Dappu Dance or Dappu Nruthyam is one of the Folk Dance forms of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is performed on many special events which is basically an enjoyment of dance and music. Dancers and people dance to the beat of Dappu (Drum) – Thappu/Parai, Tapetta or Daff.
Legends tell a story connected with the Dappu Dance form. It is like this. Once a man went to nearby jungle for hunting. There he saw two monkeys – a male and a female – sitting next to each other. The male monkey was beating a drum while the female was listening to it. The man aimed at the male monkey but accidentally killed the female one. The male did everything to revive the female but failed. He beat the drum to see whether it will revive the female monkey. But finally, as the female monkey did not come up, the male monkey mourned on the death of his partner. He left the drum there and disappeared.
The hunter man took the drum to his village and explained the whole story to his friends. He tried playing the drum and the beats were very powerful. Hearing the beats, the villagers started dancing to the beat in a rhythm. This became the Dappu Dance. Sticks are used to beat the drum and the drum itself is made of leather.
It is about 20 people who form a group to perform the Dappu Dance. Dancers wear a turban called Tala Paga, a Dhoti and Bells on their ankle. Other instruments are also used in the Dappu Dance, like Tabla, Cymbals and Harmonium in its variations.
