Dance

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Tarpa Dance

SKU: SHTB-2105

Shantaram Tumbada

India

Warli people, Maharashtra, India. c.2020
White clay and cow dung pigment painted on cotton fabric.
(18” x 24” on 22” x 28” sheet)

"One of the central aspects depicted in many Warli paintings is the tarpa dance. The tarpa, a trumpet-like instrument, is played in turns by different village men. Men and women entwine their hands and move in a circle around the tarpa player. The dancers then follow him, turning and moving as he turns, never turning their backs to the tarpa. The musician plays two different notes, which direct the head dancer to either move clockwise or counterclockwise. The tarpa player assumes a role similar to that of a snake charmer, and the dancers become the figurative snake. The dancers take a long turn in the audience and try to encircle them for entertainment. The circle formation of the dancers is also said to resemble the circle of life."

$375