LEZIM is the folk dance of Maharashtra, where performers or dancers Carry small musical instruments with clinking cymbals called the “Lezium”. This unique folk dance form is named after this instrument i.e. LEZIM. It is performed during Gudi Padwa in every corner of the city.
This dance form is used as a fitness drill by schools in Maharashtra, militias, and other local institutions because it involves calisthenic moves and can be quite strenuous.
There are mainly three types of Lezim –
- military Lezim (popular in Baroda and mostly used as a martial art for defence),
- Talathekya, and
- Samanyajananna.
The first Lezim performance to an international audience was presented at the ninth Asian Games (1982, Delhi) where 400 of the best Maharashtrian Lezim players gave a demonstration
FEATURES of LEZIM FOLK DANCE
- There are various body movements like stepping, hopping, squatting, and bending.
- The dance movements are executed perfectly along with the proper strikes which are swung in 4-8 counts.
- The lezim dances and their specific gestures, and movements have been adopted by the physical culturist in their exercise in their drive for a beautiful body.
- There is a single circle formation or concentric circle formation like in the Garba dance.
- It also has a ruler form of dance where the dancers stand in 2 rows and repeats and change the sequence of steps every few beats.
- In a 5-minute Lezim performance, 25 steps are danced harmoniously.
Instrument use– Dholki, Halagi and Cymbals
Lezim is especially popular in rural Maharashtra, often played during the Ganesh festival (गणेशोत्सव), in village Jatras (religious processions) and in schools as part of the fitness regime.
