Speaking
Given below are five main
qualities for true sportsmanship.
Get into
groups of four. Each group will choose one quality to talk about to the whole
class for about one minute. But before you talk, you have two minutes to think
about it. You can make notes if you wish.
Tamil
Nadu is deeply rooted in a great tradition of folk arts and crafts, which
display the customs and skills that have come down from generations. The folk
music and dances of Tamil Nadu represent the ethos, aesthetic, values and
melody of the region. Traditionally, folk dances and music are performed during
festivals and community functions. The following article describes some of the
folk musical styles and dances of Tamil Nadu.
Karagaattam is a popular folk dance of
Tamil Nadu, which involves balancing a pot on the head to musical
accompaniment. The Karagam pots are decorated with a cone of flower
arrange-ments, topped by a paper parrot. The parrot swings as the dancer swings
along.
Karagaattam
has two divisions— atta karagam and sakthi karagam. This form of dance is very
popular all over Tamil Nadu. Both male and female performers participate in
this dance. Acrobatics such as dancing on a rolling block of wood, moving up
and down a ladder, threading a needle while bending backwards form a part of
this dance.
Kavadi Aattam is one of the predominant folk dances of Tamil Nadu.
When the
ancient Tamils went on pilgrimages, they used to carry offerings tied on either
end of a long stick, balanced on their shoulders. A kavadi is made of bamboo
strips and a light pole. To lessen the boredom of the long travel, they sing
and dance in praise of God. Kavadi Aattam traces its origin to this practice.
This led to the composition of special songs for carrying the kavadi.
Poikkal Kudhirai Aattam is a dance
in which the dancer puts on the
This folk dance needs a lot of training
and skill. The dummy is made of lightweight materials and the cloth at the
sides of the dummy swings to and fro covering the legs of the dancer who dons
wooden legs so that they look like the hooves of the horse. While performing,
the dancer brandishes either a sword or a whip.
Parai Aattam is a special type of dance
in Tamil culture in which the performers beat the parai and dance to
This is one of the oldest traditional dances. In olden days, the parai
was used for multiple reasons, ranging from warning people about the upcoming
war, requesting civilians to leave the battlefield, announcing victory or
defeat, stopping a breach of a water body, gathering farmers for farming
activities, warning wild animals about human presence, during festivals,
weddings, celebrations, worship of nature and so on. Parai Attam plays a
prominent part in all the celebrations in Tamil Nadu even today.
Bommalaattam or Puppetry is held in rural
areas of Tamil Nadu during festivals and fairs. Skilled puppeteers
They stand behind a screen and the puppets
are held in front. The puppetry depicts stories mainly from the Puranas, epics
and folklore. Even during Indian freedom struggle awareness programmes for the
common people were conducted through puppet shows to instill patriotism among
the people.
Therukoothu is usually conducted during
village festivals in the months of Aadi and Panguni. Theru koothu is performed
on the streets and in open air. In this dance form, make-up and costumes are
considered very important.
The performance involves storytelling, songs, dance and dialogue rendering.
The performances are based on stories from Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata and
the local folklore.
Silambaattam is a martial art form,
practised from the days of the Tamil kings.
It has metamorphosed into a non-violent
form of folk dance, adding stepping styles into the dance to the measure of
time. This martial art form also teaches the performer the methods of
self-defense.
1.
What do
Tamil Nadu folk dances and folk arts represent?
2.
When are
folk dances and folk music usually performed?
3.
How is
Karagattam performed?
4.
How were
offerings carried during the ancient period?
5.
Bring out
a few differences between the two art forms Therukoothu and Bommalattam.
Pick out
two words from the article on folk culture and folklore of Tamil Nadu with
which you can form anagrams. Take turns and ask your partner to solve the
anagram and come out with the right words.
C. Work in groups of 4-6. Choose one
folk art form, that is rarely or no longer per-formed. Find out the reasons for
this and suggest practical solutions/steps that can be taken to prevent this.
After discussion and research, conduct a talk show in the class on the topic
FOLK ARTS - A REVIVAL. The following inputs will help you.
Each group will consist of the following members.
1. The
host
2. A folk
artist
3. A
representative from an NGO engaged in reviving some of the dying folk arts
4. A
student
5. A
citizen from the city.
NOTE: Your teacher will distribute role cards with cues to each
member of the group to help you play your roles.
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