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Oppana Dance



About:
Oppana is a dance form and a performing art practiced by the Muslim women in the Malabar region of Kerala, especially the districts of Canaonore, Calicut and Malappuram. It is believed that the word Oppana derives its origin from the word Afna (Arabic). It is performed to commemorate the nuptial celebrations of the bride and is part of the wedding festivities. It is a famed form of social entertainment. Maidens and the female relatives of the bride sing and dance clapping their hands.n essential ritual of the Malabar Muslims it takes place when the young girls sing and dance around the bride.In Oppana Dance in Kerala, men and women equally participate in the dance. The women move in a circle around the bride while the men sing songs to receive the bridegroom. The songs of Mappilappattu are sung by the leader and then repeated in chorus in Opanna in Kerala.Oppana Dance is a traditional dance form of the Muslims in Kerala which takes place during their wedding. A while applying her make up.The songs sung are called Mappilapattu and are sung firstly by the leader and the remaining women lend the chorus. Two or three girls lead the dance and the rest soon join in.The bride is decked in finery and intricate ornaments and seated in the middle on a high seat called the peetam. The bride’s friends and other young ladies clap their hands rhythmically to the beat of the song and dance around her. There are about 15 performers including the musicians. The dance is not vigorous and the steps are simple and movements graceful. The songs’ themes are usually teasing comments and insinuations to the marital bliss and the shy bride’s emotions. The language is a combination of Arabic & Malayalam. One of the traditional dance forms of Kerala this came in mainly with the wedding celebrations.The themes are often teasing comments and innuendoes about the bride's anticipated nuptial bliss. Oppana is often presented as a stage item today.

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Usefull Links
http://indiandanceforms.blogspot.com/2007/08/o-p-p-n.html
http://dance-martial.blogspot.com/2008/09/oppanamuslim-marriage-dance.html
http://malabarmappila.blogspot.com/2008/12/oppana.html
http://indiantours07.blogspot.com/2007/10/dances-of-kerala-oppana.html

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