What is Grida Dance?
This is a Madhya Pradesh folk dance. The people joyously perform this dance in different villages of India.
Description
There are three phrases in the Grida Dance. The first one being the ‘Sela’ that is a relaxed and taut foot movement. The ‘Selalarki’ is the second phase and it’s slightly higher in pace and the enjoyment and grace increases. The final phase is ‘selabhadoni’ which is highly energetic, forceful, and includes strong actions coming from the leg and hand movements. The villagers from the neighboring villages come together and enjoy the occasion and joyously take part in the celebration. They bid each other goodbye and also they promise to meet each other on the same occasion next year.
Costume
The men wear white muslin of silk turbans and it is also decorated with a peacock feather stem. They wear a white Saluki reaching down to their waist and also a knee-length Dhoti. The golden necklaces and silver coins or corals are worn along with silver bangles on the wrist. The heavy brass anklets are worn by the men. They hold a staff in the right hand. They also hold a white handkerchief in their left hand. They all are used as props for the performance.
The women wear saree reaching their knees and tie their hair in a knot that is decorated with palm leaves. Corals are used for decorating their hair. They wear a chain of coins or corals as a necklace. They wear silver earrings and armlets or Bahunta along with silver bangles. Perry or todar on their ankles are worn for the tinkling sound which goes along with their foot movements. They have a clapper in the right hand and a colorful handkerchief in their left hand. The musicians wear a shirt or jacket along with turbans on their heads but they are colourful when compared to the artists.