Fire dance is one of the unique dances performed in the desert region of Rajasthan state of India. This dance is the marvelous example of the Jasnathis of Bikaner and Chum’s lifestyle who are well known for their tantric powers throughout Rajasthan. Fire dance is very tricky and difficult to enact and is mainly performed by the Banjara community who are well versed with the art. Some of the dance steps involve awe-inspiring fire stunts wherein the performers dance by holding fire rods in their hands and filling up their mouths with kerosene.
Fire performance is a group of performance arts or
skills that involve the manipulation of fire. Fire performance typically
involves equipment or other objects made with one or more wicks which are
designed to sustain a large enough flame to create a visual effect.
Fire
performance includes skills based on juggling, baton twirling, poi spinning,
and other forms of object manipulation. It also includes skills such as fire
breathing, fire eating, and body burning; sometimes called fakir skills. Fire
performance has various styles of performance including fire dancing; the use
of fire as a finale in an otherwise non-fire performance; and the use of fire
skills as 'dangerous' stunts. Performances can be done as choreographed
routines to music (this type being related to dance or rhythmic gymnastics); as
freestyle (performed to music or not) performances; or performed with vocal
interaction with the audience. Some aspect of fire performance can be found in
a wide variety of cultural traditions and rituals from around the world.
The
devotional and exciting performance of fire dance can be seen at late nights of
winter in Rajasthan. The music which plays during fire dance rises in tempo and
ends like a crescendo. The Rajasthani folk music play with dhol, nagada, and
dholak during fire dance. The drumbeats give a tempo for the performance and
gradually rises & sets a dance in a fast tempo. At a certain point, it
reaches at a crescendo, where the dancers seem to be in a trance like state.
Some of the traditional folk dances, performed by the Banjara Community of Rajasthan
is also sometime called as the fire dance, but is completely different from the
above-mentioned performance. Here, the dance is performed around the Fire. The
person dancing usually takes two flamed sticks in his hands and fills up his
mouth with kerosene oil. With the accompaniment of some dancing steps, he
throws the oil over the lamps.
