Dhol-Cholam presented by Sangeet Natak Akademi

The video is a presentation on the Dhol Cholam of Manipur. Dhol Cholam, a folk dance of Manipur is performed mainly during the festival of Holi. It is a drum dance as the central instrument of the dance is the large folk drum or dhol, hence the name. It is part of the Cholam dances which are masculine in nature.The costume of this dance form is white dhoti, turban and shawl, with the dhol strapped in front of them. The dancers play the instruments with incredible precision as they execute difficult movements like leaps and pirouettes in tandem to one another. Some dancers also play the cymbals to keep time. This Cholam has now become part of the Vaishnava tradition of sankirtana and is performed throughout the year to mark important religious events.