Orissa Chau Dance

Orissa Chhau Dance is one of the ancient dance forms that revolve around the martial exhibitions of the Oriya paikas or the gallant warriors of Orissa. The dancers showcase their fighting skills and fight in sync with the rhythm of the accompanying percussion instrument.

Chau dance lays great stress on style, form and movement and follows the fundamental principles of Bharat Muni's Natya Shastra and Nandikeswara's Abhinaya Darpana. Another basic feature of the Chau dance is that the dance form vividly illustrates the religious Diaspora that engulfs the entire state of Orissa. In this archetypal Orissa dance, the performers devoutly worship the venerable Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the two deities who play an instrumental role in shaping the role of the Tandava and the Lasya dance forms.

This dance of Orissa comprises of rather complex poses that test the vigor, flexibility and the vitality of the dancers. A rather common pose requires the dancer to bend his knees such that the legs form a square and strategically lift the right hand upwards and the left hand downwards at right angles to the elbow.

In the earlier days, male dancers who would dress up to disguise themselves as women performed this virile dance. Today however, the skilled female dancers have perfected the art of the striking the convoluted postures with seeming ease. The dancers who follow the norms of the Saraikala School of Chhau dance cover their faces with a mask while those who practice the principles of the Mayurbhanj School do not conceal the face. However, facial expression is not an integral part of the dance. Intricate movements of the limbs are a display of the emotions and sentiments.