Tuesday 1 October 2013

Cheraw Dance, Mizoram, India.





*     Cheraw dance originated in the 1st century AD. In the ancient times, It was performed to provide solace to the soul of a deceased mother who had left her newborn child on earth. However, today the horizon of Cheraw dance has expanded considerably. In fact, this dance is performed on every big and small occasion and has become an integral part of almost every festival of Mizoram.

*     The various movements made by the Cheraw dancers are inspired by Nature. While some expressions of Cheraw dance resemble swaying of the trees, the others indicate flying of the birds. Cheraw dance is surely the most enchanting form of Mizoram culture.

*     Long bamboo starves are used for this dance, therefore some people also call it 'Bamboo Dance'. 

*    This dance includes four male dancers, who hold two pairs of bamboos across one another on the ground. The bamboos are clapped together on a particular beat by them. The bamboos, when clapped, produce a sound which forms the rhythm of the dance. It indicates the timing of the dance for the female dancers who step in and out to the beats of the bamboos with ease and grace. The females, with perfect sense of timing, dance gracefully by stepping alternatively in and out from between and across a pair of horizontal bamboos, held against the ground by males sitting face to face on either side. They tap the bamboos in rhythmic beats.

*     The costumes worn by female performers during the Cheraw include Thihna, Vakiria, Kawrchei and Puanchei. All these traditional costumes of Cheraw Dance come in vibrant colors that further brighten up the surrounding environment.

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