In spite of saying again and again that I am not a dance person I end up posting more and more dance videos! I guess it is fair to conclude that I do enjoy watching dances. On my trip to Bandhavgarh with Pugdundee Safaris I saw folk dances from MP. This was at their Kings Lodge at Bandhavgarh. They had arranged for the evening drinks outside along with the dances by the local.
When I am on my solo trips on invitation it is a struggle for the lodge to keep me company. They cannot leave me alone and then the manager can spend only so much time with me. I am actually fine by myself. But I can’t say this as well. So after spending a lot of time with me Varun left me in the company of a young naturalist. I asked him about the people doing the show. He said they were from the local village. The resort had an arrangement with them but they struggled when it came to time management. He said they were farmers and would come for such shows only after their day at the field was over. For them farming comes first, it was their livelihood.
Dances from MP
Of late, all the dance performances I have witnessed have been at a cultural show for tourists or at a resort. I would love to see some of these dances in their natural settings but I can’t see that happening anytime soon. In the meanwhile I wonder if the resorts are the new patrons of arts and traditional dances? Is there a downside to it? Is there an upside to it? What do you think?
PS. At night time my cell phone was useless for making the camera. I only had my 50 mm on my SLR so I took this video with that. On reflection my kit lens works better for videos. So next time I am going to carry it around as well.
I started my India travel blog, Travel Tales from India in 2005. In 2016 I realized Travel Tales from India and Abroad better reflected my writings. I love to walk and ride in metros around the world. I have not been everywhere, I am not even close, but it is on my list. I also quit my job as a professor in 2015, it was a happening year! I did a Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur ages ago!
If you wish to collaborate with me, please check out my media kit. You can write to me at mridulablog@gmail.com
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