| Dance Name | Key Features | Place/District | Significance/Context |
| General Characteristics | | | |
| Purpose | Integral part of cultural life; performed at festivals, fairs, and social gatherings (marriages, childbirths). | (General) | Believed to possess magical effects; fosters a strong sense of community. |
| Participation | Participated in by people of all social positions, economic statuses, and castes; women are as free and enthusiastic as men, often in mixed dances. | (General) | |
| Format | Both solo and group dances exist; group performances sometimes involve hundreds of people in open spaces like temple courtyards. | (General) | Dancers typically don traditional costumes. |
| Style | General style involves movements and steps that are backward and forward, often forming a circle where dancers hold hands, or dividing into two opposing groups. | (General) | |
| Trans-Himalayan Region | Influenced by Buddhist faith; colorful dances broadly categorized into folk dances and ritual masked dances (‘devil dances’). | Trans-Himalayan region | |
| Specific Dance Forms | | | |
| The Demon (Rakshas) Dance or Chham | Masked dance performed by three, seven, or nine demons wearing costumes similar to Punjabi Bhangra or Tibetan masks; group follows leader ‘Ghure’. | Kinnaur area | Sacred masked dance performed exclusively by Lamas in monasteries; masks resemble terrifying figures (monsters, dragons, beasts, devils, skeletons); believed to offer glimpse of dreaded entities souls encounter after death, or used by Lamas to combat malignant spirits; symbolize horrifying defenders of religion and Tantric Buddhism. |
| The Knyang | Men and women form a semicircle with a ‘maskian’ at the center; can continue for several hours. Three variations: ‘The Nagu Knyang’ (imitates snake movement); ‘The Herki Kayang’ (faster, romantic songs); ‘The Chhamu Knyang’ (combines slow and fast movements). | Kinnaur district | |
| The Bakayang | Typically involves two or three rows of dancers facing each other, executing forward and backward steps; predominantly performed by women. | Kinnaur district | |
| The Banyanchu | Generally a male dance; free-style performance set to any chosen tune, with women sometimes providing vocal accompaniment. | Kinnaur district | |
| The Jataru Karang | Group dance performed exclusively at festivals; connected with songs sung during ceremonial moments. | Kinnaur district | |
| The Chohara Dance | Performed at all important festivals, with both men and women participating. | Kinnaur and Mahasu area | |
| The Shand and Shabu Dances | Two Buddhist dances performed in memory of Buddha. Shand means a song of prayer for Buddha; Shabu dance depicts beliefs and feelings of local people. | Lahaul area | Performed at specific times, aligning with local religious festivals; Lamas of ‘Yellow Hats’ sect perform on New Year’s Eve (observed with deep religious devotion). |
| Lang-dar-ma (an evil king dance) | Well-known masked dance, lasting several hours; dramatizes the murder of the evil king Lang-dar-ma; masks crafted after imaginative figures of monsters, dragons, beasts, devils, and giants. | (Implied Trans-Himalayan/Buddhist areas) | |
| The Jhanjhan or Chhanjhan Dance | Both male and female dancers participate; begins slowly but gradually builds to an exciting tempo, with dancers interchanging positions. | Chamba Valley | Performed on festive occasions. |
| The Japro Dance | Performed by both male and female dancers. | Pangi-Prang Valley of Kinnaur | Performed on the occasion of fairs and festivals. |
| Other Kinnaur Dances | Shon, Thati, Bra, Shumgyak, Yano-an-o, Rekshung, Khiching, Gyuson, Laka-Kurchi-Ceeja, and Mon-ulba. | Kinnaur region | |
| The Dodra Kawar Dance | Both people and gods dance to the tune of music. | Mahasu area | |
| The Nati | Open to people of all age groups; slow-moving dance form of Lasya variety, often lasting three or four days and nights. Dancers generally wear traditional costumes and ornaments. | Kullu, Kinnaur, Mandi, Shimla, and Chamba areas | ‘Nati’ is a collective term encompassing vocal lyrics, instrumental music, dancing steps, and bodily movements, all harmoniously attuned to rhythm; highlight of almost every fair; characterized by wave-like appearance, graceful steps, and slow body movements. Various types exist (e.g., Kullu Nati, Bushahri Nati, Mandi Nati, Lari, Sijli, Laluna). |
| The Jhoori, Ghi, and Ras Dances | Express various aspects of life through musical tones; ‘Ghi’ is danced to a format of questions and answers. | Sirmaur and adjoining areas | Hold a special place in the cultural life of the people. |
| Dhair Dance | Dancers use weapons (swords, knives, sticks), yelling as they move towards imaginary enemies. | Sirmaur and adjoining areas | Performed during Diwali. |
| ‘Swang Te aj’ Dance | Requires a tiger mask carved from wood. | Sirmaur and adjoining areas | Performed during the Diwali festival. |
| The Burah Dance | Performed by a group of five to fifteen individuals; sung and dedicated to heroic deeds or battles, or to commemorate loved ones lost in battle. | Sirmaur district | |
| Keekali | Female dance, performed playfully in twos, holding hands and imitating a cat on their toes while singing songs. | Areas bordering Punjab (Kangra, Hamirpur, Una implied) | |
| Bhangra | Male dance. | Kangra, Hamirpur, and Una districts | Popular. |
| Gidda | Female dance. | Kangra, Hamirpur, and Una districts | Performed. |
| The Kullu Valley Dances | Charahi, Phuli, Ludi, Banthda, Basahri, Lahauli, Ujagjama, and Gandhebrkar (all collectively known as ‘Nati’). | Kullu Valley | Primarily for amateurs, danced for pleasure and satisfaction; both men and women participate. |
| Folk Drama | | | |
| General | Himachal Pradesh boasts a distinct folk drama culture, commonly performed during winter. | All over the Pradesh | Seasonal adaptation to agricultural cycles. |
| Popular Types | ‘Banthara’; ‘Jhanki’ and ‘Hanter’; ‘Kariyala’ and ‘Swang’. | Mandi region (Banthara); Chamba (Jhanki and Hanter); Bilaspur, Solan, and Shimla Hills (Kariyala and Swang) | |
| ‘The Bura and Sih’ | Similar to ‘ballet and opera’. | Jubbal and Rohru Valleys of Shimla Hills | Significant source of entertainment and recreation; tales are unwritten, passed down orally. |
