Overview
In the district of Karnataka, Uttara Kannada, the Lion Dance named Simha Nrutya is very famous. The Yakshagana artists perform the dance by replicating the movements of a lion. The artists dress up like a lion wearing costumes made of bark and yarn which is colored with natural dyes to resemble a lion. To show the fangs of a lion, two silver pangs are inserted in the artist’s mouth.
The Dance
The Simha Nrutya is a lion dance that is free from all religious and ritualistic barriers. The Yakshagana artists. of the Honnavara taluk of the Uttara Kannada districts perform the Lion dance. The Lion’s movements are beautifully imitated as the dancers are dressed in Lion’s costume.
Makeup
The face of the dancer is covered with a cotton mask to look like a lion accompanied by fangs which are inserted in the mouth to create the impression of fangs.
The message
This folk song imitates even the lion’s mode of hunting and preying thus this does not only provide entertainment but also education. The dance also invokes the main problems like endangered lions and the dangers of poaching, effects of deforestation, also how to preserve the wildlife.
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