The folk dances of Nepal are the visible rhythmic expressions of joys and beliefs of Nepalese rural folks. For these simple people, living mostly in scattered villages, life continues to be something of a ritual, and dance is an integral part of it. Religious rituals influence and enrich folk songs and dances, and the Nepalese village folks sing and dance to please their deities.
Because of widely differing topographic and cultural influences, the folk dances of Nepal are both rich and varied and reflect the day to day activities of the rural inhabitants. Simplicity and spontaneity are the chief qualities -of Nepalese folk dances, steps which have sprung from the lives and activities of the rural folks, like sowing and harvesting. Peasants and frolicking shepherds enjoy dancing and singing mellifluous songs while working in the corn fields or herding the sheep and goats in the hills. Nature unobstrusively mould’s these dances: as the dancers from the mountains sway and bend they suggest the vast undulating ranges of the mighty Himalaya.
Each region of Nepal has its own typical ethnic dances. The regional coloring in dress and ornaments, in song and instruments make them rich and varied. Rural melas or fairs are the proper venues to witness the deep-rooted folk songs and dances of Nepal. But conveniently for the city visitors, some Nepalese folk songs and dances have now emerged on the modem stage in hotels and performance halls of Kathmandu and Pokhara.
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