Giddha(Punjabi:ਗਿੱਧਾ) is a popularfolk danceof women in thePunjab region.The dance is often considered derived from theancientdance known as the ring dance and is just as energetic asbhangra;at the same time it manages to creatively display feminine grace,eleganceand flexibility. It is a highly colourful dance form which has spread to all regions of India. Women perform this dance mainly at festive or social occasions. The dance is accompanied by rhythmic clapping, with a typical traditional folk song performed by elder women in the background.[citation needed]
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Genre | Folk dance |
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Origin | Punjab |
Giddha varies from other forms of traditional Punjabi dance in that it does not require the two-headed barreldholdrum to be performed. Instead, women stand in a circle formation and clap rhythms. A lead woman will recite aboli(lyrics) with a refrain that the entire circle then repeats. The whole form of a giddha song is worked through in thiscall and responseform. Giddha details stories of women's lives, including sexuality.[1]
History
editGiddha is said to be originated from the ancient ring dance which was dominant in Punjab.[2]Giddha displays a traditional mode of performing Punjabi femininity, as seen through dress, choreography,.[3]Since thePartition of Indiain 1947 and the division of Punjab intoWest Punjab(Pakistan) andEast Punjab(India), folk dances of Punjab on both sides of the border have been consolidated, staged, and promoted as iconic expressions of Punjabi culture.[4]While the form of giddha was not seriously affected by Partition, Gibb Schreffler writes that it has been classified as the women's dance counterpart to the male form bhangra, despite that not entirely being the case.[4]
As Punjabi dance forms became codified in the 1960s-onward, bhangra and giddha competitions have become popular throughout Punjab and thePunjabi diaspora.Punjabi dance forms have also spread through collegiate-level dance troupes in Punjab since the 1960s and in South Asian student groups in the US, UK, and Canada since the 1990s.[5]
Dress code
editTraditionally, women used to wear salwar kameez and Ghagra in bright colours and jewellery. The attire is completed by dressing the hair in two braids and folk ornaments and wearing a tikka on the forehead.[6]
References
edit- ^"Dance Styles".Shan-e-Punjab.Retrieved22 June2019.
- ^Conyers, Claude (23 February 2011),"Folk dance",Oxford Music Online,Oxford University Press,ISBN978-1-56159-263-0,retrieved20 March2024
- ^"Giddha Origin and history".utsavpedia.Retrieved9 March2017.
- ^abSchreffler, Gibb (2004). "Vernacular Music and Dance of Punjab".Journal of Punjab Studies.11(2):197–214.
- ^Schreffler, Gibb (2013). "Situating bhangra dance: a critical introduction".South Asian History and Culture.4:3(3):384–412.doi:10.1080/19472498.2013.808514.S2CID143912821.
- ^"Giddha Dress Code".indianmirror.Retrieved9 March2017.