Dances of Assam

Heritage of Classical dance in Assam is of remote origin. In Assamese dances, Hastas (hand gestures), Shirokarma (movement of the head), Padachari (foot work), Karana (posture), etc are performed after the manner of Natya Shastra or Sanskrit treatises on dance. The foot-work in an Assamese classical dance is extremely intricate and is called "Gati" or "Belan". It always reflects the theme of the dance in its infinite variation, speed and pattern. There are "Hasti Bulan", i.e. the slow majestic steps of the elephant, "Ghora Bulan", i.e. the swift galloping steps of the horse, "Maira Bulan", i.e. the majestic steps of a peacock and so on. There are several kinds of "Karanas" or "Bhanges", i.e. poses of the body in an Assamese dance. They are expressive of meaning and require to be mastered by long practice. Those postures of the body accompany the movements of the head, neck, eyes and feet. The mastery of the movements is a matter of long practice under expert guidance. The hand gestures is called "Hasta", commonly known as Mudras. They are performed either with a single hand (Asanguta Hasta) or with both the hands (Sanjuta Hasta). Those gestures that are expressive of meaning are called "Shree Hastas" and those performed only for the sake of beauty and rhythm are called "Nritta Hastas". The combination of all the Hastas will be nearly one hundred.

Dance Culture of Assam
Dance culture of Assam also represent another facet of Assam rich culture. There are two well known dance form in Assam, namely the Bihu Dance and the Sattriya Dance. Bihu dance is mostly performed during the Bihu festival and Sattriya Dance is a classical form of dance often termed together with the most popular classical dance of India like Kathak, Bharatnatyam etc.

Bihu Dance
This form of dance is the most popular folk dance in Assam and is also a part of the life known as Assamese life. The folk dance cuts through all the religious, caste and class barriers of the different kinds of people living in Assam.

Bihu Dance is performed during the festival and the festival is celebrated thrice annually with their respective common name. Rongali , the biggest festival of Assam, is celebrated in the mid of April. Bhogali is celebrated during mid of January and Kangali is done in the mid of October.

When the festival arrives, the young men and girls who are performers gather during day time in the open. These performers dance together but are not paired together and form in lines

when they dance. The music played at this dance are drums and pipes and the performers sing of love during the act. The pattern which the performers follow during the dance is the circle or the parallel rows. The dancers sway their hips, take brisk steps and fling and flip their hands when the dance progresses. The traditional dress worn consist of Dhoti, Gamocha, Chadar and Mekhala (Indian clothes).

Sattriya Dance
Sattriya Dance is the art form that epitomises the dance culture of Assam. It was recently recognised as a classical dance form and it is among the finest of the classical dances of India. An Assamese religious reformer, Sri Shankardev, preached a unique philosophy of a new Vaishnavism and from it grew the particular dance. The word, 'sattriya' comes from 'sattra'-monasteries which are established by the reformer.

Without altering its basic structure of the dance, the style has been going through an refinement. The performer can give a solo performance against a repertoire owing from the fact that it is represented in a lyrical and graceful style. The movements of the hand and body are very slow and gentle and it communicate tales from the legends of Lord Vishnu and from the life of Lord Krishna. The music in the dance mostly depend upon the cymbals, supporting raga and other songs.

Mishing's Ali Ai Ligang
Mishing community of Assam has a festival caged All Ai Ligang in which they perform dances for making an offering to their deities. Mishing's B;ihu can be seen in North Eastern part of Assam i.e. Sonitpur and Lakhimpur districts.