the village area while the get together of villages. There are some more dance form which contains similarity with Mayil Aattam dance are Karadi Attam, Kaalai Attam, Vedala Aattam and Aali Aattam etc dances are practiced by performers by dressing the artificial masks to show the devils.
Ottan Koothu Dance
This is a dance form of tribe called Ottas. This is tiny group of the Tamil Nadu state’s people. It is usually practiced by the females and males on the festival occasions. Through this performance they display the various episodes of ancient epics and stories.
Snake Dance
This is one more popular rural folk dance form. There is very interesting story behind the origin of this dance; this dance form came into existence because of the huge numbers of snake. Snakes are actually helper of the village people, snakes are like a safeguard of villages. Young females wear the tight fitting attires, which look like skin of snake and they perform the dance. They do some actions like snake such as creeping and writhing and also immediately biting etc. these kinds of movements they do by hands and head.
Kaman Pandigai or Kamandi Dance
This is another folk dance form of Tamil Nadu state, through this dance they depict the pre historic event, the time Lord Shiva flamed the Manmada, he was deity of love, and Lord Shiva did this in anger. The village people get separated in the two different groups as Eriyatha Katchi and Erintha Kathi. The performance of Kamandi and Kaman Pandigai contains two prime characters like Rati and Kaman.
Kali Attam Dance
This dance form of Tamil Nadu state has some more names like Kolkali, Koladi, Kolaattam and Kolkali. The meaning of Kali is fun or joy and games. in the performance of Kali Attam, the dancers hold the sticks of around 1 foot height and as per the rhythmic sound they start tapping the sticks with twisting, unique steps and turning. This dance is practiced by both females and males. The performance usually held on the festive occasions, marriage and auspicious days.
Karagattam Dance
The dance is usually performed during festivals and special occasions, and it involves balancing a pot on the head while dancing to the rhythm of the music. The dancers, usually women, wear brightly colored traditional dresses and jewelry, and they hold a decorated pot on their head with both hands. The pot is filled with water and sometimes has a lighted lamp on the top.
As the music starts, the performers move gracefully to the beat, swaying their hips and shoulders while keeping the pot balanced on their head. They also perform various acrobatic and balancing acts while holding the pot, such as bending backward or standing on one leg. Karagattam is not only a dance form but also a skill that requires a lot of practice and discipline. The dance is considered an important part of Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage and is a testament to the creativity and artistry of its people.
Kummi Dance
It is a simple, rhythmic dance that is usually performed by women during festivals and special occasions. The dance involves clapping of hands, singing of folk songs, and moving in a circular pattern. The dancers form a circle, and they clap their hands in unison while singing the traditional Kummi songs. The lyrics of these songs are usually about nature, love, or social issues, and they are sung in a call-and-response format. As the music and clapping continue, the dancers move in a circular pattern, swaying their hips and stepping to the beat. The dance becomes more complex as the tempo of the music increases, with the dancers performing intricate steps and patterns while still clapping and singing.