Uttar
Pradesh has a very vibrant culture. Various rulers who have ruled Utter
Pradesh in the course of history have consolidated the culture of this
state. The same effect can be clearly seen on the songs and dances of
this state after all these too are an integral part of any culture. The dances in Uttar Pradesh can be broadly classified in to two categories namely Classical and Folk. The first group comprises Kathak where as the later has Charkula, Karma and Dadra in its list. Kathak is one of the most famous classical dances of India. The dance has its origin in the courts of Emperors and Nawabs but it has traversed a long path to come to the masses. UP has produced some of the greatest exponents of this art form.
Among the folk performances, Ras-lila and Charkula are two dances that have their origins at the times of Lord Krishna. While the former is an amorous dance form that depicts the love of Lord Krishna and his consort Radha, the later is symbolizes the birth of Radha. Charkula is performed on social and religious occasions.
Karma is the dance form of tribal. This dance form is very famous in Bundelkhand region. Most of the times local; deities are evoked in this dance form that is also widely spread among the tribal belt of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gondwana and Jharkhand.
Dadra is an extremely popular dance form of Uttar Pradesh and North Bihar. Traditionally Dadra has always been a dance form with sexual overtones. This dance has a unique style where the singers give playback to the artists dancing and lip-syncing on the stage. Most of the times the theme of Dadra revolves around nuptial and sexual bliss. So, these are some of the famous dances in Utter Pradesh. Do catch performances of any of these dance form during your visit to UP.
