Loor
Loor is a well known dance of Haryana. It is performed around the Holi
festival and is very popular in the Bangar and Bagar parts of the region.
In the Dadri area the term Loor is used for a girl. The participants in
this dance are all girls. The dancers stand in two rows facing each other,
in the form of a semi circle. One party starts a song. The burden of the
song being
"Your bahu has given birth to a daughter and a
son is born on this side, why not marry the two".
The dance starts with this song. For quite a while
they discuss this problem. Finally the proposal is accepted. The next
topic is about the presents to be given by the parents of the son to the
girl at the time of marriage.
Marriage itself is performed through the dance. The girl
has reached her sasural or in-laws place. There will be full of sentiment.
She mourns in song and dance. The husband is away in the army and not
expected back for another twelve years. The unhappy girl addresses an
imaginary pigeon and through a song she persuades the pigeon to convey
her message to her husband. She continues her song and dance till the
pigeon returns and sits on her shoulder. The pigeon informs her that her
husband is coming home soon. With this message her joy know no bounds.
The rhythm and tempo of her song now increase. Her companions who have
come to congratulate her, circle around her and take the dance to its
climax.
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