Dancing to folk tunes

I you might be able to make out the form of a snake with the many curves and waves the body makes. No coincidence, that. The Kalbeliya is a dance form — known to be one of the most sensuous to come from Rajasthan — performed by a tribe (of the same name) whose traditional occupation was catching snakes and trading its venom. But after the Wildlife Act of 1972, the Kalbeliyas could not do their traditional profession and depend entirely on performing arts as a source of income.

The Kalbeliya dance is usually performed by women in black skirts and men who take care of the music part. A show of the dance and of the Langa music — again from Rajasthan — will be held in Kochi on April 7 and in Thiruvananthapuram on April 9.  In Kochi, it will be held at the Chavara Cultural Centre, and in Thiruvananthapuram at the Shanghumugham Beach.