Folk Dances from Andra Pradesh

There are quite a few drum dances in which the dancers play frame drums while dancing. The most elaborate is the Dappu dance of Andhra Pradesh. Some communities belonging to the Backward Class in Adilabad district perform the dance. Dappu is a round frame drum. The dancers play the drum while dancing. There are five different varieties of Dappu dance depending upon the pattern of stepping. When the dancers tap the ground with their feet alternately, the dance is called Majili Dappu and it is customarily danced at the time of Dussehra (September/October). In the Ata Dappu variety, the dancers take two consecutive steps on the accented beat of the rhythm and it is performed at the time of a marriage ceremony. The Holi Dappu is performed at the time of the Holi festival (February/March). In this variety the dancers take three consecutive steps on the accented beat of the rhythm. In Pochamma Dappu the dancers take four consecutive steps and it is performed to invoke the goddess Pochamma. In the Rolatam Dappu, performed on important festive occasions, the dancers take five consecutive steps.

It is dummy horse dance from Andhra Pradesh. Dummy horse dance, irrespective of the region of its prevalence, is based on the same principle. Invariably the dummy horse is improvised with bamboo and cloth. The head of the horse is made with papier-mâché. A tail is also attached at the other end. The body is hollow, into which the dancer enters, as if into a cockpit. The dummy horse has no legs. When the dummy horse is lifted by the dancer and is slung from both the shoulder, it appears as if the dancer is riding a horse. The body of the dummy horse is near the waist of the dancer whose feet can be seen by the audience. The dancer dances to the beats of the accompanying music, style of which changes according to the place of its prevalence. The music draws heavily upon the folk music of the region. Singing and percussion music usually accompany the dance.

The Guravayyalu ceremonial dance is performed by the priests of Kurava caste who mainly live in the Anantapur and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh. It is strongly influenced by shaivism since the songs that accompany the dance eulogizes Lord Shiva. The dancers put on a typical costume made of bear skin with hair. Each dancer holds and plays while dancing a small hourglass shaped drum called Damarukam and a bamboo flute Jingle bells (ghungroo) are tied to the waist, knees, and ankles of each dancer who also holds a trident. From one of his shoulders hangs a small bag made of deer skin. The bag contains prasad (offering) offered to Lord Shiva.

Another frame drum dance called Tappeta Gullu is prevalent in Andhra Pradesh, especially in the districts of Srikakulam and East Godavari. Tappeta is a small frame drum which is tied to the chest of each dancer. The dancers wear short pants and tie anklebells on both their ankles. While dancing they play the frame drum. The sound of the drum and anklebells blend well with the songs that accompany the dance. The songs usually are inspired by Krishna legend. The vocalist sings a couplet while the dancers play on the drum softly. The last word of the couplet is repeated by all the dancers loudly in chorus and then play the drum also loudly and dance vigorously. The dance has passages containing acrobatic elements.