Matki Dance of Madhya Pradesh Malwa Region

About Matki Dance

Matki Dance is generally performed in Madhya Pradesh’s Malwa region. A solo performing form of, the word matki denotes a small earthen pot or pitcher.

However, in this dance form, women perform clad in lehengas or sarees, adorned with tons of ornaments. Matki Dance is basically performed in a circular position, where women covered in veils, balance the pots on their heads.

This particular dance type is quite popular amongst the locals of Malwa plateau and holds quite a lot of importance in the region, given the fact that there are not many dance performances held in the region.

While Matki is basically performed by one single performer, she is gradually joined by much more at the end, when people soak in excitement and euphoria.

It is worth mentioning, that the dance is strictly performed by the women folk of the plateau’s countryside.

The Performance

What keeps the audience and other glued to this dance is the way the women folks gracefully balance the ‘matkis’ while moving gracefully to the tunes and rhythms of the music in the backdrop.The dancers put in a lot of hard work and dedication to perfect the dance form. There are two types of varieties to Matki dance:

• Khada Naach, and
• Aada

Costumes

The women basically sport colorful lehengas and saris, teamed with uniquely designed jewelry as part of their guise. However, the faces of the women are always veiled, as per the tradition.

At times, the pot is sometimes set ablaze, to add that spellbinding frenzy to the gathering spectacle. The women also balance intricately designed pots, to the music of folk songs.

Music

Dhol is the main instrument of the dance form and is played by the men of the community, while the women perform matki dance for all. A special tune is played by the men on drums for the performance.

The music picks up tempo and dancers perform in sync with the rhythm, along with the act of balance.