To celebrate India’s Republic Day, two Chhau Indian folk dance performances organized by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) will be held at Dandy Mall, 6th of October on 27 January, and at Cairo Opera House on 28 January.

The Chhau folk dance is a traditional Indian dance which originated in the eastern Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The dance tells stories derived from ancient Indian folk tales surrounding deities, and does so using elements of martial arts and acrobatic movements.

The dance is traditionally performed by all male troupes, to predominantly instrumental percussive music, and mainly as a form of celebration in times of festivities in its states of origin. Dancers often wear traditional masks during their performance, and the art of mask-making as well as that of dance is transmitted orally from one generation to the next.

Aside from the two performances, the troupe will also conduct a workshop at the Faculty of Music Education, Helwan University on 28 January.

Programme:

27 January, 1pm
Dandy Mall, Cairo-Alex desert road, 6th of October

28 January, 8pm
Cairo Opera House, Zamalek

Workshop:
28 January, 1pm
Faculty of Music, Helwan University, Zamalek

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