Jarawas Dance (Andaman)

Understand

Where Jarawas Dance (Andaman) comes from

The Jarawa dance is the ceremonial-dance of the Jarawa people (one of the indigenous tribes of the Andaman Islands, settled in the western and southern parts of the South and Middle Andaman Islands). The Jarawa are one of the most protected communities of the world, with very limited contact with the outside. The dance is performed at the community gatherings of the Jarawa and is associated with the ceremonial life of the community. The form is one of the documented regional traditions of the Andaman Islands.

How it's practiced

The Jarawa dance is performed by the men and women of the Jarawa community in a circle at the central courtyard of the village or at the open ground of the festival. The men and women perform in coordinated steps to the song of the Jarawa cycle and to the rhythm of the small regional instruments of the Jarawa tradition. The dance is gentle, with the small stepping rhythm of the Jarawa community. Costume is the traditional Jarawa dress — the leaf and the body-paint of the community. Performances are at the central courtyard of the village and at the cultural gatherings of the community.