Folkdances in Goa. (by Alyssa Rebello)

Goa is a small state situated between Karnataka and Maharashtra along the west coast of India. Goa is famous for its various beaches and attracts lot of tourists from all over the world. When one talks about the dances of Goa, your imagination temds to stop at people dancing to trace and techno music. Goa is known to have its own folk dances and songs which are quite unique. The traditional dance of Goa gives a picture of the mindset and lifestyle of Goans. They reflect the rich historical and cultural legacy that Goa abounds in. The Goan dances portray this blend of different faiths very beautifully. These are some of the important and famous dance forms of Goa. Shigmo
The Shigmo is a traditional dance of Goa and is performed during the advent of spring season. For farmers, this dance is symbolic of regeneration of their natural resources. It ia a form of naman (religious ceremony). It is performed in the Hindu community of Goa and is performed in the same month of March.
Dhalo
One of the most popular dances of Goa is Dhalo. It is one of the choicest dances of the women dwelling in rural Goa. In this dance form, young girls and women form a semi circle by joining their hands behind each other’s waists. It is usually performed by pair of two groups comprising of 12 dancers each facing each other. They then sway in coordinated movements to the beats of rural musical instruments. It is a dance full of fun.
Dekhni
The word Dekhni means beauty in Konkani language. Dekhni is basically the traditional dance of those Christians who were converted to Christianity from Hinduism during the Portuguese rule. This dance involves singing by people, it is has a story line to the dance. The music of this dance is a lovely combination of rhythm and melody of both western and Indian genre.
Fugdi
This traditional dance of Goa is quite popular among the womenfolk of Goa. This dance doesn’t require any special occasion and can be performed the year long. It is a dance performed in the praise of Lord Ganesha. This dance is started slow and the women sing in slow tempo. Gradually the speed of the dance and the song is increased when the dance reaches its maximum tempo, the women produce a sound ‘foo’ instead of singing. And so the name of the dance became ‘Fugdi’.
Lamp dance
The Lamp dance is called so because of the brass lamps that is used while performing this dance. The dancers have to dance very slowly balancing heavy brass lamps on their heads. The music is usually instrumental and folk instruments like Ghumot and Harmonium are used. This dance requires self control and discipline in order to balance the lamps and dance.