Dances of Mizoram

Mizo people have a number of dances which are accompanied with few musical instrument like the gong and drum .

The Mizos can boast of several community and folk dances which have been handed down from generation to generation; developing under the influences of the birds, the beasts, the hills and valleys. They love to dance as much as they love to sing. The dances are expressions of the gay, carefree spirit of the Mizos. It should be mentioned here that these dances are not intended for stage performances. Rather, they have evolved for community involvement and participation.

Cheraw

Cheraw is a very old traditional dance of the Mizos. Sometimes it is referred to as ‘Bamboo dance’, especially by non-Mizos, who are not familiar with the exact name, because bamboo staves are used for the dance. It is believed that the dance had existed way back in the 1st Century A.D, when the Mizos were still somewhere in the Yunnan Province of China, before their migration to the Chin Hills in the 13th Century A.D. and eventually to the present Mizoram. Some of the tribes living in South East Asia also have similar dances with bamboo staves in one form or the other with different names.

Cheraw was usually performed on the occasion of Buhzaaih (Bumper harvest by an individual family). Formerly, it was not a community dance but a dance performed by a few selected girls with exceptional skills. It was performed at marriage ceremonies and other merry occasions to celebrate success. On such occasions huge crowd would gather to watch the pride fill performance of Cheraw dance by the few expert / skilled dancers. It was also performed on moonlit nights. Cheraw is the most popular and colourful dance of the Mizos. Men sitting face to face on the ground tap long pairs of horizontal and cross bamboo staves opening and closing to rhythmic beats. Two bamboo staves are placed on the ground as the bases at right angle to the many pairs of bamboos, at either end of which the men open and close their respective bamboo staves to produce the rhythmic beats.

Girls attired in the colourful Mizo costumes of Puanchei, Kawrchei, Vakiria and Thi-hna dance in and out between and across the pairs of horizontal bamboos in accordance to the beats. This dance is now performed at almost all festive occasions. The unique style of the Cheraw is of great fascination everywhere it is performed. Gongs and drums are also used to accompany the dance.

Sarlamkai

 

Solakia This is an impressive dance originating from the Pawi and Mara communities of the southern Mizoram. This dance is known as Sarlamkai by the Pawi and Solakia by the Mara. In the past when different tribes were constantly at war with each other, a ceremony to deride the vanquished beheaded skull of the enemy was usually held by the victor. This ceremony was performed to ensure that the vanquished remain a slave to the victor even in death.

Any person who brought up an occasion for such a ceremony was highly regarded and respected by the people, the king as well as his elders. Therefore, every adult strove with all his capability to be such a hero. The courage and bravery of such heroes was a great consolation for the people when faced with any external aggression. It was during this ceremony that the Sarlamkai dance was performed. As is obvious, it is a war dance performed to celebrate a victory in war. Songs were not sung; only gongs, cymbals or drums were used for creating beats. In the dance, boys and girls standing in alternate positions, dance in circles. They generally wear colourful dresses while the leader is dressed as a warrior.

Chheih-Lam

 

Chheihlam originated after the year 1900 on the lines of the song known as Puma Zai and the dance is known as ‘Tlanglam’. It is a dance that embodies the spirit of joy and exhilaration and was performed to the accompaniment of a song called ‘Chheih hla’. People squat in a circle on the floor, singing to the beat of a drum or bamboo tube while a pair of dancers stand in the middle, reciting the song and dancing along to the strains of the music.

It was a dance performed over a round of rice beer in the cool of the evening. The lyrics were impromptus and spontaneous, on-the-spot compositions, recounting heroic deeds and escapades and they would also praise the honoured guests present in their midst. While singing the song in accompaniment to the beating of the drums and clapping of hands, an expert dancer would perform a dance, chanting verses with various movements of the body; stooping low with the knees bent, limbs close to the body and moving around as low to the ground as he can.

Chheih-lam was performed in the past, normally in the evening when the day’s work was over. Today, unlike the past, it is performed on any special occasion with colourful costumes. It has now become, sometimes an entertaining exercise at the time of welcoming important guests and dignitaries.

As the tempo of the dance rises and the excitement increases, enthusiastic people squatting on the floor would leave their seats and join the dancers as other members continue to sing along to the drum beats. In fact, unfamiliar guests present are also invited these days to join this joyous dance, especially on the day of the celebration of Chapchar Kut.

Khuallam

 

Khuallam literally means “Dance of the guests”. It is a dance usually performed in the ceremony of Khuangchawi. In order to claim a distinguished place in the society and to have a place in paradise or Pialral one has to attain the coveted title of ‘Thangchhuah’.

There are two ways of attaining this title. Firstly, one could attain the title Thangchhuah by proving one’s mettle in war or hunting by killing many animals which should include animals like barking deer, deer, wild boar, wild- gayal, viper, hawk, etc. Secondly, one could also get the title Thangchhuah by performing various ceremonies which included offering several community feasts and dances. Thangchhuah therefore, could be attained only by the brave or by the rich. The ceremonies performed in the second method are known as Khuangchawi. Important guests invited from other villages at the Khuangchawi ceremony enter the arena dancing this Khual- lam.

The traditional hand woven Mizo cloth known as Puandum is wrapped over the shoulders and the dance is performed by swaying the cloth. Puandum has the colours black, red, yellow and green. As most other folk dances of the Mizos, this dance is accompanied by a set of gongs known as Darbu and no song is sung. It is generally performed in large numbers; the more the merrier. The participants are usually to be large in number if this dance is to be performed well in a function.

Chawnglaizawn

This is a popular folk dance of one of the Mizo communities known as ‘Pawi’. ‘Chawnglaizawn’ is also performed at festivals and also to celebrate trophies brought home by successful hunters. On such occasions, it is performed in groups of large numbers. Boys and girls standing in rows dance to the beat of drums. Shawls are used to help the movement of the arms, which also adds colour to the dance. Only drums are used in this dance.

Zangta-Lam

Zangtalam is a popular dance of the ‘Paite’ community, performed by men and women. The dancers sing reciprocal songs while dancing. The drummer is the leader and director of the dance. The steps are few and simple. It forms a good community dance in which anybody can join in and enjoy.

Par-Lam

 

The land of enchanting hills has yet another dance to its credit, that is Parlam, as chareographed by Mr. L.Biakliana, who also happens to be the first Mizo novelist, hailing from Saitual village, near Aizawl. He has transcreated the song, Zotui thiang tê (far from the mountain…..) which is used as the lyric and music for Parlam. He taught the dance in the mid 1930’s at Saitual village and it has become one of the most important dances of the Mizos, which is mostly performed by young girls. Girls attired in colourful dresses, with flowers tucked in their hair, dance to the tune of the song which is mentioned above and sung by them. The principal movement in the dance involves the waving of hands with ribbons. A couple of boys lend musical accompaniment by playing guitars. This is a comparatively new dance form. Nevertheless, it has become a part of the Mizo culture.

Chai

Chai is a popular festive dance performed on the occasion of ‘Chapchar Kut’. It is one of the most important dances of the Mizos. In this dance, men and women stand alternately in circles, with the women holding onto the waist of the men, and the men onto the women’s shoulder. In the middle of the circle are the musicians who play the drum, choreographing the entire nuances of the dance, while the one with the mithun’s horn chants the lyrics of the ‘Chai’ song. For instance, to begin the dance, the drummer beats on the drum, and upon the fourth stroke of the drum

the Chai song is sung with the rhythmic swaying of the dancers to the left and right, in accordance with the beat of the drum. Depending on the nuances followed the ‘Chai- lam’ has four versions, viz. ‘Chai Lamthai – I. Chai Lamthai – II, Chai Lamthai- III and Chai Lamthai- IV. The dancers sing as they dance and the few musical instruments used.

Cheraw Creates World Record

 

As already mentioned, Cheraw, one of the most unique and interesting dances of the Mizos is popularly referred to as ‘Bamboo Dance’ especially by the non-Mizos, who are not familiar with the local name because bamboo staves are used in the dance. There was also a time when long, smooth and slender tree trunks, which serve as Mizo traditional grinder of rice husk (suk) were used for this particular dance in various places. The dancers perform the dance by an alternate stepping in and out, from, between and across a pair of either horizontal bamboos or Suk, which are held against the ground by persons sitting face to face at either end, who continuously tap the bamboos open and close in rhythmic beats. Two bamboo staves are put, as the bases on the ground at right angle to the pairs of bamboos, at either end of which the rhythmic beaters bang their respective bamboo staves to create the rhythmic beats.

Cheraw is a very old traditional dance of the Mizos. It is believed that the dance had already existed way back in the 1st Century A.D., when the Mizos were still somewhere in the Yunnan Province of China, before their migration to the Chin Hills in the 13th Century A.D, and eventually to the present Mizoram. Some of the tribes living in South East Asia also have similar dances in one form or the other with different named, like Tinikling & Singkil (Phillipines), Mua-sap (Vietnam), Rabam-komaraek (Cambodia), Dance of Li people (China), Magunatip (Malaysia), Ram-gratop-mai (Thailand), the Kuki-Chin and the Karen of Thailand.

Cheraw has now become the most popular and the most colourful dance of the Mizos. Usually, a troupe of eight men sit face to face on the ground tapping long pairs of horizontal and cross bamboo staves with rhythmic beats and the girls perform the dance. There are varieties in the pattern, style, steps and gestures in Cheraw dance – imitation of the movement of birds, the saying of trees, and so on. Had it not been for the skill and expertise of the dancers, the ankle of the inexpert dancer would be nipped and hurt by the moving bamboos. As King Solomon might have said ‘the foot of the expert findeth safety, but the ankle of the novice received many nip.’

At present, Cheraw dance is performed by the Mizo boys and girls on festive occasions, though the significance of the Cheraw dance and its original identity has somewhat lost. In this respect, some conservative Mizos might like to suggest that the performance of the dance should be conserved so as to maintain its identity and significance. On the other hand, some liberal Mizos might be of the opinion that, since the original identity and significance of the Cheraw, being mythical and unscriptural, the maintenance and revival of its original concept is not a necessity and could be harmful in a way as it is quite unrelated to the scriptural teachings. Therefore, it is quite sufficient that we use it as one of the Mizo cultural dance items.

Cheraw in the world records: An attempt is made, with the initiative of the Art & Culture Department, Government of Mizoram to register CHERAW into the Guinness Book of World Records by a performance of the largest number of Bamboo dancers ever on earth, on the 12th of March 2010 at Aizawl. A record number of 671 sets of Cheraw, with 10736 dancers excluding the musicians and gong beaters, all above twelve years of age from different localities of towns and villages gathered in the city of Aizawl and performed this rare feat to create a world record. ‘A new Guinness World Record was created with dancers performing the bamboo dance for eight minutes in perfect rhythm’, a representative of the Guinness book of World Records from London, an Italian lady Ms. Lucia Siniggagliessi announced after the event.

As one might be aware of, the largest bamboo dance gathering was held at Cebu, Phillipines in 2009 where 7,700 people danced together to create the world record. Now, for the Mizos all over the world, March 12 can be remembered as a historic day, for the bamboo dance (Cheraw) has crossed frontiers to hit international headlines as the capital city of Aizawl demonstrated the world; largest and longest bamboo dances ensemble. The city of Aizawl may now be referred as the ‘City of Cheraw’ (Bamboo Dance – Cheraw Khawpui) from 13th March 2010 onwards.