Ghungroos are small bells made of brass with small iron balls inside. These bells are either strung together by cords or woven into a belt and they produce sounds of varying pitches depending on the metallic composition and its size. A dancer can wear anything between 50 to 200 bells knotted together.
Ghungroo holds a vital and important place in Indian Classical Dance. It acts not only as an instrument producing sound but also as an ornament, worn around both ankles.
When a dancer taps her feet it creates a sound, thus serving to accentuate the rhythmic aspect of the dance. When the rhythmic patterns get complex, the footwork becomes equally complex and the sound produced by the ghungroo gives it a precision and an aesthetic quality.
All Classical dances developed out of folk dance. But classical dances began to be associated with spirituality whereas Folk dance continued to be celebrations of agricultural harvest or social gatherings like weddings, etc. – A celebration of Life.
Classical Dance evolved to become more demanding with technical aspects whereas Folk dance remained joyous and free.
Texts were written with clear principles of performance techniques and aesthetics which were laid down for a classical dance. They are stringent and demand rigorous training and practice to master.