Artistes of Baha and Sadpa tribal dance forms of Jharkhand will get an opportunity to hone their skills at a five-day dance workshop beginning Saturday at Kalamandir in Bistupur.

Funded by the state departments of tourism and art and culture, the workshop will be attended by 30 artistes from Dhalbhumgarh block of East Singhbhum.

Dancing to foot-tapping beats of traditional musical instruments to celebrate events ranging from weddings to harvest is part of tribal culture and identity.

Besides picking up the technical nuances at the workshop, the professional dancers will get to know about the origin of Sadpa and Baha dance forms, their rhythm, the conservation of musical instruments that are hardly in use and creating a career out of performing arts.

“With rapid development and urbanisation, it is a challenge for indigenous groups to retain their identity. We have to do it nonetheless. Many dance forms and instruments are gradually going extinct. We have a responsibility to preserve and promote them. The workshop intends to do that,” Devla Murmu from Kalamandir, Jamshedpur, said.

The Baha Parab of the Santhal flower festival takes place during February and March.

The Santhal community, which has always believed nature to be an important part of its daily life, celebrates the spring by worshipping sal trees. The dance to celebrate the occasion is also called Baha.

Sadpa, on the other hand, is performed during October-November on the harvest festival called Sohrai Bonga that celebrates the relationship between man and nature.

This welcome dance for guests is performed only by women.

The five-day workshop will conclude on February 26 with a public performance involving Baha, Sadpa, Jhumar and Chhau dance forms at G-town ground in Bistupur.