Folk dance
A vibrant dance from Punjab, Bhangra celebrates spring and harvest festivals.
Bhangra is a vibrant folk dance from Punjab that celebrates spring and Vaisakhi, a festival that marks the harvest season and the joy of farmers after their crops have reaped.
Traditional Punjabi dance styles
Luddi Dhamaal Gham Luddi Jhummar
It is a highlight feature of Punjabi festivals, traditions, and weddings. The performance blends classic Bhangra moves with traditional Punjabi dance styles such as Luddi, Dhamaal, Gham Luddi, and Jhummar.
Initially, Bhangra was performed only by men, but over time, women began participating, transforming it into a widely popular dance form. Bhangra's influence has now reached mainstream global culture, where it is often modernized and infused with new styles.
Today, instruments like the tumbi, chimta, dholki, dhad, and dhamru are commonly used, along with couplets known as "bolis" and sung to complement the dance.
Props add flair to every Bhangra performance. The saap, named after the Punjabi word for snake, is a wooden clapper with X-shaped parts that stretch out and snap back. The khunda is a long stick with a hooked end, once carried by Punjabi farmers, that dancers sway from side to side.
The kato is shaped like a squirrel: pull its strings and the head and tail clack together, adding one more beat to the music.
Performance
