CULTURE EMBODIED

Though I have not had the opportunity to visit all the seven wonderful lands and to be rejuvenated by their rich culture and art forms, but a visit with my uncle to a North Eastern dance festival in Guwahati (Assam) helped me enjoy and experience the dances of  a few of these states to which I would have otherwise remained blinded. The different states that performed that day were Meghalaya,Mizoram,Nagaland,Tripura.I would like to relate the information that I gathered about these dances from the performances at the festival and  the additional information which were given to the audience after each dance ended. I today think myself very lucky to have noted down whatever was said about these wonderful dances. I would like to begin with the dances of  Meghalaya. These dances are associated with their festivals and seasons and so are performed throughout the year. The performances are held under the open sky ,and the movements are based on the melodious tempo of traditional instruments. Some of the dances performed that day are the Nongkrem dance & Lohoo dance. The nongkrem dance is a religious dance performed to thank the almighty for a good harvest, prosperity and safeguarding of the Khasi community. The day is celebrated in the capital Shillong as a holiday, and the dance is performed in various places.It is held annually during October and november.This dance includes mainly specialized footwork and is performed by women in colorful dresses called the “jainsieum” and accessorized in golden and red ornaments.The Lahoo Dance is performed by both male and female for entertainment. Attired in their best costumes usually two young men on either side of a woman, holding arms together dance in step. The women are dressed  in golden ornaments and the Khasi “jainsieum” and men wear brightly colored “dhotis” and turbans.                                                              A khasi couple.                                  photo courtesy http://www.anonlineindia.com/images/khasis.jpg                          The dances of Mizoram are as beautiful as that of Meghalaya and echo the sound of the land. The dances are performed with vibrant energy and skill and are accompanied with the sound of musical instruments like gong and drums. A few of the Mizoram dances performed that day were Cheraw and Sarlamkai.The Cheraw dance performance was my favorite performance of the day.”Cheraw” is the original name of what is more commonly known as bamboo dance.I suppose that it is also by far the most popular north eastern dance, from a popular reality show like Roadies to the stage of the dance festival that day, it always leaves the minds of the viewers wondering as to how such a dance form was created. This dance is performed by men sitting face to face on the ground tapping long pairs of horizontal and cross bamboo staves open and close in rhythmic beats. Girls in colorful Mizo costumes of 'Puanchei', 'Kawrchei'. Vakiria' and 'Thihna' dance in and out between the beats of bamboo. This dance is now performed in almost all festive occasions. The unique style of the 'Cheraw' is a great fascination everywhere it is performed. Gongs and drums are used to accompany the dance. Today modern music also complements the dance. The Sarlamkai dance was originally performed to celebrate victory over another tribe group and is accompanied with a non vegetarian feast. The dancers form a circle and make aggressive movements. The men and women both carry simple weapons and wear feathers on their heads.                                                                    Cheraw Dance                              photo courtesy http://mizoram.nic.in/images/cheraw.jpg The Naga dances are full of vigor and vitality and very rich in artistic element. My favourite Naga dance is the Zelaing.This dance is performed by a group of men and women. The dancers form any geometric shape and gradually speed up the tempo by stamping the feet or clapping in additional to the rise in the tempo of the musical instrument used. After the climax is reached, the tempo is brought down again and there is a satisfying finale. The only dance that was performed from the state of Tripura is the Garia dance.This is  also a group dance of both men and women. This dance is performed to pray the goddess Garia for a good harvest.All the members of the group wear flowery ornaments and are dressed in a manner similar to the Assamese ”mekhela-chadar “and” dhoti”,and the men also tie a “gamcha”on their foreheads like the Assamese.                                                                      Garia Dance                         photo courtesy http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3104/2695127397_b902760b30.jpg I thoroughly enjoyed the entire show and was once again amazed and proud of the cultural diversity of the various North-Eastern states. The dances were full of energy and worked as a mirror reflecting the traditions and essence of their land. The different costumes and variety in music spell bounded the audience and brought out the artistic specialties of these states. I too was very impressed by all the performances and left the show with an aching heart carving for more.