Did you know that Singhi Chham is a dance originating in the 18th century in Sikkim, featuring performers in a lion costume, symbolising the snow lion? Or that Kamar tribes set the rhythms with manjiras (metal cymbals) tied to their bodies when they perform Tertali, a folk dance of Madhya Pradesh? “My research throws up more than 126 dance forms practised throughout India, how many can you name? Can you feel their enormity and diversity — each with its own music, costume and history?” asks 26-year-old Jothi Viknesh aka Jo Danzbiker on his Facebook page, Indian Dance Trail, created for an eponymous project that he’s busy prepping for. Come June and the Bengaluru-based certified Zumba instructor and biker will embark on a 15-month solo ride across India to document close to 50 folk dance traditions to showcase the melting pot of cultures that India is. “I will start from Bengaluru and ride all the way up to Kashmir. From there, I will head to the North East and later, cover central and south India,” Viknesh maps his course in an email interview. Documenting Maharashtra’s famous Lavani dance is also part of the plan. “I intend to find traditional dancers, and learn more about their art form,” he shares.

Artistes perform Lavani. The Maharashtrian folk dance will be documented during Jothi Viknesh’s Indian Dance Trail. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar