Tera Taali

Tera Taali is a unique dance of Rajasthan. It is performed by two or three women, belonging usually to the Kamara community. The dancers remain seated throughout the performance. Tera means thirteen, and Taali means clapping. In the dance the clapping is done with cymbals. There are thirteen different modes of cymbal clapping and usually thirteen cymbals are tied to the different part of the dancer’s body. To each hand of the dancer is tied a cymbal. The dancer strikes on the cymbals tied to the different parts of her body to the beats of the accompanying song. The dancer sits on the ground and stretches her right leg forward to which are tied cymbals at different places. The skill of moving the two hands to strike the cymbals tied to the body is indeed amazing. At times the hands are moved in such a way as to suggest milking of a cow or grinding something on the indigenous grinder made of two pieces of heavy circular stones etc. Each of the dancers balances on her head one to three pitchers all the time while performing. A male vocalist plays Ektara, a drone while singing the accompanying song.

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