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Diwali Unit
Diwali, also called Deepavalli, means “row of lamps” and is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India and around the world. This year, it falls on October 20th. Families mark the occasion by lighting small oil lamps, decorating their homes, wearing new clothes, sharing sweets, and enjoying fireworks. The festival celebrates light over darkness, togetherness, and joyful traditions. This week, we’re excited to share resources from the Diwali unit on MusicplayOnline by Manju Durairaj.
Diwali Unit on MusicplayOnline
Dandiya is a folk dance, from the state of Gujarat, India. It is now a popular social dance in Indian communities all over the world. The name originates from the word ‘dandi’ or ‘stick’. Each dancer has a pair of dandiya sticks. However, pulli, lummi, or longer rhythm sticks that are more widely available may be substituted. Dandiya is traditionally danced during the autumnal 9 days/nights festival called Navratri. However, it is also danced as a social dance at celebrations. Dandiya-raas has also become a competitive collegiate dance form that can be intense and high energy.
There are four videos available on MusicplayOnline for this activity. The first one teaches about the dance, the second teaches the song, the third demonstrates the 4-step Dandiya dance, and the final video briefly reviews the 5-step Dandiya dance.
There are many variations of the dandiya steps, the most common being the four and five step dandiya.
5 Step:
• Lean left, strike own left stick
• Lean right, double stick with partner
• Lean left, double stick with partner
• Lean left, strike own left stick
• Strike partner’s right stick with right stick
• Twirl or spin left to new partner
Watch the Video Below to Learn the 4-Step Dandiya from Manju Durairaj:
MORE from Our Past Webinar with Manju Durairaj:
Diwali Unit on MusicplayOnline
Tricks, Treats, and Tunes: Fall Music Activities for Elementary Students
with Stacy Werner
Wednesday, October 22th, 2025 @ 4:30-5:30 MST (60 Minutes)
A recorded version will be available if you are unable to watch live.
About the Webinar:
Spooky season is here, and MusicplayOnline has plenty of fun to share! In this webinar, Stacy will highlight favorite activities, games, and songs to bring Halloween-themed fun—and meaningful musical learning—into your classroom. She will share a variety of activities for different grade levels and provide secular options and adaptations so all students can fully participate. Get ready to fill your classroom with musical tricks and treats!
Musicplay Team Updates:
We wanted to take the opportunity to share some updates from the team:
Content Updates:
Our team has been hard at working creating new content! Here are some of our newest additions:
- Echo Sing videos added to new Level 22 (do re mi fa so do’) in Solfa Practice
Development Updates:
- No updates this week
