Lavani is one
of the most important folk dance forms of India. It is a combination of song
and dance. The word Lavani comes from the word lavanya which means
beauty. This dance form is the main contributor to the Marathi culture. This
theme based dance originated in the region of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. It
came into origin in 1560. It was on its full charm during the Peshwa rule(1700-1900).
During the Peshwa rule the dance was
used to boost the morale of the tired soldiers. Some scholars suggest that this
dance form originated in the temples. As the name suggest the dance reflects
the feminine beauty.
It is a
theme based dance dealing with different matters like society religion,
politics and romance. It also highlights which includes love between man and
woman in various forms. Married wife's menstruation, sexual union between husband
and wife, their love, soldier's amorous exploits, the wife's bidding farewell
to the husband who is going to join the war, pangs of separation, adulterous
love - the intensity of adulterous passion, childbirth.
This dance
is performed by the women only. However the plays can be written men also. In
the ancient times when no women were available for the performance men used to
dress like women and performed infornt of the audiences. The female dancers
dressed in the colourful nine-yard long saris which enhanced the beauty of the
performers during the performance. In addition to that they also wore jewellery
.
The
instruments used during the performance were dholaks whose beats added a different
flavour to the performance. The dancers used to dance on the beats of the
dholaks.
The songs
sung during the performance were mostly love songs. They were romantic in
nature. Some songs featured a lady waiting for the lover to accept her.
This dance
is mostly performed on the stage. In the ancient time the dance started in the
evening and continued till dawn.
Most
of the dancers involved in the promotion of the dance form belonged to the
state of Maharashtra. Legends like Raja Bhoj, Kanjar gorl were the popular
Lavani dancers. Marathi poets like Honaji Bala,
Ramjoshi, Prabhakar, etc. took Lavani to new heights. There are 2 real good
male performers even today. They are Anand Satam and
Anil Hankare.
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