Maanch Folk Dance, Madhya Pradesh
Maanch dance is a lyrical folk ballet of Madhya Pradesh, a state in India. It is practiced by the people from the Malwa region in the state and is very different from the other tribal folk dance originating from the state of Madhya Pradesh and other states in India. The Maanch dance is performed in the native Malwi language and is performed in a drama and a ballet form. People also consider the Maanch dance as the Indian form of Opera where the songs and the background music is sung in the native language, while the performers and dancing in a mesmerizing technic.
The Maanch dance was founded in the 17th century by Guru Balmokand, who is considered as the Shakespeare of the Malwa region. He has written more than 16 plays out of which Maanch dance is the most famous one. This is a story about the 'Fairy of Marigold Flower' also known as 'Genda Pari' in the local language, where only the men of the local village can dance or perform in the Maanch dance. The word 'Maanch' comes from a Sanskrit word which means a 'stage' in English; therefore the lyrical folk ballet is known as Maanch dance.
This type of folk dance is performed to worship the various Hindu gods present in India and the deities the local villagers worship. In the honour of the festival and the gods & goddesses, the Maanch dance is performed during various festivals in the Malwa region, in Madhya Pradesh.