Dappu

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.