Raas or Daniya Raas, along with Garba, is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India. The word "Raas" comes from Sanskrit word "Ras". Origins of Raas can be traced to ancient times. Lord Krishna performed Raas Lila" (Lila means Lord Krishna's playful dance. Word "Lila" is also referred to things that God does that we do not fully understand. There are several forms of Raas, but "Dandia Raas", performed at Navratiri time in Gujaratis the most popular form. There are other forms of Raas, namely Dang Lila from Rajasthan where only one large stick is used and "Raas lila" from north India. Raas Lila and Dandia Raas are similar. Some even consider "Garba" as a form of Raas, namely "Raas Garba". In Dandia Raas men and women dance in two circles, with sticks in their hands. In the old times Raas did not involve much singing, just the beat of Dhol was enough. "Dandia" or sticks, are about 18" long. Each dancer holds two although some times when they are short on Dandiya they will use just one in right hand. Generally in a four beat rhythm opposite sides hit the sticks at the same time, creating a nice sound. One circle goes clockwise and another counter clock wise. In the west, people don't form full circle, but often form raws. Raas is also performed at social functions and on stage. Staged Raas can be very complex with intricate steps and music. Raas is a folk art and it will change with times. When African slaves and ship workers (who are Muslims) arrived on the coast of Saurashtra (Part of state of Gujrat India, they adopted Raas as their own and used African drums. While it originated from Hindu tradition it was adopted by the Muslim community is Saurashtra. Singing entered the Raas scene later on. Most songs were about lord Krishna initially but topics such as love, praise of worriers who fought gallant wars, Goddess Durga and even Muslim Raas songs were born. It is common to think that Raas has to be fast, but that is not the case. Grace and slow movements are just as important. With the advent of C-60 cassettes came the pre-recorded "non stop" Raas music. Soon it overtook the individual Raas items which are rarely recorded nowadays. The disco beat and use of western drum became popular, but you can still visit fine arts college in Vadodara India during Navratri where the musicians sit in the centre and play while people dance around them. Gujrati movies entered the scene in late 50's and 60's. Raas took on a different form as it borrowed heavily from the film industry. There are other unique forms of Raas such as one in town of Mahuva where men would tie one hand to a rope extending from above and hold a stick in one hand. This was strictly in praise of Goddess Durga. If you use broader definition, even "Manjira" can be used to do Raas. There are communities that specialize in Raas with "Manjira". Just like the British police, some men dancing at "Tarnetar" used to wear colourful bands of cloth around their legs, resembling socks. City of Mumbai developed its own style of Dandia Raas and nowadays during Navratri people use Dandiya but make it more like a free style dance. "Head bobbing" during Raas is popular in USA among youngsters but that arrived from the Gujrati movies. Head bobbing was for the singers, not for the dancers. A new form or Raas is taking place in the USA. This is mostly a show item where college students of Indian origin mix non-stop Raas music with strong drum beats and stunts along with "themes" such as wedding, Star Wars and Lion King. They freely mix traditional steps with other steps. Raas will always be dynamic as it represents the circle of life, beating of heart. It is a live folk form that has changed with time and will keep changing.