Tipri dance (Punjab)
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Tipri is a Punjabi stick dance popular in Patiala (Punjab, India) and Ambala (Haryana).[1]
According to Randhawa (1960), Tipri is performed by boys and men using small sticks. The participants dance in a circle striking the sticks. In one version, the dancers also hold a rope which is tied at the top end to a pole. Each dancer then weaves the rope with the ropes of the other dancers. The ropes are then untangled whilst the male dancers strike the sticks. Randhawa suggests that the dance is local to Patiala city and is similar to dandiya of Bombay (Mumbai) and tipni of Rajasthan.[2]
Another style of Tipri, according to James (1974), is danced by girls who carry small sticks which are tapped to create a rhythm. No singing is involved in the dance.[3] Dhillon (1998) tells of yet another style of Tipri where dancers carry two sticks. Each dancer strikes his own sticks and then that of the other dancers. The participants move in a circle and perform body actions. However, this form of Tipri is another name for the dance known as dandaas popular in Multan, Bahawalpur and north-western Punjab, Pakistan.[4]
