Sammi Dance, Punjab - Informative & researched article on Sammi Dance, Punjab
  Indianetzone: Largest Free Encyclopedia of India with thousand of articles Indian Dances


in  
Art & Culture | Entertainment | Health | Reference | Sports | Society | Travel
Forum  | RSS Feeds  | Free E-magazine
Indian Dances : Indian Dance l History of Indian Dances l Indian Classical Dances l Types Of Indian Dance l Indian Tribal Dances l Indian Dance Academies l Indian Folk Dances l Indian Dancers l Indian Regional Dance
Home > Art & Culture > Indian Dances > Indian Folk Dances > Folk Dances of Punjab > Sammi Dance
Sammi Dance, Punjab

Sammi dance of Punjab has not been able to gain popular acceptance and is breathing its last in the huts of the tribal communities. Women of Baazigars, Rai Sikhs, Lobanas and Sansi tribes dance in this medium.

Sammi Dance, PunjabThis women`s dance is also performed like that of Giddha dance. The dancers stand in a circular mode and swing their hands, bringing them up from the sides, right in front up to the chest level and clap: they take their hands down in accordance with the rhythm and clap again. Repeating this gesture, they bend forward and clap again and go round and round in a circle. As the rhythm is maintained with the beat of the feet, various swinging movements are performed with the arms. Most of the gestures are confined to the movement of the arms, by clicking and clapping. No instrument is used for an accompaniment to this dance, since the rhythm is achieved through beating of the feet and clapping.

The performers do special kind of make-up. All women participants knit their hair in a distinct way. They knit their hair into thin plaits all over their head into intricate patterns and tie the remaining length of the hair in one full plait. In the middle of their head they fix a special ornament shaped like an inverted lotus called phul-chowk or Suggiphul (flower of the crossings of the plaits). The performers wear a kurta and the tehmet (lower cloth) and cover their head with a thick cloth of loose rectangular dimension, called `Bhochhan`. Chutki is used to keep the beat in this dance. Chutki is a frictional sound of single note created by pressing and then sliding the thumb and the index or the middle finger. The background song of this dance is also called sammi. This is also a dance of controlled movements and it is said that even the Devtas (angels) get intoxicated while seeing this dance.

(Last Updated on : 5/01/2009)
  More on Folk Dances of Punjab...
 
Naqal Bhangra Jhummar Dance
Giddha Dance Sammi Dance Teeyan Dance
Jangam    
Recently Updated Articles in Indian Dances
  • Nilanjana Banerjee
    Nilanjana Banerjee is among the notable Odissi dancers in India as well as in the world.
  •  
  • Tribal Dance forms of Kerala
    There are many Tribal Dance forms of Kerala as the state has a cultural heritage of varied tribes.
  •  
  • Dhimsa Dance
    Dhimsa Dance is performed by the tribes in the eastern part of Andhra Pradesh, regions of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.
  •  
  • Mitra Purkayastha
    Mitra Purkayastha, Odissi Dancer, is also a known Manipuri, Kathak and Bharatnatyam dancer.
  •  
E-mail this Article | Post a Comment
Free E-magazine
Subscribe to Free
E-Magazine on Indian Dances

 
Sammi Dance, Punjab - Informative & researched article on Sammi Dance, Punjab
Sitemap
Contact Us   |   RSS Feeds
Copyright © 2008 Jupiter Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved including the right to reproduce the contents in whole or in part in any form or medium without the express written permission of Jupiter Infomedia Pvt. Ltd.