Ranapa literally means “stilt.” Danced by a small group of men on stilts to drums and bugles, the dance used to be popular, but these days the dancers are struggling to make enough to survive.
"One cannot even feed his family by performing this dance,” said Sarat Mahapatra, a Ranapa dancer. “This dance has been reduced to only a tradition. About 10 to 15 of us are only learning this art out of our personal interest.”
Many of these dancers were hoping to popularize and spread Ranapa throughout India. But so far they have had no help from the government.
Dancer Kalucharan Patra, said it is hard to spread the dance outside of the state. “I did not get an opportunity to increase the popularity of this dance out side the state, this dance has been confined to only this small region."
So for now it looks like this unique art of standing on stilts and dancing to the tune of wind instruments will stay confined to the southern areas of eastern Orissa.
