Lakshadweep Vatta (Stick Dance)

Understand

Where Lakshadweep Vatta (Stick Dance) comes from

The Lakshadweep Vatta is the single-stick-dance of the Lakshadweep islanders, performed by men and women of the Keralite community with the single stick (the vatta). The dance is the regional adaptation of the Kerala stick-dance tradition and is performed at the courtyard of the village. The form is one of the documented regional traditions of Lakshadweep and is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the union territory.

How it's practiced

The Lakshadweep Vatta is performed by men and women of the Keralite community in a circle at the central courtyard of the village or at the open ground of the festival. The men and women hold a single stick in each hand and strike the sticks in coordinated rhythmic patterns. The dance is gentle, with the small stepping rhythm of the Lakshadweep tradition. Music is the dhol, the chenda and the small cymbals. Costume is the traditional Keralite dress of the island — the colourful sari for the women and the dhoti-kurta for the men. Performances are at the central courtyard and at the cultural programmes of the union territory.