Gendi Dance

Understand

Where Gendi Dance comes from

Gendi dance is a folk-pole-balance dance of the Gond and Baiga tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh, performed at the harvest festivals and at marriages. The name 'Gendi' refers to the thick bamboo or wooden pole on which the performer balances. The dance is one of several central Indian pole- and stump-balance dances (compare Saila and the Rajasthani Gair), and is performed with the pole held vertically and walked or danced upon. The tradition is one of the more distinctive martial-derived folk dances of the Gond-Baiga heartland of central India.

How it's practiced

Gendi dance is performed by a single male dancer who balances on a thick bamboo or wooden pole (the gendi) held vertically between two supports or on a small platform. The dancer shifts his weight and performs steps on the pole while musicians play the dhol and the dholak, demonstrating considerable balance and poise. The dance is performed at the Pola harvest festival, at community gatherings and at marriages. Costume is the everyday Gond tribal dress — coloured turban, dhoti and waist-belt — with the pole itself being the central visual element of the performance.