Kolannalu / Kolattam

Understand

Where Kolannalu / Kolattam comes from

Kolannalu (Telugu) or Kolattam (Tamil) is the women's traditional stick-dance of the Telugu-speaking regions of Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring Tamil country. The form is the Telugu- and Andhra-region expression of the broader South-Indian Kolattam tradition. Kolannalu is performed at the Sankranti festivals (particularly Pongal and Makar Sankranti), at weddings and at the village celebrations of the spring. The dance has been preserved as one of the Telugu regional social-folk traditions and is regularly performed at cultural festivals of the state.

How it's practiced

Kolannalu is performed by groups of women in two facing rows, each holding two short wooden lacquered sticks (the kollu). The dancers move in coordinated steps, striking the sticks together against their partners' sticks in rhythmic patterns. Steps include small jumps, side-steps and the characteristic circular patterns of the women's circle. The dance is performed at Sankranti (the four-day harvest festival) and at weddings, with the women in two or three concentric circles of dancers. Costume is the colourful Telugu women's dress — the sari in green and yellow, the Ghagra lehnga style for the Rajasthani-influenced Telugu area and the heavy silver jewellery. Music is the dhol, the dholak and the small cymbals accompanying. Performances can last for several hours through the festival.